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Melissa Sue Anderson, Glenn Ford, Tracey E. Bregman, Jack Blum, Matt Craven ... see more see more... , Lenore Zann , David Eisner , Lisa Langlois , Lawrence Z. Dane , Frances Hyland , Sharon Acker , Michel Rene LaBelle , Richard Rebiere , Lesley Donaldson , Earl Pennington , Damir Andrei , Louis Del Grande , Victor Knight , Ron Lea , Walter Massey , Karen Stephen , Vlasta Vrana , Murray Westgate , Jerome Tiberghien , Griffith Brewer , Terry Haig , Joe Wertheimer , Alan Katz , Gina Dick , Len Watt

Certainly the low point in Glenn Ford's acting career, this Canadian production is, nevertheless, one of the slickest-looking slasher films from that subgenre's early-'80s heyday. The plot (what one c... read more read more...an make of it) involves an unseen killer stalking a group of college students at the prestigious Crawford Academy. The well-staged murders are mysteriously linked to the slightly off-kilter Virginia (Melissa Sue Anderson, formerly of Little House on the Prairie), whose disturbing past holds the key to the killer's identity. Though this film brought nothing new to the psycho-horror field, it did feature one of the more interesting ad campaigns of the period. One-sheets loudly boasted, "Six of the most bizarre murders you've ever seen!" and barred all late-arriving patrons from entering the theater during the final ten minutes (a promotional stunt stolen from Psycho). This hype proved less than apropos since the murders in question are not particularly bizarre or original (aside from the shish-kabob impalement depicted in the ads), and the film's climax is so painfully contrived that latecomers may be more able to comprehend it than those bemused viewers who watched the film from the beginning. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

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43% liked it

4,080 ratings

Critics

25% liked it

8 critics

R, 1 hr. 51 min.

Directed by: J. Lee Thompson

Release Date: January 1, 1981

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DVD Release Date: October 26, 2004

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Stats: 313 reviews

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Happy Birthday to Me the cast Michel-René Labelle the cast
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Flixster Reviews (313)

  • lewiskendell
    November 2, 2011
    lewiskendell
    Happy Birthday to Me is a slow as molasses 80's teen slasher that's mediocre at best. It's dull, has a boring plot, takes itself far too seriously, and worst of all, is waaaaaay too long.

    The kills are few, far between, and even off-camera (defeating the entire purpose of a fre... read moreakin' slasher movie in the first place), there's no t&a and no humor. I would recommend it if you needed two hours of background noise or a sleep-aid, but the frequent screams and yells (often for completely no point) would quickly ruin either of those scenarios. The only vaguely entertaining part of the movie is the truly ludicrous ending, but that's not worth the nearly two hours of boredom that would be required to get to it. Worst birthday, ever.
  • WrenchLT
    August 25, 2011
    WrenchLT
    Good little 80s slasher with a decent array of inventive kills, quite violent too for its day. The ending is a memorable one which will catch you off guard with its twist. At the end of it all it's a good and entertaining viewing but not quite sleazy or brutal enough for my tastes.
  • Deano78
    May 16, 2011
    Deano78
    A very good early 80's slasher film with some original kills, even by today's standards! It did feel a little bit long and slow at times but it has plenty of red herrings and quite a twist for a very early slasher film. The poster alone stuck in my head from an early age for quit... read moree a while. Not overly gory but still a very enjoyable film for slasher fans. Just seen the lead character was the blonde girl in little house on the prairie.
  • ajv2688
    January 10, 2011
    ajv2688
    Not the best slasher flick of the 80s, but enjoyable, and there's a nice twist at the end.
  • 76Majikat
    December 21, 2010
    76Majikat
    The first Horror film I was ever made to watch and whilst it has nothing on today's standard of gore, it was in places one of the more enjoyable oldies and one of the more enjoyable Horrors of that era.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    November 23, 2010
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Happy Birthday To Me is one of the most memorable slashers of the 80's.
    One of the best aspects of the film is the the on screen kills. They may be bizarre, but they're very well done and interesting. Another that Happy Birthday To Me has going for it, is that the film is actual... read morely suspenseful, and manages to be quite effective at building suspense and horror. Happy Birthday To Me is a solid slasher film and is very underrated. This is a prime example of a very well done slasher film, sure it may not be exactly Halloween or Friday The 13th, but the film still manages to be original enough to thrill you. After Carpenter's Halloween was released in 1978, every studio wanted to make a Halloween knock off. One of these is Happy Birthday To Me, a bizarre, and yet amusing horror film. The film is bizarre because of the techniques used by the killer to kill his victims. The film boasts a decent enough cast, which do a better than most slasher actors in previous films. I found them less one dimensional, and more realistic. Obviously in the group of kids there's the troubled one, but everything is not as it seems. The film is very enjoyable and it plays really well on a certain theme, this time being birthday party. I find that slasher films are more effective built around a certain idea because it adds a whole new creative element to the film. Like Halloween was centered around the holiday, and My Bloody Valentine was centered around Valentine's day. Centering a film around a specific holiday makes it more synonymous and unforgettable.
  • sononothing
    October 21, 2010
    sononothing
    Another entry into the early 1980's horror genre, Happy Birthday To me follows Virginia (Melissa Sue Anderson) and her group of friends who start getting killed off one by one in this lovely body count film from the people that brought you My Bloody Valentine. Poor Virginia has t... read morehat age old problem of repressed memories and these images start coming to her just as her friends start dying in ways only available with latex and corn syrup.


