

It's
almost Christmas time and the women at
their sorority house are having a
Christmas party but however one of them
named Jessica Bradford (Olivia Hussey) is
receiving obscene phone calls from a
psychopath telling cryptic stories about
abortion and the beating of a child.
Jessica happens to be pregnant and wants
an abortion but her boyfriend Peter
Smythe (Keir Dullea) who lives in another
sorority house doesn't want her to.
Also one of the sorority sisters named
Clare Harrison (Lynne Griffin) ends up
being suffered to death by having a
plastic bag wrapped around her head and
dragged up to the sorority attic while
the party is going on but is not found by
the others.
While some go away for the holiday
Jessica stays behind with some of her
other sorority sisters and caretakers
only to be put away in the attic
themselves and Jessica continues to get
these obscene calls from the killer but
doesn't know where they're coming from
but will be in for a big shock after she
finds out.

The film leaves off to a
perfect start showing the sorority house
with the lisghts up on a snowy night as
well as people having their Christmas Eve
party. Plus there's great moments with
the killer not being seen and how he
enters his secret hideout in the attic.
Alot of this had a good dark low budget
horror feel to all of this.
It's real
spine chilling when the phone rings in
which you wonder if the killer is calling
and when he does the main character
Jessica Bradford answers it and let's
everyone else hear on what he's saying
which sounds totally gross in which you
know that he is deranged by something.
What seems cheesy is there were never any
speaker phones back then and Jessica was
just holding it out so everyone can hear
and can hear what he says very clearly.
There's also some good writing with the
sorority sister drunk Barb Coard being
sarcastic about the new stuff he's saying
along with telling him off which was
quite impressive and looked fun to watch.
There's a nice one liner by one of the
characters named Clare telling her it
wasn't a good idea to provoke the prank
caller which is a good drawing card to
the story knowing that something bad is
going to happen.
Then there's
the famous killing with one of them going
to her room and things are a little too
quiet thinking she heard the cat at the
house meowing with surprise attack and a
plastic bag wrapped around her head which
was an agonising feel on a way of slowly
suffocating to death.
I liked a
scene when a head officer and a detective
are mocking Sergeant Nash on his duties
which serves him right since he has an
attitude problem towards people he has to
deal with. I had to deal with idiots like
him and it's nice to have him humiliated.
There's some
good dark humor in the film which makes
the flick a bit uplifting like someone
who is dressing as Santa and not being
too thrilled over entertaining for the
kids as well as one of the head people
Mr. Harrison at the sorority making a
call and in the background Barb letting a
little kid take a sip of her alcohol. I
got some chuckles out of that.
There's more
funny moments with Mrs. Mac having
alcohol hidden in a book or other places
plus assuring Mr. Harrison that the place
is well taken care of while he spots
dirty pictures hung on the wall offering
more chuckles too.
It gets
spooky later on when a cab driver waits
for Mrs. Mac when she is stalling and
trying to look for her cat as well as
climbing up to the basement to spot a
shocking surprise which can scare the
viewer watching and knowing what is going
to happen to her big time.
Plus we have
a moment with Barb acting drunk out of
her head and then getting obnoxious
wondering if she's gonna get physically
brutal and going too far which seems
intimidating. When she is going to bed
the suspense is gonna be packed since she
would be a perfect target for the killer
living up in the attic.
It looks gruesomely artsy in the attic
with how the dead bodies are stored from
whar the killer did to them as well as
showing a dim light outside on the top of
the sorority house with one of the dead
bodies in a rocking chair and a plastic
bag wrapped around her head and a doll on
this corpses lap. You just thing that the
killer is totally creative in a sick and
twisted way.
Another good writing effort is when
Christmas carolers are singing at the
front of the sorority house with two of
the survivors named Phyllis and Jessica
watching meanwhile the killer is going to
stab Barb to death. This looked like a
traditional moment in a slasher flick
that the killer will go in for a kill
when something is too noisy or they're
briefly away. Also the person in charge
of the caroling gets anxious and tells
them to go back to their car right away
which is also creepy wondering if they
know about what's going on around the
house.
One of my favourite moments is when
Jessica tries to get the police to track
down the caller who's been harrassing the
sorority house in which alot of the calls
were perfectly scary with all that was
happening. But my favourite scene of all
time is when she's in the house alone
when Phyllis is supposedly in bed and you
wonder if this maniac got to her too then
gets a call from Sergeant Nash trying to
tell her to hang up and walk out of the
house after finding out where the calls
are coming from. This really can freak
anyone out who is scared of watching
movies like this and have nightmares from
this. Every little bit of this was
enjoyable and will please any horror fan
who likes to get scared.
Bottom line is this is a
well done dark type of horror film
leaving the movie very spooky and
mysterious however the story doesn't
explain itself too well but that's what
makes it excting and scary too. Still
it's greatly mysterious, dark and
frightening regardless and never knowing
where the killer is makes it appropriate
too as I find this to be the best
Christmas horror film ever. You wonder
why no one ever goes up in the attic at
all but yet lots of kids are scared on
things like that wondering what could be
creeping up there and would have every
right when watching this one.
The film was as eery as When a
Stranger Calls as both films
both have similar elements and both were
remade decades later. The same writer Roy
Moore wrote the 2006 remake as he
made the story have a better description
of why all the madness was happening with
flashback memories etc.

