black christmas ( former alternate titles include silent night , evil night and stranger in the house ) is a 1974 canadian psychological slasher film directed by bob clark and written by a. roy moore .

the film was shot on an estimated budget of $ 620,000 and was released by warner bros. in the united states and canada .

when originally released , the film grossed over $ 4 million at the box office and initially received mixed reviews .

the film was inspired by a series of murders that took place in the westmount section of montreal , quebec , and the urban legend " the babysitter and the man upstairs " .

years after its release , black christmas has received respected praise and is credited for originating the unsolved ambiguous identity for the killer .

the film is generally considered to be one of the earliest slasher films , served as an influence for halloween , and has become a cult classic .

two years since its original release , a novelization written by lee hayes was published in 1976 and a remake of the same name , produced by clark , was released in december 2006 .

black christmas ( 1974 film )

margot kidder as barbie coard in black christmas ( 1974 ) - warner bros .
olivia hussey as jessica bradford in black christmas ( 1974 ) - warner bros .
this house on clarendon cres . in toronto was used in the 1974 cult horror film black christmas .
16 . black christmas opened in canada on october 11 , 1974 . distributed by ambassador film distributors , black christmas was more of a halloween release than a holiday picture .
before he made a christmas story , the late bob clark directed black christmas .
2 . black christmas was produced in cooperation with canadian film development and famous players .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing black christmas ( 1974 ) near you .
black christmas – never to be confused with irving berlin ' s white christmas or elvis presley ' s blue christmas . . .
october 11 , 1974 ( 1974 - 10 - 11 ) ( canada ) december 20 , 1974 ( 1974 - 12 - 20 ) ( u . s . ) october 12 , 1975 ( 1975 - 10 - 12 ) ( uk )
billy is the psychopathic killer and the antagonist in the 1974 original film black christmas . his identity is never seen or revealed , save for his eye .
distributed by ambassador film distributors ( 1974 ) ( canada ) ( theatrical ) , warner bros . pictures ( 1974 ) ( usa ) ( theatrical )
black christmas works best as a campy deconstruction of the genre than it does as a horror film .
17 . black christmas debuted in the united states courtesy warner bros . on december 20 , 1974 , under the title silent night , evil night . when it performed poorly under that name , the film ' s title reverted back to black christmas .
the holiday / horror movie black christmas came to movie theaters in 1974 . a canadian production , black christmas features olivia hussey as jessica bradford , a college girl whose sorority house is terrorized by a mysterious caller during the holidays . here are 21 black christmas movie trivia items and fun facts . . .
thankfully the worst of my fears did not become reality with black christmas 2006 .
black christmas and halloween . equally influential classics , at the end of the day .
skip die hard this year . black christmas is the cynical 2017 holiday movie alternative .
scream factory ' s new black christmas blu - ray release is a fitting release for such an iconic horror film .
a 1974 horror film , redone in 2006 , and one of the trope makers for the slasher genre .
here in the states , early slasher film black christmas got the collector’s edition treatment from scream factory last holiday season , but the 1974 film has to date still not been released on blu - ray over in the united kingdom .
shot in toronto , ontario , the film was first released in october of 1974 . the title was changed to
bob clark ' s black christmas premiered in canada on october 11 , 1974 . amazing black christmas movie trivia and fun facts encompass oliva hussey , margot kidder , andrea martin , silent night evil night , bette davis , keir dullea , hart house and glen morgan .
you need a holiday film as black and rebellious as your soul right now .
black christmas ( 1974 ) . directed by bob clark . starring olivia hussey , keir dullea , margot kidder , andrea martin , john saxon , marian waldman , james edmond .
skip die hard this year . black christmas is the cynical 2017 holiday movie alternative . - vox
black christmas is really a groundbreaking movie in the horror industry in terms of the slasher elements and disturbing sequences . this makes me wonder : if black christmas is still so effective today , what were audiences thinking back in 1974 ? they must have been scared out of their minds !
the 1974 movie was directed by bob clark , who is better known for directing a very different christmas - themed movie . . .
generally heralded as the first of its kind , black christmas may actually be one of a kind .
bob clark’s black christmas ( 1974 , poorly remade in 2006 ) , an unnerving “slasher” film avant la lettre , is the best of the christmas horror films . the recent rare exports ( 2010 ) , from finland , effectively plays on the supernatural elements of the santa myth .
black christmas is a fantastic movie that should be considered a horror classic . i highly recommend this movie .
the third category of big budget christmas movies involves films closer to the christmas story itself , about downtrodden people being given renewed hope over the christmas period .
“collected poems : 1974 — 2004” – rita dove ( w . w . norton & company )
black christmas lacks the timing and visual wit to make its splattery ec comics gags either genuinely scary or funny .
15 . black christmas ' signature tagline : “if this picture doesn’t make your skin crawl…it’s on too tight . ”
these “christmas miracle” films include prancer ( 1989 ) , one magic christmas ( 1985 ) , and the christmas star ( 1986 ) , all sweetly melancholic films .
21 . critical mass released a special edition black christmas dvd on december 5 , 2006 . included is an entertaining feature titled
the twelve days of black christmas ,
with olivia hussey , john saxon , margot kidder and others recalling their work on the film .
black christmas ( from a christmas story director , bob clark ) is not only one of the greatest christmas - themed horror films of all time , it is one of the most gorgeous and brilliant films i have ever seen .
while i ' ll always love the shape emerging to chase after laurie strode , for my money
black christmas
is the supreme slasher film . . .
black and white film , furthermore , evokes a nostalgic ambience that enhances the sentimentality that makes christmas movies such prolific producers of warm and fuzzy gut - reactions .
have yourself a scary little , black christmas . it ' s not at all like the ones you used to know .
check out the bonus features and trailer below . you can read more on scream factory ' s black christmas release here .
twisted christmas : if you couldn ' t tell from the title , billy ' s murders are happening on christmas .
the quality of the film and its portrayal of womanhood is partly why black christmas has recently enjoyed a resurgence in popularity among younger horror fans in the last decade .
this type of christmas film often follows a structure akin to a christmas carol – including , of course , numerous versions of that story . the muppet christmas carol ( 1992 ) is a particularly strong rendition of dickens .
it deserves pride of place alongside it’s a wonderful life , national lampoon’s christmas vacation and santa with muscles at the top of everyone’s must see christmas film list .
dir / prod bob clark ; scr roy moore . canada , 1974 , color , 98 min . rated r
films about christmas would be few and far between if it weren’t for the small screen . by far the most prolific of the christmas film categories is the telemovie .
there are several animated christmas films that are worth watching , including the nightmare before christmas ( 1993 ) , the polar express ( 2004 ) , and a christmas carol ( 2009 ) – along with innumerable tv specials and cartoons dedicated to christmas .
on the surface , a dark and brooding , slow - paced horror film like black christmas might not seem like the perfect holiday entertainment . but there are a few reasons it’s actually the perfect christmas movie for this particular cultural moment .
black christmas 2006 begins in primarily the same manner as the original from 1974 . it is christmas vacation and the sorority sisters are preparing either to go home for the holidays or settle in for a cold winter vacation on campus . unbeknownst to any of them there is an uninvited visitor lurking in the attic .
this film was so ahead of its time and still so impressive today . i never tire of it . the best christmas horror film ever made imo .
, the copycat that launched a thousand more copycats . there has been a push in the last 10–15 years , though , to recognize bob clark ' s 1974 film
of course , anyone familiar with clark’s 1974 seminal canadian horror film black christmas knows that wintertime cheer doesn’t last long in this sorority house . disturbing calls harass the sisters and get increasingly unhinged , until the young women start disappearing one by one — attacked by an unknown man who hides in the home’s attic , placing phone calls from within the house itself . griffin plays claire , the film’s first victim , whose grisly death by plastic bag has since become the poster image of black christmas and an unforgettable moment in horror - film history .
black christmas is quite possibly the original slasher horror movie . hfn contributor ronnie angel recently watched this film for the first , and perhaps the last time . it ' s that scary !
director bob clark was no stranger to the horror genre when he helmed this canadian gem in 1974 . he had previously directed
after viewing bob clark’s black christmas , horror fans will struggle to view slasher classics like halloween , friday the 13th , or nightmare on elm street the same way again . black christmas solidified the template that established many of the subgenre’s conventions and tropes , and with halloween , laid the groundwork for carpenter’s future success . in fact , clark claims he gave carpenter the idea for halloween to direct as a sequel to black christmas . each film is important , and each added new layers and dimensions to the prototype , but due to chronology alone , black christmas deserves serious props for being ahead of the pack .
