April Fool's Day (1986)

Director:

Fred Walton

Writer:

Danilo Bach (written by)

Release Date:

27 March 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

Last one out's... a goner.

Plot:

A group of nine college students staying at a friend's remote island mansion begin to fall victim to an unseen murderer over the April Fool's day weekend.

Plot Keywords:

Island | Mansion | Secret | April Fool's Day | Psychotronic

Cast

Jay Baker	...	Harvey
Pat Barlow	...	Clara
Lloyd Berry	...	Ferryman
Deborah Foreman	...	Muffy / Buffy
Deborah Goodrich	...	Nikki
Tom Heaton	...	Constable Potter / Uncle Frank
Mike Nomad	...	Buck
Ken Olandt	...	Rob
Griffin O'Neal	...	Skip
Leah Pinsent	...	Nan (as Leah King Pinsent)
Clayton Rohner	...	Chaz
Amy Steel	...	Kit
Thomas F. Wilson	...	Arch

Directed by
Fred Walton

Writing credits
Danilo Bach		(written by)

Produced by
Frank Mancuso Jr.	....	producer

Original Music by
Charles Bernstein

Cinematography by
Charles Minsky		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Bruce Green

Casting by
Pamela Basker
Fern Champion

Art Direction by
W. Stewart Campbell		(as Stewart Campbell)

Set Decoration by
Della Mae Johnston		(as Della Johnston)

Makeup Department
Martin Becker	....	makeup effects: Reel EFX, Inc.
Deborah Anne Dawson	....	hair stylist
Victoria Down	....	assistant makeup artist
Jim Gill	....	makeup effects: Reel EFX, Inc.
Bettie Kauffman	....	makeup effects: Reel EFX, Inc. (as Bettie Kaufman)
Todd McIntosh	....	head makeup artist
Beverly K. Sewers	....	assistant hair stylist
Christopher Swift	....	makeup effects: Reel EFX, Inc.

Production Management
Randy Cheveldave	....	production manager (as Randolph F. Cheveldave)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Reid A. Dunlop	....	third assistant director (as Reid Dunlop)
Lee Knippelberg	....	first assistant director
David Rollin Webb	....	second assistant director (as David Webb)
Geoff Wilkinson	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Gary Brolly	....	construction coordinator (as Garry Brolly)
Roger Dole	....	assistant set decorator
Bill Flanagan	....	stand-by carpenter
D.N. Pettipas	....	set dresser (as Dianne Pettipas)
Hugh Poole	....	scenic artist
Dave Rowan	....	set dresser
David Tait	....	carpenter
Sonny Van Hecke	....	assistant property master
Robert J. Visciglia Sr.	....	property master (as Robert Visciglia Sr.)
Barbara Anne Bock	....	art crew (uncredited)
Scott H. Campbell	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Mark Berger	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jonathan D. Evans	....	sound engineer
Kim Fowler	....	foley (as Kim Fowler Esser)
Herb Heritage	....	boom operator
F. Hudson Miller	....	sound effects
R.J. Palmer	....	supervising sound editor
David Parker	....	second sound re-recording mixer
John Post	....	foley
Steve Rice	....	dialogue editor
Peter Shewchuk	....	sound mixer
Stan Siegel	....	foley
Kelly Tartan	....	sound coordinator
David Lewis Yewdall	....	sound designer
Steve Rice	....	adr editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Martin Becker	....	special effects: Reel EFX, Inc.
Jim Gill	....	special effects: Reel EFX, Inc.
Bettie Kauffman	....	special effects: Reel EFX, Inc. (as Bettie Kaufman)
Christopher Swift	....	special effects: Reel EFX, Inc.
Barbara Anne Bock	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Lou Bollo	....	assistant stunt coordinator (as Louis Bollo)
Jim Dunn	....	stunt man
John Wardlow	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
David Barritt	....	company electrician (as Dave Barritt)
Bruno Bittner	....	electrical best boy (as Robert Bittner)
Cranston Gobbo	....	company electrician (as Cranston Gobo)
Dan Heather	....	second assistant camera
Robert K. Hill	....	company grip (as Robert Kenneth Hill)
Chris Kankainen	....	dolly grip
Cameron MacDonald	....	camera operator (as Cam Macdonald)
Scott MacDonald	....	best boy grip
Neil McCauley	....	gaffer
Jack Rowand	....	still photographer
Bruce Smith	....	key grip
Peter Smith	....	first assistant camera
Anthony Smoller	....	company grip
David S. Warner	....	company electrician (as Dave Warner)

Casting Department
Mark Holub	....	casting associate: Los Angeles
Mary Jo Slater	....	casting: New York
Sue Swan	....	casting coordinator
Susan Willett	....	casting: New York

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Melissa Gleason	....	dresser
Grace Keating	....	wardrobe assistant
Lio Kellar	....	wardrobe head (as Lid Kellas)
Maria Mancuso	....	wardrobe consultant
Rose Mihalyi	....	wardrobe assistant (as Rose Mihayli)

