April Fool's Day (1986)

Muffy the ham-pie slayer!

A group of college buddies convene at a friends isolated abode and get killed off one by one…

Great fun, Fred Walton, Frank Mancuso Jr. and Danilo Bach tap cheekily into the 1980s obsession with slasher films, and produce a self aware horror movie of mighty dark comedy proportions. Quite often when film makers try to laugh as they bite the hand that feeds them they fall flat on their faces, not so here. Ok! It’s hardly genius film making but the makers instil their picture with interesting killings, twists and turns, and even an audacious narrative that would only be appreciated some years later. Horror movie conventions are adhered to with tongue stuck in bloody cheek, none more so than with an ending that will infuriate some, but conversely will bring on the chortles in others. 7/10

Fun horror movie that is on the predictable side but I still found it pretty entertaining. The ensemble cast was alright with the most well known face, at now, is of course Thomas F. Wilson (Biff). Not sure how high up this is amongst the holiday horror movies, but I liked it. **3.75/5**

_**April Fools slasher**_

Ten youths about to graduate college celebrate at a remote island mansion in the Great Northwest, soon to be inherited by one them (Deborah Foreman). Unfortunately, they start getting hacked one-by-one. Who’s the killer?

"April Fool’s Day" (1986) is a slasher/horror in the cabin-in-the-woods mold; it’s just that the ‘cabin’ in this case is a magnificent mansion. The presence of Amy Steel, who played Ginny in “Friday the 13th Part II” (1981), brings to mind that series but, besides Amy, the female cast isn’t as notable, although it’s okay. You might remember Deborah Foreman from “Valley Girl” (1983) and “Real Genius” (1985).

On the other side of the gender spectrum, Ken Olandt is a Kevin Bacon lookalike while Clayton Rohner is reminiscent of Val Kilmer.

Regrettably, the pacing is off and so not enough suspense is worked up. Any “Friday the 13th” flick is all-around more entertaining, not to mention “Slumber Party Massacre II” (1987), which has similarities. But “April Fool’s Day” gets points for the outstanding location and something revolutionary that happens, which I can’t give away.

The film runs 1 hour, 29 minutes, and was shot at St John estate, Victoria, British Columbia, with additional studio stuff done in Los Angeles. It was rebooted or reimagined (not remade) in 2008.

GRADE: B-