Common Sense Media Review
By James Rocchi
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Old-school slasher film is too gory for kids.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
My Bloody Valentine (1981)
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 6 parent reviews
Based on 11 kid reviews
Kids say this film features excessive gore, graphic nudity, and violence, making it unsuitable for younger audiences despite being entertaining for slasher fans. While some appreciate its nostalgic 80's charm, others criticize its explicit content and inconsistent quality between rated versions, leading to mixed reviews overall.
- gore levels
- nudity concerns
- rated versions
- nostalgic charm
- mixed reviews
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In the small mining town of Valentine's Bluffs, there's a 20-year-old secret of mystery and murder. While the mine's managers were at a Valentine's Day dance, a cave-in trapped and killed a number of workers; the one survivor who escaped, Harry Warden, avenged himself on the managers and supervisors through bloody murder, sending their torn-out hearts inside candy packages as a dire warning. Harry was sent to the asylum, but 20 years later, as the town prepares for Valentine's Day festivities, a new killer stalks the town; is Harry back, or has a new killer taken up his murderous crusade?
Is It Any Good?
This is worth viewing as a historical curiosity -- and the film's mining-town setting is used to make for a unique, chilling variation on the classic slasher flick as well.
At the same time, a unique slasher flick is still, at heart, a slasher flick; My Bloody Valentine's screaming victims and bloody murders are fairly pedestrian stuff, albeit well-made, with a little more emphasis on personal relationships and character than you might expect. My Bloody Valentine will have some historical interest for fans of slasher films, especially with this DVD's extras and presentation of the unrated cut, but it's still, at the end of the day, an '80s horror quickie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the appeal of the slasher film -- what makes these movies so well-loved, and such often-remade movies by modern Hollywood? Families can also talk about the Freudian link between sex and death in these films; why do these movies seem compelled to show teens being murdered during sex? Is it a cautionary warning, or grim exploitation?
Movie Details
- In theaters : February 11, 1981
- On DVD or streaming : January 10, 2008
- Cast : Lori Hallier , Neil Affleck , Paul Kelman
- Director : George Mihalka
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 91 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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