My Bloody Valentine (film): Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|1981 Canadian slasher film by George Mihalka}} |
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{{Infobox Film | name =My Bloody Valentine |
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{{About|the 1981 film|the 2009 remake|My Bloody Valentine 3D|the Irish rock band|My Bloody Valentine (band)}} |
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| image = My bloody valentineposter.jpg |
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{{Infobox film |
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| caption =Original film poster |
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| name = My Bloody Valentine |
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| director = [[George Mihalka]] |
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| image = My bloody valentineposter.jpg |
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| producer = [[John Dunning]] |
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| caption = Theatrical poster |
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| writer = John Beaird |
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| director = [[George Mihalka]] |
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| starring =Paul Kelman<br>[[Lori Hallier]]<br>[[Neil Affleck]] |
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| producer = {{plainlist| |
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| music =[[Paul Zaza]] |
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* [[John Dunning (film producer)|John Dunning]] |
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| cinematography =Rodney Gibbons |
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* André Link |
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| editing =Gérald Vansier<br>Rit Wallis |
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* Stephen Miller |
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| distributor = [[Paramount Pictures]] |
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}} |
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| released = [[1981 in film|1981]] |
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| story = Stephen Miller |
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| screenplay = [[John Beaird]] |
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| language = English |
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| starring = {{plainlist| |
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| budget = [[Canadian dollar|CAN $]]2,300,000 (estimated) |
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* Paul Kelman |
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| imdb_id = 0082782 |
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* [[Lori Hallier]] |
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* [[Neil Affleck]] |
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* [[Don Francks]] |
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* [[Cynthia Dale]] |
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* [[Alf Humphreys]] |
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* [[Keith Knight (actor)|Keith Knight]] |
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* [[Patricia Hamilton]] |
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}} |
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| music = [[Paul Zaza]] |
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| cinematography = Rodney Gibbons |
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| editing = {{plainlist| |
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* Gérald Vansier |
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* Rit Wallis |
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}} |
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| studio = {{plainlist| |
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* [[Telefilm Canada|Canadian Film Development Corporation]] |
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* Secret Film Company |
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}} |
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| distributor = [[Paramount Pictures]] |
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| released = {{Film date|1981|2|11}} |
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| runtime = 90 minutes{{sfn|Muir|2012|p=199}} |
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| country = Canada |
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| language = English |
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| budget = $2.3 million<ref name=cbp>{{cite web|url=http://www.capebretonpost.com/living/classic-horror-film-was-shot-in-sydney-mines-19997/|work=[[Cape Breton Post]]|location=Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia|title=Classic horror film was shot in Sydney Mines|author=Jala, David|date=February 13, 2017|access-date=September 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171103233213/http://www.capebretonpost.com/living/classic-horror-film-was-shot-in-sydney-mines-19997/|archive-date=November 3, 2017}}</ref> |
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| gross = $5.7 million<ref name=bom/> |
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}} |
}} |
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'''''My Bloody Valentine''''' is a |
'''''My Bloody Valentine''''' is a 1981 Canadian [[slasher film]] directed by [[George Mihalka]] and written by [[John Beaird]]. It stars Paul Kelman, [[Lori Hallier]], and [[Neil Affleck]]. The plot tells about a group of young adults who decide to throw a [[Valentine's Day]] party, only to incur the vengeful wrath of a maniac in mining gear who begins a killing spree. |
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The movie is also infamous for having 9 minutes cut by the [[Motion Picture Association of America|MPAA]], because of the gore. Attempts to release this footage have proven difficult, as [[Paramount Pictures]] has refused to release an uncut version. |
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Conceived and produced entirely over the course of around a year,<ref name=bl/> the film was shot on location in [[Sydney Mines]], [[Nova Scotia]], in the fall of 1980. It was theatrically released on February 11, 1981 by [[Paramount Pictures]], coinciding with the Valentine's holiday. Despite a mixed response from critics and grossing $5.7 million at the box office, the film has developed a large [[cult following]] over the years since its release. |
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''My Bloody Valentine'' faced notable [[censorship]], having a total of nine minutes cut by the [[Motion Picture Association|Motion Picture Association of America]] due to the 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. In 2009, [[Lionsgate]] subsequently licensed the home media rights to the film and released [[Blu-ray]] and [[DVD]] editions with three minutes of additional footage restored. The same year, Lionsgate released a [[My Bloody Valentine 3D|remake]] of the film. |
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==Plot== |
==Plot== |
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Inside a mine shaft, a female miner takes off her gear in front of another male miner. During the striptease, the male miner notices a heart tattoo on her body. Enraged, he pushes her onto a mining pickaxe, killing her. |
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{{spoiler}} |
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Twenty years ago in the sleepy mining town of Valentine Bluffs, a fatal mining disaster occurred on Valentine's Day while key members of the crew were decorating for a party. The sole survivor of the accident killed the absentee crew members and warned the town never to have another [[St. Valentine's Day|Valentine's Day]] celebration. When a group of teenagers decide that the town has gone without a party long enough and begin planning one, a murderous maniac in mining gear begins dispatching townsfolk in bloody and creative ways. |
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Mayor Hanniger of Valentine Bluffs, a [[Canada|Canadian]] mining town, reinstates the traditional Valentine's Day dance, which has been suspended for twenty years. The dances stopped 20 years ago after an accident in which two supervisors left five miners in the mines to attend the dance. Because they forgot to check [[methane]] gas levels in the mining tunnels, there was an explosion that caused the mining tunnel to cave in and trap the miners. Harry Warden, the only survivor, resorted to [[Human cannibalism|cannibalism]] to survive and went insane from the ordeal. The next year, he murdered the two supervisors who left their posts the previous year, cut out their hearts and placed them in Valentine candy boxes, with a note from Harry warning the town never to hold the Valentine's Day Dance ever again or he will commit more killings. Warden was placed in an insane asylum and the accident was forgotten, so the dance resumed. A group of young residents is excited about the dance: Gretchen, Dave, Hollis, Patty, Sylvia, Howard, Mike, John, Tommy, and Harriet. Sarah, Axel, and the mayor's son T.J. are involved in a tense love triangle. |
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Mayor Hanniger and the town's police chief Jake Newby receive an anonymous box of Valentine chocolates containing a human heart, and a note warning that murders will begin if the dance proceeds. That evening, resident Mabel is murdered by a mining-geared killer in a [[Self-service laundry|laundromat]], and her heart is removed. Newby publicly reports that she died of a heart attack to prevent a panic. He contacts the mental institution where Harry Warden was incarcerated, but they have no record of him. Hanniger and Newby cancel the dance but the town's youngsters decide to hold their own party at the mine. A bartender warns them against it but is killed by the miner while trying to set up a dummy miner to scare the group. |
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At the party, the miner brutally kills Dave; his heart is subsequently found boiling in a pot of hot dogs being prepared in the kitchen. Shortly after, Sylvia is impaled on a showerhead by the miner. When the others realize Dave and Sylvia have been murdered, they contact authorities, but several of the partygoers have already decided to enter the mines for fun. TJ and Axel enter the mines to rescue them. Hollis leaves to find Mike and Harriet who have been impaled by a large drill. He is subsequently shot in the head with a nail gun. The killer arrives and a horrified Howard flees. Patty, TJ, Axel and Sarah try to climb to the top with a ladder, but Howard’s corpse, tied to a rope, falls from above. |
