So as I move through the 80s slashers, the franchises and
genre films that resulted from the likes of “Halloween” and “Friday the 13
th”,
I have dedicated 2020 to one last “hurrah” for the blog. I wanted to use this
year to sort of cover all the “classics” and resulting films that piggy-backed
or were possibly inspired by them. I also plan to dedicate one last hurrah to
the films that brought about any interest in writing about the genre for this
blog…the Halloween season staples, studios, and stockpile of titles that were
created as a result. The slasher genre, with Halloween (1978) as the starting
place, was sort of the launching pad. I wanted to start in January of this year
with this genre and gradually work through other genres, Gothic horror (my
favorite genre) and haunted house, and all the branches to extend out from
them.
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| Patty and Sarah unsure what lies ahead |
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| TJ hopes to protect his love, Sarah |
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| The miner gang and their gals as the guys sing to waitress, Harriet |
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| TJ tells rival for Sarah's affection, Axel, their friends are in dangee |
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| Valentine's Day Rec Room fun |
It was eventually time for me to get to “My Bloody Valentine“
(1981). I had owned the 2009 Special Edition released by Lion’s Gate, and was
content with this version even though the excerpts finally added—that were long
kept out by Paramount almost defiantly despite a lot of fan support for an
unedited version—were quite noticeable. When I learned of Scream Factory’s
Special Collector’s Edition, complete with fresh interviews and docs and two
posters (and another slip cover with the “hot dog juice burn face victim in
refrigerator” on the back), I paid the pricey amount because MBV is a film I
hold in high regard. Yes, it is of its time—I can just imagine the cringing
feeling when Kelman’s TJ Hanniger tells fellow miner, Hollis (Keith Knight),
that women aren’t allowed in the mine—and the love triangle might not be a
subplot certain sections of slasher fans fully accept without trepidation. MBV
is dedicated, though, to its characters. TJ returns from “time away” on the “West
Coast”, defeated and back in his dad’s mine, hoping to rekindle his
relationship with the beautiful blonde, blue-eyed Sarah (Lori Hallier). Sarah
is now “attached” to fellow miner, Axel (Neil Affleck). Axel isn’t about to
just let TJ waltz in and take her back without a fight. Sarah, seemingly this object
of desire between them, is fed up with those two always at odds over her. This
might be an intriguing story to see analyzed by today’s audience in such a
different political landscape. It does feel like a reality show melodrama
played in the slasher forum. It is intense, emotionally volatile, and feels
very realistic, with Sarah having to tell both of them to knock it off…that
these three factor importantly at the end when the killer is unveiled is no
surprise, obviously.
I have mentioned this before—I have talked so much about the
film, even when it was still the cut version, so retreading ground already
covered wouldn’t be a surprise in my case—that what I particularly liked about
MBV is that they film doesn’t pretend to be an American small town. It was
refreshing. “Prom Night” didn’t really do that, and “Slaughter High” (1986), a
film I just revisited last night, shot in England, does set itself in America
when it didn’t really have to. But MBV has this authenticity to it. A small
town with a mine and that was its life’s blood. Valentine Bluffs, when we are
introduced, is fully engaged in the holiday. The hearts, color red, with
streamers and holiday iconography just really give the film an immersive trip
into the holiday season of Valentine’s Day. That really helps to define this
film as the definitive February horror film to traditionally revisit annually.
But to do just that, constrain such a good film to one particular time of the
year, does it as much injustice as Carpenter’s “Halloween”. I think this film,
even when the gore was removed, has a lot going for it.
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| Newby finds a body in a dryer |
Francks as Chief Newby, the pipe-smoking lead cop in town
that everyone knows, loves, trusts, and respects, anchors the film with his
presence. I think he’s convincing as the major authority in town, very
accessible and friendly but still quite in charge, with Larry Reynolds’ Mayor
Hanniger exercising his command over the town by at first encouraging the
holiday’s addition this particular year then putting a kibosh on the whole enterprise
once Mabel, the Laundromat owner and holiday stateswoman, is found mangled and
savaged while rolling around in a clothes dryer by Newby. I can’t say this
enough: Francks’ response to finding her, that horror, is well performed…he
couldn’t even scream he was so appalled and shocked.
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