The acting is in
good shape for a film during this time
period. Olivia Hussey (Jessica
Bradford) seems to pull off well by being
the head sorority sister and does well
with her scared and upset emotions in the
film. She needed a bit of actring lessons
by showing these emotions and seems like
a newcomer to the acting field.
Keir Dullea (Peter Smythe) played a
great and mysterious one in the film as
the boyfriend and musician in the film
which also makes you wonder if he's a
suspect. He showed terrific aggressions
to his role. He also had the nice
intimiadated looks to his role in which
he looks like a killer adding a plus to
his role.
Margot Kidder (Barbie Coard) is by
all means the best out of the whole cast
and performs perfectly in every way. She
puts every she has as a partygoer
sorority sister in the film and does
especially well at being drunk too. She
also shows a good outgoing and hunouress
attitude too along with great angered
expressions along with acting totally out
of it. Basically portrayed someone who
was believeably hammered. It wasn't
surprising she went far in life.
John Saxon (Lieutenant Kenneth
Fuller) lived to play a police chief and
was often typecast with this type of
roles and of course already knew his
craft when he played one in A
Nightmare On Elm Street. He
brings across a nice seriouness to his
role being serious on his duties and
really bringing out alot of this lawman
spunk too.
Supporting actress Marian Waldman
(Mrs. Mac) really stood out well as a
drunken sorority caretaker and was quite
bubbly in her role. She was definetely a
ham in what she did as well as having an
flakey and unorganised attitude too. She
does well with her frusterations too. All
in all she was a good character actress.
Andrea Martin (Phyllis Carlson) also
played off well as another sorority
sister bringing lots of enthusiasm to her
part in the film. She was great by being
the straight one in the sorority home
having a great level headed type of
behvior for everything that she did in
it. A nice serious attitude too since she
has done comedic work like in SCTV
proving that she is very versatile with
whatever she does in an acting gig.
James Edmond (Mr. Harrison)
shows a good strict behavior in his role
as someone who doesn't take likely to
goofing around and having things
organised type of manner. He also had a
nice elderly serious type of look too
which suited him well for his performance
too. He was well focused on what he did
making you wonder if he's actually like
this in real life.
Supporting actor Doug McGrath
(Sergeant Nash) was another great
character actor who played a believeable
prick of a police officer in the film as
you want to slap him. He had a real
sharp attitiude with his speaking and
really knew on how to act anxious when he
needed to. He energised his part very
well and got into the mode of his role in
a great way.

An officers throat
is slit
There are some bloodied corpses.

The directing by Bob
Clark is incredibly well done on
everything making the film look darjk on
how he coached everyone as well as the
shots on different locations of the attic
and house.
We see a nice shot of the sorority house
at night time with the Christmas lights
up.
There's perfect camera shots on the
actresses reactions when they hear the
obscene phone call listening carefully
and acting quiet. Margot Kidder
does well reacting to this acting witty
as well as really showing a good
sarcastic attitude while talking to this
caller which looked energised. Bit part
actress Lynne Griffin does well
acting a bit nervous telling Kidder
about what she did wasn't a good idea
which also seemed suspensefully directed.
There was a real nice and spooky setting
on Lynne Griffin when she is in
her room slowly walking to the closet as
something is watching her and then BAM!
She is attacked which is a good jumping
moment.
Kidder does a great job acting loud
and drunk in a police station trying to
talk to supporting actor Doug McGrath
as an officer with him getting short
with her as this looked very
realisitically directed.
Olivia Hussey shows some nice scared
reactions to the obscene caller when she
tells the caller it's the wrong number.
The surroundings looked great in the
sorority house when it shows the hallways
and then the creepy attic.
Supporting actress Marian Waldman does
a great job acting frusterated looking
for her cat and showing a good aggressive
attitude while a cab is waiting outside
for her. She also shows a nice shocked
look after spotting a sorority corpse
with her head wrapped in a plastic bag.
Keir Dullea looked great storming
into the police station and getting
aggressive with McGrath.
There's a good close up shot on Keir
Dullea losing control of himself as
well as plunging a microphone stand and
slamming it at a piano which showed
terrific intense energy on him as his
actions were perfect while doing so.
There's alot of good fast action camera
shots circling around the attic with the
killers hands knocking things down.
Margot Kidder really played off
being drunk and Gordon made her
actions believeable when she gets
aggressive towards the others along with Andrea
Martin telling her off and trying to
act calm as this shows good
characteristics too.
Also there was a good moment with Kidder
when she has an athsma attack in bed
and then later on nice darkness on the
killer coming in with a knife ready to
plunge.
Martin does a good job sobbing
towards Barash thinking that
someone is killed which came across
believeable.
John Saxon was well directed as well
playing a police chief and has great
reactions when he finds out where the
killer is calling from trying to rescue
the survivors any way he can.
The darkest and best direction was when McGrath
calls up Hussey and trying
to sound calm towards her and questions
him along with him getting anxious
towards telling her the killer is in the
house and she right away has a freaked
out and shocked look to her face in the
same style as When a Stranger
Calls. This was the most
energised work that Clark did.
It's especially terrifying when she
screams for two of her sorority friends
and the hallway is still bare looking as
you know something is going to happen.
There's
a great shot on a door crack open with an
eye peeking as well as Hussey
freaking out slamming the door on this
killer and trying to run away showing a
perfect intense frightened attitude with
alot of fast action shots on everything
surrounding her as well as fast energised
blocking on her locking a cellar door.
There's a
great shot on Dullea peeking through a
cellar window calling to his girlfriend
as well as Hussey creeping back
trying to hide which looked impressive.
There's also a good shot on Dullea
slowly apporaching towards her as this
looked dark and creepy as well as her
backing up and holding up a weapon
towards him as this looked well done too.