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While finding their way out, Axel drowns and Patty is killed by the miner. The miner chases T.J. and Sarah and a fight ensues. The miner is revealed to be Axel, who faked his demise. A flashback shows that Axel's father was one of the supervisors killed by Harry Warden. As a child, Axel witnessed Harry Warden murdering his father and tearing out his heart, which traumatized him. T.J. hits Axel with a rock, resulting in the tunnel collapsing, which traps Axel as Newby and the police arrive to rescue T.J. and Sarah. Chief Newby reveals to them that Harry Warden died five years earlier. T.J. and Sarah hear a rescuer shout that Axel is still alive, and they rush back to the scene. They watch as Axel frees himself from the debris by amputating his trapped arm. He runs deeper into the mine shouting threats that he and Harry Warden will return and murder everyone in town, and mumbling about Sarah being his "bloody valentine" (it seems to be implied that Axel's words are just words of [[insanity]] and [[Bleeding|blood loss]], which it is also implied that he is dying from). The film ends with Axel laughing maniacally as a ballad for Harry Warden plays over the film's credits. |
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==Cast== |
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{{castlist| |
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* Paul Kelman as Tom Jesse "T.J." Hanniger |
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* [[Lori Hallier]] as Sarah Mercer |
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* [[Neil Affleck]] as Axel Palmer |
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** Jeff Banks as Young Axel Palmer |
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* [[Cynthia Dale]] as Patty |
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* [[Don Francks]] as Chief Jake Newby |
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* [[Keith Knight (actor)|Keith Knight]] as Hollis |
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* [[Alf Humphreys]] as Howard Landers |
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* Terry Waterland as Harriet |
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* Thomas Kovacs as Mike Stavinski |
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* [[Helene Udy]] as Sylvia |
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* Rob Stein as John |
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* [[Patricia Hamilton]] as Mabel Osborne |
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* Gina Dick as Gretchen |
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* Larry Reynolds as Mayor Hanniger |
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* Jim Murchison as Tommy Whitcomb |
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* [[Carl Marotte]] as Dave |
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* Jack Van Evera as "Happy" |
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* Peter Cowper as [[Harry Warden|Harry Warden / The Miner]] |
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}} |
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==Production== |
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{{expand section|date=January 2020}} |
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===Development=== |
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Director George Mihalka, on the strength of his earlier movie ''Pick-Up Summer'', was approached by Cinepix Productions, headed by André Link and John Dunning with a two-movie contract. Mihalka was asked to direct a horror-slasher story, presented to Dunning by Stephen Miller in mid-1980, and, after Mihalka agreed to direct, John Beaird was brought in to write the screenplay.<ref name=mihalka2005>{{Cite web|url=http://www.terrortrap.com/interviews/georgemihalka/|title=My Bloody Memories: An Interview with George Mihalka |date=June 2005|work=The Terror Trap |access-date=July 16, 2016}}</ref> |
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The film was originally entitled ''The Secret''; however, the producers decided to change it to ''My Bloody Valentine'', so to overtly reference the holiday serial killer trend{{Sfn|Blake|2013|p=116}} with which the slasher genre was becoming increasingly popular, through films such as ''[[Black Christmas (1974 film)|Black Christmas]]'' (1974), ''[[Halloween (1978 film)|Halloween]]'' (1978) and ''[[Friday the 13th (1980 film)|Friday the 13th]]'' (1980).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.trulydisturbing.com/2013/02/13/day-history-bloody-valentine-1981/|title=This day in History: MY BLOODY VALENTINE|first=Laura |last=Mooney |date=February 13, 2013 |work=Truly Disturbing |access-date=July 16, 2016}}</ref> At the time, the slasher sub-genre had seen further commercial success with the releases of ''[[Prom Night (1980 film)|Prom Night]]'' and ''[[Terror Train]]'' (both 1980).{{sfn|Leeder|2018|p=65}} |
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===Casting=== |
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Paul Kelman was cast in the lead role of T.J.,<ref name=kelman2020>{{cite interview|work=My Bloody Valentine|medium=[[Blu-ray]] short, disc 1|publisher=[[Shout! Factory|Scream Factory]]|year=2020|title=From the Heart: An Interview with Actor Paul Kelman|last=Kelman|first=Paul}}</ref> while [[Neil Affleck]] was cast as Axel, his former friend and coworker.<ref name=affleck2020>{{cite interview|work=My Bloody Valentine|medium=[[Blu-ray]] short, disc 1|subject-link=Neil Affleck|publisher=[[Shout! Factory|Scream Factory]]|year=2020|title=Axel, Be My Bloody Valentine: An Interview with Actor Neil Affleck|last=Affleck|first=Neil}}</ref> |
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Lori Hallier was cast as Sarah, the girlfriend of Axel and ex-girlfriend of T.J.<ref name=hallier2020/> Hallier arrived to the set several weeks after the other actors, as she had prior obligations at the [[National Theatre School of Canada]] where she was studying at the time; director Mihalka, intent on casting her in the role, convinced her academic advisors to allow her to finish the semester early in order to appear in the film.<ref name=hallier2020>{{cite interview|work=My Bloody Valentine|medium=[[Blu-ray]] short, disc 1|subject-link=Lori Hallier|publisher=[[Shout! Factory|Scream Factory]]|year=2020|title=Friends of Mine: An Interview with Actress Lori Hallier|last=Hallier|first=Lori}}</ref> |
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===Filming=== |
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Shooting on ''My Bloody Valentine'' began in September 1980, taking place around the Princess Colliery Mine in [[Sydney Mines|Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia]],{{Sfn|Pike|2012|p=186}} which had closed in 1975.{{Sfn|Rockoff|2011|p=106}} Filming completed in November 1980.{{Sfn|Rockoff|2011|p=106}} The budget was approximately $2.3 million.<ref name=cbp/> Two mines were considered for the setting, the other in [[Glace Bay]], Nova Scotia. The production company decided on the Sydney Mines location due to "the exterior [being] a dreary, cold and dusty area [with] no other buildings around it so it looked like it was totally in the middle of nowhere".<ref name=mihalka2005 /> |
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Mihalka has said since making the movie that the most difficult element of ''My Bloody Valentine'' was filming in the mines.<ref name=mihalka2005/> Located {{convert|2700|ft|m}} underground, filming in the mine was a lengthy process, as, due to limited space in the elevators, it would take an hour to transport the cast and crew to the location.<ref name=mihalka2005 /> Also, due to the [[methane]] levels underground, lighting had to be carefully planned as the number of bulbs that could be safely utilised was limited.<ref name=mihalka2005 /> Prior to the production's arrival to the mine, the owners cleaned up the location significantly, leaving it described as a "clean and colourful [[Disneyland]]-like set".<ref name=cbp/> This resulted in the production team spending an estimated $30,000 to paint portions of the mine to achieve a darker atmosphere, akin to how it had appeared in its original state.{{sfn|Rockoff|2011|p=106}} Producer Dunning referred to the shoot as "horrendous".{{Sfn|Rockoff|2011|p=106}} |
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The crew kept the identity of the killer a secret to the cast members until the end of production, when the final scene was shot, in order to assure the actors played their parts in an ambiguous manner.<ref name=hallier2020/> |
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==="The Ballad of Harry Warden"=== |
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Although it was not credited on the film itself, the vocals for the end credits song, "The Ballad of Harry Warden", as well as other music cues heard in the film, were provided by Scottish-Canadian tenor [[John McDermott (singer)|John McDermott]]. In an interview with the Ghouls in the House podcast – his first and only interview on the subject – McDermott explained that he was a family friend of the film's composer, Paul Zaza, and just out of school when offered the opportunity to record vocals for the film.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.atbpublishing.com/2021/02/16/episode-13-my-bloody-valentines/|title = Episode 13: My Bloody Valentines – ATB Publishing}}</ref> |
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==Release== |
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''My Bloody Valentine'' was distributed by [[Paramount Pictures]] in the United States on February 11, 1981, and in Canada two days later.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/canadian-feature-film-database/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=959&DotsIdNumber=|publisher=[[Library and Archives Canada]]|title=Item|date=12 May 2015|access-date=December 5, 2019 |last1=Canada |first1=Library Archives }}</ref> |
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===Box office=== |
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''My Bloody Valentine'' grossed [[US dollar|US]]$5,672,031 at the United States box office.<ref name=bom>{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mybloodyvalentine.htm|work=Box Office Mojo|title=My Bloody Valentine (1981)|access-date=December 28, 2016}}</ref> Though the U.S. gross exceeded the film's $2.3 million budget, it was considered a box-office disappointment by Paramount Pictures, returning a "derisory sum of $3.3 million".{{sfn|Nowell|2011|p=231}} This profit amounted to less than one-third of Paramount's ''Friday the 13th'', released the year before.{{sfn|Nowell|2011|p=231}} |
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===Critical response=== |
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====Contemporaneous==== |
