Put on your hard hats and you gas masks, ’cause we’re digging deep down into the cavernous abyss of cult cinema for another film in our ongoing Late Night series! February is the month of love, so what’s a better cult film to play than George Mihalka’s 1981 slasher classic, MY BLOODY VALENTINE, screening at the historic Babcock Theatre Saturday, February 15th! This atmospheric slasher has been a cult favorite for four decades now, stylishly riding the waves of the “slasher fever” that took hold of audiences after the success of Halloween and Friday the 13th (did you know 1981 still holds the record for most theatrically released horror films??? Last time I checked at least… They were cookin’!). This Canadian one-off skillfully draws out feelings of isolation with its small town setting and eerie, foreboding mine shafts, while also dishing out some pretty gruesome gore for the time! Simultaneously, I think this one has a balance of coziness to it as well, aesthetically speaking. Plus, with that memorable Harry Warden slasher costume, decked out in his gas mask and jump suit, you can’t go wrong!
Twenty years after a violent incident claimed the lives of five miners in the small town of Valentine Bluffs during their annual Valentine’s Day party, the locals decide it’s time to move on and begin having their annual celebration again. But when Harry Warden, the man responsible for the incident, seems to return to town with gruesome warnings against the party, the event is called off. Meanwhile, local youths employed at the mine decide to have their own secret party, sparking a violent reaction from Harry Warden as he stalks them through the night!
(Did you know there’s a system of tunnels running around underneath the Babcock?? I feel like we should do something with that for this event!! But what do I know, I just tell you what movies to watch!!)