What is there to be said about April Fool’s Day? As already noted, its major point of interest — the only point of interest — lies in something we can’t talk about, though I’m not sure that mentioning it at all doesn’t pretty much give the game away. Otherwise, the film isn’t a whole lot more than a somewhat tepid and leisurely paced (it takes about 40 minutes to get to its first scare) Friday the 13th knock-off. Freshly-scrubbed teens — most of whom look like they stepped in from a breath-mint commercial — out for one of those hot weekends that turn out to be very ill-advised indeed. There is a certain archaeological value you in seeing what was considered appealing in 1986 — boys with feathered blow-dry hair, who — when shirtless — do not appear to spend every waking moment at a gym. (This second part I found rather refreshing, the hair somewhat less so.) Also in its favor is the fact that it’s rather good natured about its mayhem, which is to say that its grisly parts are never of the unpleasantly sadistic variety. It’s kind of fun. Just don’t be expecting an overlooked masterpiece.
A fair review. Thanks again Ken. You might be right about this being a generational thing. All the people I know that love it are my age and nostalgia has a lot going for it but I’m glad you appreciated its willingness to scare without being grotesque for grotesque sake. See you there.
Btw…love the “breath mint” joke.
I’ll be looking for you.
Indeed the wrinkle is pretty minor indeed. Yet even today these slasher films are made to the same precise formula without even a suggestion of a wrinkle anywhere in the proceedings.
Wrinkles aside there are some scenes that still today give me goose bumps today (SPOILERS HERE…….cat eyes clock behind the painting cut out, the dolls in the attic, etc etc)
And you were how old when you first saw it?
Twelve
Exactly. I’m still creeped out by the trailer (not the film) for Curse of the Werewolf, which would send me scurrying for the lobby when I was seven.
“Large Marge” made me run up the aisle screaming.
Me and my friends would pause and slow motion that Large Marge part when we were kids.
Masochists, huh?
Now that them screening is over I can say that Anchor Bay needs to step up and release a better dvd of this. There were other endings filmed, one including the cousin Skip returning to the island and killing people for real. The picture of the dead body on the dvd is not even from the movie.. Jeeeez.
You really think there’s a market? We weren’t exactly packed.
Touche’
And to hell with various endings, are there punchier opening 40 minutes versions? To me, that’s where the trouble lies.
What do you consider the “first scare”?
I suppose when whichever it is beefy boy gets decked in the boat house. That’s the first thing that isn’t a false scare (well, in this case…). The first real frisson is when the body is glimpsed gliding under the boat house.