After John Carpenter’s Halloween was a massive hit in 1978, Sean Cunningham’s Friday the 13th was released in 1980. That film was also a major hit, and soon other studios were wanting to make their own slasher film. Producers John Dunning and André Link wanted to capitalize on this with their own slasher film with a unique gimmick. They decided to base it around birthdays to achieve universal appeal, as well as incorporating a brain injury subplot. J. Lee Thompson, best known for The Guns of Navarone and the original Cape Fear, was hired to direct. For the lead, they hired actress Melissa Sue Anderson, famous for the hit TV series Little House on the Prarie. Classic actor Glenn Ford, who had earlier played Pa Kent in 1978’s Superman, was cast in an important supporting role. Despite some production problems, Happy Birthday to Me was released in May of 1981.
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Rating
Synopsis
At Crawford Academy, Virginia “Ginny” Wainwright (Melissa Sue Anderson) is part of the school’s “Top Ten” popular and privileged students. After their friend Bernadette (Lesleh Donaldson) goes missing, the rest of the group soon start getting picked off. Meanwhile, Ginny is dealing with repressed memories brought on by experimental brain surgery following a horrific trauma she suffered. She confides in her psychiatrist Dr. Faraday (Glenn Ford), who was one of the doctors behind the surgery. Soon, her friends are getting killed in various ways, such as by motorcycle, by weights, and by shish kebab. As more and more of her fellow Top Ten are being murdered, Ginny starts seeing visions suggesting that she’s responsible. Through her repressed memories, we learn about how she survived a car accident where her mother (Sharon Acker) drowned. It all culminates in a truly horrific birthday party that you’ll never soon forget.
Review
Compared to other slashes, Happy Birthday to Me is pretty standard, though it has some things going for it. Given the director’s background, it’s a good-looking film, using plenty of harsh, moody lighting and dynamic camera angles. Also, the acting is pretty good, Melissa Sue Anderson giving the strongest performance, coming off as both sympathetic and menacing. While he clearly looks like he’s slumming it, Glenn Ford does the best he can with the material. The subplot involving Ginny’s brain surgery and her having vivid hallucinations adds an extra layer of depth to the story. Some of the kills are pretty unique, especially the shish kebab kill, and the effects work done is fairly solid. The finale where all the victims are seated at a table is a haunting image, definitely one of the highlights. Even still, there’s plenty that’s working against the film.
While there are some unique kill scenes, they’re pretty standard and not nearly as bizarre as the marketing says. Granted, that’s common with many slashers of the time trying to oversell themselves and not living up to expectations. Also, at slightly under two hours in length, the film feels padded with content that isn’t entirely necessary. Without giving any spoilers, the ending twist comes out of nowhere, though it was added at the last minute. It’s not even a case where you can watch the movie again and see little hints along the way. Honestly, the original motivations, though convoluted, would’ve been more satisfying than what the twist suggests, which comes off as ridiculous. Even still, this is an interesting entry in the horror genre that completionists might enjoy at least for the kills. Overall, Happy Birthday to Me is a decent if somewhat forgettable slasher.
Buy Happy Birthday to Me from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3cBiwM7
