‘Cross your heart… and hope to die!’
My Bloody Valentine is a 1981 Canadian slasher horror film directed by George Mihalka from a screenplay by John Beaird.
The movie stars Neil Affleck, Cynthia Dale, Don Francks, Lori Hallier and Patricia Hamilton.
Plot:
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.
Reviews:
“My Bloody Valentine stands up with Black Christmas as the best Canada has to offer in the oft-slighted slasher horror sub-genre. The unstoppable evil miner is very effective, his identity hidden by a gas mask and a construction helmet with headlight […] It also doesn’t hurt that the films is competently made, well shot, and expertly paced.” Canuxsploitation!
“Boasting the key elements that would make an effective slasher – a masked killer, horny victims and an isolated environment – My Bloody Valentine would fail to spawn a succession of sequels like many of its contemporaries but still struck a chord with audiences.” Retro Slashers
” …a hugely enjoyable piece of hokum. Fairly well-acted, with likeable leads. It has a high sheen gloss, the above-average production values and crisp cinematography really help make it a class item – of course, this was the time that the studios were putting their money behind the lucrative ‘teens-in-peril’ sub-genre. It also benefits by slightly poking fun at itself, but without turning into a dreaded ‘horror-comedy’.” Hysteria Lives!
‘The film also manages a good few popcorn jolts, as well as being genuinely frightening in places, no more so than when the killer walks slowly in pursuit, smashing each light bulb, plunging more of the mine into total blackness … Overall one of the best slasher movies from the early 1980s.’ J.A. Kerswell, Teenage Wasteland: The Slasher Movie Uncut
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“The direction by George Mihalka is confident and first-rate. He mines (excuse the pun) the best from a solid, believable cast and the somewhat dreary yet charming small town location. A creepy score by the always reliable Paul Zaza, along with his effective folksy end tune The Ballad of Harry Warden, adds immeasurably to the mood of fear and desperation.” The Terror Trap
“My Bloody Valentine stood out amongst the early ‘80s slasher glut for its memorable title, the inherent fright factor of its villain, the original use of coal mines and underground tunnels for suspense sequences, and the genuinely grotesque sight of freshly torn-out human hearts delivered to unsuspecting recipients in candy boxes.” Mike “McBeardo” McFadden, Heavy Metal Movies
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“Unquestionably better than its cynical and nonsensical remake, My Bloody Valentine is one of the top slasher films of its day (and, indeed, ever) and anybody intending to gather a decent cross-section of titles that illustrate how much fun the slasher flick is, should not discount it.” Vegan Voorhees
“Despite the fact that script is pretty by-the-book, there’s no real suspense and a pretty weak final fight (which I think is the fault of the sluggish choreography) this is still a watchable time with a flashback/backstory sequence that’s decent, some alright kills […] and steady direction.” The Video Graveyard
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