( 1974 ) was not the first horror film to squeeze the cheery yuletide for all its worth in latent menace . one of the vignettes comprising ealing ' s postwar portmanteau
the meaning of independent film has changed since robert redford established the sundance film festival in 1981 .
black star champions the achievements of black stars from the earliest years of cinema through to the present day , whilst exploring why opportunities to shine on screen have been historically limited for black actors . black star celebrates films that feature black actors in central roles , bringing their work to a new generation of uk audiences and helping to reposition them and their performances in our collective memory .
the sorority house in black christmas is decked out in christmas kitsch . throughout the film , the trappings of christmas are played up to hilarious effect , like when we get a brief glimpse of a sorority member’s jewish boyfriend clad in a santa suit , or when one of the sorority girls serves alcohol to one of the local children who’ve come to the house for a christmas party . the notion of a wholesome christmas gets as thoroughly smashed as the ornaments peter breaks .
it wouldn’t be christmas without a viewing of one of the greatest canadian holiday films around . black christmas is a fantastic piece of horror history , paving the way for numerous films in the slasher genre . there are plenty of horror films set during various holidays , but black christmas is not only one of the first , but one of the best as well .
black christmas 2006 is a remake so it has two strikes against it out of the gate . thankfully there are enough plot twists and creative gore scenes in this film to make it worth while .
black christmas , the original from 1974 directed by bob clark , is often credited with being the original slasher movie . not the first movie to have someone slashed mind you , but the film that defined the modern slasher genre that has a crazy killer slinking around picking off the victims one by one in gross and unpredictable ways .
tfs is showing black christmas this december 2 at artspace , in conjunction with that organization . popcorn and drinks will be available , and it’s free !
august films film funding ltd . of canada vision iv canadian film development corporation ( cfdc ) famous players
but as a horror film , black christmas is definitely a success . although tempting , it ' s unfair to lump black christmas with the teen slasher films of the early 1980s , a cycle that really started with john carpenter ' s halloween ( 1978 ) . this is a film more about atmosphere than body counts , and there ' s more disturbing content in billy ' s schizophrenic , threatening phone calls than in any of the few scenes of violence . it is this creepiness that makes black christmas a widely regarded horror film that should be of interest to all horror fans no matter what nationality .
black christmas received the kind of treatment from critics one would expect . like much of canuxploitation , canadian critics attacked the film for appealing to more low - brow ( read : american ) tastes . black christmas was made an example of the kind of film that should not be receiving any arts funding . alexander points out that the catch - 22 of english canadian film is that the film represents a cinema that simultaneously attempts to reject and cater to popular american cinema , in the process fails both countries .
black xxxmas : a xxx parody ( 2012 ) ( video ) pornographic parody .
upon initial release in the us the films title was changed to
silent night , evil night
because the american distributor feared the title
black christmas
might cause the film to be mistaken for a ' blaxploitation ' flick . however the film didn ' t do well under the new title and it was changed back to the original
black christmas
title , under which it was a success .
keep in mind that black christmas director bob clark would go on to direct one of the most famous christmas films of all time , 1983’s a christmas story . it’s easy to see how much clark has thought about the holiday in black christmas , and the way it has an impact on both the story and the atmosphere . as a result , there are all kinds of nods to the dismantling of your childhood belief in a perfect and happy christmastime .
if bob clark ' s black christmas doesn ' t make you want to deck the halls and sing jingle bells ; you must be a grinch scrooge .
make this holiday season bearable , watch black christmas and drink every tiem : barb drinks , mrs . mac drinks , the phone rings , someone dies .
a black star themed strand will feature in the 2016 into film festival . the festival is aimed at young people aged 5 - 19 and takes place in november . the black star strand will illuminate on - screen talent and feature british black stars as well as actors and actresses from the african diaspora from across film history , focusing on talent and films that resonate with into film’s young audience and are engaging and relevant for educators using film in the classroom
black christmas birthed the slasher genre back in 1974 and remains a highly influential piece of horror cinema to this day . it’s a taut thriller with a great cast and frights that linger well after the credits roll . shout ! factory’s choice to retain the film’s 70’s patina should satisfy classic horror fans .
– bruce douglas , high def digest
the essential 1980s christmas comedy , perhaps , is national lampoon’s christmas vacation ( 1989 ) – and no self - respecting christmas film lover’s december can pass without a visit to the griswolds . chevy chase offers a pitch - perfect comedic performance as the quintessential frustrated american suburban dad , and christmas vacation is , arguably , the funniest of the vacation series .
the sorority house from black christmas ( 1974 ) is located in old toronto , ontario . the house is on a private road and director bob clark stumbled across the house by accident . actors art hindle and lynne griffin returned to the house in the dvd extra black christmas revisited . unfortunately , this extra was included on the now out - of - print 2002 special edition and was not carried over to the current blu - ray / dvd release .
at a special event held at bfi southbank in london with comedian gina yashere and dj norman jay mbe , the bfi tonight unveiled black star , the uk’s biggest ever season of film and television dedicated to celebrating the range , versatility and power of black actors . black star celebrates the relationship between stars and the audiences who love them , spotlighting great performances by black actors on screen .
a film director and his strange friends struggle to produce the first major silent feature film in forty years .
this reimagining showcases with encyclopaedic relish just about every slasher convention and variation that has evolved over the last thirty or so years since the original black christmas screened .
“little baby bunting , daddy’s went a - hunting , gonna fetch a rabbit skin to wrap his baby agnes in . ” ( the killer , black christmas )
7 . black christmas was made for a meager $ 686 , 000 ( $ 620 , 000 u . s . ) , consuming eight weeks of filming .
thankfully , black christmas 2006 falls into this second category . if you like fast action , intense “turn around , turn around ! ” scenes , creative and “yell out loud” gore and an interesting and compelling story - line , the black christmas 2006 is worth your time and effort . just watch out for the icicles .
black christmas is the quintessential holiday horror film , and scream factory has done an excellent job with this collector ' s edition , amassing all previous extras along with a new beautiful 2k scan of the film .
– ryne barber , the moon is a dead world
black christmas is an example of the second type , the whodunit slasher , where the plot is as much about finding the killer’s identity as how they’re eventually defeated .
black christmas ‘s high rating earns it a place in the hallowed that was a bit mental hall of fame . click here to see what else made the grade .
although halloween is credited as the film that kicked off the slasher genre and friday the 13th is the considered the one that inspired a slew of imitations , black christmas pre - dates them both by nearly half a decade .
big budget , mainstream hollywood christmas films usually fall into one of three categories .
bfi player will present the work of some of film’s biggest black stars to audiences right across the uk . with a collection of over 50 titles , the bfi player black star collection will be divided into a number of themes including :
i saw black christmas for the first time ten years ago , during my first month - long horror film marathon and it’s been my favorite ever since . not only is it my favorite horror movie , it’s also one of my favorite christmas movies . yes , i know what that probably says about me .
chinatown ( 1974 )
he ' s my brother , he ' s my daddy .
similar line to the film chinatown :
she ' s my sister , she ' s my daughter .
black christmas ( 1974 , horror ) hd official trailer for black christmas , the 1974 horror film that was among the first slasher films and is said to have influenced halloween . it ' s time for christmas break , and the sorority sisters make plans for the holiday , but the strange anonymous phone calls are beginning to put them on edge . when clare disappears , they contact the police , who don ' t express much concern . meanwhile jess is planning to get an abortion , but boyfriend peter is very much against it . the police finally begin to get concerned when a 13 - year - old girl is found dead in the park . they set up a wiretap to the sorority house , but will they be in time to prevent a sorority girl attrition problem ? urltoken
this 1974 canadian horror film from the uniquely talented bob clark ( look for his films a christmas story and murder by decree in this issue of preview ) is widely credited with being the first
slasher
film , the genre of horror that would come to dominate by the 1980s . but unlike the formulaic franchise entries that came in its wake , black christmas is a well - made thriller , with thoughtful characterization and formally creative moments of fright . olivia hussey and margot kidder are still in their college sorority house on christmas eve , even after receiving a series of menacing telephone calls . big mistake , eh ?
there is one final film that transcends these categories in the complexity of its generic composition – and no spectacular christmas would be complete without it .
“i don’t think we’d have final girls the way we do now without black christmas , ” said alex west , a horror film critic and co - host of the podcast faculty of horror , referring to hussey’s character jess , the film’s main character , whose pro - choice opinions and independence were a noteworthy portrayal of young womanhood in a 1970s slasher film .
although this film ' s original title was silent night , evil night it shares no connection to the silent night , deadly night ( 1984 ) film , another christmas horror movie , or any of its sequels . another similarly titled film called silent night , bloody night ( 1972 ) also has no relation to the film .
1974 ' s black christmas is one of the most important canadian horror films ever made , a decidedly gimmick - free spookshow that weaves terror and humor into a festive holiday package . not only is it of interest to canuxploitation enthusiasts for the canadian connections , but it remains a benchmark flick for horror film fans who want to see the low budget classics that helped create modern big budget slashers .
during their christmas break , a group of sorority girls are stalked by a stranger .
wishing each and every one of you a much better christmas than this lot got .