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Upon its release, ''My Bloody Valentine'' received numerous reviews criticizing it for its depiction of violence and gore. Bruce Bailey of the ''[[The Gazette (Montreal)|Montreal Gazette]]'' noted the film as having an "awkward script": "All that's really notable about ''My Bloody Valentine'' is that it gives you more than the usual m.p.g.p.{{em dash}}murders per gallon of popcorn".<ref>{{cite news|author=Bailey, Bruce|date=February 14, 1981|work=[[Montreal Gazette]]|location=Montreal, Quebec|page=105|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23907127/the_gazette/|via=Newspapers.com|title='Valentine' lacks essential heart}}</ref> Tom Buckley of ''[[The New York Times]]'' echoed a similar sentiment, writing: "''My Bloody Valentine'' probably won't make you shiver with fright, but it's almost certain to make you squirm, first with irritation and then with revulsion".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E03EED6143BF931A25751C0A967948260|work=The New York Times|first=Tom|last=Buckley|date=February 12, 1981|access-date=December 29, 2016|title='My Bloody Valentine'}}</ref> The ''[[Detroit Free Press]]''{{'}}s Jack Mathews conversely complimented the film on delivering "on its title promise by bucketfuls", adding: "There's nothing subtle about ''My Bloody Valentine''. A pickax to the belly, a 10-penny nail through the forehead, a granite drill through the back. There are some passing attempts at comic relief, but most of the yuks are inadvertent".<ref>{{cite news|work=[[Detroit Free Press]]|location=Detroit, Michigan|title=One bad shock deserves another|author=Mathews, Jack|page=8D|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23906922/detroit_free_press/|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Ernest Leogrande of the ''[[New York Daily News]]'' noted the film as bearing similarity to other slasher films of the time, but conceded: "Movies like this are designed to make you jump, scream, hide your eyes, hug your date and talk with glee about what bad taste the movie makers are capable of. ''My Bloody Valentine'' does all that".<ref>{{cite news|author=Leogrande, Ernest|date=February 11, 1981|work=[[New York Daily News]]|location=New York City, New York|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23909973/daily_news/|title=So what became of chocolate hearts?|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> In their television series ''Sneak Preview'', critics [[Gene Siskel]] and [[Roger Ebert]] each gave the film a "thumbs down" review, with Ebert describing it as "about the seventh direct rip-off of ''[[Halloween (1978 film)|Halloween]]''", the 1978 film which both critics agreed was a well-made thriller that inspired many lackluster imitations.<ref>https://siskelebert.org/?p=7329; review starts at 13:00</ref> |
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Several reviewers were critical of the film's partial financing by the [[Telefilm Canada|Canadian Film Development Corporation]], which used taxed income from Canadian provinces to help fund its production. Among them were John Dodd of the ''[[Edmonton Journal]]'', who also lambasted the film as a "rip off" of ''Halloween'' (1978): "All this perverted gore is brought to you thanks to the financial help of the Canadian Film Development Corp. which uses your own tax money to help greedy, talentless producers make a killing, you should pardon the expression".<ref>{{cite news|date=February 16, 1981|work=[[Edmonton Journal]]|location=Edmonton, Alberta|title='I couldn't take it anymore'|author=Dodd, John|page=D8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23907586/edmonton_journal/|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> [[Gene Siskel]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' also noted the corporation's financing in his review, in which he awarded the film one out of four stars, deeming it a "dismal and depressing horror film" and "another entry in that most depressing of film genres, the mad-slasher-with-a-knife".<ref>{{cite news|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|author-link=Gene Siskel|author=Siskel, Gene|page=4|date=February 17, 1981|title='Dogs of War' loses its bite in the second half|location=Chicago, Illinois|via=Newspapers.com|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23906615/chicago_tribune/}}</ref> |
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Ed Blank of ''[[The Pittsburgh Press]]'' faulted the film's cinematography and mine setting, writing that its "novelty, for the worse as it happens, is that the principal setting is a coal mine where most of the male characters work. Shooting scenes in the mine, brightened only by the miners' hats, permits Mihalka to play without a full deck. You can't tell what's going on".<ref>{{cite news|page=A-5|work=[[Pittsburgh Press]]|location=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23907357/the_pittsburgh_press/|via=Newspapers.com|author=Blank, Ed|title='Bloody Valentine' A Drag}}</ref> Dan Scapperotti of ''[[Cinefantastique]]'', alternately praised the film's cinematography, writing "[it] is beautifully photographed, and the utilization of the mine creates powerful imagery".<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Cinefantastique|first=Dan|last=Scapperotti|title=My Bloody Valentine|page=48|volume=11|number=1|year=1981}}</ref> |
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Some reviewers were also likely unaware of the amount of censorship the film received. Writing for ''[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|The Atlanta Constitution]]'', Richard Zoglin noted that the film "floats along effortlessly in the current flood of schlock-horror films unleashed by John Carpenter's ''Halloween''. But it is more restrained—even tasteful—than most. The camera averts its eyes from much of the blood and gore, and women are treated somewhat better than usual (that is, they are generally allowed to keep their clothes on before being dispatched)". While praising the film for constraining the amount of violence shown, Zoglin criticized the characters and the plot for being "uninteresting" and "predictable".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22935030/the_atlanta_constitution/|title='Valentine' Slickly Produced But Just A Routine Shocker|last=Zoglin|first=Richard|date=February 17, 1981|work=The Atlanta Constitution|access-date=August 18, 2018}}</ref> Linda Gross of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' said the film was "too convoluted, too derivative and, oddly, too ambitious to properly coagulate into the kind of [[exploitation film|exploitation movie]] that it tries to be".<ref name=gross>{{cite news|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|location=Los Angeles, California|title='Bloody Valentine' Is Heartless Fare|date=February 16, 1981|page=2|via=Newspapers.com|author=Gross, Linda|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23906457/the_los_angeles_times/}}</ref> However, she conceded that the film's cinematography is "sharp", and the musical score "portentous".<ref name=gross/> |
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====Retrospective==== |
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On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''My Bloody Valentine'' holds a 58% approval rating based on 26 reviews, with an [[weighted arithmetic mean|average rating]] of 5.6/10.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/my_bloody_valentine/ |title=My Bloody Valentine (1981) |work=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date= February 15, 2021}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 46 based on 11 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". |
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In a March 30, 2007 issue of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', the film was ranked 17 in a list of guilty pleasures, listed among such films as ''[[Dawn of the Dead (1978 film)|Dawn of the Dead]]'' and ''[[Escape from New York]]'', and called "the most criminally underappreciated of the [[slasher film|slasher]] genre". Popular filmmaker [[Quentin Tarantino]] called it his all-time favorite slasher film.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://ew.com/article/2006/06/23/tarantino-and-rodriguez-talk-grind-house/ | magazine=Entertainment Weekly | author=Nashawaty, Chris | title='House' Mates: Tarantino and Rodriguez talk Grindhouse | date=June 23, 2006 | access-date=September 20, 2018 | archive-date=August 25, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190825044458/https://ew.com/ew/article/0,,1206985,00.html | url-status=live }}</ref> In a retrospective assessment, film historian Adam Rockoff wrote that the film was "easily one of the best and most polished slasher films".{{Sfn|Rockoff|2011|p=107}} |
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In another retrospective assessment by scholar Jim Harper in his book ''Legacy of Blood: A Comprehensive Guide to Slasher Movies'', he notes that the film distinguishes itself from other slashers by moving outside the "typical teen based scenario", instead focusing on a group of young adults in a [[working class]] community, and relying on a notable "atmosphere dread".{{Sfn|Harper|2004|p=128}} |
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===Censorship=== |
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''My Bloody Valentine'' was significantly censored in North America upon its theatrical release.<ref name=bl>{{cite AV media|title=Bloodlust: My Bloody Valentine and the Rise of the Slasher Film|year=2009|people=Rockoff, Adam; Mihalka, George; Link, André|publisher=[[Lionsgate]]|medium=Blu-ray documentary short|work=My Bloody Valentine}}</ref> For the [[Motion Picture Association|Motion Picture Association of America]] (MPAA) to award the movie with an R-rating, cuts were requested to every death sequence in the film. Producer Dunning said the film was essentially "cut to ribbons" in order to achieve an R-rating.{{Sfn|Rockoff|2011|p=106}} Even after cutting the film to match the requirements made by the MPAA, it was again returned with an X-rating and further cuts were demanded. Stills of the trimmed footage were published in ''[[Fangoria]]'' magazine whilst the film was still in production, though the sequences were excised from the theatrical version.<ref name=barton>{{cite web|date=December 5, 2009|access-date=March 13, 2018|author=Barton, Steve|title=My Bloody Valentine (1981) (Blu-ray)|url=https://dreadcentral.com/reviews/14686/my-bloody-valentine-1981-blu-ray/|work=[[Dread Central]]}}</ref> Even today the complete uncut version has not been released (though the 2009 DVD and Blu-ray release by Lionsgate reinstated three minutes of excised footage).<ref name=bl/> The standard North American theatrical cut of the film ran approximately 90 minutes.{{sfn|Muir|2012|p=199}} In the United Kingdom, the film was passed for theatrical release by the [[British Board of Film Classification]] (BBFC) on March 30, 1981. According to the BBFC catalogue, this version ran at 90 minutes and 55 seconds.<ref>{{cite web|work=British Board of Film Classification|url=https://bbfc.co.uk/releases/my-bloody-valentine-1970-1|title=My Bloody Valentine (1981)|access-date=March 13, 2018}}</ref> |
