My Bloody Valentine (1981)
Sub-Genre- Slasher
In Attendance- Me
Cast Members of Note- Lori Hallier, Neil Affleck (Not Ben's dad), Paul Kelman.
What's it about?- Does any group of people drink more than miners do? Bored housewives maybe, but when it comes to partying and rotting livers, miners win hands down. During a Valentines Day party, the miners of Valentine Bluff tie one on and don't even realize that some of their own have been trapped in the mines below them as they party. Cannibalism and insanity ensue. And murder.
Harry Warden, the one guy to survive the horrible cave in, goes insane, kills some people, and warns the town to never celebrate the Big V again... Of course that means that he will be ignored, or there could be no movie.
Years later, a bunch of sex crazed Canadian kids are planning a big V-Day bash as an excuse to drink, get laid, and get picked off one by one by an insane miner bent on revenge. Intrigue, romance, 80's hairdo's, bad Canuck accents, and a veritable ton of pick-axe violence ensue.
I won't spoil what happens here, but I will say that it's one of the best endings in horror movie history.
The Good- The only thing I ever disliked about this movie was the lack of blood; every kill scene seemed to cut away and imply what happened more so that show anything... well no more! The new SE DVD gives us all the gore that the film makers originally intended us to see, and it finally makes this the bloody slasher film it always deserved to be:
-The impaling scene before the credits is restored.
-The dryer scene is longer and nastier.
-The bartender getting the axe through the chin and eye is back.
-The face boiling scene has an extra shot.
-The shower scene is longer and more graphic
-The nail gun scene is longer and more disturbing
-The decapitation/hanging is fully restored.
-The arm cut off at the end...
...and a few more scenes which I'm convinced were tinkered with, although I can't be sure until I watch the "cut" version again. What a great movie. Fun, creepy, and now, bloody! MBV totally feels like an 80's movie, but how can you not love it?
The Bad- It's a shame that we've had to wait nearly three decades to get a complete version of this film on DVD. The re-inserted gore scenes that were forcibly cut by the MPAA are great, and finally make the movie seem truly bloody; unfortunately, they old prints that they're taken from are noticeably worn, and look a bit out of place. It's great to finally get to see them in the film, but sad that we had to wait so long... and get them in such rough shape.
The Downright Horrendous- The ending totally set us up for a sequel... so what happened?
The Gory- Fresh human hearts, ripped open chest cavities, impalings, multiple acts of pick-axe violence, a beheading, nail gun violence, and the awesome dryer scene. Thank you special edition DVD!
The Naked- Not one damn boob. I'm disappointed in you 80's slasher movie.
Best Line- "Sarah, be My Bloody Valentine..."
What did we learn?- Insane miner's are pretty good poets. Also, it takes a lot of determination and will to cut off your own arm with a pocket knife.
Rating- A A true genre classic, MBV is one 80's slasher that should be seen and loved by all. It has the classic old school feel to it, some pretty good scares, a creepy atmosphere, some hot 80's style chicks, and finally, a bunch of awesome gore. I'm excited to see the new 3-D version, but this one will always hold a special place in my horror heart. Go pick up the SE DVD now.
Final Thoughts- Too bad this cut dance/karate fight scene couldn't be restored in full; I guess some things are forever lost to time...