18 . black christmas , which has been called the prototype of the modern - day slasher film , grossed over $ 4 million in the united states alone . reviews for the holiday / horror picture were mixed . reported the boston evening globe in a thumbs - up review : “black christmas is the best chiller of the year , a creepy , murderous suspense film with an ending guaranteed to rattle what’s left of your sensibilities after the movie’s hour and 45 - minute onslaught . ”
“black christmas , ” which landed on local screens a year after its release in canada where it was produced , is a whodunit that begs the question of why it was made .
“once facebook came around , people started to rediscover the film and fans started to rediscover the people who were in black christmas , ” said griffin , who now attends two to three conventions a year to meet fans of the film ( sometimes posing with a plastic bag , striking the iconic pose ) .
8 . black christmas was filmed on location in toronto , canada . the university of toronto and victoria college served as the primary site . hart house , located at 6 belmont street in toronto , doubled as the terrorized sorority house . it ' s known today as simply the
black christmas house .
since 1974 the old house has since been renovated , with every wall taken down and rebuilt and the outside white stucco replaced and painted a different color . the huge tree on the main lawn was also removed .
perhaps frightening in 1974 , it really doesn ' t hold up today unless you can forget the 12 , 000 films exactly like it , which is difficult .
a remake was released in 2006 . the poster was creepy , but the film , in which andrea martin plays the house mother , follows standard horror film cliches and cannot hold a christmas candle to the original .
black christmas has shared as many identities as the killer it introduces . its original script was titled the babysitter and then mutated into stop me . the current moniker emerged , but that title was changed to silent night , evil night because warner brothers feared viewers might mistake it for a blaxploitation film , which in the mid - 1970s , was possible . however , the film didn’t find popularity until the title was switched back to black christmas . when the film was later released for television , the title switched again , this time to stranger in the house .
likewise , we don’t watch the 1938 version of dickens’s a christmas carol because films were better in the 1930s , but because this particular film is excellent .
halloween is over . christmas is near . a fitting time to explore an interesting link .
the second , related , category features christmas films about the waning of belief in a modern consumerist society , and the subsequent re - invigoration and reproduction of christmas spirit and jubilation .
forty - two years ago , director bob clark unknowingly kick - started the slasher sub - genre with black christmas , originally released in canada in october of 1974 . the film was subsequently picked up by warner bros . for release here in the states , debuting in theaters on december 20th of that year . the canadian slasher grossed several times its $ 620 , 000 budget at the box office , pulling in an estimated $ 4 , 035 , 000 . a success by any definition of the term , black christmas went on to become revered as one of the most important and influential horror movies ever made .
pun - based title : it ' s a subversion of the song white christmas , here black not standing for african - american , but for evil . . . or for utter despair .
in black christmas , the killer is deliberately faceless , almost spectral — and there may even be more than one . if we consider that the house at the center of every horror movie is almost always a metaphor , then black christmas argues that if we want to know how hate and violence spread , we need to stop looking for a generic evil outsider and search for the source in our own homes instead . in a year where hate , misogyny , and xenophobic fear of the other reigned over the political climate , the implications of black christmas couldn’t feel more timely .
it was the night before christmas and all through the house , lay corpses and blood , echoing the screams and shouts . of all the helpless victims of billy the kid , who had his christmas sole from him not like you should . a night of mayhem were peace cannot be found , all wrapped up for unwrapping the pin head frowns . and the christmas and the christmases after that will never forget , that a black christmas is never forgotten not never forget !
black star programmer , ashley clark said : “black star shows us many stories of black stardom , on both sides of the atlantic . from cinema’s earliest trail - blazers to today’s transatlantic stars , i’m excited for audiences to enjoy icons , heroes and heroines back on the big screen where they belong . ”
the film is regarded as being one of the first slasher films ( with the texas chainsaw massacre ( 1974 ) , a bay of blood ( 1971 ) , psycho ( 1960 ) , and peeping tom ( 1960 ) preceding this film ) . it set the layout for films such as john carpenter halloween ( 1978 ) . however , director bob clark considered it to be more of a psychological horror film than a slasher film .
• plot twists – i don’t want to give away anything from the first black christmas if you have not seen it , but there are some minimal twists involved in that story . black christmas 2006 assumes that we already know those twists from the original and adds some extras that not only give depth to the story but add elements that give the movie a reason to have been made .
black christmas ( also released under the titles silent night , evil night , and stranger in the house ) is a 1974 canadian independent horror film directed by bob clark and written by a . roy moore . it stars olivia hussey , keir dullea , margot kidder , andrea martin , marian waldman and john saxon . the story follows a group of sorority sisters who are stalked and murdered over christmas vacation by a killer hiding in their sorority house . it was inspired by the urban legend of
the babysitter and the man upstairs
, but was also largely based on a series of murders that took place in quebec , canada around christmas time . black christmas is generally considered to be one of the first slasher films . a remake of the same name , produced by clark , was released in december 2006 .
the dark polished wood and its contrast to its christmas lights decorating the banisters , the large staircase , the trellis on the side of the house that the killer climbs to enter it , the square wooden crawl space to access the attic : all of these elements are now signature to black christmas , a modestly budgeted canadian film that inspired the slasher genre .
horror aficionados will insist on watching the five films of the silent night , deadly night ( 1984 ) series – crude and unpleasant exercises in mayhem , without the style or suspense of black christmas .
john carpenter’s halloween and bob clark’s black christmas have a good deal in common , and it’s not just that they’re both holiday horror classics . the films were also both released in the 1970s – halloween in 1978 and black christmas several years prior , in 1974 – and they’re both credited for helping to kick - start the american slasher movement that primarily dominated the 1980s . of course , most ’80s slashers had way more in common with friday the 13th – released in 1980 – but the tropes of the sub - genre were firmly established in the ’70s by clark and carpenter .
a christmas story ( 1983 ) the leg lamp can be seen in the sorority living room .
9 . black christmas is a christmas creeper , opening at a sorority holiday party . several of the girls – jess ( olivia hussey ) , barbie ( margot kidder ) , phyllis ( andrea martin ) – have been getting obscene phone calls from a stranger they have dubbed
the moaner .
canadian director bob clark ( a christmas story , murder by decree ) tragically left this mortal realm in a car crash in 2007 , but his legacy of work lives on . he worked in several genres , but in horror , his 1970s masterpiece black christmas is revered by both fans and filmmakers .
black christmas with puppet master comic writer shawn gabborin this week on scream addicts , jinx welcomes shawn gabborin to the show . the editor - in - chief of action lab comics ( for which he writes the puppet master comic book series ) , mr . gabborin has chosen bob clark’s classic 1974 proto - slasher black christmas for discussion this week . with its gloomy holiday atmosphere , shocking violence , and goofy humor , black christmas inspires a discussion which touches on the film’s mystery , its place in slasher film history , and whether or not its heroine can be considered a true final girl . along the way , we discuss the remake , mourn the death of video stores , and briefly discuss…stallone’s over the top ? ! it’s a fun conversation with a great guest , and it’s one we hope you enjoy ! make sure to scream at us on facebook and twitter . we are : @ shawngabborin @ scream addicts @ jinx1981
black christmas was officially released on october 11 , 1974 , in canada through ambassador film distributors , and in the united states on december 20 , 1974 , through warner bros . , where it grossed $ 4 , 053 , 000 . it was released in october 1975 in new york city and chicago , and previously played under the title silent night , evil night in virginia in july 1975 . and grossed over $ 4 , 053 , 000 internationally , managing to earn more than the film ' s budget of $ 620 , 000 . when released in the uk , the bbfc had the word
cunt
removed , as well as several other crude and sexual references during the first obscene phone call .
black christmas from scream factory is a good release . it ' s not amazing , but it ' s good . i can ' t say i was particularly impressed with the picture . there is a note at the beginning of the film that the negative scan produced a result that looks as good as when the film was released in theaters .
black christmas has had a lasting legacy partly because of the influence it had on john carpenter in making halloween , and partly because it’s just a really good film — one whose strident feminism and refusal to shame its sorority girls for their behavior is still rare onscreen and off .
