April Fools Day: Cult Movie Review

[@l.salisbury1253]

If Agatha Christie had been alive when this came out she would've had grounds for a plagiarism suit. Much of this is lifted from "...And Then There Were None"!

[@louismendoza-y9l]

This was a cast of killable fools you would see in any movie from this time period. So, the end twist did work on me, but I was a kid when this film came out.

[@camerastooge]

"There is a twist, and the clue is in the title..." (ad roll begins) KZbin couldn't time it better if they tried!

[@geraldmartin7703]

Leah Pinsent (Nan) is daughter of popular Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent. I thought she did a fine job, finishing the movie with a flourish with the retractable knife.

[@minhthunguyendang9900]

I trembled until the very last moment !

[@MrAlsachti]

They missed a great opportunity by naming her Muffy. They should have named her April! Imagine that: "It's not April! It's her twin sister June!"

[@scottjo63]

Not mentioned is Muffy Buffy was played by our favorite Valley Girl (1983) Deborah Foreman and Kit, the blond who sees the body underneath the pier, floating by, is played by Amy Steel, the heroine of Friday The 13th Part 2.

[@tomjohnson4922]

Amy is my favorite final girl

[@Duragizer8775]

The only other things I've seen Deborah Foreman in are _Waxwork_ and _Lunatics: A Love Story_ . First time I watched _Waxwork_ , I thought she was Sheryl Lee.

[@minhthunguyendang9900]

2:30 Biff Tannen wants to get BTTF(Biff To The Future)

[@JeffreyDeCristofaro]

Talk about a gag going on too long - watching this one, you feel like you're stuck in a whole zone of gags overstaying their welcome that ends up becoming hell.

[@squashchefan]

There is also a 2008 remake and I really feel this missed a trick. I would've produced a new poster, new trailer etc but when people turned up at the cinema it's the same film. The ultimate April fools day prank!

[@eddysgaming9868]

This is actually a good suggestion. Made me chuckle.

[@Donathon-qx8kq]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@robotrix]

That "remake" along with one with an all Black cast are actually remakes of Slaughter High. Also heard that Easter Bunny Massacre is the same plot only with no real characters.

[@Malum09]

There was a remake?

[@squashchefan]

@@Malum09 maybe just in name only. I've never had the pleasure of watching it

[@joseph7988]

"It's alright, it's Perrier."😁

[@rogerrendzak8055]

Love this film🎞️ ever since, I saw it, the week it came out, back in '86!!! Ending is very original, and unexpecting.

[@ihatevnecks7015]

I've never actually seen this movie, but when I think back to browsing VHS store rentals in my childhood, there's not a single movie cover that stands out more.

[@stardog62]

In 1986, the same year this was released, Griffin O'Neal (Skip) was piloting a boat which he drove between two other boats with a rope tied between them. In the accident that followed, Gian-Carlo Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola's son was decapitated. Sounds like something straight out of this movie.

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

My god,that’s horrible-l thought Gina-Carlo died in a car accident.

[@ChucksCherubs3]

Skip is played by Griffin O'Neal, the late Ryan O'Neal's son.

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

Good to know.

[@benderbendingrodriguez420]

A suprisingly clever 'slasher' despite the flaws. Lots of fun

[@RavenHouseMystery]

To begin with, the apostrophe is in the correct place. This film came out while I was in college, so it was kind of a guilty pleasure for me at the time. I loved the twist ending, but my friends were pretty split on it. I thought there was some good chemistry with the cast. They did act like they were long life friends. The music is also very good and atmospheric. A bit of trivia, the screenwriter Danilo Bach also wrote the Beverly Hills Cop trilogy.

[@ericjanssen394]

“A group of thinly drawn cliche’s”. Exactly: When the first line of the movie is “I’m Muffy St. Clair”, I almost quit on the movie right there, thinking, “I know it’s the 80’s, but you have GOT to be f***in’ kidding…🤦‍♂️”

[@davidchurch5932]

Apostrophe? We don't need no stinking apostrophe!