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There are two reasons that are frequently attributed to the extreme cutting of the film. It has been suggested that Paramount Pictures was keen to remove the offending footage due to the backlash they had received from releasing ''Friday the 13th'' the previous year. The second reason, that Mihalka attributes, is that the film was cut due to the [[murder of John Lennon]] in December 1980, stating that there was a major backlash against movie violence in the wake of his death.<ref name=mihalka2005 /> |
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====Restoration efforts==== |
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{{See also|#Home media}} |
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An uncensored cut of ''My Bloody Valentine'' remained unavailable to the public for nearly thirty years after its original theatrical release.<ref name=uncut/> When Paramount released the film on DVD in North America for the first time in 2002, the studio claimed that the purported "missing" footage did not exist.<ref name=barton/> |
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In 2008, [[Lionsgate]] licensed the home video rights to the film after producing a [[My Bloody Valentine 3D|feature film remake]], and in the process, acquired a copy with excised footage never before seen in the standard theatrical cut of the film.<ref name=barton/> In January 2009, Lionsgate under license from Paramount released an unrated [[DVD region code#Region codes and countries|Region 1]] "Special Edition" [[DVD]] and [[Blu-ray]] featuring this footage.<ref name=uncut/> The DVD/Blu-ray allows viewers the option to watch the standard R-rated version of the film, as well as an uncensored version in which excised violent footage is reinstated. Despite this, three scenes play in their unrated form regardless of which version is being viewed: the flashbacks of Axel's father's death, and Harry Warden with the arm.<ref name=uncut/> Commenting on the release, director Mihalka said: "[With this release] we have it back to 80% of the image back and 95% of the impact back".<ref name=gmtalks>{{cite web|work=ComingSoon.net|url=https://comingsoon.net/horror/news/712261-excl-george-mihalka-talks-my-bloody-valentine-uncut#eyAPvvJUtPTYceTm.99|title=EXCL: George Mihalka Talks My Bloody Valentine Uncut|author=Turek, Ryan|date=January 17, 2009|access-date=March 12, 2018}}</ref> |
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In total, the 2009 "Special Edition" DVD/Blu-ray reinstates approximately two-and-a-half minutes of previously-unreleased footage back into the film, which contradicts an earlier claim by director Mihalka that it had been trimmed by 8–9 minutes.<ref name=dvdtalk09>{{cite web|work=DVD Talk|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/35922/my-bloody-valentine-special-edition-1981/|title=My Bloody Valentine: Special Edition (1981)|date=January 9, 2009|author=McGaughy, Cameron|access-date=March 13, 2018}}</ref> It has been argued that the so-called uncut DVD/Blu-ray is still missing additional footage, particularly the double-impalement of Mike and Harriet which the director recalls filming. It is thought that the remaining footage appears to be composed of expository scenes, such as dialogue and other non-violence related material. This is given credence by the fact that Mihalka gave his seal of approval to this release, and a written introduction by him precedes the beginning of the special edition DVD/Blu-ray, stating that this version was the way that the film was meant to be seen.<ref name=bl/> |
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Some of the cuts left some of the murders incoherent, like the death of Howard atop the ladder, where it was not obvious he was beheaded, you just see blood splash on one of the girls and a body falls. |
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Another cut is where Happy the bartender is offed, and the pickaxe is swung up through his chin and out his eye socket. The swinging of the pickaxe and Happy's shocked expression is all we see before he's on the ground. Also, Sylvia's death on the showerhead made it a little more clear what happened to her. |
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===Home media=== |
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==Cast== |
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''My Bloody Valentine'' was released to [[VHS]], [[Betamax]] and [[LaserDisc]] in 1982.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/23182/LV1447/My-Bloody-Valentine-(1981) | title='LaserDisc Database'|publisher=LaserDisc Database |access-date=July 16, 2016}}</ref> The film made its [[DVD]] debut on September 3, 2002 from Paramount Home Video;<ref name=2002dvd>{{cite AV media|publisher=Paramount Home Video|year=2002|title=My Bloody Valentine|orig-year=1981|medium=DVD|asin= B000069I04}}</ref> this was a standard widescreen release of the theatrical cut, and it contained no bonus materials.<ref name=2002dvd/> The same disc was re-issued as a DVD double feature with ''[[April Fool's Day (1986 film)|April Fool's Day]]'' (1986; also a Paramount title) on March 18, 2008.<ref>{{cite AV media|publisher=Paramount Home Video|year=2002|title=My Bloody Valentine / April Fool's Day|medium=DVD|asin= B0017CW5TE}}</ref> |
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*Paul Kelman - Jessie 'T.J.' Hanniger |
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*Lori Hallier - Sarah |
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*[[Neil Affleck]] - Axel Palmer |
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*[[Keith Knight]] - Hollis |
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*Alf Humphreys - Howard Landers |
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*[[Cynthia Dale]] - Patty |
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*[[Helene Udy]] - Sylvia |
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*Rob Stein - John |
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*Thomas Kovacs - Mike Stavinski |
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*Terry Waterland - Harriet |
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*Carl Marotte - Dave |
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*Jim Murchison - Tommy Whitcomb |
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*Gina Dick - Gretchen |
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*Peter Cowper - The Miner & Harry Warden |
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*[[Don Francks]] - Chief Jake Newby |
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The aforementioned "Special Edition" DVD version of the film from Lionsgate was released in North America on January 13, 2009, coinciding with the theatrical release of the remake.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[Paper (magazine)|Paper]]|url=http://www.papermag.com/my-bloody-valentine-special-edition-dvd-1425508601.html|title=My Bloody Valentine Special Edition DVD|date=January 11, 2009|author=''Paper'' Magazine Staff|access-date=March 13, 2018}}</ref> This version integrates the cut footage back into the film and features two featurettes and optional introductory sequences to the previously missing murder sequences.<ref name=uncut>{{cite web|work=[[CraveOnline|ComingSoon.net]]|url=https://comingsoon.net/horror/news/712045-my-bloody-valentine-uncut-deleted-scenes|title=My Bloody Valentine Uncut: Deleted Scenes!|author=Turek, Ryan|date=December 30, 2008|access-date=March 13, 2018}}</ref> Two featurettes are also included. Director Mihalka, cast members Lori Hallier, Neil Affleck, Helene Udy, and Carl Marotte, composer Paul Zaza and make-up artists Thomas Burman and [[Ken Diaz]] are all involved.<ref name=2009dvd>{{cite AV media|title=My Bloody Valentine|medium=DVD|publisher=Lionsgate & Paramount Home Video|year=2009|orig-year=1981|asin=B001KZN2IQ|series=Special Edition}}</ref> A [[Blu-ray]] was released on November 24, 2009 from Lionsgate, on loan from Paramount. The disc contained the same bonus materials as the "Special Edition" DVD released in January the same year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/My-Bloody-Valentine-Blu-ray/6868/|work=Blu-ray.com|title=My Bloody Valentine|access-date=February 9, 2017}}</ref> The Blu-ray is now out of print. [[Shout! Studios|Scream Factory]] released a new 2-disc Blu-ray edition on February 11, 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shoutfactory.com/blog/new-title-announcements-from-san-diego-comic-con-2019/|work=[[Shout! Factory|Shout! Factory Blog]]|title=New Title Announcements From San Diego Comic-Con 2019|author=Shout! Factory Staff|date=July 20, 2019|archive-url=https://archive.today/20190721040833/https://www.shoutfactory.com/blog/new-title-announcements-from-san-diego-comic-con-2019/|archive-date=July 21, 2019}}</ref> It contains a brand new 4K transfer of both versions of the movie. Unlike the Lionsgate release, Shout! Factory utilises the original negative for many of the uncut scenes, with only a few brief shots still using the print from the previous release but with additional clean ups.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/My-Bloody-Valentine-Blu-ray/248391/|title=My Bloody Valentine Blu-ray (Remastered {{!}} Collector's Edition)|work=Blu-ray.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230214031412/https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/My-Bloody-Valentine-Blu-ray/248391/|archive-date=February 14, 2023}}</ref> On September 26, 2023, Scream Factory released a [[Ultra HD Blu-ray|4K Ultra HD Blu-ray]], including only the uncut version on 4K resolution and the theatrical version on Blu-ray resolution and included all the content from the previous 2020 Blu-ray.<ref>{{Cite web |title=My Bloody Valentine [Collector's Edition] |url=https://shoutfactory.com/products/my-bloody-valentine-collector-s-edition |access-date=2024-01-23 |website=Shout! Factory |language=en}}</ref> |
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Keith Knight (Hollis) has since become a cartoon voice actor and appeared in several tv series and movies. |
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==Related works== |
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Neil Affleck has since done bit performances in other movies, then turned to directing tv episodes (including some episodes for The Simpsons and Family Guy). |
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===Remake=== |
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A remake titled ''[[My Bloody Valentine 3D]]'' was released in theaters on January 13, 2009.{{sfn|Roche|2014|p=10}} Keeping largely the same character names and plot beats of the original film, it made heavy use of [[3D film]]. |
