Bloody Birthday (1980)

[MaDMaNMaRz]

This is a very unique slasher film. It starts out in the year 1970, where a doctor delivers 3 babies simultaneously on the night of a solar eclipse. The movie jumps to the year 1980, showing a young couple making out in the cemetery. The girl starts to feel afraid, and wants to leave. They end up finishing their business in a open grave, and get killed.

The story heavily revolves around Joyce Russell and her brother, Timmy. The next day, the sheriff visits the elementary school. It seems that the killer left behind a clue.....a wooden handle to a jumprope. Pretty soon, it becomes clear who the killer....or killers are.

I always really enjoyed this film. It is a little strange, but it's very entertaining. The sleaze factor is definitely high in this one, so naturally I love it. :) The kills were pretty good. It's disturbing in a way to see 10 year old kids doing the killing. I'm surprised they didn't make a sequel, because the ending sort of left it open for one.

Thoughts on this film?

[Jigsaw]

I haven't seen this movie but I'm curious to see it now. Is it available on DVD?

[MaDMaNMaRz]

Yes, I believe it is on DVD........i'm pretty sure it was released by a company called VCI Video? Amazon would probably have it pretty cheap, both used and/or new. :)

I definitely think it's worth checking out. I actually prefer this one over Happy Birthday To Me, which is also pretty good, IMO.

[Jigsaw]

I haven't seen either BB nor HBTM, but I'll check them both out when I find the DVDs.

[Ron]

They're both good films worth checking out and adding to your collection.

[Joshg]

I love this one. 7.5/10

The arrow kill is my favorite. And the kids just add something more evil to the picture. The birthday cover art is great IMO.

[sCabbOy]

It definitely is on DVD. It's barebones, but oh well.

[Ron]

I agree..There's something really creepy about evil children because they're usually looked at as being so innocent.

[sCabbOy]

Little Billy Jane is the kid with the glasses. He was also in "Just One Of The Guys", "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" and such. He was a pretty good actor.

Anyone like the scene in the car when the kid was wearing the sack over head head?

[MaDMaNMaRz]

Anyone like the scene in the car when the kid was wearing the sack over head head?

Haha, yeah, I liked that scene. I loved the whole movie. :)

Joshg - Yeah, it definitely makes it more evil because of the fact that little kids are doing the killing.

I love the original cover too:

http://products.priceclash.co.uk/images/nodrop/220/B0001EYTAC/dvds/bloody-birthday-672.jpg

The newer one: It's decent, but I like the original better

http://www.eyesofchaos.com/horror/images/bloody_birthday_1b.jpg

[kramerfan]

Billy Jacobs is also in Superstition and Nightmares.

[Ron]

I definitley like the old boxart better than the newer one. The cover just has that 80's feel to it.

[Joshg]

I always thought this was from 1981.

[NETRA]

I love watching the kids shoot his gun. It's eeries the way he smiles!

I have always wanted to see a sequel to this. They could release it as a double feature DVD with the original. I just think it would be cool to see the three killers released from prison (sorta like the opening of Psycho 2) and reunited. I know it'll never happen but I can dream.

[MaDMaNMaRz]

Yeah, I would have loved to see a sequel too. They left it open like there would be one, but it never happened. :(

The tone of this film is just really nasty. :D Having these vicious 10 year olds as the killers is very creepy and evil.

[NETRA]

vicious 10 year olds

They were great. Good characterizations. Debbie was one cold little bitch. Heh. Bill was the brains of the outfit but she was clearly the brawn.

[MaDMaNMaRz]

I agree.

I like the scene close to the end, where Curtis tricks Joyce into thinking he poisoned the cake. Great scene.

[Melissa's Necklace]

Oh, this was the one with Julie Brown in it, right? She later went on to do "Earth Girls are Easy," and "Clueless." I think I taped this off Cinemax when I was young, will have to check my VHS tapes.

[MaDMaNMaRz]

Oh, this was the one with Julie Brown in it, right? She later went on to do "Earth Girls are Easy," and "Clueless." I think I taped this off Cinemax when I was young, will have to check my VHS tapes.

That is correct. :)

I always thought Bloody Birthday was an underrated movie. You don't really hear too many people reference it these days. :(

[sCabbOy]

I agree.

I like the scene close to the end, where Curtis tricks Joyce into thinking he poisoned the cake. Great scene.

Clever writing! Loved that entire sequence.

[nottidelterrore]

I saw this while I was away from home & really enjoyed it. A very neat storyline & kind of funny with the whole murderous kids thing. The kids got on my nerves but that's due to them being bratty little killers. The girl especially. The arrow death was the best.

I need to grab this one on DVD sometime.

[The Tall Man]

"Bloody Birthday" is airing on TCM late Friday night for anyone interested.

Susan Strasberg... :shy:

T.M., Esq.

[Joshg]

Bloody Birthday is also coming to DVD again this year (along with Nightmares, aka, Stage Fright - 1980) from Severin. Should be a nice new transfer!

[The Tall Man]

This wasn't really very good was it? And the sound quality was pretty poor. I think the movie lost something when it spoiled early on it was the kids doing the killing. I mean, it then forces us to watch this movie unravel about them and you really don't want to follow them because they're such heinous individuals. They should have kept the cat in the bag for much longer than they did.

Susan Strasberg must have needed rent money bad. There was NO reason for her to be in this movie in a thankless role. She essays like the most cliched idea of a schoolteacher you can imagine. I hope her father wasn't still alive to see this... And what happened to her? She was sexy as hell in 1960's "Taste of Fear". Here, she's homely as hell. I mean I know that's 20 years, but she was still good looking enough to show off the goods in '77's "The Manitou."

That said, I really enjoyed the lead actress and her chemistry with the brother. THAT'S what the movie should have been about. Not psychotic rugrats.

And kudos to Julie Brown for showing why she's so much more awesome than the Downtown one.

T.M., Esq.

[Jason_Legend]

The first half is the best part, but it also is a little too fast paced.

The second half, things slow down a little.

I think it's a movie that seems better than it is, but it's still decent.

[i am SAW]

i never even heard of this movie until someone bumped this thread last week. i googled it and liked the pictures i seen of the kids, and amazon.com has it for $6 so i bought it. watched it last night, AWESOME MOVIE!!!! the score was GREAT! really fun, cheesy, creepy, and the kids are nuts. i loved it.

if you liked Bloody Birthday, you should check out The Children (http://www.f13community.com/board/showthread.php?t=6017&highlight=children).

[sam hane]

Bloody Birthday is also coming to DVD again this year (along with Nightmares, aka, Stage Fright - 1980) from Severin. Should be a nice new transfer!

The Baby is also coming in the same batch, I highly recommend it to anyone.