Most people know Christmas as a time when families come together to drink eggnog and open presents, but it's also a time when film fans can watch many movies set on the holiday. These movies include plenty of comedies and dramas such as Miracle on 34th Street and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and plenty of action films such as Batman Returns and, of course, Die Hard. However, there are also various horror movies that fans of the genre can watch on Christmas, and one example is none other than 1974's Black Christmas. Shot in Canada and directed by the late American filmmaker Bob Clark, who would go on to direct 1986's A Christmas Story, this movie is set in an unnamed college in the US and follows several sorority sisters that are receiving increasingly obscene phone calls from a deranged maniac who plans to pick them off one-by-one. Despite being a Canadian film, Black Christmas received a theatrical release in North America where it was originally marketed as Silent Night, Evil Night. Even though the film was initially a box office bomb in the US, it is now considered a horror masterpiece full of shocking kills, darkly comedic moments, and even ahead-of-its-time feminist commentary.
Speaking of kills, Black Christmas is one of the first slasher movies ever released. In fact, it's said that beloved horror filmmaker John Carpenter once asked Clark what a potential Black Christmas sequel would've been about. Clark explained that this sequel would've seen the killer caught and sent to a mental institution before escaping and returning to the sorority house to kill again. Oh, and the movie would've been called Halloween. Carpenter expanded that into an original 1978 feature film that was also called Halloween (you may have heard of it). The influence of Black Christmas would be felt in other slasher films from the next few decades such as Friday the 13th and Scream. There are also two remakes of Black Christmas but the less said about those, the better.
If you have yet to experience this unconventional 1974 Christmas classic and want to know how you can watch it, we've created a comprehensive, easy-to-read guide that will answer all the questions you may have about watching Black Christmas including if it's returning to theaters, what streaming platforms it's on, and which A-list actors were in the movie.
Related:'Black Christmas' Director Sophia Takal on Her Gutsy Remake of the Horror Classic
Watch the Theatrical Trailer for Black Christmas
This official four-minute trailer for Black Christmas begins with a rendition of "Silent Night" while cutting back and forth between some of the film's tense moments and the camera zooming in on the image from the poster. At one point, a narrator asks viewers to remember memorable holiday images from their youth such as sleigh bells and roasted chestnuts because they won't be the same after seeing Black Christmas. Keep in mind that this trailer may spoil important moments from the movie so watch it at your own risk.
Can You Watch Black Christmas in Theaters?
While it's not out of the ordinary for classic movies to be re-released in theaters decades later, Black Christmas does not have a nationwide theatrical re-release coming up, but it may still be playing in select theaters. Click the link below to find out if Black Christmas is showing at a theater near you:
Where Can You Stream Black Christmas?
Black Christmas is free to watch with ads on Tubi, Peacock, the Roku Channel, Redbox, Vudu, Crackle, and PLEX but if you prefer to watch the movie without ads, then it's also available on subscription-based services such as Philo, ScreenPix, AMC+, Shout! Factory TV, Screambox, Shudder, and fuboTV (listed as Strangers in The House). No matter which option you choose, most of these services are available on web browsers and in app form. The apps are typically available on iOS and Android devices plus a wide variety of digital media players for TVs such as Apple TV, Chromecast, and Amazon Fire TV. The movie is also available to buy or rent on major digital video stores such as Apple TV, Amazon, and Google Play.
Is Black Christmas Available on DVD and Blu-Ray?
If you would rather watch Black Christmas on disc, then you should know that the movie is also available on DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-ray. The Shout! Factory also released a 4K UHD Blu-ray of the film that comes with three discs full of audio commentaries, interviews, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and much more! There are two versions of this special release: one with an exclusive poster and another with the poster as well as five enamel pins based on iconic moments from the film. No matter which version you choose, you'll still have access to the same special features! You can order it on Amazon with the following link:
Order on AmazonRelated:‘Black Christmas' x 'Silent Night, Deadly Night' Double Feature Collection Up For Pre-Order at Gutter Garbs
Who's In the Cast of Black Christmas?