15 . deceased the big valley cast members are barbara stanwyck ( 1907 - 1990 ) , richard long ( 1927 - 1974 ) , peter breck ( 1929 - 2012 ) and napoleon whiting ( 1910 - 1984 ) . whiting played the barkleys ' black servant / chef silas in 36 episodes .
of course , much of the promotion for black christmas was done in theaters , where various props and posters were put on display for movie - goers to see . in some theaters , wreaths were hung up with black cardboard bows on them that read “ it’s going to be a black christmas , ” and in other theaters , dummies were set up in rocking chairs and placed in the lobbies . the chairs , equipped with electric motors , rocked back and forth continuously throughout the day . the dummies had plastic bags over their heads , and the displays essentially brought the film’s poster art to life .
every last detail is there : from the christmas trees , to the christmas lights , to the christmas carolers who sing at the front door , to the depiction of the extreme cold . black christmas , though frightening , is the most christmas - feeling film that i have yet seen . lewis jackson’s you better watch out ( 1980 , aka christmas evil ) also does an admirable job of getting the christmas feeling right , but black christmas is simply the best . it’s one of those films that was released under other titles . its original title , silent night , evil night , is rarely used now , at least here in the states . i think a lot of folks confuse it with silent night , deadly night ( 1984 ) , a truly tasteless take on christmas evil . it was shown on television about 30 years ago as stranger in the house ( not to be confused with wes craven’s stranger in our house from 1978 , which was based upon the novel summer of fear which was released theatrically in europe under that title and also appears on the movie marquee in wes craven’s deadly blessing , and jeff east is in both of those movies…all right , sorry , getting carried away… )
i ' m continuing my countdown to halloween covering scary , creepy and halloween - appropriate christmas entertainments .
1974 : the year of watergate , dungeons and dragons , and patty hearst . hillary swank was born and jack benny died . right along side chinatown , the [ . . . ]
regarded among horror fans as the first film to come up with the popular convention of a killer calling from inside the house . however , it was preceded a year earlier by the severed arm ( 1973 ) , in which a radio announcer is called repeatedly by the killer who the operator soon discovers is inside the studio on another phone , and then by the tv movie mousey ( 1974 ) , which featured star kirk douglas terrorizing ex - wife ( jean seberg ) with calls that the police eventually trace to a room upstairs ( dialogue between the police inspector and seberg is almost identical to that between jess and sgt nash in this film ) . both likely set the precedent for this convention popularized by black christmas ( 1974 ) .
richard donner’s lethal weapon ( 1987 ) is likewise set in los angeles during christmas , and perhaps the most memorable scene in the film is the introduction of cop on the edge martin riggs ( mel gibson ) as he breaks up a drug deal in a christmas tree lot .
at the end of each year , there are websites that ask their readers to pick their favorite christmas film . the answers are fairly predictable : it’s a wonderful life ( 1946 ) and miracle on 34 th street ( 1947 ) , and then there are some surprises like march of the wooden soldiers ( 1933 ) and the man in the santa claus suit ( 1979 ) . my own personal favorite is a seemingly odd choice : the late bob clark’s masterful 1974 thriller black christmas . i consider this film to be one of the best horror films ever made . it is incredibly scary and at times wildly hilarious ( it should come as no surprise that mr . clark also directed porky’s ( 1981 ) and a christmas story ( 1983 ) . i have never seen a thriller walk such a tightrope and manage to juggle both of these extreme emotions successfully . more than that , however , it’s a film that gets christmas completely right .
you need black christmas , a canadian horror film made by director bob clark in 1974 on a shoestring budget ( about $ 700 , 000 ) , four whole years before halloween supposedly kicked off the slasher genre . set in a sorority house just before the students’ year - end departure for the christmas holidays , the film concerns the escalating terror visited upon the sorority sisters by an unknown assailant who hides in their attic . over the course of a few nights , his terrifying anonymous phone calls grow more violent , girls start disappearing , and the police force , as well as parents and local community members , all get involved in trying to find the killer .
in 1986 , olivia hussey met producers for the film roxanne ( 1987 ) , since they were interested in casting her for the title role . roxanne co - star steve martin met her and said
oh my god , olivia , you were in one of my all time favorite films .
thinking it was romeo and juliet ( 1968 ) , olivia was surprised to find out it was actually black christmas ( 1974 ) . martin claimed he had seen it around 27 times .
black christmas may be one of the oldest examples of the modern slasher film , but it’s still one of the best . it still has the power to shock four decades later , and not even a shonky remake in 2006 could damage its reputation . if you’re a fan of slashers and you haven’t seen it yet , correct this as soon as possible because it’s a christmas cracker ( sorry ) .
1 . black christmas sprouted from the semi - fertile imagination of canadian writer roy moore . moore had gotten his creepy story – that of a stranger making bizarre phone calls to a sorority house – after reading about similar events which reportedly had taken place during a 12 - month period . moore’s working script was initially titled the babysitter , which morphed into stop me , then silent night , evil night , and , ultimately , black christmas .
after several witless murders , john saxon , the film ' s unflustered , if perplexed , detective , cynically asks a dumb cop , “don ' t you think we ought to look into it ? ” considering the ersatz tension and plotting , “black christmas” is hardly worth the efforts of all concerned .
the final credits include the message
goodbye , shirley ,
in tribute to composer shirley walker , a frequent collaborator with director glen morgan . walker passed away in november 2006 , before
black christmas
' release .
both one of the most stylish and most creepiest slashers out there—not to mention the essential christmas slasher—and what ' s more is it ' s one of the genre ' s best . black christmas is decked with holiday - horror cheer and slick scares , two things that the genre hasn ' t always got right , but here , it ' s pretty miraculous . bob clark is a magician and the way he crafts black christmas is another testament to why he was such a diverse director ( this dude really made porky ' s ii and a christmas story in the same year ) . with this one he tackles a psychological slasher , fit with great , relatable…
horror doesn ' t settle for simple tuesday : one of many slasher films to take place on christmas .
classical hollywood cinema offers the most refined , and in many ways the most aesthetically pleasurable , christmas films .
in 1986 , olivia hussey met producers for the film roxanne ( 1987 ) , since they were interested in casting her for the title role . roxanne co - star steve martin met her and said
oh my god , olivia , you were in one of my all time favorite films .
thinking it was romeo and juliet ( 1968 ) , olivia was surprised to find out it was actually black christmas ( 1974 ) . martin claimed he had seen it around 27 times . see more »
black christmas ( former alternate titles include silent night , evil night and stranger in the house ) is a 1974 canadian psychological slasher film directed by bob clark and written by a . roy moore . it stars olivia hussey , keir dullea , margot kidder , andrea martin , marian waldman and john saxon . the story follows a group of sorority sisters who are receiving threatening phone calls , while being stalked and murdered during the holiday season by a deranged murderer hiding in the attic of their sorority house .
black christmas is an effective , frightening above average slasher movie with a good cast and a frightening , surprise ending . barb ( margot kidder ) and jess ( olivia hussey ) are lonely sorority sisters who are having a christmas party in their sorority house during the christmas break . peter ( keir dullea ) is a mad - killer who terrorizes the women by making threatening telephone calls . as the body count mounts , the women realize that the killer may be in the house . black christmas , one of the first of the slasher pictures , is still frightening despite some plot devices which have now become standard and predictable . director bob clark uses his excellent cast to great effect , and the script , written by roy moore , has some great plot twists and a good , scary surprise ending . black christmas has also been released as silent night , evil night and stranger in the house .
black christmas was officially released on october 11 , 1974 , in canada through ambassador film distributors , and in the united states on december 20 , 1974 , through warner bros . , [ 5 ] where it grossed $ 4 , 053 , 000 . it was released in october 1975 in new york city and chicago , [ 6 ] and previously played under the title silent night , evil night in virginia in july 1975 . [ 7 ] and grossed over $ 4 , 053 , 00 internationally , managing to earn more than the film ' s budget of $ 620 , 000 . [ citation needed ] when released in the uk , the bbfc had the word
cunt
removed , as well as several other crude and sexual references during the first obscene phone call .
even though it was made by an american , black christmas has a very strong canadian sensibility . in his review of the film , david alexander points to the killer in black christmas as a representation of the canadian persona . billy stands out against the traditionally macho film murders as a more
effeminate
presence . he is more emotional than logical , seems obsessed with motherhood , and has smaller features . keeping with this , it is the stronger female characters that actually represent a threat to billy , as the male characters often prove as impotent as the
loser
characters in goin down the road .
this classic , enigmatically disturbing horror film from universal studios and expressionistic director edgar g . ulmer was universal ' s top - grossing film of the year .
williams , “film bodies : gender , genre , excess” in film quarterly , 44 : 4 , summer 1991 , 2 - 13 ) , 4 . ↩
unnecessary remake of the classic groundbreaking horror film of the same name , black christmas is a dull film that has everything you ' d expect from a bad remake , bad acting , bad directing , predictable story and a poor cast . the original was a classic film that did not need to be remade . this film is not very entertaining , and relies on old ideas to create its horror . the end result is a film that simply doesn ' t work . as with nearly all remakes , black christmas is dull and is a disappointing film . there ' s nothing of interest that would make this film worth watching . the film lacks any depth to really make this one really stand out . the film navigates through constant mediocrity and overall ends up being an awful waste of time . usually studios constantly remake horror classics such as prom night , the hitcher friday the 13th to name a few . only a small handful were decent at best . but the black christmas remake suffers from a pointless story with bad acting that really tries too hard to entertain the viewer . good horror films should be effortless in building the terror . however with this one , this is predictable and really bland with nothing new . as a slasher film , this remake doesn ' t do any that would make you expect the traditional good elements of what makes a slasher film so special . this remake is bland and predictable and is yet another remake that doesn ' t work because previously explored ideas that are just not intriguing . this should be avoided .
has finally gotten the recognition it so richly deserved back in 1974 . from the first eerie strains of
silent night ,
to its chilling conclusion , you ' ll be glued to the screen .
black star aims to bring strong characters and trail - blazing performances to the widest possible audience . the season will spotlight :
black christmas by lee hays ( 1976 ) : good luck tracking this one down , it’s long been out of print and awfully pricey as a result . all the same , if you can find it for a reasonable figure , i’d suggest making the purchase . black christmas is one of the most horrifying films ever shot , and the book opens the door for a closer look at the psychology of the story and its players . get it if you can ! !
whodunit slashers almost always have a red herring who seems to be the most likely killer , and black christmas is no different . it’s got peter , jess’s boyfriend , who’s a first class knob - end and is controlling and aggressive .
the original title of the films script was
stop me
. it was director bob clark who came up with the title
black christmas
saying that he liked the irony of something dark occurring during such a festive holiday .