[@jennifer_mertens]

I remember being 13 and seeing this in the movie theater. I also remember the iconic VHS cover gracing the shelves for years at my local Rental Shop. The story was actually very nuanced. For example, the recording of the baby crying and then later, it comes out the girl had gotten "rid" of a baby. Just little tidbits throughout that made the movie even better with repeated viewings. Just a classic.

[@jimnasium452]

As Zappa spoke, "The crux of the biscuit is the Apostrophe."

[@ashleys9397]

The Grand Wazoo himself once also most memorably quipped "May your own shit come to life and kiss you on the face".

[@l.a.gothro3999]

So many movies I have heard of but haven't seen...and many of them, I don't *need* to see them, because your reviews are just great. Thanks!

[@philipmorris4843]

One strange thing I believe one of the actors is Griffin O’Neil and a boat accident. He was charged with negligence in a boating accident that took the life of Francis Ford Coppola’s son

[@connorbrennan4233]

I said this in my initial review, but I expected more from this film, especially since NOES opened the door for a new level of slasher fare.

[@NoirFan01]

The thing is that actor Tom Wilson (Arch) was actually good looking and likable except for his role as Biff Tannen in Back to the Future. I recently watched the "so bad it's good movie" Let's Get Harry (also 1986) and had a hard time recognizing Tom Wilson as the character Bob Pachowski because he wasn't playing a jerk/bully like Biff.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

he has played a wide number of voice roles, you likely heard him without ever realizing that he had been a part of it

[@DennisAlexis]

Yes, Arch is kinda hot.

[@minhthunguyendang9900]

His makeup in BTTF, especially 3, must be hardly less painful than that of Lon Chaney in the 1925 « Phantom of the Opera »

[@minhthunguyendang9900]

One of my all time favorite slasher movies : NO one died in the end, which is worthy of the beginning ! (I presume Muffy’s birthday 🎂 to be April 1st)

[@danielgehring7437]

I've always thought the problem was, there shouldn't be an apostrophe at all. The day doesn't belong to the fool(s), it belongs to the ones pranking the fool(s). AFD is simply the day there is/are April Fool(s), and we don't otherwise allow the mere existence of something rights of possession. Otherwise it would be Christmas's Day, Arbor's Day, or Black's History Month. And even when a celebration day _does_ imply some form of ownership over that day, such as in the case of Veterans Day, we don't generally use an apostrophe. The only exception is New Year's Day, which does 'give' that day to the New Year, but that's a singular entity which can take possession; if it were April Fool's Day, that would imply there's just one person out there who's the butt of every joke and their life is a living hell, and we've have to change the name of the holiday to "Make Bill Unalive Himself Day" anyway.

[@thrashpondopons8348]

True... It should be 'A' Pril, Fools Day'!

[@NinjaNezumi]

So, this is the precursor to Michael Douglas's The Game.

[@karlkarlos3545]

Well, thanks for spoiling this one for everyone who hasn't seen it yet.

[@reignfire85]

Oh man, I remember that film! I actually enjoyed watching it years ago, not sure if it holds up for me.

[@ConnorNotyerbidness]

Which you just lost

[@nemesis2142]

That was what I immediately thought!

[@NinjaNezumi]

@@karlkarlos354530 year old film.... you're lazy

[@maplebob23]

I really hated slasher movies back in the day and rarely watched them but somehow managed to see this and the twist made me see this as good. Of course, I watched it again, years later, and noticed all the plot holes but my stance on slasher movies also softened over the years and I see all these things in more of a historical context. Still, I find a lot of slashers to be boring and so this goes into the “less boring” piles.

[@geraldmartin7703]

I can forgive a slasher in which no one dies.

[@shawntherapidlyaginghipster]

Wait. Was that Biff from Back To The Future?

[@ritawing1064]

Since the alternative name for the day is "All Fools' Day", I'll vote for the s-apostrophe version. There, I'm a pedant.

[@NinjaNezumi]

But only one character is the fool. The movie title is a hint.

