E. Catalan
The early 80's were a fertile time for the slasher genre: Friday THE 13th, MANIAC, GRADUATION DAY, MY BLOODY VALENTINE, PROM NIGHT, etc. All inspired by the great success of John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN a few years earlier. Canada's entry into this genre is HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME. Heavily advertised on TV at the time, it warned its potential viewers that they will witness some of the most bizarre crimes imaginable. I was a HUGE fan of slasher flicks during this period, but I will be the first to admit that most of them have unfortunately NOT aged well (MANIAC and HALLOWEEN being one of the few). If there's one thing that HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME had going for it was its slightly better acting and a pretentious plot to make it look more intelligent than say, Friday THE 13th. But where Friday THE 13th lacked in finesse it more than made up with its sheer violence and gore. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME, while featuring some "imaginative" murders, falls short from its gorier counterparts like MANIAC or MY BLOODY VALENTINE.The movie's plot is contrived in that the reason behind all the killings and murders is pretty lame and senseless. As with most slasher flicks, the killer seeks vengeance for some horrible misdeed (MANIAC and HALLOWEEN again, being some of the few exceptions to the norm. The killers there were truly sick in the mind). The ending was supposed to have a "twist", yet this "twist" comes out of nowhere. The audience is never given the slightest clue as to why the killer ended up being the one shown up on the screen.The few gory scenes (yes, very few) are at least done with style by Make Up master Tom Burman.All in all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME might've fared better if the story had been more engaging. The title is really sinister so I think the producers and director could've done a far better job with what they had in hand. It still is a slightly more cerebral slasher flick than others from that era. In an age of rehash, perhaps HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME would benefit from a remake.
pbsfinest2004
My friends and I just recently watched this film, so this review is coming from a 30 year-old millennial! Spoilers may happen. The movie takes awhile to get going, and guessing who the killer is early on in the film is a moot point. The film runs longer than the usual slasher film, so it involves quite a few twists and turns, well worth the wait!There will be a lot of confusion, but if you are patient, you will enjoy Happy Birthday To Me. My only spoiler: Why is Amelia standing in the rain!?!?! Seriously, things like this don't usually bother me, but the stuff was hitting the fan and she stands out in the rain dumbfounded. Minus 1 star for that!
Rrrobert
Proficiently made psychological thriller with a convoluted story. The troubled Ginny (Melissa Sue Anderson) attends college and hangs with a popular clique, the members of which mysteriously begin disappearing. They are actually being murdered in inventive ways by a gloved killer. This assailant remains unidentified, but it is someone who is known to the victims...The complex story generally sustains viewer interest and builds effective levels of intrigue, though the constant heavy handed red herrings through the film soon lose their effectiveness. Ginny's impending birthday, the posse of students and the murder methods firmly place this film in the Halloween-Friday the 13th cycle. This film diverges slightly by being set over several days, by emphasizing several older characters rather than focusing on only the teens, and by slowly revealing the backstory via unfolding flashbacks late in the proceedings rather than in the more common prologue. It is also less bloody than others in the cycle, and doesn't dwell on scenes of terrified teens being pursued and slashed by the assailant.Some formal reviews complain that despite his billing Glenn Ford appears only briefly in a throwaway role as Ginny's psychiatrist. Actually he probably has the most screen time aside from Anderson and Tracey Bregman (as Ginny's best friend Ann - somewhat a rich bitch), has quite a bit to do, and appears over several scenes. Ford plays his scenes well lending the film some dignity. Lawrence Dane as Ginny's father likewise does solid work. As with Ford the assured performance adds gravitas. Sharon Acker does a hair-raising high-camp turn as Ginny's crazed social climbing mother. Her manic performance in the revelatory flashbacks is great fun and fits in perfectly.The younger characters are also well played and attempts are made to flesh out their characters in their relatively brief scenes. The aforementioned Tracey Bregman stands out among this crowd. Bregman seems to be adding hints of menace to her character of Ann. No wonder she went on to such a successful career in television soap operas.
Filip Tabak
Well to start off I'd like to say that I enjoyed every second of the movie and I recommend it to anyone who gets a chance to see it. First thing I have to say is that the murders were not that bloody as I thought they would be but I still enjoyed. I hate some things in the film such as: *SPOILERS* Amelia standing in the rain with no explanation what so ever. Did she get killed? Nobody knows. It doesn't really make sense for Ann to be the killer because she couldn't have done it on the night Bernadette died. She was already at the ''Second Home'' of the Top 10. Ginny is the one who came the last and I guess she was the one who killed her. Don't get me wrong, I love the ending but that's the only thing that bugs me.
AD