surviving the game is a 1994 action thriller film directed by ernest r. dickerson , starring ice-t , rutger hauer , and gary busey .

it is loosely based on the short story " the most dangerous game " by richard connell .

although not successful during its theatrical release , it has since developed a cult following .

surviving the game

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featured in bad girls / the inkwell / naked in new york / brainscan / surviving the game ( 1994 ) . see more »
surviving the game is a 1994 action film starring ice t , rutger hauer , and gary busey , loosely based on the short story
the most dangerous game
by richard connell .
surviving the game received mostly negative reviews , and holds a 21 % rating on rotten tomatoes . however , it has since developed a cult following .
the stunning tapestry depicts key scenes from every episode of hit tv show game of thrones .
welcome to the surviving the game website . surviving the game financial literacy organization is a non - profit 501 . c3 organization . our mission is to educate youth and young adults about health and wellness , economic development , entrepreneurship , real estate and understanding credit . by providing opportunities that train , strengthen and develop personal leadership skills . stg has been offering workshops and conferences to a diverse group of youth and young adults since 2005 . this year we are celebrating eleven years of service in the community .
ramsay tells rickon to
run
, as they are now playing a game .
to know more about game of thrones filming locations , check out this interactive map .
alec holowka is a canadian indie game developer , programmer , musician and game designer . he has worked on many critically acclaimed indie games , including his most recent game , night in the woods , which won the seumas mcnally grand prize and the excellence in narrative award at the 2018 independent games festival .
game of thrones fans were once again on the edge of their seat following sunday ' s latest episode .
arrows welcome rivals amazulu to princess magogo in a game spiced by claims of . . . soccer
“this game can never be bigger than zamalek in alexandra - it can never be bigger than that .
video - game designer zoë quinn survived gamergate , an act of web harassment with world - altering implications .
not a bad twist on
the most dangerous game ,
but a lot more could have been done with it .
the early 90s was a high peak for action films and surviving the game to me is one of the better ones . the film has some of my favorite actors rutger hauer , charles s dutton , gary busey , f . murray abraham , and ice t in one of his better roles . anytime hauer plays a villain you know the film has something extra going for it .
with the death of ramsay and extinction of house bolton , it is unclear what will happen to the lands the boltons already possessed , such as the dreadfort . it is possible the the starks will gift the dreadfort to their allies for supporting them during the battle of the bastards , such as house mormont or hornwood , or perhaps the surviving wildlings .
it was either sarah or tai that was heading to survivor ponderosa as the final member of the survivor game changers jury . tai sealed two fates that night .
thus far , game of thrones has been pretty enjoyable this summer . lots of intense action and rousing spectacle . breathtaking dragons .
? let ' s play a game . run to your brother . the sooner you make it to him , the sooner you get to see him again . that ' s it . that ' s the game . easy . ready ? go . no , you have to run remember ? those are the rules .
“i told the guys ( when sundowns played against setif in a champions league group match in june last year ) that ‘no don’t worry about the people outside‚ the game is on the pitch . ’
it ' s the last quarter before the election . corbyn has been wandering the country making , frankly , contradictory speeches which have been confusing everyone but wooing floating voters . ( and surviving assassination attempts . the game notifies me that he should really be dead by now ) . gdp is finally creeping back up , thanks to our early investment in technology ( to represent the mooted £250bn national transformation fund ) and our credit rating has been upgraded again .
so heated was that encounter in algeria that the confederation of african football disqualified setif for pitch invasion and other unsavoury incidents that took place during the game against sundowns .
cheesy take - off of
the most dangerous game ,
although it ' s got a lot of low - rent b - movie energy .
hopefully everyone knows the short story “a most dangerous game” , which this movie is based on . cheesy action / drama flick , but very satisfying .
harking back to northern ireland’s rich heritage of textile and linen manufacture , the tapestry was woven and hand - embroidered from material provided by thomas ferguson irish linen in banbridge , one of the last surviving mills in northern ireland , and contains over 250 , 000 threads placed by hand .
now what ? ! we must wait so , so long before the new , albeit final , season of game of thrones where all hell breaks lose .
well , the game’s designer cliff harris has some advice . “if you play to the hard left , your party membership should go high relative to your actual electoral support , which is a good analogy for corbyn labour . the problem is that the game uses proportional representation instead of first past the post [ the electoral model used in uk general elections ] , so when you gain a voter in
to learn more about the tapestry , visit the interactive northern ireland game of thrones® tapestry app where you can zoom in and explore details of the tapestry in full , reliving some of the best scenes from previous episodes .
sundowns departed for morocco on monday night and mosimane said while they expect wydad to step up the intimidation antics after losing the first leg 1 - 0 in pretoria on sunday afternoon‚ his players are mentally prepared for whatever is thrown at them after surviving the worst kind harassment during their champions league - winning run last year .
after around 1 . 5 hours on the road , arrive at your first stop : tollymore forest park , which featured as the haunted forest , an eerie woodland lying north of the wall beyond the northern border of the seven kingdoms . with your guide , visit the spot where ned stark and his boys discovered a dead direwolf and her surviving pups . see also where the white walker ambush took place in the first episode .
head coach pitso mosimane of mamelodi sundowns during 2017 caf champions league game between mamelodi sundowns and wydad ac at lucas moripe stadium on 17 september 2017 .
remake of the classic 1932 thriller the most dangerous game , with ice - t as a wilderness guide who discovers that his party of hunters plan to use him as their prey . score by stewart copeland .
diana hughes is the director of adaptive games at age of learning , inc . , a leading education technology company and creator of urltoken , a comprehensive digital learning resource for children ages 2 - 8 . at age of learning , she helps create adaptive , game - based learning systems that personalize instruction to keep players in their optimal zone for learning . prior to joining the company , she worked as a game designer and producer with indie studios codename games and psychic bunny . her past work includes an empathy game for children on the autism spectrum , a graphics - free game for blind and low - vision players , and training games for the united states military . she holds a b . s in multimedia from bradley university and an mfa in interactive media from the university of southern california .
surviving the game ( stg ) was founded in 2005 by tina m . jackson , phd . after doing a lot of research on poverty and academic development she was convinced that teaching students about financial literacy would strengthen their ability to break out of poverty and achieve economic success . our first stg conference was held in minneapolis , minnesota at augsburg college . since 2005 , we have branched out to provide stg financial literacy workshops nationally . each year we host an annual conference in minneapolis , minnesota to continue educating youth in the greater twin cities metropolitan area .
probably the best group of villains ever collected in a group as the antagonists of the piece set this
most dangerous game
rework above the rest of the pack . rutger hauer , gary busey , and charles dutton are all exemplary here . this is one of the best ' survival in the woods / men hunting men ' films out there .
battle of the bastards
is the ninth episode of the sixth season of game of thrones . it is the fifty - ninth episode of the series overall . it premiered on june 19 , 2016 . it was written by david benioff & d . b . weiss and directed by miguel sapochnik .
game of thrones® season 7 has finally hit the screens . northern ireland is one of the main filming locations for the hit tv series , and to immortalise the unforgettable series locations , from winterfell to the iron islands , tourism ireland has unveiled a giant , 77 - metre long , bayeux - style tapestry .
read the books and seen the shows ? visit the iconic locations from george r . r . martin’s fictional land of westeros on your next holiday . the best part : all these locations have local companies that offer special game of thrones tours so that you don’t miss a single site .
game of thrones , as always , leaves us conflicted and confused . it remains a show that hates the weak , but loves its small victories . it is the most delicious of cheeseburgers , but also hard to evaluate without seeing more .
