Director: Fred Walton
Writer: Danilo Bach (Screenplay)
Starring: Jay Baker, Deborah Foreman, Deborah Goodrich, Ken Olandt, Griffin O’Neal, Leah Pinsent, Clayton Rohner, Amy Steel, Thomas F Wilson
Plot: A group of nine college students staying at a friend’s remote island mansion begin to fall victim to an unseen murderer over the April Fool’s day weekend.
Verdict: The Anti Slasher
Story: We follow the group of friends and pranksters as they make their way to the remote island for a weekend with a friend. We know the weekend will be filled with the usual teenage material, but someone on the island starts to pick the teenagers off one by one or is this just a giant prank?
This film does a good job building up the kills like many of the slasher films of the 80s, we don’t actually see any of the kills though, which is a big clue to the final reveal. Everything plays into the hands well and you start to wonder what is going on and who will make it, but if truth be told it tells you early on what is going to happen. One of the draw backs is that the first kill seems to happen as an accident and the twist would involve it being planned. The pranks do get very annoying after a while because I don’t think anyone would put that many pranks together for April fool’s day. In conclusion when you get the 80s slasher film this works well, but it has dated and will leave the now generation feeling let down. (6/10)
Actor Review
Deborah Foreman: Muffy the mysterious lady who invites her friends to the island, but after a while she seems distant, could she be hiding something? Solid performance in what is an interesting role that is full of surprise. (5/10)
Support Cast: It is hard to pick just a couple of the support cast, they all comprise of the people who make it to the island and get picked off one by one. They all have something that makes them different but they all make slasher movie mistakes. Each plays their part well and become important to the final outcome.
Director Review: Fred Walton – In the era of slasher films this would be good direction and would give the audience something different, whether they would like it is a different discussion. It was a smart idea but did it all make sense? (5/10)
Horror: Typical Slasher level horror that will do all but create a new monster. (6/10)
Mystery: You are left wondering what is going on, what the motivation is and who will make it. (7/10)
Settings: Isolation achieved with the friends getting stuck on an island. (9/10)
Suggestion: This is one for late night television fans out there, it will be enjoyed by all that stay up and watch but don’t go out your way to see it. (Late Night TV)
Best Part: Final Twist
Worst Part: Even though I like the final twist, it make most of the film pointless.
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No sequel, but has been remade.
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $ 13 Million
Budget: $5 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 29 Minutes
Tagline: Last one out’s a goner
Trivia: Due to the film being light on violence it received frequent airings on late night television, where it gained a large cult following.
Overall: Slasher With a Different Type of Twist
Rating
