My Review Of “My Bloody Valentine” 1981

Not wanting to be stereotypically me and go for Christmas and Halloween horror, which I tend to migrate toward, I have decided to review “My Bloody Valentine” 1981. One of those classic slasher flicks that I have seen many a time. The story follows the folklore around a mining accident in Valentine Bluffs. It happens on one of the holiday’s that quite frankly since becoming an adult I do not seem to get into. (Neither does my BF so I am good on all counts with that!).  “My Bloody Valentine” was directed by George Mihalka. Actually until the remake came out I thought most people just threw this film to the side or just forgot about it. It is a true classic horror story with the principle set ups, story line, and back story. A man left behind in an mine collapse goes insane, kills out of revenge, he becomes legend, and the legend comes to life.
There are some truly gory moments in this 80’s flick. From one victim crammed in a dryer and another being speared on a shower spout this film really makes an effort to get as gory as it’s “Friday the 13th counterparts. This film began a long line of horror flicks around holidays most of which were cut and dry. Kids do something or go some where they are told not to, have a good time then get slaughtered. For me “My Bloody Valentine” got most of the stuff you want in a horror movie right. The story was classic and dark from the legend of Harry Warden to the defiant Valentine party at the mine. The acting is par for the coarse in early 80’s horror films. The sound effects are minimal but eerie with only one real song worth mentioning “The Ballad Of Harry Warden”.


There is a lot of build up in this film with suspense and point-of-view angles as the killer spies on the town and sneaks up on the victims. There is plenty of blood and gore in the film that at times seems as graphic as you can get. Other times it seems cheap and plasticated. However there is nothing about any of the special effects in this film that did not work. Even the large human heart in the candy box looked gory enough to have an impact. This film has some things that make it annoying. It is a digitally remastered film but it seems to come from a bad master because the sound effects and over all quality is stressed and at times screechy. Much like the original “Friday The 13th” is.  IT was a period in horror when high pitched tones (much like nails on a chalkboard) were standard in horror films. It isn’t a film with a great soundtrack like Amityville Horror or Nightmare On Elm Street but then again this was before Horror was so embraced. It was just getting it’s first big wind when these films came out. That aside “My Bloody Valentine” remains one of my favorite simply because the death scenes are gory and good, I like a cheesy story with minimal acting and it is from my favorite decade of horror films. Not my favorite holiday but this is one of my all time favorite films. ***3/5***** also I did a photo blog of this film awhile back.