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Paul Kelman, Lori Hallier, Neil Affleck, Keith Knight, Alf Humphreys

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53% liked it

7,389 ratings

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33% liked it

9 critics

R, 1 hr. 31 min.

Directed by: George Mihalka

Release Date: February 11, 1981

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DVD Release Date: September 3, 2002

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Jessie 'T.J.' Hanniger (Paul Kelman) and Sarah (Lori Hallier) enjoy a brief moment of Valentine calm in My Bloody Valentine (1981) Terror has its eye on Jessie 'T.J.' Hanniger (Paul Kelman) and Sarah (Lori Hallier) in My Bloody Valentine (1981) Howard (Alf Humphreys) and Sarah (Lori Hallier) discover a dying Hollis (Keith Knight) in My Bloody Valentine (1981) Patty (Cynthia Dale) and Sarah (Lori Hallier) find their troubles are only beginning in My Bloody Valentine (1981) Mayor Hanniger (Larry Reynolds) and Mabel (Patricia Hamilton) prepare for Valentine's Day in My Bloody Valentine (1981) A stunned Chief Jake Newby (Don Francks) leaves Mabel's Laundromat in My Bloody Valentine (1981) Chief Jake Newby (Don Francks) is horrified to discover Mabel (Patricia Hamilton)...on the permanent press setting in My Bloody Valentine (1981) Mabel (Patricia Hamilton) Tumble dry, low heat, no iron in My Bloody Valentine (1981) Mabel's (Patricia Hamilton) charred body yields a clue to Chief Jake Newby (Don Francks) in My Bloody Valentine (1981) Chief Jake Newby (Don Francks) receives an ominous Valentine warning in My Bloody Valentine (1981) It's the deep freeze for Dave (Carl Marotte) in My Bloody Valentine (1981) Lesson for Hap (Jack Van Evera) an obsessive-compulsive disorder can get your eye put out in My Bloody Valentine (1981) Poised for some Valentine vengeance in My Bloody Valentine (1981) Sylvia (Helene Udy) Tango of Death in My Bloody Valentine (1981) Sylvia (Helene Udy) meets The Miner in My Bloody Valentine (1981) my bloody valentine Lovers drama at the Valentine's Cynthia Dale as 'Party' (Don't call it a 'Dance'!) with Paul Kelman as Jessie 'T.J.' Hanniger in My Bloody Valentine (1981) A frantic Sylvia (Helene Udy) finds herself alone with a maniac in My Bloody Valentine (1981)
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Flixster Reviews (589)

  • stopitgoaway
    September 20, 2009
    stopitgoaway
    And so finally the slasher 'Holy Grail' has been re-discovered and after twenty-eight years of patience, we can finally see the nearly-complete version of this hugely popular early-eighties slasher.

    ...( read more)My Bloody Valentine original Pictures, Images and Photos

    Notorious for being the film most tortured by censors upon its initial release, My Bloody Valentine has become something of a cult classic with a large number of fans. Even the most lukewarm horror enthusiast must admit to being slightly excited by the prospect of witnessing all the notorious gore that has, up until now, only been seen in a set of studio stills. The previously available print was missing over 9 minutes of footage, which thankfully producer John Dunning has now located. The on-line campaign to get the full uncut copy restored and released was one of the largest of its kind and thanks to the efforts of the movie's legions of adoring fans, we now have a special edition disc with nearly all of the glorious splatter intact.

    A small mining town in Canada has become famous over the years after a maniacal ex-miner went on a killing spree in the early sixties. He was the only survivor from a fatal accident on Valentine's night that stole the lives of numerous workers and left him having to survive by feeding on the corpses of his colleagues. Harry Warden murdered the supervisors that he considered responsible for the tragedy and stuffed their hearts into candy boxes to remind the townsfolk that their incompetence should never be forgiven. Twenty years later and the town is preparing for its first Valentine's dance since the gruesome massacre, but it seems that it is not only the decorations and romantic spirit that has returned. As a mutilated heart is sent to the local Sheriff with a gruesome warning that there will be more murders, it seems apparent that Harry Warden has come back once again....

    My Bloody Valentine is certainly a fine example of all that gave the most popular eighties slashers a significant standing in the annals of horror cinema. It boasts a likable cast that make up for their lack of A-list dramatic credibility with a warmness and depth of character that although laughably cheesy, evokes sympathy from the audience. The love triangle between the three leads is an intriguing sub-plot and the script is strong enough to allow the characters to work their way into the hearts of viewers.

    It can also lay claim to arguably the best arsenal of marketable gimmicks ever to be included in a single splatter feature and if the authentic calendar date doesn't induce your interest, then it's impossible to resist the excellent guise for the maniacal killer and the creepy mine location. The gas mask adds an extra dimension to the killer's essential-clichéd heavy breath and the pickaxe makes for an exquisite tool for gory slaughter. You can almost visualise the director's smile upon witnessing for the first time the awesome sight of his bogeyman strolling through the dimly-lighted shaft and stalking his intended victims. In terms of slasher visualisations, it's pure poetry-in-motion and Mihalka understandably milks the possibilities.

    Mihalka is no John Carpenter, but he does an impressive job in building suspense and he creates one or two decent jolts. The cast are surprisingly good for complete amateurs and their above-average performances are a rare and welcomed bonus. It was a conscious decision from John Dunning, the producer, to use actors that boasted far more potential than they did impressive CVs, because he wanted to invest heavily in the special effects. Mihalka has said that people don't go to see a slasher movie to witness a 'name' actor. He is right in acknowledging the fact that the amount of money a producer would spend on such a performer just to see him get splattered on the wall is an entirely pointless exercise.