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===''Valentine Bluffs: A My Bloody Valentine Fan Film''=== |
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Lori Hallier has since acted in a lot of tv series, mostly in a few episodes. |
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Following a 2021 [[indiegogo]] campaign, a fan-made sequel named Valentine Bluffs was released on [[YouTube]] on Valentine's Day, 2023. Taking place 40 years after the events of original film, TJ and Sarah's estranged child returns to Valentine Bluffs following his mother's death as a new string of murders by a man in a mining suit begin.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3656336/upcoming-bloody-valentine-fan-film-will-take-back-valentine-bluffs-teaser/|title=Upcoming 'My Bloody Valentine' Fan Film Will Take You Back to 'Valentine Bluffs' [Teaser]|website=Bloody Disgusting|first1=John|last1=Squires|date=March 17, 2021|access-date=August 2, 2023}}</ref> |
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==Reboot== |
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Don Francks has done many cartoon voices for Canadian tv and movies. He has also acted in a lot of tv series and films before and since My Bloody Valentine. His daughter, [[Cree Summer]], voiced Penny, Inspector Gadget's niece, Foxxy Love in Comedy Central's Drawn Together, and Lenne, Belegime, and Calli in Final Fantasy X-2. |
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[[Blumhouse Productions]] announced that they are developing a reboot of My Bloody Valentine.<ref>{{cite web |date=2024-04-29 |title=Blumhouse Bringing the 'My Bloody Valentine' Franchise Back to Life [Exclusive]|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/exclusives/3813781/blumhouse-bringing-the-my-bloody-valentine-franchise-back-to-life-exclusive/|access-date=2024-05-24 |website=Bloody Disgusting}}</ref> |
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== |
== Citations == |
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{{Reflist}} |
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== General sources == |
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The highly influential Irish/British [[shoegaze]] band [[My Bloody Valentine]] chose their name from this film. |
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{{Refbegin|30em}} |
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* {{cite book|first=Linnie|last=Blake|year=2013|title=The Wounds of Nations: Horror Cinema, Historical Trauma and National Identity |location=Manchester|publisher=Manchester University Press|isbn=978-0-719-07593-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z75rBgAAQBAJ}} |
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* {{cite book|first=Jim|last=Harper|title=Legacy of Blood: A Comprehensive Guide to Slasher Movies | year=2004| location=London|publisher=Critical Vision|isbn=978-1-900-48639-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kAxPsnCDPWgC}} |
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* {{cite book|last=Leeder|first=Murray|year=2018|title=Horror Film: A Critical Introduction|publisher=Bloomsbury USA|location=New York|isbn= 978-1-501-31444-5}} |
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* {{cite book|first=John Kenneth|last=Muir|year=2012|title=Horror Films of the 1980s|volume=1|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-786-47298-7|location=Jefferson, North Carolina}} |
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* {{cite book|last=Nowell|first=Richard|year=2011|title=Blood Money: A History of the First Teen Slasher Film Cycle|publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group|location=New York|isbn=978-1-441-18850-2}} |
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* {{cite book|first=David L.|last=Pike|title=Canadian Cinema Since the 1980s: At the Heart of the World|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2012|isbn=978-1-442-61240-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8GzneU2Zt6MC|location=Toronto, Ontario}} |
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* {{cite book|last=Roche|first=David|year=2014|title=Making and Remaking Horror in the 1970s and 2000s: Why Don't They Do It Like They Used To?|publisher=University Press of Mississippi|location=Jackson, Mississippi|isbn=978-1-626-74246-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FQAbBwAAQBAJ}} |
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* {{cite book|first=Adam|last=Rockoff|year=2011|title=Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film, 1978-1986|orig-year=2002|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-786-46932-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bie6CwAAQBAJ&q=Going+to+Pieces:+The+Rise+and+Fall+of+the+Slasher+Film,+1978-1986|location=Jefferson, North Carolina}} |
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{{Refend}} |
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== |
==Further reading== |
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* {{cite book|title=The Horror Show Guide: The Ultimate Frightfest of Movies|first=Mike|last=Mayo|year=2013|edition=2nd|publisher=Visible Ink Press|isbn=978-1-578-59420-7}} |
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*''[[Valentine (film)|Valentine]]'' |
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* {{cite book|title=Horror Film Aesthetics: Creating the Visual Language of Fear|first=Thomas M.|last=Sipos|year=2010|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-786-44972-9}} |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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{{Wikiquote}} |
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*[http://www.hysteria-lives.co.uk/hysterialives/Hysteria/campaignindexmbvmain.htm Campaign page] |
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* {{IMDb title|0082782|My Bloody Valentine}} |
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*[http://www.terrortrap.com/interviews/georgemihalka/ Interview with director George Mihalka] |
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* {{Rotten Tomatoes|my_bloody_valentine}} |
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* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIIOv49awUU&t=4s ''Valentine Bluffs'' fan film on YouTube] |
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{{George Mihalka}} |
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[[Category:Canadian horror films]] |
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{{Authority control}} |
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[[Category:Independent films]] |
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[[Category:Paramount films]] |
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[[Category:Slasher films]] |
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[[Category:1981 films]] |
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[[de:Blutiger Valentinstag]] |
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[[Category:1981 horror films]] |
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[[pt:My Bloody Valentine (filme)]] |
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[[Category:1980s Canadian films]] |
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[[Category:1980s English-language films]] |
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[[Category:1980s exploitation films]] |
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[[Category:1980s serial killer films]] |
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[[Category:1980s slasher films]] |
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[[Category:1980s teen horror films]] |
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[[Category:Canadian films about revenge]] |
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[[Category:Canadian independent films]] |
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[[Category:Canadian serial killer films]] |
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[[Category:Canadian slasher films]] |
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[[Category:Canadian teen films]] |
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[[Category:Censored films]] |
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[[Category:English-language Canadian films]] |
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[[Category:Holiday horror films]] |
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[[Category:Films about cannibalism]] |
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[[Category:Films about mass murder]] |
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[[Category:Films about mining]] |
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[[Category:Films directed by George Mihalka]] |
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[[Category:Films produced by John Dunning]] |
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[[Category:Films scored by Paul Zaza]] |
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[[Category:Films set in mining communities]] |
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[[Category:Films set in Nova Scotia]] |
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[[Category:Films shot in Nova Scotia]] |
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[[Category:Obscenity controversies in film]] |
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[[Category:Paramount Pictures films]] |
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[[Category:Political controversies in film]] |
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[[Category:Rating controversies in film]] |
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[[Category:Valentine's Day in films]] |
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[[Category:English-language horror films]] |
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[[Category:English-language crime films]] |
Latest revision as of 02:48, 22 December 2024
My Bloody Valentine | |
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Directed by | George Mihalka |
Screenplay by | John Beaird |
Story by | Stephen Miller |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Rodney Gibbons |
Edited by |
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Music by | Paul Zaza |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 90 minutes[1] |
Country | Canada |
Language | English |
Budget | $2.3 million[2] |
Box office | $5.7 million[3] |
My Bloody Valentine is a 1981 Canadian slasher film directed by George Mihalka and written by John Beaird. It stars Paul Kelman, Lori Hallier, and Neil Affleck. The plot tells about a group of young adults who decide to throw a Valentine's Day party, only to incur the vengeful wrath of a maniac in mining gear who begins a killing spree.
