After many good and bad Friday the 13th clones, including The Burning, Graduation Day and Prom Night, there was one movie in the batch that I actually felt was superior to the others. That film was 1981's Happy Birthday To Me, an original, smart, and hip slasher flick that has the gore and the brains.
Virginia 'Ginny' Wainright is still suffering the traumas of her mother's death and the doctors' experimental brain surgery. However, her life is still quite bright in that she is very popular at her school. As a matter of fact, she is one of Crawford Academy's Top 10. Virginia finally feels that she belongs. Now she is approaching her 18th birthday. And as much as it is a joyous occasion, things start going downhill quickly as an unknown assailant begins killing Crawford's Top 10. Is it possible that Virginia could have something to do with it?
Truthfully, Happy Birthday To Me is one of two films from the genre that aren't repetitive, the other one being The House on Sorority Row. Birthday is very fresh material coming from 1981, and is able to seriously pay attention to the story, unlike some of the senseless bloodbaths that came out of that decade. A lot of the film is very unpredictable, including casting, the chosen director, and some wonderful slasher kills that you don't see very much in the genre.
I thought the film was nicely cast. The teens are played realistically and colorfully, including Tracy Bregman as Ginny's best friend Ann. And who would have ever thought that Glenn Ford would be a cameo in this film. But the big "WOW!" factor in the acting department of the movie is Melissa Sue Anderson as Virginia. Fresh off the infamous TV series The Little House on the Prairie, Anderson was one girl that you'd never expect to be in a horror film. But according to John Dunning, the producer of the film as well as My Bloody Valentine, said that Anderson no longer wanted to portray such a prissy teen and wanted to try something that would shock everyone. Anderson succeeded in this film. She brings a lot of vulnerability to Virginia, and most of all, you sympathized with her. After all that Virginia has been through, even though she is happy around her friends, you feel that the character is despondent and still suffering dramatically from her earlier traumas. Basically, Melissa Sue Anderson's performance is excellent.
At the helm of the camera is J. Lee Thompson. And I know what you're thinking? 'Really? The director of The Guns of Navarone and Cape Fear directed a slasher film?' But you'd be surprised by how dedicated Thompson is to the film and how much he loves the genre. Producer Dunning says that Thompson couldn't help but scream for more blood during the death scenes. Obviously, Thompson had a good time directing the movie. But when he isn't screaming for more blood in the film, he is able to create atmosphere and mood, something that further slasher films couldn't do.
Let's put the icing on the cake. Happy Birthday to Me is one of the best slasher movies to come out of the 80's. It's creepy, gory, fun, and nicely acted. In a world of camp killers and holiday madmen, this is the movie that, for once, doesn't repeat its history.
P.S. The shish-kebab kill is fantastic!
No comments:
Post a Comment