The horror movie James Wan calls “an underrated masterpiece”
Each film genre or style will have its masters, with one generation’s hero handing down the torch to the next. Distinct eras characterise horror, each time a master has illuminated a new future and elevated the genre.
The most notable masters include Wes Craven, John Carpenter, George A. Romero, Dario Argento, and Alfred Hitchcock, who cemented themselves through their work in the 20th century. Horror’s greatest directors now consist of Ti West, Jordan Peele, Mike Flanagan, and most notably, James Wan.
Wan is responsible for some of contemporary horror’s finest creations. His titles include the franchises: Saw, Insidious and The Conjuring, the latter being the highest-grossing horror franchise at over $2 billion. In addition, Wan also directed the fan-favourite Malignant, where a woman begins to have visions of brutal murders, only to realise the events are happening in real life.
The filmmaker recently whipped up a storm in the horror community with the M3Gan teaser trailer. This upcoming horror features a life-like doll programmed to be a child’s best companion that turns sinister. Wan wrote the film with Aleka Cooper, his second collaboration with the screenwriter following Malignant.
M3GAN’s trailer wasted no time in garnering attention and starting discussions among horror’s biggest fans, demonstrating the status of Wan in genre filmmaking. The sci-fi horror will star Allison Williams and Violet McGraw, with Amie Donald voicing the title character. It’s set to be released on Friday, January 6th, 2023, having been pushed up from its original date due to its immense and immediate popularity.
Essentially, Wan is partially keeping the horror genre alive for a contemporary audience. This is driven by the filmmaker’s intense passion for all things spooky in the timeless tradition of exploring life outside of the norm. When talking to MovieMaker alongside fellow horror director Leigh Whannell, who starred in the first Saw film, Wan gave the list of his favourite movies. One film featured on this list is one of horror’s best yet overlooked features – a festive take on the grizzly genre.
Black Christmas is a 1974 slasher classic directed by Bob Clark, a project which stars Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder, Andrea Martin, and Lynne Griffin. The film follows a group of sorority girls who are getting ready to head home for Christmas break. However, a mysterious killer has other plans. Black Christmas was subjected to mixed reviews upon release but has since gained critical re-appraisal. Film historians cite it as an early blueprint of the slasher genre, and it is also remembered for its direct influence on John Carpenter’s Halloween, which was released four years later as one of the greatest slashers.
When discussing Black Christmas, Wan agreed with its newfound cult status. He deemed it “an underrated masterpiece” that is “one of the finest modern-day slashers”.
“The kills in this film aren’t necessarily bloody, as they are just outright suspenseful and scary as hell,” the filmmaker shared. “The ‘killer-is-calling-from-inside-the-house’ conceit here predates another movie with a similar twist.” This film Wan is referencing is Fred Walton’s When a Stranger Calls, released five years after Black Christmas.
Black Christmas was reimagined two times after its initial release, once in 2005 by director Glen Morgan and then in 2019 by Sophia Takal. However, both remakes failed to match the acclaim that the original now holds. The second remake went for a social commentary angle with painfully overt references to college rape culture and toxic masculinity. The latter was pathetically represented by a poisonous gunk that infects the men on campus. Due to this hilarious attempt at being intellectual, the 2019 version was panned, failing to succeed in its critique and scare factor.
Clark’s original created a simple yet effective atmosphere which was defined by chills and tension. The performances are terrific and emotive, with the film’s mysterious serial killer Billy often listed as one of the scariest in the slasher genre. Black Christmas is a quintessential watch for all fans in need of some spooks this Christmas.
Check out one of Black Christmas‘s scariest scenes.