Carl Zittrer composed
some nice dark sounds for the film with
piano chords being struck which works
just perfectly for the scary scene's
along with some moaning types of violin
sounds bringing it the perfect dark feel
to the scene's that it was played on.

The
Killer: [to Barb, while on
the phone] I'll stick my tongue up
your pretty pussy!
The
Killer: Let me lick your pretty
piggy cunt!
Barb
Coard: Why don't you go find a
wall socket and stick your tongue in it,
that will give you a charge?
[after
the mysterious caller hangs up]
Clare
Harrison: I don't think
you should provoke somebody like that,
Barb.
Barb
Coard: Oh listen, this guy is
minor league. In the city, I get two of
those a day.
Clare
Harrison: Well maybe. But
you know that town girl was raped a
couple of weeks ago.
Barb
Coard: Darling, you can't rape a
townie.
Sergeant
Nash: Excuse me? Could you give
me the number at the sorority house?
Please?
Barb
Coard: Yeah, sure. It's, ah...
Fellatio 20880. Fellatio. It's a new
exchange, FE.
Sergeant
Nash: That's a new one on me.
How do you spell it?
Barb
Coard: Capital F, E, little L,
LA, TIO.
Sergeant
Nash: Thanks.
Barb
Coard: Don't mention it.
The
Killer: [Quietly singing]
Little baby bunting/Daddy's went
a-hunting/Gonna fetch a rabbit skin to
wrap his baby Agnes in.
Mrs.
MacHenry: [on her
nightgown gift] Well, thank you,
girls. It's lovely really...
[muttering]
Mrs.
MacHenry: Got about as
much use for this as I do a chastity
belt.
Mrs.
MacHenry: [looking at
a hideous nightgown gift the sorority
girls have given her] Jesus, I
wouldn't wear this to have my liver out!
Mrs.
MacHenry: Oh God damn it
Claude, you little prick!
Barb
Coard: Did you know, this is a
very little known fact, but... did you
know that there's a certain species of
turtle that... there's a certain species
of turtle that can screw for three days
without stopping. You don't believe me,
do you? Well, I mean, how could I make
something like that up?
Mrs.
MacHenry: Ah, Barb, dear,
ah, I-I-I-ah...
Barb
Coard: No, really! They just...
three days, 24 hours a day, wha-voom!
Wha-voom! Wha-voom! Can you believe that,
three days? I'm lucky if I get three
minutes! Do you know how I know this?
Because I went down to the zoo and I
watched them. It was very boring. Well
actually, um, I, uh, didn't stay for the
whole three days, I went over and I
watched the zebras, because they only
take thirty seconds! Premature
ejaculation!
The
Killer: [referring to her
potential abortion] Just like having
a wart removed.
Jessica
Bradford: Oh my God!
Sergeant
Nash: [after Sergeant Nash
calls the sorority house] Who is
this?
Jessica
Bradford: It's Jess.
Sergeant
Nash: Ms. Bradford, this is
Sergeant Nash. Are you the only one in
the house?
Jessica
Bradford: No. Phyll and
Barb are upstairs asleep. Why?
Sergeant
Nash: Alright. Now I want you
to do exactly what I tell you without
asking any questions, okay?
Jessica
Bradford: [Begins to
question]
Sergeant
Nash: No, no, no... no
questions. Now just put the phone back on
the hook, walk to the front door and
leave the house.
Jessica
Bradford: What's wrong?
Sergeant
Nash: Please, Ms. Bradford,
please just do as I tell you.
Jessica
Bradford: Okay. I'll get
Phyll and Barb.
Sergeant
Nash: [Raising his voice]
No, no, no, don't do that Jess.
[Long pause]
Sergeant
Nash: Jess, the caller is in
the house. The calls are coming from the
house!
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