a mad max - esque post apocalyptic world provides the backdrop for a brutal , futuristic game resembling football . rutger hauer plays a disgraced former star leading a rag tag group of
. . . see full summary »
belfast is home to titanic studios where game of thrones is shot , and only a stone’s throw away from other filming locations across northern ireland including the king ' s road , winterfell , the wall and dragonstone . take a tour around northern ireland and discover the dramatic scenery used in the show .
hello i’m 22 and i come from belgium i research a great association where i can be a wildlife volunteer , near or in the kalahari game reserve . if you know something just let me know by email thank you !
the industry languished until nintendo broke through in 1985 , in part by marketing its consoles as toys , not just games — and thus launching itself into the gender - binary world of toy stores . ( its most famous product was game boy . ) research showed that more boys than girls were playing , which only reinforced the marketing strategies , which in turn reshaped the industry . to hook the adolescent - and - beyond segment , sex was introduced , at least in a theoretical way . women were depicted on game covers as panting onlookers . female protagonists , like lara croft , had builds that would give barbie a crisis of confidence . games like myst and the sims still had largely female playerships , but shooter games began to dominate the public conception of what a video game was .
however , it is also possible that the lost ending to the battle of the bastards was simply the double envelopment by the cavalry , and that in the showrunners ' minds the thematic payoff came with the cooperation of the smaller northern houses .
one of the more frustrating storylines ( though not the most controversial ) of game of thrones season 5 was the dorne plot . despite the beautiful location—it was largely shot in the alcázar of seville — the elaborate costuming , and high - profile casting , scenes in dorne fell flat for many show watchers—and downright irritated book readers , who expected more from the sand snakes , a . k . a . the daughters of the beloved oberyn martell .
the central kalahari game reserve is the second largest nature reserve in the world and probably the least visited in botswana . this vast wilderness area is possibly the remotest place you’ll ever experience . to undertake such a journey , a sense of adventure is highly recommended , as well as a strong desire to be somewhere that other people are not .
quinn is nearly done building a new game , crowdfunded with $ 85 , 000 of kickstarter contributions , to be released this fall . it’s a satirical full - motion video project about the campy erotic - fiction icon chuck tingle ( known for titles like buttageddon ) . a team of around ten built the game , but according to john warren , her business partner on the project , quinn is responsible for the majority of the programming , in addition to writing the narrative . “a lot of people are quick to assume she isn’t the one doing the technical stuff , ” he says , in the same way “women at e3 always get asked if they’re in marketing . ” it’s by far the most complex project she’s made .
herds of gemsbok , zebra , wildebeest , and ostriches congregated near the pans , and the occasional secretary bird and black - backed jackal stalked through the tall savanna grasses . most of this wildlife is also common in south african game reserves , but it was the feeling of complete isolation and total self reliance that made our trip through the kalahari a truly unforgettable experience .
quinn ( who already had a magnet under the skin of her index finger , which she says allows her to “feel electromagnetic fields , like an additional sense , ” as well as pick up anything magnetic as a party trick ) originally installed the chip to promote a comedy video game she had begun building called it’s not ok , cupid . the game was inspired by her attempt to meet someone on the dating website , and , like many of quinn’s projects , it was high concept : set in a reality where people find love via an artificial intelligence , the game asks characters to scan a chip to verify that they are who they say they are . the joke , in part , is that authentication like that is unimaginable , really . “you’d have to be totally honest online , ” she explains . and as everyone knows , the internet isn’t built for accountability .
by doing so , we were deprived of a unique situation . according to the players at the survivor game changers finale reunion last night , the vote would have ended at 5 - 5 for brad and tai , with troyzan then conferring with the jury to become the deciding vote . tai still wouldn’t have won , but he could have been $ 90 , 000 richer .
he had hidden throughout the city . in the books , when jaime told brienne about the
what happens with the sand snakes is . . . extreme . very extreme . so i’m really curious to see how people take it . i don’t know what else i can say ! episode 10 sets the rest of the show on a very certain path . it’s a big move in game of thrones , and the sand snakes are a part of it .
one day in 2014 , the video - game designer zoë quinn decided to make herself a cyborg . and so , this being the modern world , she simply ordered a kit from the internet that would allow her , via a large sterilized syringe that she plunged into the webbing between her left thumb and index finger , to implant a microchip the size of a tic tac under her skin .
warren met quinn when he tried to hire her to work on a game ; he knew who she was from gamergate but had also played depression quest . he liked her ear for dialogue and facility with branching narratives . the rest of his team ultimately vetoed quinn’s hiring — “she was an attention magnet in a way they weren’t comfortable with , ” warren says — but quinn and warren kept talking and , eventually , she told him about fail state , a game she’d been dreaming of making for a while .
with all these returning players gathered together after a season full of twists , everyone ( tai included ) opened up their hearts . tai reading his letter from mark the human ( his husband , not the chicken ) showed just how the game of survivor breaks you down , as tai was a day or two from seeing him once again .
for a while , quinn programmed the chip , which has a short - range radio transmitter that lets it send code to compatible devices , to do useful things , like call up a link to a game onto anyone’s phone that she touched , or make a new friend’s phone automatically text her contact information , which particularly came in handy at video - game conventions . but nowadays , she says , “i like the idea of using cool cyberpunk stuff to tell really stupid jokes . ” the only script she currently runs on it pops up a notification window on the target phone that says , simply , “dicks . ”
he really spoke up for himself at his elimination tribal council , and him being the last jury member to reach survivor ponderosa , the video is a lot more gameplay - centric than others . tai does lament about what could have been , but even in his advanced age , you could see him grow as a person from the feedback and the experience of survivor game changers .
“the next thing suddenly people are inside the pitch and the players said ‘coach‚ you said people won’t come on the pitch and now they are on the pitch . ’
barristan ii : the battle between the defenders of meereen and yunkai . the ironborn attack the slavers . a yunkai lord is killed .
while planning for the battle , tormund expresses concern at facing ramsay ' s mounted cavalry , citing the wildlings ' encounter with stannis baratheon following the battle of castle black , where he essentially cut through mance rayder ' s army with little effort . though tormund states that he has seen what mounted knights can do , since stannis and davos
cut through us like piss through snow
, tormund was actually not present for that phase of the battle and did not witness stannis defeat the wildlings and arrest mance , as he had already been injured and taken into custody by the night ' s watch . it is possible that the surviving wildling prisoners told tormund about what happened . the battle of the bastards is the first time tormund himself faces mounted knights , as there were no horses at castle black or hardhome .
wander into the haunted forest , see the riverlands , make a grand entrance at winterfell and more on this ‘game of thrones’ day trip from belfast . traveling by air - conditioned coach with a knowledgeable guide , journey to county down and visit locations used in the award - winning hbo series . explore tollymore forest park , the real - life location of the haunted forest , and visit inch abbey and audley’s castle , which featured as the twins and the riverlands . the highlight of the tour is castle ward — site of winterfell — where you can join in an optional archery session .
returning for season 7 to gangbuster ratings , game of thrones is close to being the most popular show in the world ; its newest installment has also received glowing reviews . but as elegant as the show and its storytelling can be , it’s not without its awkward moments—and one of them came roaring back in season 7 , episode 2 , “stormborn , ” which presented a brutal solution to what we’ll call the dornish problem .
this episode includes one of the very few times slow - motion has been used in game of thrones , when rickon stark is killed and jon ' s reaction . the only other rare times it was used were ned stark ' s execution in
baelor
, the arrival of the tyrell and lannister reinforcements in
blackwater
, and ygritte ' s death in jon ' s arms in
the watchers on the wall
. all of these episodes are ninth episodes in its seasons .
for a tiny island , malta offers the game of thrones production team a wide variety of landscapes to shoot in . the beautifully preserved medieval cities of mdina and valetta were used in the initial shoots of king’s landing and the red keep before the filming was moved to croatia . then there’s fort manoel which serves as sept of baelor , one of the holiest spots in all of westeros . this is also where joffrey and ned stark face off in season 1 . an iconic piece of malta’s coast , the azure window , also featured in the series as the venue of daenerys’ and khal drogo ’s wedding .
the game tells me that i’ve achieved an egalitarian miracle - essentially , equality has never been so great , now that i’ve driven the rich away . poverty is continuously falling , crime is high but dropping . . . and gdp is low but dropping . i really need to stimulate that , so i instigate a technology and research revolution ( which is
the broad strokes of the episode — gamergate , as it came to be called — go something like this : in august 2014 , gjoni published an extensive blog post accusing quinn of various infidelities , including , he said , sleeping with a journalist at the gaming site kotaku . the post was explosive , particularly on certain internet forums like 4chan , where it was suggested that she’d cheated on gjoni in order to get a positive review of a game she’d built . in fact , no such review exists , but quinn was an appealing target : she was already known for her work as a designer whose most famous game seemed built more to provoke an argument than to be enjoyable , and for her outspokenness on gender inequities in the industry .
