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The Month of Horror Day 24: My Bloody Valentine (1981)

Basement contributor Matt Bellamy has taken it upon himself to watch and review at least one horror movie a day for the month of October . . . because he's awesome that way! Tonight, Bellamy shows us his romantic side.

Although I did enjoy the remake, this is the original, and it's... decent! This was basically Canada's answer to the slasher flick and it definitely made its mark especially considering the buzz before it was even released when word got out that ten minutes of violence and gore had to be cut because it was too extreme--pah, there is no such word! Canadians have obviously always been known for being too extreme at everything so the editing was seen as a compliment, how could it not be? You can't pay for publicity like that! The story is pretty disturbing as it revolves around a group of miners in the 60's who are trapped in a cave-in after the foreman takes off to attend a Valentine's Day dance. One of the trapped miners ends up murdering and then eating his co-workers because when the walls are closing in and death seems imminent, well, cannibalism is always a fine answer. When the sole survivor is rescued he is committed to a mental asylum and vows that if the town ever again celebrates Valentine's Day, everyone will meet a grisly end (for me, that's the only way V-Day ever ends). Guess what happens next!? That's right, some of the younger cupids around town party it up like it's 1981, and they will pay for it with a pick ax to the head! 'My Bloody Valentine' falls into the typical slasher tropes fairly quickly, at least once the more modern group of teenagers are introduced and you can telegraph everything that will happen from a mile away but such is the genre, that's just the way it is. Some of the kills are good, you get a bit of nudity, and again it's Canadian so it has that going for it. It doesn't hold up too well though so that's why the remake was a welcome addition, and I even prefer it to the original!

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