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By JASON COMERFORD

Bob Clark’s 1974 film Black Christmas has withstood the test of time that makes mincemeat of so many other horror efforts; even today, over three decades later, it’s an oblique freak-out that still has an unsettling power. Of particular note are the disturbing obscene phone calls from “Billy,” the unseen psychopath menacing a houseful of sorority sisters; largely improvised but carefully crafted by Clark, actor Nick Mancuso and others over the course of several days during postproduction, the unnerving vocal attacks seem almost as assaultive as the physical violence that later ensues.

But the coldest hand on your neck belongs to that of Carl Zittrer, whose unrelenting musical assaults are as genuinely frightening as anything ever written for a horror film before or since. Zittrer, who has many credits in a long career as a composer, music editor and music supervisor, related the story behind the music in a filmed Q&A session included as a bonus feature on the recent DVD and Blu-Ray releases of the film:

Some of the sounds were - this was in the day, as everybody here will know, before samplers, before synthesizers, so much of these sounds came from a piano that I destroyed. I scraped it with combs and brushes and forks, and recorded it as many ways as I could think of -- reversed it, put it through reverb, sent it to a recording studio, had other things done to it -- that any of it survived all that mangling is really quite surprising. But they were mostly concrete sounds that you find anywhere, and then, we manipulated them. And much of it was voices, sometimes -- ...vocals sung into the piano to excite the strings of the piano, recorded backwards -- anything you could think of, we did to the sound. I'm glad it worked for you. I was never sure at the time.

Zittrer’s score for Black Christmas is one of the great unreleased treasures of horror film music, and until that situation is remedied by one of your favorite film music labels, the best place to experience it is within the film proper. Just don’t go exploring in the attic...

Billy gif

 



The Moment in Question:

Click below to listen to one of Billy's
menacing phone calls, taken from the
film soundtrack of Black Christmas, with
music composed by Carl Zittrer. [clip]

Carl Zittrer portrait
.....Carl Zittrer

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Next Installment:

Waldo de los Ríos takes an island
vacation.
WHO CAN KILL A CHILD?

Jason Comerford Bio

READER COMMENTS:

Howlin' Wolf  
The contest period for this installment will run until noon on Sunday, October 9.
   
Jeremy  
this is not one i remember, i also maybe scorned by the remake that had graced the screens a few years back... i have bits and pieces of the original... though i am intrigued. it has my first lady love olivia hussey... great post.
   
Caffeinated Joe
 
I love this movie! Nothing like a film you can watch at either Halloween OR Christmas! And Billy is just bat-$h!t crazy! The remake blew it by explaining him way too much. Just a freaked out nutjob is good enough for me.

Great movie.

   
Josh Mitchell
 
Holy evil Santa, Batman! I've never even heard of this movie. Thanks for the heads up. Need to check it out!
   
David Kessler  
I actually saw this in the early VHS era before I saw Halloween or When a Stranger Calls and this is a true classic long before its time and came in that golden age along with The Exorcist, T.C.M and Jaws, but sadly didn't make as huge an impact as the others.

The remake is laughable and a completely different movie, but Black Christmas shows the big boys how to do it with style... Zittrer, why hasn't much been released by this composer??
   
Basil FSM
 
Always interesting to hear about the way audio gets recorded for music or sound design. Definitely a unique approach Carl took here. Great post!
   
Howlin' Wolf

This marks the end of the first week prize period - we are working to get a composer to draw the names for us to declare the winner and will have the announcement soon.  All comments from this point forward will automatically be entered in the second week's drawing.  Please continue commenting on all the installments (even these installments for which the prize period has ended) - the more comments, the more interesting the commentary and analysis!  It would be awesome to round up some film score enthusiasts who are less prone to appreciate horror and suspense to hear some of their commentary!  Work on your peers to keep the commentary and debate interesting.



Jonathan
 
And I always thought, that Carl Zittrer only wrote A Christmas Story. I had no clue he did something like this. Dejavu: I remember watching a video with some of the guys from RC destroying a piano for new sounds for Dark Knight or so. So I guess there is nothing new... 
   
Howlin' Wolf  
Congratulations to David Kessler for being the name drawn and winner of 3 CDs for Week 1 of 13 CHILLS! Thanks to everyone for the fantastic participation. There are more great installments to come and more prizes to give away ...keep 13 CHILLS rolling!