Plot: What’s it about?
In 1970, a rare solar eclipse took place and at the height of this special event, three sets of parents welcomed new additions. Now some folks believe that Saturn controls emotion, so to those people, it would be terrible to have children born during such an event. This is because during a solar eclipse, the sun and moon block out Saturn and by turn, that means the newborns wouldn’t have the proper emotional balance. This might sound like hogwash to other folks, but as the tenth birthday approaches for these three youngsters, even non believers would have to take notice of what has been happening around them. Just about to turn ten years old, the children have become violent and are engaged in a lethal spree of carnage. The rash of murders has the local authorities baffled however, as no witnesses have come forward and evidence is slim in each case. Thanks to their age, the kids have managed to remain undetected, but when a young boy and his teenage sister catch on, its a fight to the finish. Can the siblings conjure up a plan to not only reveal the truth about the strange children, but make sure no one else is murdered in the process, including themselves? Or will the maniacal children celebrate their upcoming birthdays in grand style, by turning the town into a slaughterhouse?
This movie has rampant violence, murderous kids, naked bodies, and a solar eclipse, what else could we want from a single horror picture? Now Bloody Birthday is no genre classic, but it is fun to watch and as we all know, that’s what matters in this genre. Yes, some horror movies really deliver scares and chills, but most are satisfied to entertain and Bloody Birthday does that in spades, in all manner of ways. There is some memorable dialogue here, though often more humorous than effective, while several girls drop top, including a well known chick. Julie Brown, best known for her send up of Madonna and outlandish comedic routines, takes off her clothes in a most unusual striptease sequence. I wouldn’t recommend Bloody Birthday on that event alone, but when you add in the cool premise, hilarious dialogue, and of course, additional nudity, its hard not to assume genre fans could have a lot of laughs with this disc. This slice of 80s horror cinema isn’t a carbon copy either, it stands a fairly original effort, though it sputters toward the close and fails to deliver the kind of conclusion we want. But this is still a fun picture, thanks to the naked chicks and insane murder methods, which are quite complex given the young age of the killers. If you’re a horror movie nut, then don’t hesitate to pick up Bloody Birthday. As always, some extras would been nice, but the price is solid and the new transfer is most welcome.
This might seem like just another low rent B level horror movie, but several cast members went on to solid stardom. Now don’t expect to see A list performers like Tom Hanks or even C list guys like Patrick Swayze, but some folks from the lists further down the alphabet are present and you’ll be sure to recognize a few of them. As I already stated, we see Julie Brown (Earth Girls Are Easy, Shakes the Clown) as she strips down and steals the show, but her nude presence is just the start, as even more washed up talent can be traced back to this picture. We also see B movie veteran Billy Jayne, who starred in such epics as The Beastmaster, Just One of the Guys, Dr. Alien, and Cujo, though he was best known for his work as Mikey on television’s Parker Lewis Can’t Lose. How about K.C. Martel from White Water Summer, The Amityville Horror, and E.T., or perhaps Lori Lethin of Return to Horror High and The Prey fame? Still not enough, eh? Ok, you can also see Jose Ferrer, who seems to be the highest profile name involved in this one. Ferrer had starred in numerous pictures, including a wealth of horror movies. Some of his efforts can be seen in such cult films as Zoltan: Hound of Dracula, The Sentinel, The Swarm, Battle Creek Brawl, Blood Tide, Dune, and The Pottsville Horror.
Video: How does it look?
Bloody Birthday is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The image here represents a marked improvement over previous home video editions, but the materials still look a tad rough around the edges. The print is much cleaner than I’ve ever seen and debris is minimal, though grain still proves to be an issue. The grain isn’t thick by any means, though it does lessen the contrast in some darker scenes, so I felt I should mention it here. But the black levels remain more than stable in this treatment, so detail is higher than before and contrast is much starker, so blacks look more black, instead of grey, as before. I found colors to be more than acceptable, but not as vivid as I’d like, though age is the culprit, not this transfer. So while some flaws remain, this is the best home video edition of Blood Birthday out there, hands down.
Audio: How does it sound?
I didn’t have much faith in the audio here, but the included soundtrack fares well enough, given the material involved. I mean, you can’t expect this movie to sound as new or dynamic as more recent releases, but for what it is, it sounds solid. The years have beaten up the elements a little, but hiss isn’t too bad and other time related ailments are minimal, so the basics can come through without much hindrance. The music sounds clean, with infrequent moments of distortion, while dialogue seems clean and clear enough throughout. So don’t think this is some rundown treatment, as Bloody Birthday sounds just fine, all things considered.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a seventeen minute interview with producer Max Rosenberg, as well as a talent file on director Ed Hunt.
