My Bloody Valentine - Uncut Version (1981) ***1/2
I don't consider myself a huge fan of slashers. I've seen (and enjoy) a great many of them but I am no aficionado (I tend to connect more with other types of horror films). For the most part I find some of them very fun and a good deal of them particularly mean-spirited with cardboard characters and hulking villains that don't interest me. That said, I do think there is a place for films like Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) (my review here) which are simply exploitative entertainment.
But My Bloody Valentine (1981) stands out to me because the characters are incredibly charismatic and relatable. There's no doubt that MBV follows a slasher formula and contains tropes of the genre, but here instead of teens getting hacked up we have twentysomethings (some of the actors were even close to thirty) in a small mining town. MBV doesn't delve too deeply into its backstory (and there is even a kind of hilarious thirty second flashback explaining the killer's motivation not long after their reveal). The characters don't seem to have too much motivation outside of living their daily lives, partying and trying to get laid. But there is something that feels so comfortable about their escapades and goofy charm (there are some really funny moments) so that when they do start to get bumped off you genuinely feel sorry for them.
It's humorous that the MPAA ever made a stink about this particular film because even the extra gory scenes reinstated in the uncut version are pretty tame, all things considered. Thankfully, Scream Factory was able to restore those scenes in their Collector's Edition Blu-ray from a 4K scan of the negative so that they finally match the rest of the footage (great comparisons here and here; scroll down and mouse on and off the full image to compare). It's a revelation for fans of the film and a big upgrade from the previous Lionsgate Blu-ray (not to mention all the great new special features).
MBV isn't the best Canadian slasher—that honor belongs to Black Christmas (1974) (my review here)—but it's definitely the second best Canadian slasher. It's a little clunky here and there and it's melodramatic (enjoyably so) but it's comfort food for horror fans. So be sure to heed your bartender's warnings ("beware of what you make fun of, you little asshole") and never forget "the horror from long time ago" (as chronicled in "The Ballad Of Harry Warden").
But My Bloody Valentine (1981) stands out to me because the characters are incredibly charismatic and relatable. There's no doubt that MBV follows a slasher formula and contains tropes of the genre, but here instead of teens getting hacked up we have twentysomethings (some of the actors were even close to thirty) in a small mining town. MBV doesn't delve too deeply into its backstory (and there is even a kind of hilarious thirty second flashback explaining the killer's motivation not long after their reveal). The characters don't seem to have too much motivation outside of living their daily lives, partying and trying to get laid. But there is something that feels so comfortable about their escapades and goofy charm (there are some really funny moments) so that when they do start to get bumped off you genuinely feel sorry for them.
It's humorous that the MPAA ever made a stink about this particular film because even the extra gory scenes reinstated in the uncut version are pretty tame, all things considered. Thankfully, Scream Factory was able to restore those scenes in their Collector's Edition Blu-ray from a 4K scan of the negative so that they finally match the rest of the footage (great comparisons here and here; scroll down and mouse on and off the full image to compare). It's a revelation for fans of the film and a big upgrade from the previous Lionsgate Blu-ray (not to mention all the great new special features).
MBV isn't the best Canadian slasher—that honor belongs to Black Christmas (1974) (my review here)—but it's definitely the second best Canadian slasher. It's a little clunky here and there and it's melodramatic (enjoyably so) but it's comfort food for horror fans. So be sure to heed your bartender's warnings ("beware of what you make fun of, you little asshole") and never forget "the horror from long time ago" (as chronicled in "The Ballad Of Harry Warden").
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