Given that 1983’s “A Christmas Story” only continues to grow in popularity with each passing year, one of my favorite party tricks to use when a relative or friend is in the throes of TNT’s annual 24-hour marathon of the heartwarming holiday comedy is explain how it and 1974’s “Black Christmas” — a bitter, bleak, and uncompromising horror classic — were made by the same director, Bob Clark.It’s a fun bit of trivia because both movies are so diametrically opposed in tone, with each exploring very different facets of Christmastime.
Yet when examined closely, “A Christmas Story” and “Black Christmas” have a surprising amount in common, with the films containing a streak of knowing cynicism when it comes to the trappings of the holiday.As it turns out, this isn’t by coincidence.
While Clark was never really an auteur director, careening as he did between numerous genres and budgets, his
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