My Bloody Valentine (1981)

A decades old folk tale surrounding a deranged murderer killing those who celebrate Valentine's Day, turns out to be true to legend when a group defies the killer's order and people start turning up dead.

Director:

George Mihalka

Writers:

Stephen A. Miller (story), John Beaird

Stars:

Paul Kelman, Lori Hallier, Neil Affleck

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Kelman	...	Jessie 'T.J.' Hanniger
Lori Hallier	...	Sarah
Neil Affleck	...	Axel Palmer
Keith Knight	...	Hollis
Alf Humphreys	...	Howard Landers
Cynthia Dale	...	Patty
Helene Udy	...	Sylvia
Rob Stein	...	John
Thomas Kovacs	...	Mike Stavinski (as Tom Kovacs)
Terry Waterland	...	Harriet
Carl Marotte	...	Dave
Jim Murchison	...	Tommy Whitcomb
Gina Dick	...	Gretchen
Peter Cowper	...	The Miner & Harry Warden
Don Francks	...	Chief Jake Newby

Storyline

There's a big valentine-party planned in the little coal mining town of Valentine Bluffs, Nova Scotia. It is the first Valentine's Day party in 20 years, because then there was an accident in the mine, and the accident happened because the men responsible for the security was at the party. The sole surviving miner, named Harry Warden, later killed them, and told the town NEVER to arrange a Valentine's Day party again. The party begins, and so does the killing...

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Plot Keywords:

valentine's day | party | dance | miner | coal miner | 

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Taglines:

Harry's out to steal your heart.

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 February 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blutiger Valentinstag

Filming Locations:

Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 2,300,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC), Famous Players, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 93 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the makeup designers once shipped a dummy corpse to the set in a coffin, which caused much alarm when it arrived at Canadian customs.

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Goofs

When Jessie and Axel are arguing over Sarah beside the car, Jessie points at Axel with his left hand in the long shot, but with his right in the close-up.

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Quotes

Happy: Beware of what you make fun of, you little asshole!

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Connections

Referenced in Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film (2009)

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Soundtracks

"The Ballad of Harry Warden"
Written by Paul Zaza
Sung by John McDermott

User Reviews

A Bloody Good Time.

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.