My Bloody Valentine (1981) Reviews

• Terrific, moody slasher!

  cmoore00132007-02-08

  In the wake of Halloween and Friday the 13th, many similar films were released, most of which had little or no distinguishing features. One of the most effective and atmospheric was My Bloody Valentine. Shot in Canada and very infamous for it's brutal battle with the MPAA, My Bloody Valentine is a surprising success, and a wonderful addition to the slasher genre. The acting is good, which comes as quite a shock for any slasher lover. The deaths, while obviously edited, are very effective and intense, especially the laundry room sequence. The image of the killer, dressed in a full miner's garb, smashing the lights along an already dark mine shaft, while a group of victims try to escape is terrifying. The setting is quite interesting. Most Canadian films try to disguise the fact that it's Canadian. Well, this movie doesn't, which makes it very neat. I'd say that it's lush photography, good acting, frightening set pieces and killer, and brutal deaths make this is one of the most impressive slashers of the 80's, maybe of all time.

• Give 'em hell Harry.

  Nightman852004-11-18

  My Bloody Valentine is one of the best and most well-made slasher flicks of the 80's. It's also one of the better holiday themed horror movies around! A crazed miner is determined to stop the celebration of Valentine's day in a small Nova Scotia town, with the help of a trusty pick ax that is. * minor (or miner, I'm not funny.) spoilers * While the film doesn't re-invent the wheel for slasher movies, it still manages to stand out well from the rest of it's kind. The climax in the mine creates some great suspense in an atmospheric and claustrophobic setting. The cast is quite likable and good, even though there's not a known name in sight. And the gore hounds should enjoy the happenings, cutting out hearts and pick ax murders, even a nasty death-by-dryer and a face scalded in a boiling pot. It's still gory despite cuts made by the MPAA. There's also the occasional touch of colorful dark humor. The direction, while simple, is well done with some good shock cuts. The music score is a nicely moody one, even beautiful in a way. Over all, the film holds together well. Seek it out slasher fans! This is one enjoyable cult film that is not to be missed! *** out of ****

• This pointless holiday deserves a good slasher film.

  TOMASBBloodhound2005-02-13

  I've enjoyed this low-budget flick since childhood. I like it so much that I make sure to see it at least once every year in the month of February. Though it suffers from a restricted budget, a cast of unknowns, and a serious case of over-editing, this is still worth a look for horror buffs. The story centers around a crazed miner who returns to haunt a small mining town in Canada twenty years after an accident on Valentine's Day nearly killed him. It seems he and a few others were trapped in a coal mine while the rest of the town was attending a big Valentine's Day dance which had been a tradition for over 100 years. The town is called Valentine Bluffs, for Pete's sake! Anyway, this miner known as "Harry Warden" was buried in the mine for six weeks following an explosion caused by the failure of two supervisors to check the methane gas levels in the mine shaft. It seems the supervisors were a little too anxious to get to that dance and forgot to make sure Harry and the others were safely out. Harry Warden was the only survivor and apparently had to feast on the dead bodies of the other miners until he was rescued. Needless to say after that ordeal, Harry had to be committed to a mental hospital. But one year later, on Valentine's Day, Harry Warden broke out of the looney bin and came back to Valentine Bluffs to seek some revenge. He killed the two supervisors and stuffed their hearts in heart-shaped candy boxes and left them at the dance with a warning attached. Valentine Bluffs must never hold another Valentine's Day dance again!!!! Now how about THAT for a set-up???? As our movie begins, we find twenty years have passed, and the town is ready to hold another big dance on Feb. 14th. Do you think Harry Warden would let that happen? Certainly not! Corpses begin piling up and more heart-stuffed candy boxes are sent to the police chief warning him to cancel the dance. He does so, but a bunch of young miners still throw a party: You guessed it- AT THE MINE!!!! That sets up a dramatic showdown with the killer and his new crop of victims. This film has a number of strengths. A man dressed in full mining gear is in fact quite scary. The gas mask he wears also gives his breathing a Darth Vader kind of effect. A pick ax is one hell of a weapon, too. There are some very funny characters that make up this town. The mayor and the police chief are so serious it's almost laughable. The young men who work in the mine are a rowdy bunch who love to drink Moosehead beer. It's my guess that Moosehead beer donated a good chunk of change to this movie due to how much you see of their product. The bartender at their local hangout is a real hoot, as well. He's pretty much the crazy old man who warns the youngsters that they're doomed like the old guy from the Friday the 13th movies. Oh, and Lori Hallier who plays the lead female is an incredibly beautiful woman. Just had to mention that. There is some good camera work. I especially like the shot from inside a mine elevator as it plunges deep into the mine. The camera stays focused on the top of the shaft, and spooky music plays as the cage sinks deeper and deeper into the mine. Love that little folk song during the end credits, too! There are some faults, though. This film appears to have had much of the gore trimmed from it. That can be a big mistake for a horror film. Also, it isn't hard to figure out that Harry Warden is not the killer and that one of the two male leads definitely is. A perfect romantic evening would include a six-pack of Moosehead, this film, and a heart-stuffed candy box. I promise your girlfriend will never forget it. 8 of 10 stars So sayeth the Hound.