meet your guide outside your hotel in central belfast , and then hop aboard an air - conditioned coach and travel to county down , the site of winterfell , the haunted forest and many other locations featured in the hit tv series , game of thrones . as you travel , listen to your guide share insider gossip about the popular hbo drama , adapted from george r . r . martin’s a song of ice and fire novels .
but it also helped her to cultivate a reputation as someone who spoke out on issues of inclusion and misogyny in the industry . she was chosen as one of two women on game _ jam , a reality - tv show maker studios was trying to mount about indie game designers . quinn helped incite a rebellion on the first day of filming when , among other things , the producer asked a male competitor if he thought his team was at a disadvantage because there was a “pretty woman” on it . production shut down , costing maker studios hundreds of thousands of dollars . quinn also flew out to san francisco , with her then - boyfriend gjoni , to give a talk at a gaming conference about the harassment she’d experienced .
obara and nymeria’s dead bodies were then ghoulishly displayed on the prow of the ship . ellaria and tyene survived the skirmish , but they are , doubtless , the gift euron promised cersei last week . ellaria , the woman who killed the queen’s daughter , myrcella , and her only daughter , tyene , in the hands of a lannister ally ? surely this won’t end well for them . “kill us , get it over with , ” ellaria insisted . but the show may have something much nastier in mind . at least game of thrones stopped short of massacring ellaria and yara right on the spot . the fandom could not have weathered the controversy of two more gay women on tv dying immediately after a kiss .
this cheesy action film surprisingly features an all - star cast and some great scenic locations in eastern washington for a change . ice - t stars as jack mason , a homeless man who becomes conned into a deadly game of survival as he fights for his life from a band of ruthless killers who hunt drifters for sport . the town of wenatchee and the surrounding areas were used extensively for the film .
game of thrones season 7 may only have 7 episodes , but what it lacks in its usual amount of episodes it surely makes up in exciting , heart - drenching sequences and surprising revelations . arguments can be may on the ' style over substance ' sacrifice this season has made but there ' s no denying the sheer dramatic tour de force it brought making the series bigger and better today . 4 . 5 / 5
the ai also wanted to warn us humans about the dangers of mass surveillance .
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after dinner , doc hawkins offers mason a full pack of cigarettes with a few of the cigarettes sticking out of the top of the packet holding the lid open by placing it on the table . in the next shot when doc hawkins pushes the packet closer to mason the packet is half empty with no cigarettes sticking out .
production has jumped around since the filming of the first season , with ireland , iceland , malta and croatia serving as some of the main settings in the past .
what better place to shoot an enormous , fictional wall of ice and the freezing lands beyond it than iceland ? the frozen landscapes are where constant - brooder jon snow and the night’s watch , the wildlings and the white walkers spend a lot of their time . the lava stacks of dimmuborgir are where wildling leader mance rayder made camp . then there’s the area around glacial lake myvatn and godafoss , or the waterfall of the gods , that served as the set for most of the scenes set north of the wall . the svínafellsjökull glacier in the vatnajökull national park was also used to shoot many scenes involving the night’s watch .
but a verbal dressing - down is nothing compared to what happened to these women in season 7 . it feels as though the game of thrones show - runners would have preferred to pretend that the sand snakes and dorne never happened at all . but that would be hard to pull off , given how vital the region is in westeros . as recently as last year , martin released a new winds of winter chapter all about dornish politics .
a film that shines mostly for the interesting performances by the cast of character actors .
check out highlights from some of the best recent trailers including mandy , the predator , zoe , and the king of thieves .
the hunter becomes the hunted : once mason collects himself and starts thinking , he begins cutting down the hunters one by one .
note : the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer ( s ) .
for the first time on the show , two major battle sequences take place and come to a conclusion in the same episode .
iron fleet
. the line of dialogue here is using the term loosely .
“they ( the fans ) go inside the pitch and when their team does not score‚ they go inside and stop the match .
with the death of wun wun , it ' s possible that the race of giants is now extinct . the hbo viewer ' s guide listed him as
the last of the giants
in its recap for this episode . liam cunningham also states that wun wun as the last of the giants .
one of the most important locations in all of the seven kingdoms , the capital king’s landing can be found in the medieval walled city of dubrovnik on croatia’s dalmatian coast . the city’s stone walls and well - preserved forts feature throughout the series . fort lovrijenac , located on steep cliffs outside the city walls , doubles up as the red keep , the royal residence in king’s landing . there’s also the trsteno arboretum which was used as the lush palace gardens for the shoot . another croatian coastal city , split , often features in the show . daenerys targaryen , she of dragon ancestry , plotted her comeback in the rooms of the kliss fort and the magnificent diocletian’s palace , a unesco world heritage site . the fortress of kliss was the part of the slave city of meereen that daenerys frees on her road to building her army .
when wolfe sr . is shooting at mason in the dark he empties the magazine of his semi - automatic . there are sounds of him pulling the trigger and the hammer falling on empty chambers as if the gun is empty but it can be seen that the slide is locked back and therefore the trigger would not be able to operate the hammer .
during the live q & a section at the game of thrones panel for san diego comic con 2016 , sophie turner was directly asked why sansa doesn ' t tell jon about the vale army . she bluntly admitted that she had no idea and the writers never told her , and she guessed it was just to set up the last minute rescue of jon by the vale army , in order to make it
more dramatically satisfying
to build up the tension . benioff and weiss were also on the panel but announced at the beginning that they were too drunk to answer questions and didn ' t respond to any for the rest of it , nor did they intervene to provide an explanation to help turner in that moment . there is simply no in - universe reason why
sansa
the fictional character didn ' t tell jon about the vale army .
corbyn’s labour policies are theoretically more principled than may’s . but conveniently , where may’s conservatives had uncosted tax cuts in various forms , corbyn has costed $ 50bn of tax rises on corporations and the highest earners , and made them a priority . that gives him an advantage in this game , because i can implement them first and stabilise the economy in a way i couldn’t with may , before i embark on his renationalisation programme and the increase in nhs and education funding .
the premise of fail state , a meta one , is that players find themselves inside an imaginary , multiplayer , web - enabled game that was so disastrously built and incoherent that its creators will shut it down soon — a dying world that , it turns out , players love anyway . it’s a “microapocalypse , ” in warren’s words , in which “everyone is facing the end of this thing that’s really important to them . ”
according to the released sample chapters , daenerys ' s loyalists and the ironborn seem to have the upper hand in the battle against yunkai . by the time the volantene fleet arrives , the battle may be decided in favor of daenerys ' s forces - in which case daenerys may return with her dragon to save both the unsullied and the ironborn ( we ' ll only know for sure when the next book is released ) . it ' s also possible the volantene fleet will simply give up and turn back after they arrive at meereen and see the large coalition now following daenerys ( similar to the second sons and the windblown ) .
– whereas in the real world , the electoral system can amplify or mute your vote .
this is only the seventh episode in the tv series in which king ' s landing is not featured in any scene . the previous six were season 1 ' s
the kingsroad
( because king robert and cersei were with the starks on the road and had not yet reached the city ) , season 3 ' s
the rains of castamere
( which focused mostly on the red wedding ) , season 4 ' s
the watchers on the wall
( which focused entirely on the battle of castle black ) , season 5 ' s
kill the boy
( which didn ' t feature any scene in the seven kingdoms not counting the north ) , and
the dance of dragons
, and season 6 ' s
the door
.
jack mason : [ aiming the gun at burns ] bang ! game over . [ unloads the gun and discards the bullets . drops the gun and starts walking away ] burns : [ burns gets up , picks up the gun , sees one bullet and loads it ] it ' s my lucky day . hey , mason ! jack mason : burns , there ' s something you should always do when you find a gun . burns : [ close up of gun , camera pulls in tight : we see the barrel is obstructed ] say goodbye . [ burns fires - the gun explodes , killing burns instantly ] jack mason : always check the barrel . [ walks off into distance ] see more »
cole : you know why we ' re gonna find you mason ? cause i can smell your stinkin ' ass from here . a hilariously bad action flick that stars ice - t as a bum , selected to participate in a man hunt on a secluded island . the story is a loose adaptation of the most dangerous game and has both rutger hauer and gary busey competing for craziest actor of the year and f . murray abraham far away from getting his oscar for murdering mozart . jack mason : always check the barrel .
near the end of the film , the movie changes locations to seattle . a skyline is shown and it is identified as seattle . the city skyline that is shown is actually philadelphia .
according to dan weiss in the inside the episode featurette , the original draft of the episode had jon ' s final confrontation with ramsay occur on the battlefield , once he penetrated to the very rear of the bolton lines where ramsay was . in subsequent drafts they decided that it had more dramatic resonance for jon to actually confront ( and then pummel ) ramsay inside the courtyard of
with a 60 minute runtime , this is one of the longest episodes in the tv series .