Conceived and produced entirely over the course of around a year,[4] the film was shot on location in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia, in the fall of 1980. It was theatrically released on February 11, 1981 by Paramount Pictures, coinciding with the Valentine's holiday. Despite a mixed response from critics and grossing $5.7 million at the box office, the film has developed a large cult following over the years since its release.
My Bloody Valentine faced notable censorship, having a total of nine minutes cut by the Motion Picture Association of America due to the 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. In 2009, Lionsgate subsequently licensed the home media rights to the film and released Blu-ray and DVD editions with three minutes of additional footage restored. The same year, Lionsgate released a remake of the film.
Plot
[edit]Inside a mine shaft, a female miner takes off her gear in front of another male miner. During the striptease, the male miner notices a heart tattoo on her body. Enraged, he pushes her onto a mining pickaxe, killing her.
Mayor Hanniger of Valentine Bluffs, a Canadian mining town, reinstates the traditional Valentine's Day dance, which has been suspended for twenty years. The dances stopped 20 years ago after an accident in which two supervisors left five miners in the mines to attend the dance. Because they forgot to check methane gas levels in the mining tunnels, there was an explosion that caused the mining tunnel to cave in and trap the miners. Harry Warden, the only survivor, resorted to cannibalism to survive and went insane from the ordeal. The next year, he murdered the two supervisors who left their posts the previous year, cut out their hearts and placed them in Valentine candy boxes, with a note from Harry warning the town never to hold the Valentine's Day Dance ever again or he will commit more killings. Warden was placed in an insane asylum and the accident was forgotten, so the dance resumed. A group of young residents is excited about the dance: Gretchen, Dave, Hollis, Patty, Sylvia, Howard, Mike, John, Tommy, and Harriet. Sarah, Axel, and the mayor's son T.J. are involved in a tense love triangle.
Mayor Hanniger and the town's police chief Jake Newby receive an anonymous box of Valentine chocolates containing a human heart, and a note warning that murders will begin if the dance proceeds. That evening, resident Mabel is murdered by a mining-geared killer in a laundromat, and her heart is removed. Newby publicly reports that she died of a heart attack to prevent a panic. He contacts the mental institution where Harry Warden was incarcerated, but they have no record of him. Hanniger and Newby cancel the dance but the town's youngsters decide to hold their own party at the mine. A bartender warns them against it but is killed by the miner while trying to set up a dummy miner to scare the group.
At the party, the miner brutally kills Dave; his heart is subsequently found boiling in a pot of hot dogs being prepared in the kitchen. Shortly after, Sylvia is impaled on a showerhead by the miner. When the others realize Dave and Sylvia have been murdered, they contact authorities, but several of the partygoers have already decided to enter the mines for fun. TJ and Axel enter the mines to rescue them. Hollis leaves to find Mike and Harriet who have been impaled by a large drill. He is subsequently shot in the head with a nail gun. The killer arrives and a horrified Howard flees. Patty, TJ, Axel and Sarah try to climb to the top with a ladder, but Howard’s corpse, tied to a rope, falls from above.
While finding their way out, Axel drowns and Patty is killed by the miner. The miner chases T.J. and Sarah and a fight ensues. The miner is revealed to be Axel, who faked his demise. A flashback shows that Axel's father was one of the supervisors killed by Harry Warden. As a child, Axel witnessed Harry Warden murdering his father and tearing out his heart, which traumatized him. T.J. hits Axel with a rock, resulting in the tunnel collapsing, which traps Axel as Newby and the police arrive to rescue T.J. and Sarah. Chief Newby reveals to them that Harry Warden died five years earlier. T.J. and Sarah hear a rescuer shout that Axel is still alive, and they rush back to the scene. They watch as Axel frees himself from the debris by amputating his trapped arm. He runs deeper into the mine shouting threats that he and Harry Warden will return and murder everyone in town, and mumbling about Sarah being his "bloody valentine" (it seems to be implied that Axel's words are just words of insanity and blood loss, which it is also implied that he is dying from). The film ends with Axel laughing maniacally as a ballad for Harry Warden plays over the film's credits.
Cast
[edit]- Paul Kelman as Tom Jesse "T.J." Hanniger
- Lori Hallier as Sarah Mercer
- Neil Affleck as Axel Palmer
- Jeff Banks as Young Axel Palmer
- Cynthia Dale as Patty
- Don Francks as Chief Jake Newby
- Keith Knight as Hollis
- Alf Humphreys as Howard Landers
- Terry Waterland as Harriet
- Thomas Kovacs as Mike Stavinski
- Helene Udy as Sylvia
- Rob Stein as John
- Patricia Hamilton as Mabel Osborne
- Gina Dick as Gretchen
- Larry Reynolds as Mayor Hanniger
- Jim Murchison as Tommy Whitcomb
- Carl Marotte as Dave
- Jack Van Evera as "Happy"
- Peter Cowper as Harry Warden / The Miner
Production
[edit]This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2020) |
Development
[edit]Director George Mihalka, on the strength of his earlier movie Pick-Up Summer, was approached by Cinepix Productions, headed by André Link and John Dunning with a two-movie contract. Mihalka was asked to direct a horror-slasher story, presented to Dunning by Stephen Miller in mid-1980, and, after Mihalka agreed to direct, John Beaird was brought in to write the screenplay.[5]
The film was originally entitled The Secret; however, the producers decided to change it to My Bloody Valentine, so to overtly reference the holiday serial killer trend[6] with which the slasher genre was becoming increasingly popular, through films such as Black Christmas (1974), Halloween (1978) and Friday the 13th (1980).[7] At the time, the slasher sub-genre had seen further commercial success with the releases of Prom Night and Terror Train (both 1980).[8]
Casting
[edit]Paul Kelman was cast in the lead role of T.J.,[9] while Neil Affleck was cast as Axel, his former friend and coworker.[10]
Lori Hallier was cast as Sarah, the girlfriend of Axel and ex-girlfriend of T.J.[11] Hallier arrived to the set several weeks after the other actors, as she had prior obligations at the National Theatre School of Canada where she was studying at the time; director Mihalka, intent on casting her in the role, convinced her academic advisors to allow her to finish the semester early in order to appear in the film.[11]
Filming
[edit]Shooting on My Bloody Valentine began in September 1980, taking place around the Princess Colliery Mine in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia,[12] which had closed in 1975.[13] Filming completed in November 1980.[13] The budget was approximately $2.3 million.[2] Two mines were considered for the setting, the other in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. The production company decided on the Sydney Mines location due to "the exterior [being] a dreary, cold and dusty area [with] no other buildings around it so it looked like it was totally in the middle of nowhere".[5]
Mihalka has said since making the movie that the most difficult element of My Bloody Valentine was filming in the mines.[5] Located 2,700 feet (820 m) underground, filming in the mine was a lengthy process, as, due to limited space in the elevators, it would take an hour to transport the cast and crew to the location.[5] Also, due to the methane levels underground, lighting had to be carefully planned as the number of bulbs that could be safely utilised was limited.[5] Prior to the production's arrival to the mine, the owners cleaned up the location significantly, leaving it described as a "clean and colourful Disneyland-like set".[2] This resulted in the production team spending an estimated $30,000 to paint portions of the mine to achieve a darker atmosphere, akin to how it had appeared in its original state.[13] Producer Dunning referred to the shoot as "horrendous".[13]
The crew kept the identity of the killer a secret to the cast members until the end of production, when the final scene was shot, in order to assure the actors played their parts in an ambiguous manner.[11]
"The Ballad of Harry Warden"
[edit]Although it was not credited on the film itself, the vocals for the end credits song, "The Ballad of Harry Warden", as well as other music cues heard in the film, were provided by Scottish-Canadian tenor John McDermott. In an interview with the Ghouls in the House podcast – his first and only interview on the subject – McDermott explained that he was a family friend of the film's composer, Paul Zaza, and just out of school when offered the opportunity to record vocals for the film.[14]
Release
[edit]My Bloody Valentine was distributed by Paramount Pictures in the United States on February 11, 1981, and in Canada two days later.[15]
Box office
[edit]My Bloody Valentine grossed US$5,672,031 at the United States box office.[3] Though the U.S. gross exceeded the film's $2.3 million budget, it was considered a box-office disappointment by Paramount Pictures, returning a "derisory sum of $3.3 million".[16] This profit amounted to less than one-third of Paramount's Friday the 13th, released the year before.[16]
Critical response
[edit]Contemporaneous
