Hot Picks
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Happy Birthday to Me
Canada 1981
produced by John Dunning, André Link for Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC), Famous Players, The Birthday Film Company, Columbia
directed by J.Lee Thompson
starring Melissa Sue Anderson, Glenn Ford, Lawrence Dane, Sharon Acker, Frances Hyland, Tracey E. Bregman, Jack Blum, Matt Craven, Lenore Zann, Lisa Langlois, Michel-René Labelle, Richard Rebiere, Lesleh Donaldson, Earl Pennington, Murray Westgate, Jérôme Tiberghien, Maurice Podbrey, Vlasta Vrana
screenplay by John C.W.Saxton, Peter Jobin, Timothy Bond, based on a story by J.W.Saxton, music by Bo Harwood, Lance Rubin
review by Dale Pierce
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A run of the mill murder mystery with few benefits going for it except an
interesting and chilling film soundtrack. Otherwise, nothing to brag about.
The final birthday bash made up of corpses sitting at a table in
front of cake and cookies is interesting, as when the real killer (It isn't
the red herring suspect, Melissa Sue Anderson, by the way) places a party hat on her hated
father's head and comments "Daddy want a big piece (cake) or little
piece?" Otherwise, nothing great.
The plot is an old and tired one. Is Melissa Sue Anderson the one who is
killing people at school, whom she blames for her mother's death some years
ago. Is she really bonkers or is someone else doing the deed and trying to
frame her ? I already explained it is someone else, which blows the ending, but
does that really matter ? Like no one sees it coming ?
Lots of blood, lots of graphics and no real content behind it all. The idea of
Anderson being put to sleep with an ether-covered handkerchief before each
murder, so even she is unsure of what she has done or not, as part of an
elaborate revenge plot by the real killer, is outright laughable. How would
the murderer,a teenage girl herself, figure out how ... oh never mind !
Really sucks to see Glenn Ford, after so many great roles in the past,
especially westerns such as Heaven With A Gun, The Fastest Gun
Alive, 3:10 To
Yuma and the like, to be reduced to a sorry-assed supporting role as Anderson's
shrink.
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review © by Dale Pierce
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Robots and rats,
demons and potholes, cuddly toys and shopping mall Santas,
love and death and everything in between,
Tales to Chill Your Bones to is all of that.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to -
a collection of short stories and mini-plays ranging from the horrific to the darkly humourous,
from the post-apocalyptic to the weirdly romantic,
tales that will give you a chill and maybe a chuckle,
all thought up by the twisted mind of screenwriter and film reviewer Michael Haberfelner.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to
the new anthology by Michael Haberfelner
Out now from Amazon!!! |
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