My Bloody Valentine (1981 Film Review)

1981 Paramount Pictures
Directed by: George Mihalka; Written by: John Beaird
Starring: Paul Kelman, Lori Hallier, Neil Affleck
MPAA Rating: R; Running Time: 90 Minutes
The Nicsperiment Score: 7/10

20 years ago, two mine supervisors left their post to attend the Valentine's Day dance in their rural Canadian seaside town. In their absence, an explosion caves a mine tunnel in, killing all but Harry Warden, who must survive by eating the remains of the other miners. A couple years later, Harry kills the two supervisors, puts their hearts in Valentine's candy heart boxes, and announces that if the town ever holds the dance again, he'll get right back to killing. 20 years later, Valentine's Day 1981 is coming soon, and with Harry locked in an asylum for a couple decades, the town decides to bring back the dance. This greatly excites the local horny young adults, the men of which work in the mine, as they're looking to blow off steam. However, as the dance draws close, the murders begin again. Has Harry gotten out and back to his killing ways...or has one of the local youth taken up his mantle?
There have been so many slasher film across the last 50 years, and many do nothing to set themselves apart. 1981's My Bloody Valentine feels like an original. For instance, the setting is unique. The grey-skied chill of the far North village adds a unique feeling of remoteness and isolation. By populating the film with people in their early 20s instead of teens, and giving them all a blue-collar edge, My Bloody Valentine far removes any Hollywood artifice. The characters feel like believable people, and even the central love triangle feels more real than exploitative. The young Canadian actors, "Soory" and all, do a great job, even if they aren't winning any Oscars for these performances. There's also something else that sets this film apart: it's mean! Not nihilistic, but mean. The killings, done by someone in a miner's suit, are creative and absolutely brutal. This person HATES the people they are killing. 

The result feels fresh and original, even today. The movie might not reach the upper slasher echelon of films like Halloween or Scream, but for what it is, My Bloody Valentine is (I'm sure I'm the millionth person to say this) a bloody good time!