[@ritawing1064]

@@NinjaNezumi oh, I thought it was a general question.

[@wildman2012]

You are correct, sir! ..."There are multiple fools in the world for which April Fools is their holiday. Following this same logic would also explain why the holiday is sometimes referred to as All Fools’ Day because there are many many fools and this is their day. And unlike Father’s Day, April Fool’s Day is not meant to be a holiday directed at individuals but, rather, the entire lot of fools in the world. This is why I would advise anyone writing a paper to use April Fools’ Day, not April Fool’s Day."

[@ashleys9397]

Always feel free to pendanticate away.

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

I agree with Robin-l recently watched this film again and l found the tone of the movie disjointed and chaotic.Not to mention the serious gaps in logic and plausibility and how Muffy’s plan hinged on a bunch of things turning out in just the right way.Plus there’s the very real fact that some of the pranks are traumatizing and quite dangerous.I particularly felt sorry for the young woman forced to recall the secret abortion she had.Just an annoying,implausible movie with obnoxious,vapid characters.

[@TheRealNormanBates]

2:22 I used to have hair like that. 3:31 considering that is what the word "fuck" means... well, at least he was being honest. AND proving that he has a good work ethic.

[@JohnSmith-x8s5g]

That was a smooooth pick up line.

[@michaelfarineau6]

“,… I don’t know what made me think of that.”. Well done Sir, we’ll done.

[@JamesMC04]

The similarity between this Muffy, and Muffy Crosswire in the "Arthur" series, is remarkable. If this Muffy were an anthropomorphic monkey, they might even be the same person.

[@minhthunguyendang9900]

One of my all time favorite slasher movies : NO one dies in the end !

[@1kylecurry]

I have enjoyed this clever horror slasher spoof since its release in 1986. A clever & fun addition to the genre. Tongue in cheek cult classic.

[@skylx0812]

I prefer... Bart: _"April F-"_ **KABOOM!!!*

[@vinnygolia1596]

I went to buy a t-shirt to support the channel, but I did not see a Science Advisor edition T-sheet or hoody. Are they all sold out or just non-existent?

[@DarkCornersReviews]

We are planning one. So hold tight.

[@dbsommers1]

This was a fave of mine back in the day.

[@markula_4040]

I actually know Tom "Make like a tree and get out of here" Wilson from 2 things. Back to the Future and... Wing Commander on PC. If you haven't seen it, him and Mark Hamill starred in a couple games in the series that had live action cutscenes in the 90s when that was all the rage. I guess this movie now makes 3 things I know Tom from but I have no confidence I'll remember this a week from now.

[@TheRealNormanBates]

"Chaulk another for the Maniac!"

[@toddboughn5168]

Always enjoyed this one. Clever little slasher. Deborah Foreman is terrific. Also check out My Chauffeur and Waxwork. Sundown is worth a look, too.

[@robertsimpson4532]

Don't forget she was also the original Valley Girl.🙂

[@toddboughn5168]

@@robertsimpson4532 Almost forgot. Nicholas Cage's first big role, too.

[@erikthewriter]

Because of the ending I always kinda hated this movie

[@OtakuHanzo]

One of my favorite horror films. Absolutely loved it and all it's cheesiness. 🥰

[@mikehunt4986]

I would've been so pissed at the ending had I ever seen this film.

[@LucyLioness100]

My mom saw this back in ‘86 & she actually liked it and the infamous twist ending. Mom isn’t the biggest slasher fan, but this one just worked for her. Now the less said about the terrible ‘08 “remake” the better 😉😅

[@mahatmarandy5977]

So what was the alternate ending? I really hated this movie. Had a minor crush on one of the actresses only sat through it, and I was just painful. I did not see the ending coming because I was just a stupid teenager, and I am embarrassed about that, but when I did find out what the ending was, I was just hats stomping mad. And everyone around me seemed to think that it was the greatest movie ever , because they were all stupid teenagers too I guess. Oh well.

