Bloody Birthday (1981)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Ed Hunt

Writers:

Ed Hunt (writer)
Barry Pearson (writer)

Release Date:

28 April 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

The Nightmare Begins With The Kids Next Door

Plot:

In 1970, three children are born at the height of a total eclipse. Due to the sun and moon blocking Saturn...

Plot Keywords:

Children | Eclipse | Cemetery | Female Frontal Nudity | Shot With Arrow

Cast

Susan Strasberg	...	Miss Viola Davis
José Ferrer	...	Doctor
Lori Lethin	...	Joyce Russel
Melinda Cordell	...	Mrs. Brody
Julie Brown	...	Beverly Brody
Joe Penny	...	Mr. Harding
Bert Kramer	...	Sherriff James Brody
K.C. Martel	...	Timmy Russel
Elizabeth Hoy	...	Debbie Brody
Billy Jayne	...	Curtis Taylor (as Billy Jacoby)
Andy Freeman	...	Steven Seton
Ben Marley	...	Duke Benson
Erica Hope	...	Annie Smith
Ellen Geer	...	Madge
Daniel Currie

Also Known As:

Creepers
Creeps (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | USA:R (Certificate #26189) | Australia:R | France:-16 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Iceland:16 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Company:

Judica Productions

Trivia:

Despite popular belief that the film was shelved for five years after being shot it has been confirmed that it was shot in early 1980 and released the following year.

Quotes:

Curtis Taylor: [about to spy on Beverly] But what if she catches us?
Debbie Brody: No way. All her brains are in her bra!

Movie Connections:

References Mighty Mouse Meets Jekyll and Hyde Cat (1944)

Kids do the darndest things!

I can't believe I rarely ever see this title mentioned by all you eighties horror freaks and I definitely won't be joining all my fellow reviewers here in saying that 'Bloody Birthday' is awful viewing. On the contrary, I enjoyed it very much and I was pleasantly surprised by the ingeniousness and surprise twists it offers. Don't just refer to this film as being 'another 80's slasher' because the victims here are rather unlikely and so are the killers. We're introduced to three cherubic-looking youngsters who were all born during a solar eclipse. At the moment they were delivered, planet Saturn was blocked by both the sun and the moon and, due to this, the kids are emotionless and seemly without conscience. This really starts to show around their tenth birthday as they go on a merciless killing spree.

Granted, this stuff is incredibility far-fetched and even slightly offensive but, seriously, who cares? Unlike many other horror films from this period, it at least attempts to bring something original and imaginative. For once, the kids' acting is good and the entire film has a creepy atmosphere and grizzly music. The murders sequences are grim and tense, and it's always eerie to see them getting committed by angel-faced kids. I don't know who hired the 3 kids but they did a good job. Especially the girl and the kid with glasses are highly memorable. The bleak images of the heartless trio remind you of classic highlights, such as 'Village of the Damned', 'The Bad Seed' and 'Children of the Damned'. This film is nowhere near as memorable as these milestones but great fun and not one horror lover will regret watching this.

Bloody Birthday was written and directed by Ed Hunt. Not particularly the greatest genius in cinema, but a pleasantly deranged fella who also brought us immensely entertaining cheesefests like 'The Brain' and 'Starship Invasions'. If all this isn't enough to convince you yet, Bloody Birthday has a lot of nudity. And not just any nudity, but a topless dance-act by MTV-VJ Julie Brown. Oh, and keep your eyes open for a completely redundant cameo by Joe Penny, later the star of TV-series 'Jake and the Fatman'. Check it out!!