My Bloody Valentine is a 1981 Canadian slasher film released in the wake of the popularity of the slasher genre that peaked in the early 80s. Considered an example of the low-budget cult films reminiscent of popular slasher films such as Halloween (1978) and Friday the 13th (1980), the movie was filmed on location in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia, Canada. Directed by George Mihalka, the film stars Neil Affleck, Cynthia Dale, Don Francks, Lori Hallier and Patricia Hamilton.
The film is infamous for having had nine minutes cut by the MPAA due to the sheer amount of violence and gore. Though co-producer Dunning confirmed that the excised footage still existed, attempts to release it proved difficult as Paramount Pictures refused to offer an uncut version. Lionsgate subsequently secured DVD rights to the film (as well as several other Paramount features, under license) and released the uncut version on January 13, 2009 (Lionsgate released the remake into theaters soon after).
“Outside the obvious franchises (Halloween, Friday the 13th, etc.), perhaps the most beloved slasher of the early eighties was the Canadian thriller My Bloody Valentine, a claustrophobic gorefest that, despite being heavily censored by the MPAA, still became a huge hit with the splatter fans. Boasting the key elements that would make an effective slasher – a masked killer, horny victims and an isolated environment – My Bloody Valentine would fail to spawn a succession of sequels like many of its contemporaries but still struck a chord with audiences.” Retro Slashers
“My Bloody Valentine stands up with Black Christmas as the best Canada has to offer in the oft-slighted slasher horror subgenere. The unstoppable evil miner is very effective, his identity hidden by a gas mask and a construction helmet with headlight. I even found myself wondering why more low budget films like this didn’t use mines as a setting–much more atmospheric than the ubiquitous abandoned warehouse. It also doesn’t hurt that the films is competently made, well shot, and expertly paced.” Canuxsploitation!
Buy My Bloody Valentine on Lionsgate Blu-ray from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com
Buy They Came from Within: A History of Canadian Horror Cinema from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com
Categories: 1980s, Canadian horror, gory, psychopath, slasher, splatter film
Tags: 1981 film, 1981 horror film, Canadian horror, DVD, gory, Lionsgate, MPAA, My Bloody Valentine, Nova Scotia, Paramount Pictures, slasher, Sydney Mines, uncut
Love this one, nice cold atmosphere and locations. Also kudos to being done before “the rules” of the slasher genre got set in stone (as one review put it, the fat guy is not only “not” an unlikeable dateless wonder, but a very nice, funny guy who has one of the best looking girls in town). It’s the working man’s slasher film, I feel. I’m also a lover of the goggles and gas mask look, so the killer is very memorable to me. .