Happy Birthday to Me...your thoughts?

[FrightFilmFan]

I recently watched this slasher film from 1981 and consider it a real oddity. It's overlong and plays mind games with the viewer, yet it has some zesty kills and it's more ambitious than most slashers. What does everyone else think?

[andy13]

HBTM is an excellant slasher. Great gore, pretty good acting, and by far the most unexpected twists eva.
I think it's greeeeeat.

[Antonio]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME (1981) Directed by J. Lee Thompson. A gloved slasher stalks the members of an elite clique of students attending an upper-crust New England academy. The murder spree is centered around troubled teen Virginia Wainwright (Melissa Sue Anderson), whose past is linked to the killings. This movie has it all: an excellent supporting cast (which includes Glenn Ford, Tracey Bregman, Lawrence Dane, Sharon Acker, Matt Craven, Lisa Langlois, Lenore Zann, Lesleh Donaldson, Jack Blum and David Eisner); several twists and turns; interesting relationships among the interconnected characters (the killer’s motive was later ripped off in “Scream”); and some of the most inventive (although very gory) murder sequences in recent (or distant) memory, including deaths by shish-kabob, barbell weights, motorcycle wheel, and the usual slashings and stabbings. Anderson, an Emmy-winner for her role in “Little House On The Prairie”, should have enjoyed a bonafide movie career. Bregman went on to star as sexy siren Lauren Fenmore in the CBS soap opera “The Young and The Restless”. My grade: a solid B.



[This message has been edited by Antonio (edited 09-21-2001).]

[The Claw]

i really thought this movie sucked, the best part was when she shoved the skik a bob into that guys mouth, crazy shit, to bad the rest of the movie isnt that good.

[Elgyn]

Okay, but could`ve been better. And the climax is just WAY too out-there. And yes it`s a little overlong.

[ParileseMonster]

I love this movie! I friggin dig this movie! Hell I jumped up and down when I found it and bought it one day for three bucks! The length of this movie does not bother me. The length of the movie 2001 bothers me!

[Raw Chili]

This movie is awful, a little long, kinda confusing at points, pretty boring, too many crappy ass actors, it's saving grace were the amusing kills.

[Jason13thh]

this was a good canadian flick, certainly better than average.
creative murders but unrealistic,though.
the moto-murder was really good.
the shishkebab - murder at the end was good,too.
The end and the motives were stupid, yes I have to admit.
Justin Kerswell from Hysteria gave this flick 3,5 stars out of 5.

[AlienClown]

I thought it was too long, was boring and confusing as hell throughout the movie and at the ending, I did not like this movie.

[ParileseMonster]

Hell I am going to watch this cool flick in like an hour and I am proud to own it!

[Corner_1]

HBTM scared me like hell the first time i saw it because the movie seemed never to end, there were so many unexpected twists that you could not predit in any way the ending... it's a good mix of all horrorelements of that time...

BTW: i'm new here, it's a great forum for horrorfans

[The Undertaker]

I watched it last night. After hearing all the good word of mouth, I had pretty high expectations. What did I think after I had finished watching it? What a load of shit!

I do admit that there's a definite effort to throw the viewer off, but it goes to the point of becoming totally ridiculous. Speaking of ridiculous, I laughed my ass off when the killer explained how he/she pulled everything off. Simply cheesy. The lead was a hottie, but I couldn't find myself giving a damn about any of the characters and some of the performances were just bad. The only things that are good about this movie are the murders. Some pretty gruesome stuff that made me cringe. Other than that, a pretty big waste of my time.

* out of ****

[The Prowler]

Welcome to the board Corner 1, you're right this board does kick ass. Just in case anyone wants to see this flick again, it is playing on Encore Mystery channel all this month uncut and commercial free. Pretty good slasher that is better than average. I'd give it a 7/10.