    Not as bloody as its brethren of the era, this film is more psychological than gory horror as Virginia continues to crack up time and again. And guess who her doctor is? It's Glen Ford! What the hell is he doing in this garbage? Everyone needs a check. That's what this film is- garbage. A cheap exercise in cashing in on Halloween and Friday the 13th that fails to captivate like those movies did. This movie isn't even Prom Night. It's a little long for what it's worth and there is no real pay off throughout the film. Trans Am enthusiasts will be in awe over the 1976 T/A that says Turbo in the rear spoiler, yet has a standard shaker. Yeah, I know.
  • FilmFanatik
    January 24, 2010
    FilmFanatik
    Quite boring and uninteresting. It tries to build up its characters before killing them off, but never really succeeds. And of course the ending left me scratching my noggin. On the plus side, the shish kebab and weight lifting death sequences were very effective...but for a f... read moreilm with a poster tagline that says "six of the most bizarre murders you will ever see," it definitely doesn't deliver it. It's also worth mentioning that the pace is extraordinarily slow, even for an 80's slasher film.
  • matertenebraum
    July 25, 2009
    matertenebraum
    This has to be the most unintentionally funny film I have ever seen. I cannot believe there is not a goofs list for this film, when it contains the worst bit of Continuity EVER!! Imagine the scene, the young star has a flashback, her and her mother are trapped on an opening bridg... read moree. As it opens, the car falls, spins 180 degrees and lands roof first in the water. The Director, Editor, whoever, obviously loved this stunt as we see it 4 times, in slo mo, from 4 different angles, then, as a climax to her flashback we see it one more time, this time, however, the car falls into the water Roof UP!!! Who was editing this thing?? Anyways, its worth a look for its laughs, and has a few decent effects too, including a kebab skewer through the head. Watch it, you may actually like it!!
  • pier007
    June 20, 2008
    pier007
    Need to see it again to be fair with the rating. I saw it in my childhood and the one thing I recall vividly is the ending, a seriously creepy birthday party.

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Critic Reviews

Jeffrey M. Anderson
October 16, 2009
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

It's not particularly gory, scary or suspenseful, but it actually contains some good twists and a generally higher level of character and performance. Full Review

Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton
October 7, 2009
Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton, Dread Central

If horror fans are going to shell out their hard-earned money for a movie, there needs to be more than just a prettier picture on the DVD case. Full Review

Stefan Birgir Stefansson
December 3, 2007
Stefan Birgir Stefansson, sbs.is

pretty sweet forgotten 80s slasher

Rob Gonsalves
April 9, 2007
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com

J. Lee Thompson's entry in the slasher sweepstakes, done up with the usual lack of style. Full Review

Nick Schager
July 10, 2006
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness

A camp-tastic footnote to the late-'70s, early-'80s slasher flick craze. Full Review

Scott Weinberg
April 17, 2005
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

Creative kills aside, it's just plain old boring.

James Harwood
July 1, 2008
James Harwood, Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Vincent Canby
August 30, 2004
Vincent Canby, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Chuck O'Leary
October 9, 2005
Chuck O'Leary, Fantastica Daily

No review available.

Emanuel Levy
August 10, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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  • What horror movie features one of the daughters from "Little House on the Prairie"? My Bloody   Answer »
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