Review of My Bloody Valentine (1981) by Bryan P — 08 Aug 2011

A typical but well made slasher flick from very early in the sub-genre's life, My Bloody Valentine boasts a competent cast, flashy direction, and an interesting, if somewhat generic, storyline. Twenty years ago, several miners lost their lives due to the negligence of the townsfolk during the Valentine's Day dance.

The lone survivor of the tragedy gets revenge on the town through bloody murder, and he warns the town never to celebrate the holiday again. Flash forward to the present day, 2 days before the first Valentine's Day dance in 20 years, and the killings resume.

A pickaxe wielding killer in a gasmask, a nice dramatic love-triangle subplot, and creative and original kills place this one well above average for the slasher genre. Though the gore appears to be all but completely cut out (this is one film that would really benefit from a director's cut release), the film establishes great atmosphere and the use of the mine during the film's climax is a nice touch.

My Bloody Valentine makes use of all the slasher clichés (except for nudity) and retreads several ideas from previous entries, but the production value and competent direction is enough to set this film apart.