[@Marveryn]

if i was going to do an alternate ending. The wine was poison and she really did kll them all

[@DarkCornersReviews]

In the original script, after Muffy reveals the whole weekend was setup, the guests leave except for Rob, Kit, Chaz and Nikki who sneak back to the house to prank Muffy for revenge. However when they return, Skip cracks and attempts to kill Muffy in a jealous rage. Rob jumps in and saves Muffy, killing Skip in the process. This ending actually was filmed but didn't make final cut as the studio opted for a more upbeat conclusion. This ending is identical to how the book plays out. The film had an additional alternate ending scripted at one point. In that ending Muffy, is left to believe she is alone on the island. Skip bursts out of a closet and cuts Muffy's throat. She screams only to have the rest of the characters, thought to be gone, enter the room laughing - they pranked her back.

[@eddysgaming9868]

Don't apologize for being a stupid teen once. We've all been there.

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

I’d like to know what the alternate ending was myself;yes,this is a ridiculous,implausible,infuriating movie.

[@DarkCornersReviews]

In the original script, after Muffy reveals the whole weekend was setup, the guests leave except for Rob, Kit, Chaz and Nikki who sneak back to the house to prank Muffy for revenge. However when they return, Skip cracks and attempts to kill Muffy in a jealous rage. Rob jumps in and saves Muffy, killing Skip in the process. This ending actually was filmed but didn't make final cut as the studio opted for a more upbeat conclusion. This ending is identical to how the book plays out. The film had an additional alternate ending scripted at one point. In that ending Muffy, is left to believe she is alone on the island. Skip bursts out of a closet and cuts Muffy's throat. She screams only to have the rest of the characters, thought to be gone, enter the room laughing - they pranked her back.

[@bobbyd.1890]

Thematically appropriate!

[@Subjectivity13]

"April Fool's Day" implies "the Day of the April Fool," which I'm fine with. Each fool could be considered separate, or it could be named after a singular Fool from history who started the tradition. Also, I think Muffy's test run was too big to pull it all off in one day, so either she was going to start a day early, or continue a day late. It was all about setting up a business though, so I don't think the holiday is that important to what her actual motivation turned out to be.

[@matthewh.9544]

I remember renting this on VHS... It was shite then too.. 😅😅

[@skyllalafey]

I remember that I rented it (couldn't resist due to the cover; the noose braid is awesome!) yet managed to forget the content entirely. Even this review didn't make me go "oh yeah, I remember that part!"... a testament to this film's quality.

[@ashleys9397]

Shite. Aye.

[@raincoaster99]

Off-topic but I’m staying in a house with a rat infestation. Got any good rat movies beyond Willard and Ben? The exterminator says this could take two months.

[@ashleys9397]

There's the '83 Canadian flick OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN with Peter "RoboCop/Naked Lunch" Weller. The rats are the size of sewer gators. So if you can handle the (over)size factor it might make for an O.K. watch.

[@raincoaster99]

@@ashleys9397 thanks!

[@minhthunguyendang9900]

Have you thought of calling « The Exterminators » with Amber Heard as Chief ExterminatriX ?

[@dragonchaserkev]

The pranks were day one and she was testing out her "magical Murder Mystery tour" on day 2?

[@robotrix]

This still makes more sense that the other April Fools Day a/k/a Slaughter High. The actors are the right age for their characters, they aren't Brits failing to sound American and they don't keep claiming that April Fools ends at noon - something not practiced in the States. However, you are definitely supposed to hate the ones in Slaughter High so that does help. And we don't need no stinkin' apostrophe...

[@GeneSavage]

According to Wikipedia, the comma is NOT in the right place in the movie title. And I trust everything Wikipedia says, 100%.

[@tomjohnson4922]

I don't think I've ever seen the apostrophe anywhere else. As to the movie itself I actually quite enjoy it, but then for it's basically a slasher version of Then There Were None.

[@nedludd7622]

This seems actually pretty good for a teenager/young adult exploitation movie. From these clips it seems that the tongue-in-cheek tacky jokes could actually work in the scenes.

