On April Fool's Day - A Review

April Fool's Day is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I'm happy to report that it stands-up quite well, though I have to mention it was never, nor ever meant to be, a slasher flick. April Fool's Day hurt some peoples' careers due to the studio's mishandling of it, and is one of the classic stories regarding how the studio system can royally screw an otherwise good movie. However, it fits quite well in the slasher genre, and everyone involved in it should be proud of the work.

April Fool's Day is stylishly shot, exceptionally well-acted, and quite well-written. It has its holes, but I do not think you'll notice them (the first go-round, anyway); it's a very well-crafted flick that stands head and shoulders above most of its peers. It features a stellar cast, including B-movie maven, Amy Steel, and Biff from Back to the Future fame (yes, I know he has a name), and a steady, hammer-on, pacing that resists plodding for the illusion of suspense.

It's a shame the studio tried to promote it as a slasher flick, which turned-off a lot of audiences and relegated this true slasher classic to the realm of the Forgotten. This movie hits on several levels -- whether you are a gorehound, a film geek, or the significant other to one of the aforementioned losers, you will dig April Fool's Day.

[Trivia bit: This is the actual movie, April Fool's Day; Slaughter High is sometimes aka "April Fools Day," but I do not know that it was ever released (in America) under that title. I'm pretty sure it was just the working title for that film, which I review following.]

© C Harris Lynn, 2010