The Miner Forty-Niner, oh no!!! (not really, but sort of)
Twenty years after a psycho murder spree at a mining town in Nova Scotia, gruesome slayings start happening again on Valentine’s Day. Did the psycho escape the asylum and return for more blood?
“My Bloody Valentine” (1981) was part of the early 80’s slasher boom after the success of “Friday the 13th” (1980) and, of course, “Halloween” (1978). It meshes the vibe of “The Funhouse” (1981) with the location of “Orca” (1977) and throws in a dash of “The Fog” (1980). While it’s the least of these IMHO, it’s not far off.
The remote mining town area on the shores of Nova Scotia is a highlight augmented by a colorful cast. Unfortunately, the filmmakers didn’t have the funds to shoot any sequences at nearby Cape Breton Highlands National Park, so there are no scenic shots; everything looks mundane with a lot of scenes taking place IN the mines, particularly most of the third act.
Paul Kelman is good as the mysterious male protagonist, T.J., reminiscent of Oliver Reed. On the female front there are several beauties, e.g. Cynthia Dale (Patty), Lori Hallier (Sarah) and Helene Udy (Sylvia), but the creators curiously didn’t know how to photograph women, as was effectively done in “Friday the 13th,” “The Funhouse” and “Tourist Trap” (1979); and I’m not talkin’ ‘bout nudity or sleaze.
Another problem is that the events take place in friggin’ coastal Canada during mid-February and there’s no snow or coldness to be found. It was actually shot in September-November and looks it.
The 2009 remake, which was shot in central Pennsylvania, took the template of this film and made a more all-around entertaining slasher, but this one is worth checking out if you like the style of the contemporary films noted above. Like all of those flicks, it has quality mood and creepiness, but it’s never genuinely scary. When a slaying happens it’s usually humorous even though it’s played out seriously (to me, anyway).
The movie runs 1 hour, 30 minutes, and was shot around Sydney Mines on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.
GRADE: B/B-