A deranged killer in a miner's outfit stalks unruly
couples in a small town on Valentine's Day. HORROR
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My Bloody Valentine (1981)Directed by George Mihalka
Written by John Beaird Starring Paul Kelman, Lori Hallier, Neil Affleck, Keith Knight, Alf Humphreys, Cynthia Dale, Helene Udy, Don Francks, Larry Reynolds, Patricia Hamilton, Peter Cowper |
When Halloween entered the horror landscape, the parodies began very quickly. Every holiday was up for grabs as a horror opportunity, with 1980's Friday the 13th cementing that fact. Then, we got Bloody Birthday, Mother's Day, New Year's Evil, and of course My Bloody Valentine. I'm not against it, but I do think most of them are derivative. My Bloody Valentine isn't a masterpiece, but it isn't terrible either. It's kind of an oddball hybrid of Halloween and Psycho that takes place on Valentine's Day. But the kills aren't that creative or memorable, the final reveal is fairly predictable, and the characters are cardboard cutouts.
In the mining town of Valentine's Bluffs (subtle), there's a legend about a psychotic miner named Harry Warden who comes back every Valentine's Day to punish unruly couples. That's why the town hasn't had a Valentine's dance in 20 years. Until now. And of course, that's when Harry comes back to dish out some death. Meanwhile, there's a love triangle between T.J. (Kelman), who has come back to town and is still in love with his ex, Sarah (Hallier), who is now dating the obnoxious Axel (Affleck). Weirdly, you may find yourself more invested in the love triangle than the rest of the film, which works because the two blend together in the end. My Bloody Valentine wasn't as bloody as I expected. I found it a bit boring, honestly. The character of Harry Warden isn't very creative. He's got Michael Myers' backstory with some of Norman Bates's parental issues. It's good for a Valentine's Day laugh, though, and I'll admit that the deep, dark mine is a decent setting for a horror flick. But this could've been better. |