Review of My Bloody Valentine (1981) by Timothy S — 20 Jan 2012

You know you're a weird guy when your perennial Christmas film is "Silent Night, Deadly Night" and every February 14th you celebrate with yet another viewing of "My Bloody Valentine". This is a much better=than-average early '80's slasher with shockingly good production values and some of the most gruesome murders put to film courtesy of a major studio.

Despite it's meager budget, the film looks great with crisp photography and good lighting. That alone is enough to set this picture apart, but it also features some of the goriest, most memorable killings of the genre. Tom Savini is great, but this should make him eat his heart out and I'd love to see a director's cut of the film.

My favorite part of this genre is the telling of the legend that sets the story in motion, and this one has a beautiful tale to tell. The legend of Harry Warden is pretty creepy, and it comes as a disappointment when it's revealed that he's not the actual killer here. Still, there are a number of frightening moments here that remain every bit as shocking today as they were when I saw this the first time. The very first scene and line in the film is quite chilling, and I even liked the corny ballad that plays over the end credits. It just fits in so well with the rest of the picture.

When non-horror purists see "My Bloody Valentine", they see more of the same. But us fans know that this movie is in need of some respect. The slasher films opened and closed so fast in the early '80's that a lot of them slipped through the cracks. This is a gem among them.