April Fool's Day (1986)

Released during a period where slashers were peaking, April Fool's Day attempts at being different but fails impressively.

It tells the generic story of a group of friends who go somewhere secluded to party and get picked off one by one by an unseen foe.

Starring Thomas "Biff Tannen" Wilson and Amy "Friday 13th Part 2" Steel it's a really quite lifeless affair where very little really happens, the kills are pretty much non-existent and the finale is certainly an anti-climax.

The cast are decent enough in fact it was great seeing a young Clayton Rohner who certainly stole every scene he was in.

I'd heard this was a bit of a classic, if that's the case then it saddens me to report that I think this was a mindless movie rushed out to cash in on the popularity of the genre at a time such movies saturated the market.

Not dreadful, just benign.

The Good:

Decent cast

The Bad:

Underwhelming throughout

Fmovies: One of my favourite movies of all time. Saw it again last night for the umpteenth time last night (but on DVD for the first time)and it's still wonderful. Funny, scary and seriously smart - the "twist" is great and works well even on multiple viewings - there's no cheating here, it works well even when you know it and can see it coming. I love it to bits, and it's tremendous fun. Criminally underrated. The cast is terrific, especially Deborah Foreman, and it's the first thing other than the Back to the Future movies that I've seen Thomas F Wilson in! And he's funny and likable in it too. Gorehounds needn't bother, but if you like a good story and a good mystery you'll have a ball. It's quite possibly the only slasher movie that will appeal to people who hate slasher movies! I adore it.

This is one of those "almost" movies. April Fool's Day has a very likable cast, a good plot and wonderful setting what is doesn't have is a lot of suspense and scares.

It looks like a lot of time was put into this film to make it a classy horror picture. Perhaps that's the reason that none of the kills are very interesting, while there is some gore the death scenes themselves seem to have been edited out. Perhaps this was due to the print used on the DVD, maybe there's a better version...I don't know.

The ending itself may put off hardcore horror fans but I found it quite amusing and it helped to make the rest of the movie gel together and answers some questions/concerns I had about about the movies story.

Overall April Fool's Day is quite enjoyable. The young cast is a lot of fun to watch and a few notches above other 80's horror fare, the story is original and the local, a secluded beach house is quite nice. However, it could have been much, much creepier! With more suspense and good scares April Fool's Day could have rated higher. April Fool's Day rates a 6 out of 10.

April Fool's Day fmovies. Definitely not the typical slasher fare you might expect from the 1980s, April Fool's Day takes the ordinary slasher formula and spices it up - and in the process makes a much more palatable film than most of the films it initially imitates. A group of nubile teens(OK, not so different to begin with)go to their friend's remote island home somewhere in the Northwest. Here, they laugh, have sex, joke around because it is April Fool's Day, and, oh by the way did I mention, have sex. Although this part of the movie is pretty typical, it is well-shot compared to other films of its ilk and we do get some character development(not a lot) but some. Soon, people begin to die and things get serious. For a slasher film, this movie is very well-paced and, more importantly, is not over-the-top in blood and guts. The acting is uniformly average(something a Friday the 13th films craves!). What really takes this film beyond the mundane; however, is the stylish twist at the film's end. This, almost all by itself, allows this film to rise in the ranks. The ending is deftly done and does not look foolish or silly or forced; all of these things could have easily happened. So if you are up for some slasher fun, want to see some nice looking girls(Deborah Foreman and Deborah Goodrich), and are intrigued by a creative ending - April Fool's Day is for you!

APRIL FOOL'S DAY has just recently gotten a sort of cult status among horror film fans. Casual horror viewers or those who are diehard gore hounds haven't been kind to this film, but it is quite possibly the most intelligent, best-acted, and coolest of all the 80s slasher films.

A group of college friends venture to the island home of one of their classmates for the weekend and wind up being killed by an unknown assailant, believed to be the victim of a cruel practical joke played by one of the students. Amy Steel (my fave from FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2) is Kit, the "last girl", and Ken Olandt is her boyfriend Rob. They are both very good and are believable, likable characters that the audience can root for. Other notable performances include Griffin O'Neal (son of Ryan), Thomas F. Wilson (Biff from BACK TO THE FUTURE), Deborah Foreman, who is very good in dual roles, Leah Pinsent (the classic good girl), Deborah Goodrich (too cool as the slut), and Clayton Rohner (the typical horny guy). I can't think of a bad thing to say about this movie except that some viewers will feel cheated by the two surprise endings, like I did at first. But appreciate the fact that they are totally unexpected and work better than any other ending thought up for the film.

APRIL FOOL'S DAY is strongly recommended to serious horror film fans and even casual viewers. Not very gory, but that's a plus in this case. Notice the similarities to Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians", of which this is sort of a modern updating. A whole lots of fun and the best damn slasher film of the 80s.

One of the more fondly remembered horror entries of the '80's is this unique gem that's much more clever and amusing than the average slasher film.

Young woman invites her beloved college friends to her island home for a weekend of fun, but everything goes wrong. A freak accident occurs, mysterious things appear in the guests rooms, our hostess starts acting strangely, and bodies are starting to pile up!

With its clever combination of Agatha Christie-type mystery, teen horror film conventions, and quirky humor - it's not hard to understand why this film has developed a bit of a fan base. Even viewers who don't like horror films may find themselves enjoying this witty and twisted little venture. Director Walton does well in giving the film an air of mystery and spookiness. All the more adding to the atmosphere is the lovely music score of Charles Bernstein. The film is nicely shot in beautiful British Columbia.

The true highlight of this film though is its above-average cast. While there are really no known actors in the cast, they all deliver great performances and bring their characters to a wonderfully likable light! Deborah Foreman, in probably her best performance, is great as hostess Muffy. Ken Olandt and Amy Steel are great as a couple trying to solve the mystery of it all. Clayton Rohner and Thomas F. Wilson are a joy as two joke-happy friends. Jay Baker, Leah Pinsent, and Deborah Goodrich are equally good in their supporting roles.

As the tagliner says, April Fool's Day is certainly a 'cut' above the rest of its kind. It's a fun watch whether you enjoy the horror genre or not.

*** 1/2 out of ****