"My Bloody Valentine" 1981 My Seventh Pick for the Halloween Season

A friend of mine in the UK (that would be the country Britain for those who do not understand abbreviations… lol) was asking about old skool 80’s slasher films, so this is one is for you, Andrew Moody.

Now I usually hold this film off for another special holiday. That one being the awesome “Valentine’s Day”, and if you are into the old skool slasher films then “My Bloody Valentine” is right up your proverbial alley. Now I am not talking that shitty ass 2009 3D remake that was pure crap, but the original 1981 version. Hence the term “OLD SKOOL”.

The town of Valentine Bluffs (go figure), Nova Scotia has not celebrated the famed day for lovers and wannabe lovers since 1961 when, in response to a horrible mining accident claimed the lives of several miners a year earlier (1960) because people were to preoccupied of the local Valentine’s Day party plans, sole survivor, Harry Warden, took matters in his own hands the following year and nicely -or should I say non-to-nicely- removed the hearts of the mining authority that he deemed negligent for the accident with a stern warning not to celebrate the holiday ever again.

Flash forward 20 years and the local twenty-something’s decide that it was high time to bring back Valentine’s Day and have a party. At first the township is okay with  the idea -it had been twenty years and all and good-old-Harry was locked up tight as a drum in the local metal ward, or so they thought. But as the celebration nears the sheriff (Don Francks) receives a heart shaped candy box. Unfortunately for the sheriff the box actually contains a heart. From there things get worse as the sheriff soon discovers another heart in the box and that of the lonely Harriet who owns the local laundry mat who ends up as a fleshy drier sheet in one of her own driers.

The discovery of Harriet is enough for the sheriff and the mayor to cancel ones again the Valentine celebrations with their worst fear coming to fruition: that of the return of Harry Warden. But as the town’s twenty-something’s move the party to the coal mine facilities despite the sheriff’s warnings, the mayor and the sheriff learn that Harry Warden died in the metal hospital he was in. So whoever is doing he killing is not Harry but someone posing as Harry. And when a few party goers decide to head down the mine shafts they come across their worst nightmares.

While the original is not the greatest of slasher films (really just a retread of Michael Meyers), the film is a classic of the 80’s horror genre and by far better than the ’09 remake.

Until next time…