Anyone else find it strange that all of a sudden films are being made in 3D and it’s something new and miraculous? Hell, I remember watching Jaws 3 in the same format back during the eighties and thinking it was insanely real even though the shark comes right at you at unnerving (and not moving) pace. Sure today the 3D has to be much better because of all the new technologies available for things to be made as realistic as possible. What excites me most about 3D making a comeback though is that filmmakers aren’t only using it on new and unique films, but decided to grab obscure horror films like My Bloody Valentine and took a great old story to new heights.
The small town of Valentine’s Bluffs is preparing for big Valentine’s Day dance that has the entire city excited and ready for a good time. Soon some of the townspeople end up dead and their hearts delivered in Valentine’s candy boxes to the mayor and sheriff reminding them of times gone by. The mayor and sheriff don’t want to cause an uproar in the town, but they know that a party is not nearly as important as keeping everyone safe so they cancel it, upsetting the kids in the process. They all decide to sneak down to the mines where most of them work and have a party since they feel it was unfair to take it away from them. Little do they know that the legend of the murdering miner Harry Warden is not only true, but that he is back and still seeking revenge on a town that wronged him and his friends twenty years ago.
I don’t dare give you any more of the plot in fear that it would ruin a lot for you when you decide to watch it. One of the greatest parts of the film is seeing all the kids in a local bar and having the mood dampened so greatly by the bartender who tells the incredibly awesome legend story in such a creepy way. There is a side plot that deals with some of the main characters fighting over a girl and wondering who she loves more, but that is small compared to the gore and cool death scenes that take precedence throughout. Somehow or another this film never graced my VHS or DVD player or even so much as made its way into my know-how which is just overly strange since pretty much all I do is watch horror films. Call it an eighties slasher, call it generic horror, but whatever you do, don’t call it boring
My Bloody Valentine is the perfect transition from the overly gory horror films of the seventies and combining it with the psycho slasher flicks of the eighties giving it a really fun feel to it. I’ll admit that there is a bit of predictability to everything, but a surprise ending with an even more surprising reasoning behind it all makes this one of my new favorite films ever. You’re going to get to know the kids and who is annoying and who your choices to face death are rather quickly, but then they keep on hanging around which is a tad confusing since you just “knew they’d die at such and such moment.” That right there makes My Bloody Valentine simply phenomenal because it steers away from most of the problems that modern day scare flicks fall victim to. Man, twenty-seven years of my life gone by and this one never made it my way? Appalling. I feel shamed for even calling myself a scare genius because of this.
Oh, and a tip to all those planning on checking out My Bloody Valentine 3D in theatres. Make sure you call ahead of check online to find out if the film is actually playing in 3D in your local theatres because the “now playing in 3D everywhere” tag line does not hold true. Found out the two theatres near me don’t have the “digital capabilities” to give us 3D and that the nearest place we can see it is about forty-five miles away. Over a thirty year old technique in filmmaking and you don’t have the capabilities? That’s keeping up with the times now isn’t it?
All the blood and guts is shown in 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen format and everything looks pretty great for a film of its age. There is obvious fading in some colors, but nothing to really bother you much.
The film is heard in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and again we have some nice work here. Thinking about it now and I don’t recall there being much music but there isn’t a need thanks to the blood squirts, screams of fear and pain, and plenty of noises down in the mine.
“Bloodlust: My Bloody Valentine and the Rise of the Slasher Film” – This is an awesome feature that takes you through the world of the slasher film from inception to current day through the methods of interviews, pictures, and film clips. It is just great because it almost compares and contrasts films from every decade and talks about what they did right, what they did wrong, and if they even had influence on the genre. Great stuff. (20:34)
“Bloodlines: An Interactive Horror Film History” – Usually I’m not very fond of textual special features, but I’m giving this one a free pass and also a passing grade because of the sheer coolness it brings about. It is a family tree of sorts that takes a look at all the different types of horror films – slasher pics, really – throughout history. It is just a lot of fun to go through each tree branch (in this case, blood spatter) and read about different horror films.
Deleted Footage with Director, Cast, and Special Effects Designer Introductions – There are ten deleted scenes which can be viewed in the special features’ menu with introductions and it’s a pretty cool deal. The scenes can also be checked out in an extended cut of the film itself complete with them all put back in.
Trailers – The Haunting In Connecticut, My Bloody Valentine 3D, Saw V, Repo: The Genetic Opera, and Disaster Movie
Wow, just wow. A brand new film for me that is almost as old as I am complete with footage that was originally cut from it to surely make it a little less gory. I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect here and in a way; my expectations were right, wrong, and exceeded. My Bloody Valentine has all the qualities of my favorite ’80s slashers while having a much more developed storyline and an extremely high body count. It’s been quite a while since a horror film pleasantly shocked and surprised me so much and left me with a huge smile on my face. Moving onto the special features and while there isn’t a lot to spend your time on; there is plenty to enjoy about what is there. Lionsgate really did an amazing job with this release and coming out with it right around the time of the 3D remake in theatres is a great marketing strategy. Rush out and get this one now folks, but make sure and not to give it as a gift to your sweetheart for the lovey-dovey holiday or you’ll find yourself a heartless individual.
Get it? Heart-less! Because he rips out your hearts and…oh, whatever. So it was funny to me. Kill me, why don’t ‘cha?
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Lionsgate presents My Bloody Valentine Special Edition. Directed by: George Mihalka. Starring: Paul Kelman, Lori Hallier, Neil Affleck, Keith Knight, and more. Written by: Stephen A. Miller & John Beaird. Running time: 90 minutes. Rating: R. Released on DVD: January 13, 2009. Available at Amazon.com