    You only need to take a brief look at my review list to see that I am an avid 'slasher-fanatic', but My Bloody Valentine has never been amongst my favourites. I often wondered how the movie could have even been considered to be better than the likes of Intruder, The Prowling or even Curtains, because to me it felt like I wasn't watching the vision that Mihalka had initially intended. Now, with most of the gore intact, the film feels 'complete' and in its entirety it is a completely different concept. Despite popular belief, there were many early slashers that were stylishly produced and genuinely strong entries to the horror catalogue. My Bloody Valentine is one such feature and its well-deserving of its legion of admirers.

    The gore effects are as decent as their reputation would lead you to believe and the movie credibly mixes approachable characters and mean-spirited mass-slaughter to create an excellent mix of moods. Unfortunately we are still missing Michael and Harriet's death scene, which was either a decision by Mihalka (perhaps it looked too fake?) or that particular footage was never recovered by Dunning. It doesn't really matter however, because finally we have a copy of My Bloody Valentine that has nearly everything that was intended and Sylvia's remarkably grisly slaughter and the notorious 'pick-axe through the face' are visions that are an iconic part of the whole slasher cycle.

    If you are even a half-hearted fan of early eighties stalk and slash flicks then I urge you to part with your pennies for this excellent example of non-franchise slash with panache that sums up everything that was great about the early eighties domination. No collection is complete without this sitting on a shelf next to Joseph Zito's The Prowler and Mark Rosman's The House on Sorority Row. The Harry Warden legacy has finally come full circle.....
  • BloodyKitten
    April 15, 2009
    BloodyKitten
    Possibly the best slasher the '80s ever produced, 'My Bloody Valentine' has all the blood and camp we so love of this kind of film, but with the inclusion of a few additions and tweaks that elevate it beyond its peers. The story is a well-used genre standard and the characters ar...( read more)e ones we've seen a thousand times before, but the setting and villain are just so effective, all is easily forgiven. The mine, a claustrophobic network of dark tunnels, is the perfect playground for a killer, and murdering Harry Warden, utilizing what is possibly the most ingenious costume and weapon choices possible for a slasher movie psycho, is just the man for the job. It's a brutal, nasty, mean-spirited film that is not afraid to get its hands dirty (seeing the newly released uncut version is a must!), and is necessary viewing for any slasher fan.
  • sononothing
    March 10, 2009
    sononothing
    What at first appears as an interesting premise for a horror movie quickly derails due to bad acting, bad direction, and a bad script. My Bloody Valentine is about a town that's haunted by a miner that was trapped after being abandoned for a Valentine's Day dance. The miner named...( read more) Harry Warden came back and murdered those responsible, vowing that he would return to kill if the town ever celebrated Valentine's Day again. Jump 20 years later and the town is planning on celebrating Valentine's Day for the first time since the slaughter. And lo and behold guess what happens? That's right, killing.

    Like I said, the basic premise is interesting. You look forward to see how this slasher will play out. The problem that pops up rather early is the acting. It's god awful, even by horror movie standards. I've seen more style at a 1st grade Christmas program. The thing is that you're not sure if the actors are actually that bad or if the script doesn't give them much to work with. It's filled with your standard horror movie cliches that even in 1981 were well worn to no end. Some of the dialogue says it all.

    My Bloody Valentine is yet another attempt to cash in on the Halloween slasher phenomenon. The '80's were filled with these flicks and very few of them were very interesting other than having something to watch on cable on the weekends. This film is a Canadian import that fails are being the real thing.
  • markymarkslunggnome
    February 9, 2009
    markymarkslunggnome
    good original gore effects. T.J.'s neckerchief was cute, it went well with his chest hair and lisp. Hollis and Happy the bartender are champs. "I'll cut out your heart and send it to you in a valentine box"
  • bradwest
    January 17, 2009
    bradwest
    Above average slasher film. Seems to have had its more intense scenes trimmed or cut by the MPAA. Might have put it over the mark with those intact. New DVD version has restored those. (Don't know if they're calling it a 'director's cut' or not. Perhaps Flixster will give it a se...( read more)perate entry. If so, will give it a viewing and review.
  • MrzShelby95
    January 31, 2010
    MrzShelby95
    My Bloody Valentine(:
  • maxmoser3
    January 13, 2010
    maxmoser3
    my bloody valentine is an excellent horror slasher film that had came out as a slasher horror film from canada that had made moviegoers shocked but then in 2009 they had relased the extended cut which that was the version I saw My bloody valentine is a decent horror film after s...( read more)o many big holiday slashers like halloween before my bloody valentine but my bloody was pretty creepy it made you think for a few minutes on valentine's day am I really going to die but you need to think to yourself that It's only a movie or is it.
  • earmstrong22000
    January 3, 2010
    earmstrong22000
    Not the remake which was horrible, but the original rocked. Since Valentines Day is coming up. Smile
  • michaelleefinnie
    December 23, 2009
    michaelleefinnie
    i loved this movie, the miner suit slasher idea is classic
  • FilmFanatik
    December 20, 2009
    FilmFanatik
    A hell of a lot better and intelligent than most of the slashers that came out at this time.

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Critic Reviews

September 10, 2005
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness

Quickly devolves into a piece of hackwork. full review

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My Bloody Valentine Trivia

  • What word is missing: ------ Mary ------ Sunday My ------ Valentine  Answer »
  • In this 1981 movie, five miners died in a mine due to an accident. The accident happened because the supervisors left their post to attend a dance. The only survivor, Harry Warden was put in a mental hospital. Twenty years later he came back for revenge. What movie was it?   Answer »
  • which horror movie is NOT mentioned in scream?  Answer »
  • in what movie did a physco killer plauge a village not allowed to throw valentines day parties  Answer »
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