Mother's Day (1980)

Director:

Charles Kaufman

Writers:

Charles Kaufman
Warren Leight

Release Date:

September 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

If you go down to the woods today.

Plot:

When you go into the woods today, you're in for a big surprise. When you go into the woods today you're not going to believe your eyes...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Rape | Reunion | Satire | Abduction

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Nancy Hendrickson	...	Abbey
Deborah Luce	...	Jackie
Tiana Pierce	...	Trina
Frederick Coffin	...	Ike (as Holden McGuire)
Michael McCleery	...	Addley (as Billy Ray McQuade)
Beatrice Pons	...	Mother (as Rose Ross)
Robert Collins	...	Ernie
Peter Fox	...	The 'Dobber' (as Karl Sandys)
Marsella Davidson	...	Terry
Kevin Lowe	...	Ted
Scott Lucas	...	Storekeeper
Ed Battle	...	Doorman
Robert Carnegie	...	Tex
Silas Davis
Stanley Kaufman	...	Older man at Pool Party
John Radom
Louie Cogie
Sondra Fortunato
Sheldon Relde
Marshall Auerbach
Timmy Leight
John Castellano
Suzy Fried
Steve Sturm
Leilani Gorre
Joe Stanton
Katya
John Fanelli
Josh Smilowitz
Vince Piccalo
Doreen Richardson
Bill Smith
Gwen Van Highland
Lawrence Mayer
Joel Greenberg
Sture Sjöstedt
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stanley Knapp	...	Charlie
Bob Fassbender	...	(voice) (uncredited)
Scott Gordon	...	(voice) (uncredited)
Charles Kaufman	...	Cocaine addict (uncredited)
Floyd Vivino	...	(voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Kaufman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Charles Kaufman
Warren Leight

Produced by
Alexander Beck	....	executive producer
Michael Herz	....	associate producer
Charles Kaufman	....	producer
Lloyd Kaufman	....	associate producer
Michael Kravitz	....	producer

Original Music by
Phil Gallo
Clem Vicari Jr.

Cinematography by
Joseph Mangine

Film Editing by
Daniel Loewenthal

Production Design by
Susan Kaufman

Art Direction by
Sandy Hamilton

Costume Design by
Ellen Lutter

Makeup Department
Josie Caruso	....	special makeup effects
Rob E. Holland	....	special makeup effects

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James Proser	....	first assistant director
Barry Shapiro	....	additional assistant director

Art Department
Rex Piano	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Rolf Pardula	....	sound mixer

Stunts
Scott Leva	....	stunt coordinator
Scott Leva	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Joseph Bolesta	....	key grip
Stuart Deutsch	....	best boy
Phil Devonshire	....	gaffer

Editorial Department
Richard W. Haines	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Meta Carter	....	script supervisor
Ray Sundlin	....	production executive

Production Companies

• Duty Productions
• Saga Films
• Troma Entertainment

Distributors

• United Film Distribution Company (UFDC) (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• Ambassador Film Distributors (1981) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Arts Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Astro Distribution (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
• CMV Laservision (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• Media Home Entertainment (1983) (USA) (VHS)
• Prime Time Entertainment (????) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• RenT Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Troma Entertainment (1980) (worldwide) (all media)
• Troma Team Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Troma Team Video (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)
• Troma Team Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Video Treasures (????) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

90 min | Australia:98 min | Germany:76 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:18 (TV rating) | Australia:(Banned) (1985 re-rating) | Australia:R (original rating) | West Germany:18 (heavily cut) | Germany:Not Rated (uncut) | Netherlands:16 | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:K-18 | Portugal:M/18 | UK:R | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Connecticut, USA

Company:

Duty Productions

Trivia:

Prior to filming, a dead body was found in the house used in the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: Before returning to the house to take revenge, Abbey puts a striped headband on. In the next scene, however, she is shown packing her backpack without wearing the headband. Even worse, seconds later she suddenly sports a green headband without stripes.

Quotes:

Older man at Pool Party:You've got to have gross points. Not net points, but gross points.
Woman at Pool Party:Did you say Grosse Pointe? I'm from Grosse Pointe.

Movie Connections:

References "Sesame Street" (1969)

Soundtrack:

I think we're alone now

Definitely a classic

"Mother's Day" is great. It works as a horror film, as an exploitation film, and as a satire. It's definitely one of those movies that doesn't seem to have the ability or care to decide on whether it's feminist or misogynistic, but it is a sleazy horror movie and that's where the fanbase for this cult favorite lies. Still, I'm part of this film's following, and that means I like sleazy horror movies that are done right. So many lump things together in these black-and-white perspectives. If it's a sleazy horror movie, it seems that nothing good can be said about it unless it's an overrated bandwagon movie like "TCM". In this, we do have killer rednecks, but that doesn't make it a rip-off of "TCM". These people seem to have more in common with the guys from "Deliverance" than the guys in "TCM", and that's just one of the many differences. As many people have already said, this is about some pretty women camping in the wrong woods before getting abducted by some psychos who are following the orders of their wacked-out mother. The two brothers are amoral rapists/killers who know only what their demented mom and TV have taught them. The mother is possessive and domineering, making sure that she manipulates her already screwed-up kids into never leaving her side. They live in a run-down house in the woods, where the mother teaches them the ways of a "respectable life", which, in her twisted mind, is rape, torture, and murder. This is a deceptive movie because there is some important social commentary going on here, no matter how gory and sleazy the excesses that eclipse such commentaries are. TV serves as these people's window to the world. There is almost always a TV heard going in the background of an environment where a madwoman has been sheltering her children, who have been raised by her to her sick specifications. I was expecting to see plenty of reviews with people calling this a "TCM" rip-off/piece of trash, etc., etc., and my expectations were rightful ones. But what a sorry state things are in when people judge a movie by how little a budget could possibly be afforded by the filmmakers, the name of the production company on the box, or the very basic similarities it has to inferior and less thought-out moneymakers like "TCM". Even as derivative as movies like "House of 1,000 Corpses" are, that movie itself even had more brains than the original "TCM". I hate to burst a lot of people's bubbles, but Tobe Hooper's big, little movie was not the first movie (or even the first horror movie) about killer rednecks. Also, it has been said that "TCM 2" ripped off ideas from "Mother's Day"! "Mother's Day" has more going for it than any of the "Texas Chainsaw" movies I've seen. It may be trashy, but it's well-done trash. The acting is excellent, and it amazes me how many people will trash on good actors when the movie doesn't have a great reputation. I may sound pretty agitated, but that would be fitting because this kind of small-mindedness does agitate me. I understand that everyone should have their own tastes, but if you're going to trash on a movie's reputation, you might as well do it for the right reasons. I would give this no less than a 9 out of a scale of 1 to 10.