Today, we’re taking a look at an incredibly entertaining holiday slasher. While a film set on Valentine’s Day might not be the traditional watch in October, Jamie Blanks’ Valentine is a joy to watch at any time of the year. It is a fun take on the masked killer concept popularized by Halloween, Friday the 13th, and Scream, but features an oddly creepy Cupid mask as the guise of the film’s killer. At their eighth grade Valentine’s Day Dance, popular girls Shelley, Lily, Paige, and Kate are asked to dance by Jeremy Melton. The girls all refuse him, while their less popular friend Dorothy agrees to dance with him and the pair end up kissing under the bleachers. When discovered by the school bullies, Dorothy is embarrassed and falsely claims that Jeremy forced himself on her. The bullies beat Jeremy until his nose bleeds and he is soon sent to a juvenile detention center and eventually a mental institution. Thirteen years later, a killer in a Cupid mask murders Shelley. Coming together for her funeral, Paige (Denise Richards), Kate (Marley Shelton), Dorothy (Jessica Capshaw), and Lily (Jessica Cauffiel) find themselves the targets of the killer. Could it really be Jeremy Melton returning to exact vengeance on them?

The cast is one of the strongest elements of Valentine. Denise Richards turns in an incredibly entertaining and fun performance as Paige. Marley Shelton is also a great lead as Kate. The four main characters have a really natural and engaging chemistry and compliment each other extremely well. David Boreanaz also turns in a solid performance as Kate’s boyfriend Adam. Blanks utilizes very intricate and wild death sequences throughout the film, which make it stand out from other early 2000’s slashers. One that is particularly memorable involves cupid’s arrow and a plummeting fall. Suspense is built nicely throughout the film, as more clues begin to appear and more deaths occur.

The slasher films of the late 1990s and early 2000s are usually looked down upon as mere copies of Wes Craven’s iconic Scream. While that may clearly be the case for some, Jamie Blanks directed two vital slasher films in that time period with Valentine and Urban Legend. Blanks pays tribute to the genre while also paving a new path with Valentine. It pairs beautifully with the 1981 My Bloody Valentine, if you’re looking for a fun Valentine’s Day double feature. Holiday slashers may seem a tad cliché to some, but Valentine holds its own and proves to be an original and very well-made film of the time period.

With its entertaining death sequences, excellent cast, and a nostalgic early 2000s aesthetic, Valentine is a must-watch for those looking for a very fun and appealing slasher this October. It is one that has been a favorite of mine since I first watched it with my friends in high school, and will continue being a yearly rewatch for me.

Valentine can be streamed for free on Tubi and rented from Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, and iTunes. You can buy the Shout! Factory blu-ray which also features a great restoration and excellent special features HERE.

I will be back tomorrow with another entry in the 31 Days of Slashers series.

Today’s entry in the 31 Days of Slashers series in 1981’s Eyes of a Stranger. Ken Weiderhorn’s film is a gory and disturbing take on Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. Instead of the protagonists looking into the murder of their neighbor’s wife, newscaster Jane Harris (played by The Love Boat’s Lauren Tewes) begins to suspect that her neighbor might be the murderer/rapist that has been brutally murdering women in Miami. She has been covering the murders for her news program and discovers that the victims get phone calls right before they are killed. She lives with her blind and deaf-mute sister Tracy (Jennifer Jason Leigh in her first film role). As Jane gets closer to the truth, she discovers that she and her sister might just be the next targets of the killer.

The incredibly tense moments of suspense are what sets this film apart from other films of the period. There are sequences where Jane is investigating her neighbor that genuinely capture the same level of suspense when Grace Kelly’s Lisa sneaks into the murderous neighbor’s apartment in Rear Window. The film also features practical gore effects by Tom Savini, known for his work on Dawn of the Dead (Romero, 1978) and Friday the 13th (Cunningham, 1980). It is important to note that as the killer in this film is also a rapist, this film does deal with themes and brief images of sexual assault. Eyes of a Stranger also differs from similar slashers and thrillers by showing the audience who the killer is at the beginning of the film. It is Jane who is unsure of his identity and seeking to prove her theory throughout the film.

