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 concept) (as Stephen Miller), John Beaird

Stars:

Paul Kelman, Lori Hallier, Neil Affleck

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Kelman	...	T.J.
Lori Hallier	...	Sarah
Neil Affleck	...	Axel
Keith Knight	...	Hollis
Alf Humphreys	...	Howard
Cynthia Dale	...	Patty
Helene Udy	...	Sylvia
Rob Stein	...	John
Thomas Kovacs	...	Mike (as Tom Kovacs)
Terry Waterland	...	Harriet
Carl Marotte	...	Dave
Jim Murchison	...	Tommy
Gina Dick	...	Gretchen
Peter Cowper	...	The Miner / Harry Warden
Don Francks	...	Chief Newby

Storyline

Valentine's Day is coming around and the young people of the small mining town of Valentine's BLuffs are organising a party. A few decades earlier an explosion at the mine trapped six miners underground. One, Harry Warden, survived, though in a deranged state. Warden is sent to a mental hospital but escapes and murders those he deems responsible for the mine accident. Now people are being brutally murdered again, and the townsfolk suspect that it is the work of Harry Warden.

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Plot Keywords:

slasher | slasher killer | characters killed one by one | canuxploitation | heart ripped out | 

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Taglines:

Heart. Burn.

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Producers André Link and John Dunning said the films origin came about when they sought to find a holiday which a slasher film had not been set on during the "slasher flick boom" of the early 1980s. They settled on Valentine's Day and in order to keep the idea from being copied they made the films working title "The Secret", though they had the release title in mind the whole time.

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Goofs

The passenger side mirror on TJ's car is askew when Sarah gets into the car. The mirror is fine once again as they drive off.

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Quotes

Mrs. Raleigh: Well, I'm afraid I have no records of a Harry Warden, past or present.
Chief Jake Newby: How can that be? He was committed there, under court order!
Mrs. Raleigh: I'm sorry. I have no records on him. In 20 years, any number of things could have happened. Now, if this Harry Warden was committed as you say, then he's simply no longer here. And if I have no records on him, I have to assume that he's transferred, he's released, or he's on the slab. One of three, take your pick.
Chief Jake Newby: One out of three? Now, look, Mrs. Raleigh, you're gonna...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

At the beginning of the rolling credits, you will hear the evil-doer miner (Harry Warden) laugh.

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Alternate Versions

The original British cinema print was also the pre-cut version. However, it did restore the ending. The footage was obviously from a different source and cut back into the film.

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Connections

Featured in Slice and Dice: The Slasher Film Forever (2012)

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Soundtracks

I'm A Guitar Man

• composed by Paul Zaza, sung by Lee Bach

User Reviews

This horror film provides great load of screams , grisly killings and creepy atmosphere

Nice terror movie plenty of ominous murders , chills , thrills , scary scenes and lots of blood and guts . Slasher movie about a coalminer who axes numerous victims in a little mining town which becomes pretty sinister with the miner killer appearing . The caption near the beginning states "Thursday February 12th", indicating that the dance will be on Saturday the 14th . 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 . This bizarre little horror movie is set in a mining town , on Valentine an explosion of methane gas took the lives of a group of coal miners working in the Hanniger Mine . Long time after, Hanniger (Kelman) returns to his hometown on the tenth anniversary of the Valentine's night massacre that claimed the lives of 22 people , male as well female and many of the townspeople have their hearts removed with a pick-axe and sent in candy boxes . There's a big valentine-party planned in the little coal mining town of Valentine Bluffs, Nova Scotia . Later on , a blood-soaked heart arrives at the police station commanded by Chief Jake Newby (Don Francks) , accompanied by a heinous message . Hanniger meets his old flame named Patty (Cynthia Dale) and a bit later on he finds himself suspected of committing some new killings . The Valentine party is prohibited but being held in another place: at the coal mine, and it isn't long before the town's young people begin dying violently . It appears Harry Warden , a psychotic coalminer who has returned to punish them and several people are cruelly murdered .

The picture is a sleek production with average budget and packs genuine chills , suspense , tension , head-slitting and shocks ; it turns out to be a terror-thriller very exciting . Gory , gruesome , pretty repellent , ghastly and unrelenting shock-feast laced with a loving triangle . The film is paced with intelligent edition , special use of color and slick utilization of shock images that take place in the astonishing close-up crimes committed by means of a pickax . This scary movie displays terror , shocks , hard-edged scenes and creepy images and abundant gore . While the look is suitable atmospheric and eerie , the plot stretches plausibility to the breaking point . The gory and bloodiest images were cut out to avoid a X-rating . This is a customary splatter plenty of grisly killing , thrills , gruesome shocks , nauseating chills and quite entertaining . It relies heavily on old-fashioned buckets of blood and the plot belongs the same of 'Slashers genre' in ¨ Halloween ¨, ¨Nightmare in Elm Street ¨, ¨ Friday 13 ¨, style . In fact , The Friday the 13th series and the plot of My Bloody Valentine is similar to the Friday the 13th films ; as it was released by Paramount attempting to do same box office . Being recently remade in 3D by Patrick Lussier , starred by Jensen Ackles ,Jaime King , Kerr Smith , Megan Boone ; the latter film being based on original directed by George Mihalka . This is an usual excruciatingly splatter film in which the intrigue , tension , suspense appears threatening and lurking in every corridor , party , mine , shaft , tunnel number 5 and many other places . This unrelenting shock-feast packs good make-up and nice special effects . It's just one long relentless stabbing and acceptable budget horror movie that still packs a punch for those who like to be terrorized out their wits .

Eerie as well as frightening musical score by Paul Zaza . Atmospheric and adequate cinematography by Rodney Gibbons . The shooting location at Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia was chosen because of its rustic atmospheric appearance. The film was shot with lots of difficulties in authentic mines which were often as much as 900 feet underground , only certain lighting devices could be used in the mines because of the potential danger of methane explosions. The motion picture was professionally directed by George Mihalka . It was re-premiered at video-market in 2009 , an original uncut , then it was a real success in America and all around the world , thanks to 3 minutes gore added , even Quentin Tarantino has named My Bloody Valentine as his all-time favorite slasher film . George Mihalka is a good filmmaker and producer expert on terror and suspense genre . He has directed similar terror stories (Psychic , Relative fear ,Watchtower) . He's usually movies television director (Crossbow, Da Vinci's inquest, Windsor protocol , The Firm) and occasionally motion pictures director (Bullet to Beijing, the return of Harry Palmer , Straight Line, The Blue man, Scandale) . Rating : 6,5/10 . This murder-feast that will appeal to gore and guts aficionados .

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 February 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

My Bloody Valentine

Filming Locations:

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD2,300,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$5,672,031

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,672,031

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC), Famous Players, Secret Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 93 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1