[edit]Upon its release, My Bloody Valentine received numerous reviews criticizing it for its depiction of violence and gore. Bruce Bailey of the Montreal Gazette noted the film as having an "awkward script": "All that's really notable about My Bloody Valentine is that it gives you more than the usual m.p.g.p.—murders per gallon of popcorn".[17] Tom Buckley of The New York Times echoed a similar sentiment, writing: "My Bloody Valentine probably won't make you shiver with fright, but it's almost certain to make you squirm, first with irritation and then with revulsion".[18] The Detroit Free Press's Jack Mathews conversely complimented the film on delivering "on its title promise by bucketfuls", adding: "There's nothing subtle about My Bloody Valentine. A pickax to the belly, a 10-penny nail through the forehead, a granite drill through the back. There are some passing attempts at comic relief, but most of the yuks are inadvertent".[19] Ernest Leogrande of the New York Daily News noted the film as bearing similarity to other slasher films of the time, but conceded: "Movies like this are designed to make you jump, scream, hide your eyes, hug your date and talk with glee about what bad taste the movie makers are capable of. My Bloody Valentine does all that".[20] In their television series Sneak Preview, critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert each gave the film a "thumbs down" review, with Ebert describing it as "about the seventh direct rip-off of Halloween", the 1978 film which both critics agreed was a well-made thriller that inspired many lackluster imitations.[21]
Several reviewers were critical of the film's partial financing by the Canadian Film Development Corporation, which used taxed income from Canadian provinces to help fund its production. Among them were John Dodd of the Edmonton Journal, who also lambasted the film as a "rip off" of Halloween (1978): "All this perverted gore is brought to you thanks to the financial help of the Canadian Film Development Corp. which uses your own tax money to help greedy, talentless producers make a killing, you should pardon the expression".[22] Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune also noted the corporation's financing in his review, in which he awarded the film one out of four stars, deeming it a "dismal and depressing horror film" and "another entry in that most depressing of film genres, the mad-slasher-with-a-knife".[23]
Ed Blank of The Pittsburgh Press faulted the film's cinematography and mine setting, writing that its "novelty, for the worse as it happens, is that the principal setting is a coal mine where most of the male characters work. Shooting scenes in the mine, brightened only by the miners' hats, permits Mihalka to play without a full deck. You can't tell what's going on".[24] Dan Scapperotti of Cinefantastique, alternately praised the film's cinematography, writing "[it] is beautifully photographed, and the utilization of the mine creates powerful imagery".[25]
Some reviewers were also likely unaware of the amount of censorship the film received. Writing for The Atlanta Constitution, Richard Zoglin noted that the film "floats along effortlessly in the current flood of schlock-horror films unleashed by John Carpenter's Halloween. But it is more restrained—even tasteful—than most. The camera averts its eyes from much of the blood and gore, and women are treated somewhat better than usual (that is, they are generally allowed to keep their clothes on before being dispatched)". While praising the film for constraining the amount of violence shown, Zoglin criticized the characters and the plot for being "uninteresting" and "predictable".[26] Linda Gross of the Los Angeles Times said the film was "too convoluted, too derivative and, oddly, too ambitious to properly coagulate into the kind of exploitation movie that it tries to be".[27] However, she conceded that the film's cinematography is "sharp", and the musical score "portentous".[27]
Retrospective
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, My Bloody Valentine holds a 58% approval rating based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 5.6/10.[28] On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 46 based on 11 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
In a March 30, 2007 issue of Entertainment Weekly, the film was ranked 17 in a list of guilty pleasures, listed among such films as Dawn of the Dead and Escape from New York, and called "the most criminally underappreciated of the slasher genre". Popular filmmaker Quentin Tarantino called it his all-time favorite slasher film.[29] In a retrospective assessment, film historian Adam Rockoff wrote that the film was "easily one of the best and most polished slasher films".[30]
In another retrospective assessment by scholar Jim Harper in his book Legacy of Blood: A Comprehensive Guide to Slasher Movies, he notes that the film distinguishes itself from other slashers by moving outside the "typical teen based scenario", instead focusing on a group of young adults in a working class community, and relying on a notable "atmosphere dread".[31]
Censorship
[edit]My Bloody Valentine was significantly censored in North America upon its theatrical release.[4] For the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to award the movie with an R-rating, cuts were requested to every death sequence in the film. Producer Dunning said the film was essentially "cut to ribbons" in order to achieve an R-rating.[13] Even after cutting the film to match the requirements made by the MPAA, it was again returned with an X-rating and further cuts were demanded. Stills of the trimmed footage were published in Fangoria magazine whilst the film was still in production, though the sequences were excised from the theatrical version.[32] Even today the complete uncut version has not been released (though the 2009 DVD and Blu-ray release by Lionsgate reinstated three minutes of excised footage).[4] The standard North American theatrical cut of the film ran approximately 90 minutes.[1] In the United Kingdom, the film was passed for theatrical release by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) on March 30, 1981. According to the BBFC catalogue, this version ran at 90 minutes and 55 seconds.[33]
There are two reasons that are frequently attributed to the extreme cutting of the film. It has been suggested that Paramount Pictures was keen to remove the offending footage due to the backlash they had received from releasing Friday the 13th the previous year. The second reason, that Mihalka attributes, is that the film was cut due to the murder of John Lennon in December 1980, stating that there was a major backlash against movie violence in the wake of his death.[5]
Restoration efforts
[edit]An uncensored cut of My Bloody Valentine remained unavailable to the public for nearly thirty years after its original theatrical release.[34] When Paramount released the film on DVD in North America for the first time in 2002, the studio claimed that the purported "missing" footage did not exist.[32]
In 2008, Lionsgate licensed the home video rights to the film after producing a feature film remake, and in the process, acquired a copy with excised footage never before seen in the standard theatrical cut of the film.[32] In January 2009, Lionsgate under license from Paramount released an unrated Region 1 "Special Edition" DVD and Blu-ray featuring this footage.[34] The DVD/Blu-ray allows viewers the option to watch the standard R-rated version of the film, as well as an uncensored version in which excised violent footage is reinstated. Despite this, three scenes play in their unrated form regardless of which version is being viewed: the flashbacks of Axel's father's death, and Harry Warden with the arm.[34] Commenting on the release, director Mihalka said: "[With this release] we have it back to 80% of the image back and 95% of the impact back".[35]
In total, the 2009 "Special Edition" DVD/Blu-ray reinstates approximately two-and-a-half minutes of previously-unreleased footage back into the film, which contradicts an earlier claim by director Mihalka that it had been trimmed by 8–9 minutes.[36] It has been argued that the so-called uncut DVD/Blu-ray is still missing additional footage, particularly the double-impalement of Mike and Harriet which the director recalls filming. It is thought that the remaining footage appears to be composed of expository scenes, such as dialogue and other non-violence related material. This is given credence by the fact that Mihalka gave his seal of approval to this release, and a written introduction by him precedes the beginning of the special edition DVD/Blu-ray, stating that this version was the way that the film was meant to be seen.[4]
Home media
[edit]My Bloody Valentine was released to VHS, Betamax and LaserDisc in 1982.[37] The film made its DVD debut on September 3, 2002 from Paramount Home Video;[38] this was a standard widescreen release of the theatrical cut, and it contained no bonus materials.[38] The same disc was re-issued as a DVD double feature with April Fool's Day (1986; also a Paramount title) on March 18, 2008.[39]
The aforementioned "Special Edition" DVD version of the film from Lionsgate was released in North America on January 13, 2009, coinciding with the theatrical release of the remake.[40] This version integrates the cut footage back into the film and features two featurettes and optional introductory sequences to the previously missing murder sequences.[34] Two featurettes are also included. Director Mihalka, cast members Lori Hallier, Neil Affleck, Helene Udy, and Carl Marotte, composer Paul Zaza and make-up artists Thomas Burman and Ken Diaz are all involved.[41] A Blu-ray was released on November 24, 2009 from Lionsgate, on loan from Paramount. The disc contained the same bonus materials as the "Special Edition" DVD released in January the same year.[42] The Blu-ray is now out of print. Scream Factory released a new 2-disc Blu-ray edition on February 11, 2020.[43] It contains a brand new 4K transfer of both versions of the movie. Unlike the Lionsgate release, Shout! Factory utilises the original negative for many of the uncut scenes, with only a few brief shots still using the print from the previous release but with additional clean ups.[44] On September 26, 2023, Scream Factory released a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, including only the uncut version on 4K resolution and the theatrical version on Blu-ray resolution and included all the content from the previous 2020 Blu-ray.[45]
Related works
[edit]Remake
[edit]A remake titled My Bloody Valentine 3D was released in theaters on January 13, 2009.[46] Keeping largely the same character names and plot beats of the original film, it made heavy use of 3D film.