Editorial Department
Bruce Giesbrecht	....	assistant editor: production
Karen Schwartz	....	apprentice editor
Stephen R. Sheridan	....	color timer (as Steve Sheridan)
Michael Smith	....	assistant editor: production
Jonas Thaler	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Charles Bernstein	....	orchestrator
Julie Giroux	....	orchestrator (as Julie Giroux-West)
John La Salandra	....	music editor (as John Lasalandra)
James Thatcher	....	musician: french horn

Transportation Department
Chris Baldwinson	....	driver
Dave Bowe	....	transportation captain (as David Bowe)
Don Cameron	....	driver
Barry Chapman	....	transportation coordinator
Mark Gould	....	driver
Darold Hadley	....	driver (as Darold A. Hadley)
Tony Johnson	....	driver (as Tony Johnston)
Terry Newton	....	transportation co-captain
James Perenseff	....	driver (as Jim Perenseff)
Michael Price	....	driver

Other crew
Blue Angus	....	caterer: Location Caterers (as Mark Angus)
Victoria Barney	....	production coordinator
Dan Curry	....	title designer
Lara Fox	....	script supervisor
Ron Gadoury	....	security (as Ron Gadourly)
Stephen A. Gallard	....	stand-in
Michael Goldberg	....	assistant accountant
Gordon Hardwick	....	production assistant (as Gordon Hardwicke)
Jan James	....	stand-in
Tony Jordan	....	production assistant
Don Lane	....	caterer: Location Caterers
Laurie Lee	....	assistant: Mr. Mancuso
Lauren 'Fluff' Lindsay	....	craft service (as Lauren Lindsay)
Padi Mills	....	production secretary
Marilyn Natty	....	stand-in
Victor Nicolle	....	production assistant
Colleen Nystedt	....	location liaison
Liz Staniforth	....	payroll assistant (as Elizabeth Staniforth)
Constance Talley-Sherman	....	production accountant
Margaret Hanly	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (presents)
• Hometown Films
• YCTM

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1986) (Finland) (theatrical)
• CIC Video (1986) (UK) (VHS)
• Esselte CIC Video (1987) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (1988) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (Spain) (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment Finland (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Esselte Video (19??) (Finland) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Reel Efx (special effects) (make-up effects) (as Reel EFX, Inc.)

Other Companies

• Location Caterers  caterer
• Alpha Cine Service  production services (as Alpha Cine Service, Canada)
• Saul Zaentz Film Center  post-production mixing (as Saul Zaentz Company Film Center)
• Cinema Research  titles (as Cinema Research Corporation)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  opticals
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  negative cutting
• Motion Picture Studio Production Technicians I.A.T.S.E. Local 891  the producer wishes to express sincere appreciation to (as the studio production technicians and camera personnel of Locals 891 and 667, Vancouver, Canada)
• I.A.T.S.E. Local 667  the producer wishes to express sincere appreciation to (as the studio production technicians and camera personnel of Locals 891 and 667, Vancouver, Canada)
• Lightnin' Production Rentals  transportation equipment (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

UK:18 (original rating) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:16 (theatrical rating) (cut) | Norway:18 (video rating) (uncut) | Singapore:M18 | UK:15 (video re-rating) (2002) | UK:18 (video rating) (1986) | Iceland:16 | Norway:15 (DVD rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | West Germany:18 (cut) | USA:R (Certificate #28085) | Netherlands:16 (DVD) (2003) | Italy:VM14

Filming Locations:

British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The film's French title was Weekend of [i]Terror[/i], while in Germany release was titled [i]The Horror Party[/i].

Goofs:

Continuity: When Rob and Kit rush out of the boathouse to find Skip, Rob's wet hair turns dry.

Quotes:

Chaz Vyshinski:[watching Kit and Rob through binoculars] Respectable young Quaker couple returning from a quiet afternoon of nonviolent sex.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ban the Sadist Videos! Part 2 (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Mama Told Me (Not To Come)

An underrated gem from the 80s slasher cycle

When a formula is worn out people tend to lose interest. If you use it without something new to say then why bother right? You could apply this to slasher films, many of which are cliché and predictable. There are some exceptions. If a film that's like so many others has talented people involved in front of and behind the camera then it might rise above that. Fortunately there are some filmmakers out there who don't want to lose their audience and try to keep things fresh and exciting with each project. After you've seen so many slasher films what else can they really do with the concept? By 1986 the number of these films made was overwhelming, but of course there were diamonds in the rough. Paramount, the home of the hit 'Friday the 13th' series is also responsible for a forgotten (Not by horror fans) film that would surprise those tired of the same old, same old.

Pros: Performances are good all around. A good fresh spin on the slasher genre. Plus the writing is quite good. A great sense of humor. A nice job done on the score, which is eerie. Beautiful shooting location and photography. Some good creepy sequences. Fast paced. Director Fred Walton and writer Danilo Bach do a fine job of keeping this from getting too predictable. Some nice surprises I wouldn't dream of giving away.

Cons: Some of the characters are not too likable and can be irritating. Most of the kills are off screen.

Final thoughts: Truly a breath of fresh air for the slasher sub-genre. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of 1980s slasher films I enjoy, good and bad, but so many lack anything new that hasn't already been seen in countless other films. A must see for genre buffs. I must warn you though, the 2008 remake is not at all worth seeing and will be no more than a waste of your time.

My rating: 4.5/5