when brad culpepper won the final immunity challenge , he and troyzan had a huge decision to make . their combined votes would decide who went home or , at least , who would be picked to test their luck in a fire - making challenge . brad chose tai to exit survivor game changers and head to survivor ponderosa in fourth place and sarah , knowing that trying to knock troyzan out would put a vote for brad on the jury , followed suit .
when quinn and lindsey released depression quest in february 2014 , it was a minor hit . it also occasioned a rape threat directed at quinn , and a discussion on wizardchan , a message board for adult male virgins , of how much the game “sucked” and how a woman could never really know true depression . some of those users found quinn’s phone number — she had entered it on a spreadsheet for volunteers after the boston bombing — and began to call her .
essentially , the tv version omitted the subplot about all of the northern lords seeking revenge on the boltons for their crimes and refocused it on a personal revenge between sansa stark and ramsay - even though sansa never even met ramsay in the books .
during the melee sequence in the first phase of the battle , the camera follows jon snow around through the chaos of the battle in a tracking shot that lasts for an uninterrupted 60 seconds ( though there are a few split - second moments when horses run in front of the camera which may have been used to hide shifts between different takes ) .
while jon refuses to bend the knee to dany , he agrees to relinquish his king in the north if she helps him fight the threat in the north . cersei , tyrion , jon , daenerys , jorah , varys , missandei , qyburn , euron greyjoy , the mountain and the hound come together at the dragon pit in king ' s landing , where jon has brought a living wight to unite the seven kingdoms against the night ' s king .
as the conference draws nearer , we will have additional details on the exciting meaningfu play 2018 program .
has taken over the rest of the iron islands . this is a little more complicated in the books : the
iron fleet
is the national fleet of the iron islands , sworn directly to the ruler of all the isles , but each of the major vassal houses have their own local fleets . the iron fleet in the novels , in fact , consists of about 100 ships at any given time , but they are the best ships and crews in the islands - three times the size of their normal raiding ships . when yara and theon fled with the ship captains loyal to them earlier this season , it was remarked that they
took our best ships
. thus there are in fact only about 100 ships in the
iron fleet
itself ( large and elite ships ) , but
all the fleets in the iron islands
number considerably more ships - though they are not considered to be part of
soon after doc hawkins is killed we see him in the background riding his atv with the rest of the group . a huge crowd of the production crew can also be seen in this very same shot .
this episode focuses on only two storylines : the north and meereen . the storylines involving bran north of the wall , arya stark , sam and gilly , dorne , the wall , king ' s landing , the riverlands , and the iron islands do not appear in this episode . yara and theon ' s story has now merged with daenerys ' s while the vale storyline has now merged with the northern arc .
the armies gather the following morning as ramsay brings out rickon . after menacingly raising a knife , he cuts rickon ' s bonds and tells him that they are to play a game . the only rule is to run towards his brother . as he does so , ramsay pulls out a bow and nocks an arrow , prompting jon to urgently ride out on horseback to try to save rickon as ramsay fires arrows at him . ramsay appears to have no intention of hitting rickon with his first shots but , just as jon approaches his brother , rickon is struck in the back with an arrow and killed . devastated and enraged over his brother ' s murder , jon charges at ramsay and the bolton forces alone . davos tells the stark cavalry to charge . the bolton archers fire at jon and strike his horse . with jon now defenseless in the middle of the battlefield , ramsay orders the bolton cavalry to charge at him .
sansa was never shown successfully rallying any of the northern lords either . the glovers outright rejected them , and when they visited the mormonts , neither sansa nor jon succeeded in winning them over - only davos when he pointed out the threat of the white walkers . in the inside the episode featurette for that episode , the showrunners even focused on jon ' s interaction with lyanna mormont , not even mentioning sansa ' s presence .
sansa didn ' t actually play any active role in the knights of the vale coming to defeat ramsay .
almost all of the scenes that are depicted in the
city
are filmed within a two block area in downtown wenatchee , washington . the area filmed was in a two block perimeter of mission , orondo , palouse and columbia streets with the majority of the film scenes in the alley way behind the liberty theater off of mission st . this area also includes the infamous bruce hotel which is still there today ; however it has not been a hotel since the early 2000 ' s and is now bruce transitional housing for the homeless .
shortly after getting to the remote site in the pacific northwest , mason discovers that the rest of the hunting party ( who paid handsomely to be there ) has one specific prey in mind to hunt , said to be the most challenging of all prey animals : man .
the alley off palouse street between wenatchee and mission behind the liberty theatre is where jack is seen at the beginning of the film . it is outside this alley where he witnesses his dog being hit by a taxi .
liam cunningham and sophie turner are credited before aidan gillen and carice van houten respectively , as the former was credited after the latter when they last appeared together in
the door
and the entirety of this season .
sundowns have some injury problems to contend with and mosimane took his whole squad to morocco on monday in the hope that some of the players in the sickbay would recover while on the road in time to face wydad .
in the backstory from the novels , there have been several naval battles in the past during which dragons were deployed against enemy ships - given that all ships in this medieval era are made of wood , and therefore flammable , these generally tended to be one - sided affairs . a single dragon can wipe out an entire fleet . during the targaryen conquest , visenya targaryen used vhagar to destroy the entire fleet of the vale on her own . the largest naval battle in the dance of the dragons , the battle of the gullet , involved a massive fleet sent by an alliance of the free cities against dragonstone , but two - thirds of the fleet was destroyed by a force of five dragons and their riders .
traditional tapestries tell tales of times gone by , and have embodied the history and heritage of cultures across the world from as far back as the 3rd century bc .
kit harington is credited before emilia clarke when he was credited after her when they last appeared together in
the door
and the entirety of the series before .
sapochnik explained that basically the arc they envisioned for jon across season 6 was that he had his faith in humanity shattered by the mutiny and for the battle of the bastards to be a climactic rebirth when he rediscovers his desire to live - the literal
rebirth
shot when he crawls out of the pile of dying men .
likes his bowie knife . the way he comes into the cabin crouched low with it in hand is evocative of
as jon brandishes longclaw and prepares to fight to the death , the stark cavalry smashes into the boltons , narrowly saving jon from being trampled . in the rear , davos belays his order to his archers to release arrows into the melee of infantry , as he announces that they would kill his men , engaged in close - quarter fighting , as well the enemy . he eventually sends the archers forward to be of more use in the middle of the battlefield . ramsay , however , has no such compunction ; he has twice the men to lose and little concern for killing his own . he repeatedly and purposefully orders arrow fusillades that kill all combatants in the middle of the field , apparently in an effort to create a strategic barrier of human death in the center of the battlefield .
tyrion seems to note with some sympathy now that theon was an outsider amongst the starks - alluding to the fact that tyrion was always considered an outsider among the lannisters .
while not a lot actually happened , this episode asked us to visualise the key alliances and enmities of the coming season . it cemented the idea suggested in trailers that daenerys , cersei and jon are the three rulers to watch .
in the books , sansa remains in the vale , and is actively helping littlefinger politically manipulate the vale lords so she can eventually take control by marrying sweetrobin ' s cousin harry . in the tv version , sansa never did anything to
manipulate
littlefinger into sending the vale army :
when quinn first reported the harassment to the police , they were confused , and wouldn’t accept the usb drive she presented as evidence , so she printed the worst of the worst , 70 pages of it until the ink ran out . gjoni remained unapologetic . he told a journalist that he had written a sequel to the original post ( which hadn’t mentioned the abortion ) and it was set to auto - publish if he didn’t manually disable it within 24 hours after a court date — for instance , if he were jailed for violating the restraining order the police eventually granted quinn .
when you ' re eating the flesh from the pig , look into his little beady eyes . . .
ant - man and the wasp , starring paul rudd and evangeline lilly , took the top spot at . . .
jack ends up getting a room at the bruce hotel , which houses the frame works at 4 north mission street .
the tapestry will be on display in the ulster museum in belfast from saturday 22 july 2017 . read more > >
see the tapestry for yourself . it will be displayed in the ulster museum , belfast from saturday 22 july 2017 .
in the books , another major point is that as ramsay rapes and abuses his wife ( jeyne poole , not sansa ) her screams are so loud that they echo through the castle down to the wedding feast , which makes the assembled lords of the north there become increasingly outraged at ramsay - reaffirming the determination of many of them that they need to turn on the boltons . in the tv version no other lords of the north are present for ramsay ' s wedding , he marries sansa instead of jeyne , and the narrative is focused on sansa ' s personal revenge against ramsay .
sapochnik said that
the strategy and tactical aspect was a key thing for david and dan . they wanted to specifically focus on that so that we could really see the way ramsay ensnares and outguns jon in the almost exactly the way the same way davos had planned to defeat the bolton army . i also did a bunch of research into alexander the great who was legendary in his strategic battle prowess .