Valentine Bluffs: A My Bloody Valentine Fan Film
[edit]Following a 2021 indiegogo campaign, a fan-made sequel named Valentine Bluffs was released on YouTube on Valentine's Day, 2023. Taking place 40 years after the events of original film, TJ and Sarah's estranged child returns to Valentine Bluffs following his mother's death as a new string of murders by a man in a mining suit begin.[47]
Reboot
[edit]Blumhouse Productions announced that they are developing a reboot of My Bloody Valentine.[48]
Citations
[edit]- ^ a b Muir 2012, p. 199.
- ^ a b c Jala, David (February 13, 2017). "Classic horror film was shot in Sydney Mines". Cape Breton Post. Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Archived from the original on November 3, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- ^ a b "My Bloody Valentine (1981)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
- ^ a b c d Rockoff, Adam; Mihalka, George; Link, André (2009). Bloodlust: My Bloody Valentine and the Rise of the Slasher Film. My Bloody Valentine (Blu-ray documentary short). Lionsgate.
- ^ a b c d e f "My Bloody Memories: An Interview with George Mihalka". The Terror Trap. June 2005. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
- ^ Blake 2013, p. 116.
- ^ Mooney, Laura (February 13, 2013). "This day in History: MY BLOODY VALENTINE". Truly Disturbing. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
- ^ Leeder 2018, p. 65.
- ^ Kelman, Paul (2020). "From the Heart: An Interview with Actor Paul Kelman". My Bloody Valentine (Blu-ray short, disc 1). Scream Factory.
- ^ Affleck, Neil (2020). "Axel, Be My Bloody Valentine: An Interview with Actor Neil Affleck". My Bloody Valentine (Blu-ray short, disc 1). Scream Factory.
- ^ a b c Hallier, Lori (2020). "Friends of Mine: An Interview with Actress Lori Hallier". My Bloody Valentine (Blu-ray short, disc 1). Scream Factory.
- ^ Pike 2012, p. 186.
- ^ a b c d e Rockoff 2011, p. 106.
- ^ "Episode 13: My Bloody Valentines – ATB Publishing".
- ^ Canada, Library Archives (12 May 2015). "Item". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- ^ a b Nowell 2011, p. 231.
- ^ Bailey, Bruce (February 14, 1981). "'Valentine' lacks essential heart". Montreal Gazette. Montreal, Quebec. p. 105 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Buckley, Tom (February 12, 1981). "'My Bloody Valentine'". The New York Times. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
- ^ Mathews, Jack. "One bad shock deserves another". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. p. 8D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Leogrande, Ernest (February 11, 1981). "So what became of chocolate hearts?". New York Daily News. New York City, New York – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ https://siskelebert.org/?p=7329; review starts at 13:00
- ^ Dodd, John (February 16, 1981). "'I couldn't take it anymore'". Edmonton Journal. Edmonton, Alberta. p. D8 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Siskel, Gene (February 17, 1981). "'Dogs of War' loses its bite in the second half". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Blank, Ed. "'Bloody Valentine' A Drag". Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. A-5 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Scapperotti, Dan (1981). "My Bloody Valentine". Cinefantastique. 11 (1): 48.
- ^ Zoglin, Richard (February 17, 1981). "'Valentine' Slickly Produced But Just A Routine Shocker". The Atlanta Constitution. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
- ^ a b Gross, Linda (February 16, 1981). "'Bloody Valentine' Is Heartless Fare". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "My Bloody Valentine (1981)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ Nashawaty, Chris (June 23, 2006). "'House' Mates: Tarantino and Rodriguez talk Grindhouse". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 25, 2019. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- ^ Rockoff 2011, p. 107.
- ^ Harper 2004, p. 128.
- ^ a b c Barton, Steve (December 5, 2009). "My Bloody Valentine (1981) (Blu-ray)". Dread Central. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ^ "My Bloody Valentine (1981)". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ^ a b c d Turek, Ryan (December 30, 2008). "My Bloody Valentine Uncut: Deleted Scenes!". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ^ Turek, Ryan (January 17, 2009). "EXCL: George Mihalka Talks My Bloody Valentine Uncut". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
- ^ McGaughy, Cameron (January 9, 2009). "My Bloody Valentine: Special Edition (1981)". DVD Talk. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ^ "'LaserDisc Database'". LaserDisc Database. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
- ^ a b My Bloody Valentine (DVD). Paramount Home Video. 2002 [1981]. ASIN B000069I04.
- ^ My Bloody Valentine / April Fool's Day (DVD). Paramount Home Video. 2002. ASIN B0017CW5TE.
- ^ Paper Magazine Staff (January 11, 2009). "My Bloody Valentine Special Edition DVD". Paper. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ^ My Bloody Valentine (DVD). Special Edition. Lionsgate & Paramount Home Video. 2009 [1981]. ASIN B001KZN2IQ.
- ^ "My Bloody Valentine". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
- ^ Shout! Factory Staff (July 20, 2019). "New Title Announcements From San Diego Comic-Con 2019". Shout! Factory Blog. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019.
- ^ "My Bloody Valentine Blu-ray (Remastered | Collector's Edition)". Blu-ray.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023.
- ^ "My Bloody Valentine [Collector's Edition]". Shout! Factory. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
- ^ Roche 2014, p. 10.
- ^ Squires, John (March 17, 2021). "Upcoming 'My Bloody Valentine' Fan Film Will Take You Back to 'Valentine Bluffs' [Teaser]". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
- ^ "Blumhouse Bringing the 'My Bloody Valentine' Franchise Back to Life [Exclusive]". Bloody Disgusting. 2024-04-29. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
General sources
[edit]- Blake, Linnie (2013). The Wounds of Nations: Horror Cinema, Historical Trauma and National Identity. Manchester: Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-0-719-07593-3.
- Harper, Jim (2004). Legacy of Blood: A Comprehensive Guide to Slasher Movies. London: Critical Vision. ISBN 978-1-900-48639-2.
- Leeder, Murray (2018). Horror Film: A Critical Introduction. New York: Bloomsbury USA. ISBN 978-1-501-31444-5.
- Muir, John Kenneth (2012). Horror Films of the 1980s. Vol. 1. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN 978-0-786-47298-7.
- Nowell, Richard (2011). Blood Money: A History of the First Teen Slasher Film Cycle. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-441-18850-2.
- Pike, David L. (2012). Canadian Cinema Since the 1980s: At the Heart of the World. Toronto, Ontario: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-1-442-61240-2.
- Roche, David (2014). Making and Remaking Horror in the 1970s and 2000s: Why Don't They Do It Like They Used To?. Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-626-74246-8.
- Rockoff, Adam (2011) [2002]. Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film, 1978-1986. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN 978-0-786-46932-1.
Further reading
[edit]- Mayo, Mike (2013). The Horror Show Guide: The Ultimate Frightfest of Movies (2nd ed.). Visible Ink Press. ISBN 978-1-578-59420-7.
- Sipos, Thomas M. (2010). Horror Film Aesthetics: Creating the Visual Language of Fear. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-786-44972-9.
External links
[edit]- 1981 films
- 1981 horror films
- 1980s Canadian films
- 1980s English-language films
- 1980s exploitation films
- 1980s serial killer films
- 1980s slasher films
- 1980s teen horror films
- Canadian films about revenge
- Canadian independent films
- Canadian serial killer films
- Canadian slasher films
- Canadian teen films
- Censored films
- English-language Canadian films
- Holiday horror films
- Films about cannibalism
- Films about mass murder
- Films about mining
- Films directed by George Mihalka
- Films produced by John Dunning
- Films scored by Paul Zaza
- Films set in mining communities
- Films set in Nova Scotia
- Films shot in Nova Scotia
- Obscenity controversies in film
- Paramount Pictures films
- Political controversies in film
- Rating controversies in film
- Valentine's Day in films
- English-language horror films
- English-language crime films