• A Bloody Good Time.

  Mr_Censored2009-01-26

  More than just a guilty pleasure -- this one's actually good! By the time 1981 had rolled around, the horror genre had gained much momentum with holiday-themed slasher flicks such as "Halloween" and "Friday The 13th." Never ones to shy away from a good cash-cow, Paramount (the same company to bring you "Friday The 13th") hired George Mihalka to direct the Valentine's Day themed "My Bloody Valentine." Pre-dating much of the camp and excess of the 80's, "My Bloody Valentine" is a pretty innocent film in it's own right, a glimpse into a time before the genre was completely saturated with masked killers and dumbed-down teenagers. It's simply a well-paced, well-oiled little horror movie. It's got a surprising amount of suspense, matched only by the outrageous and often over-the-top visual effects which -- thanks to a newly restored print of the film on DVD -- have finally seen the light of day. With his film, Mihalka injects a good dosage of suspense, as well as some subtle stylishness. The grimy and grungy setting -- a dumpy mining town in Canada -- gives the film an unmistakably realistic look and feel, which only helps to drive home the authenticity. Sure, the film has it's fair share of clichés; in fact, some of the dialogue and plot-points appear to be ripped straight out of the original "Friday The 13th." The story of a deranged killer returning home years later to exact his revenge on a town is hardly re-inventing the wheel. But when stacked up against it's competition, "My Bloody Valentine" holds it's own. It's one of the few films from the much maligned (and yet, enjoyable) era to actually hold up to today's standards (for the most part). Truth be told, even if you are viewing the heavily edited theatrical cut, the film works just as well without the heavy special effects, which is a testament to the overall quality of a film that was conceived, created and released in under half a year's time. Sure, it's got it's flaws, but nothing fatal. If you can stomach bad characters, even worse actors and a few clichés here and there, it's a pretty satisfying experience. At the very least, it pre-dates a lot of more successful films and has had a subtle influence on the genre as a whole. Fans of the genre should be aware of it not just as a fun way to kill time -- which it is -- but also as a perfect example of a slasher done right. With a remake currently in theaters and a DVD that treats the film right, "My Bloody Valentine" is finally having it's day in the sun. Even if you've "seen it all," you'll still have a good time with it.

• The Slasher That Paramount and the MPAA Tried to Kill

  gavin69422009-11-24

  Twenty years ago, Harry Warden went nuts and slaughtered a bunch of people on Valentine's Day. The mining town he hailed from canceled subsequent V-Day dances, but when they try setting one up again, Warden seemingly returns with his pickax, ready to hack the local kids up and leave his mark. Things can only go bad from here. Director George Mihalka brings us another holiday-themed slasher, riding the success of "Black Christmas", "Halloween" and "Friday the 13th"... and paving the way for "April Fools Day". But George is a nice guy and I don't want to say he's just one among the crowd. There were hundreds of 80s slashers, but only a few stand out today. "Bloody Valentine" is, of course, one of them. Even in its original, neutered glory (anywhere from three to nine minutes were cut) the film stands as a good film. Without any really notable actors or actresses (okay, so Neil Affleck had a brief role in "Scanners"), and being Mihalka's one big mark, the film carries itself on story, acting and blood. The blood, while lacking a times, comes gushing through in others. And like any good slasher, the killer's identity is not revealed until the end... leaving us guessing until the last twist of the knife (or ax). Slasher fans need to pick up the Lions Gate special edition. While the double-disc with "April Fools Day" is cheap and still worth watching, you don't really know this film until you've seen it uncut. The gore, oh my, the gore! It's actually a shame that it took so long for a company to come along and save this film because it was even better than we once assumed... Mihalka could have been one of the 80s greats (and, in my mind, he still is). If you've been a horror fan and avoided this one, please see it. Sure, it's mostly mindless fun -- kids drinking and making out, getting hacked up -- but I can watch variations of this formula dozens, scores or hundreds of times. There's something fun about a simple stalking film that you can't always get from other films that try too hard to be clever. And I like thinking films, but a night with buddies and booze... you need a slasher. And this is the one you should pick.