MY BLOODY VALENTINE

Canada, 1981, 91 minutes, Colour.
Paul Kelman, Lori Hallier, Neil Affleck, Don Francks.
Directed by George Mihalka.

My Bloody Valentine, like Happy Birthday To Me, is a Canadian/international project that exploits the Halloween knife-wielding murder thriller of the late '70s. The plot borrows very heavily from Halloween (even more literally than many others of its kind): the expectation of a knife wielding murderer escaping from a mental home on a public holiday and celebration. The range of people murdered echoes Hallowe'en but is also reminiscent (especially in the gory style) of Friday the 13th. and Happy Birthday To Me.

The film has some valid themes but focuses mainly on exploitation. Where it is different, and slightly better than its competitors is in the portrait of the town and the focus on coalmining (using the mine for terrifying purposes, of course). The final explanation is rather preposterous, hardly plausible psychologically and that is what the audience is left with. An exploitive example of a genre that became very popular. Hallowe'en and films like Tobe Hooper's The Fun House are much better examples of this genre.