Believe it or not, the cast of Black Christmas features several A-list actors. Some of them were already established while others got their big break from this film. In either case, this section lists all the big-name actors in Black Christmas and breaks down the characters they played, what they did before and after this movie came out, and the legacies they either left behind or continue to grow:
Olivia Hussey played Jess, the most composed sorority sister in Black Christmas. Jess' relationship with her boyfriend becomes more and more strained throughout the film after she gives him an important update and tells him how she plans to handle it. The English actress first gained fame in 1968 after she played the female lead in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet film. She would reunite with Zeffirelli for his 1977 Jesus of Nazareth miniseries in which she played Mary. Hussey's other post-Black Christmas appearances include the It miniseries, the original Death on the Nile film, and an episode of Murder, She Wrote starring Angela Lansbury. She would also go on to voice Talia al Ghul in Superman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond. Hussey's most recent on-screen appearance was in the 2015 British drama film Social Suicide in which she acted alongside her real-life daughter India Eisley.
Keir Dullea played Peter, Jess' tumultuous piano-playing boyfriend who becomes even more unhinged after she tells him about something she has to do. The American actor is best known for playing astronaut David Bowman in the 1968 sci-fi classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. After Black Christmas, Dullea appeared in the 2001 sequel, 2010: The Year We Make Contact, as well as various TV shows such as Law and Order, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, and Castle. He's also popped up in several Broadway productions throughout his acting career such as Butterflies Are Free, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Doubles. Dullea continues to act to this day as he played Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood in the 2022 streaming series Halo.
Margot Kidder played Barb, the most drunken and sexually promiscuous sorority sister in the film. Barb isn't afraid to speak her mind as she often makes lewd comments in front of children and adults alike. One of the funnier moments in the movie is when she gives a dimwitted police officer the "new exchange" to reach their house. Unfortunately, Barb also rejects other people's views of sexuality if they don't line up with hers, which she becomes aware of later on. Prior to Black Christmas, Kidder made her first feature film appearance in the 1968 Canadian movie The Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kaladar. After popping up in some Canadian shows, she would appear in several American films such as Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx and Sisters, the latter of which saw her play conjoined twins. Of course, Kidder's biggest role didn't come until 1978 when she played Lois Lane in Superman: The Movie, a role she would reprise for three more films. Kidder went on to appear in several high-profile shows in the early 2000s such as Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Smallville, and The L Word. She would also become an outspoken activist for a wide variety of issues including mental health, environmentalism, and LGBTQ rights. Even though Kidder tragically committed suicide in 2018, her legacy lives on through her on-screen appearances and activism.
John Saxon played Lieutenant Ken Fuller, the only police officer who responds to the girls' claims. According to the On Screen! documentary on Black Christmas, the filmmakers originally cast Oscar-winning actor Edmond O'Brien (The Barefoot Contessa) as Fuller but soon found out that he had signs of Alzheimer's, so they replaced him with Saxon at the last minute. The American actor's career dates back to 1955 when he played a juvenile delinquent in Running Wild. Saxon was considered a teen idol throughout the late 50s and early 60s, working alongside the likes of Debbie Reynolds, Burt Lancaster, and Audrey Hepburn. Although Saxon continued to act through the early 70s, he would not put his martial arts background to use until 1973 when he acted alongside Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon. After Black Christmas, Saxon played Lieutenant Donald Thompson in the 1984 horror classic A Nightmare on Elm Street, a role he would reprise in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and Wes Craven's New Nightmare. Saxon also made appearances on several high-profile TV shows including The Six Million Dollar Man, Wonder Woman, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Saxon tragically passed away from complications of pneumonia in 2020.
Andrea Martin played Phyl, the nerdy yet kind-hearted sorority sister. The then-unknown Gilda Radner was originally cast as Phyl but had to drop out due to her commitments to Saturday Night Live. After Black Christmas, Martin joined the likes of John Candy, Eugene Levy, and Harold Remis on the Canadian sketch comedy series Second City Television (SCTV), which netted her two Primetime Emmy wins and even more nominations. Other shows Martin appeared in include Rugrats, 30 Rock, and Modern Family (on an episode called "White Christmas," no less). She has also popped in several Broadway plays such as My Favorite Year, Young Frankenstein, and Pippin, winning multiple Tony awards in the process. Of course, Martin is best known for playing Aunt Voula in the 2002 rom-com My Big Fat Greek Wedding, a role she would reprise for a short-lived television continuation and a 2016 sequel film. As of this writing, Martin's most recent on-screen appearance was in the streaming series Only Murders in the Building. She is also starring in a third My Big Fat Greek Wedding film, which is currently in post-production.