Most of the critical attention for the film focused on Jennifer Jason Leigh’s strong performance as Tracy, which is understandable as she does give a great turn as the blind and deaf-mute character. They completely overlook Lauren Tewes’ performance as Jane, however, which I believe is the strongest element of the film. Many just remember Tewes as the chipper cruise director Julie on The Love Boat, which I have always really enjoyed. But in Eyes of a Stranger she goes against type and delivers a really excellent performance. Jane is an incredibly active and assertive lead and is willing to put herself in danger to solve the mystery. The film also focuses on her struggles with misogyny and sexism at the TV station that she works at, as her male co-worker don’t feel that she is up to covering such challenging stories.

Unlike some of the campy and more light-hearted slasher films that I will be featuring this month, Eyes of a Stranger is a disturbing and harrowing thriller. With strong performances from its two female leads, excellent practical gore effects, and an incredible knack for creating edge-of-your-seat suspense, Eyes of a Stranger is a must-watch if you’re looking for a film to shake you up this October. While the film may be a tough watch at times, it is beyond rewarding to see Lauren Tewes kick ass as Jane.

Eyes of a Stranger can be rented from Vudu, iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon. You can purchase the Shout! Factory blu-ray, which features an excellent restoration and great special features HERE.

I’ll see you tomorrow with another entry in the 31 Days of Slashers series.

It’s finally October! While I have been watching horror films regularly throughout the year, a lot of folks like to wait until spooky season to start viewing their favorite scary flicks. To help celebrate, I thought it would be fun to highlight a different slasher film every day for the month of October. Like everyone, I have my go-to slasher franchises that I like to revisit every year: Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and so on. Even if you’re not a fan of the sub-genre, these films and their iconic killers are deeply imbedded in the cultural zeitgeist. Everyone has heard of Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, and Jason Voorhees. As these films are discussed so frequently, particularly with their latest remakes and reboots coming out in theatres, I thought it would be fun to shed light on slasher films that are not so commonly consumed. So, I will be looking at slasher films outside of the main franchises.

The first slasher in the 31 Days of Slashers series is: Graduation Day (1981). Herb Freed’s film focuses on Anne Ramstead (Patch Mackenzie), a US Naval officer who returns home following the death of sister Laura. The film begins with Laura collapsing during a track meet resulting in her death from what seems like a heart attack. Anne arrives home two weeks later to help the school honor her late sister at the graduation ceremony. More track athletes begin to die in grisly ways and Anne finds herself in a dangerous situation. Who is killing off the track athletes one by one? Are they going to come after Anne too? You’ll just have to watch this fun slasher to find out.

Graduation Day makes great use of track and field equipment and settings to feature unique and fun death sequences. The genre is generally regarded as a showcase for practical blood and gore effects, and this film is no different. Freed was clearly having a good time staging these sequences. Anne is also a great addition to the genre’s history of Final Girl characters. She is a strong-willed military officer who obviously knows how to take care of herself and can engage in hand-to-hand combat when necessary, setting her apart from the younger Final Girl figures who are still discovering themselves. When she is introduced, Anne is already more than capable and determined to solve the mystery of how her sister died.

While the murder of the members of the track and field team may seem a bit formulaic and similar to many other teen slasher films set in high schools, Graduation Day sets itself apart through its technical merits. Martin Jay Sadoff provides the film with very engaging transitions and editing throughout the film, greatly heightening the tension in moments of violence and suspense. Many look past the film as nothing more than a continuation of the knock-offs of Halloween and Friday the 13th, but I think that is unfair. The look and editing of the film and the fun fencing costume of the film’s killer set this one apart from the generic fair that was frequently pumped out for a simple profit. Another fun thing that works in the film’s favor is the use of the killer’s stopwatch to build suspense and get the viewer to guess the identity of the murderer.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love an awkward dancing sequence in a slasher film, particularly when there is a live band playing. There’s just something so dated and charming about seeing these Disco scenes with their colorful lights and cheesy music. They really provide a fun timestamp to the films and ground them in the year that they were made.

Graduation Day can be rented on Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play. The excellent blu-ray/DVD set can be purchased from Vinegar Syndrome HERE. As always, the Vinegar Syndrome set features a wonderful restoration and fantastic special features. Graduation Day is an enjoyable slasher that provides fun death sequences that fit nicely into the track and field theme of the film, a solid and strong-willed protagonist in Anne, and innovative editing that sets the film apart from many of the generic slasher films of the time period. It is a great addition to your Halloween film list for the month!

Note: The trailer contains spoilers of the film’s death scenes. If you don’t want to spoil any surprises, just go ahead and watch the film first. That being said, this one has a really fun trailer.

I’ll see you tomorrow with another fun slasher film to check out in the 31 Days of Slashers series!