[@minhthunguyendang9900]

2:28 Biff Tannen who wanted to get BTTF(BiffToTheFuture)

[@Caine7ify]

Funny thing, Cinema Snob's doing the review of this right now too. And that ain't no foolin'.

[@NinjaNezumi]

April Fool's Day is correct, as there is only one fool in the movie.

[@DarkCornersReviews]

Surely she fools all of them?

[@NinjaNezumi]

@@DarkCornersReviewsAh but is not the viewer the true fool?

[@bpark222]

The correct punctuation is actually an interesting topic(to me). Apparently either way is accepted, but I thing the plural possessive April Fool’ Day is correct, or more correct. Example, the singular possessive fir Mother’s Day is applied so that each person or family can celebrate a day specifically for their mother, while April Fools’ is meant, if seen as a holiday, as celebration as collective for all thd world’s fools, not intended for each specific family or person to celebrate, or trick, a fool designated to them. Sorry for all that I just got excited when you brought up grammar.

[@1989nonenowhere]

There is an episode of Psych with the same idea as this movie

[@jongroskin729]

I couldn't take my eyes off the deadly claw shirt the whole time.

[@DarkCornersReviews]

They're available here... www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/47540391-giant-claw-dark-corners?store_id=1309915

[@josephmayfield945]

I agree with you on this one. Didn’t like it when I saw it as a ten in the 90’s. Then heard lots of people in recent years saying the loved it. So I gave it another go recently, and was not impressed.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

apostrophe is in the right place: she was the fool, a stupid one but still the fool

[@DanDoty-i5n]

Not much of movie ( it was the 80's after all) but Deborah Foreman did great job in WAXWORK ( 1988 ).

[@blueberrypanquakes]

I enjoy this one. There are boys and pieces that don't make sense, but the twist is fun. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@paultapner2769]

I've never put an apostrophe in the word Fools. The thought I might have been doing something wrong all these years is interesting. But then all my old school teachers who would have yelled at me for such things must be long gone. Including one who would fly off the handle if you began a sentence with the word because. So at least I can get away with it. Why didn't they like sentences beginning with because, I hear you ask? Well....because!

[@toughbutsweet1]

She might have replied, "Because I said so."

[@billjones5741]

Such a great poster

[@peterbailey6930]

Not a movie I should admit to going to theater to see in 86, but Alas Poor Yorick I knew THEM... I'm good but Ms. Foreman was not the best scream queen. Great review as always

[@itowmyhome797]

Thank you

[@stephenperry4197]

April Fool Is Day 🤔

[@GleeChan]

Just waiting for Arch to call someone 'Butthead'.

[@richardhart9204]

I actually have this weird little oddity on DVD.

[@steealconwyrick1999]

The apostrophe’s not in the right place

[@askiates]

Darn, I was looking forward to watching Caroline Munro

[@moblocke]

But you know it should have been the genuinely odd concoction of Slaughter High. Which is fun and weird and wrong and all over the place. And much more interesting than April Fool's Day. And Caroline Munroe..

[@themysteriousdomainmoviepalace]

I like the fake Meg Ryan

[@BigSlimyBlob]

Nice try, but I figured out it wasn't a real review when Optimus Prime showed up at the cabin.

[@reignfire85]

At work today I was thinking, the channel's merch lineup needs a "Dark Corners Breakout Character" shirt. Maybe one day.

[@newhorizons1]

This is a brilliant little dimond of a movie. A diffrent type of horror movie. Absolutely gross and fun. I have this in my horror dvd collection. Brilliant.

[@Prohass]

It’s criminal that this channel isn’t more popular

[@martincann5052]

Wait, was the ferryman getting injured also a prank or was that legitimate?

[@DarkCornersReviews]

That was part of the prank. He apparently ducked under the water, applied his make-up and came back out.

[@martincann5052]

@@DarkCornersReviews Blimey. Tom Savini, eat your heart out.

[@antoinettegreen5344]

This movie really made me mad!!! Hate it ! Joke on the people who paid to see this 🤬🤬🤬

[@GranTyrant]

I love this movie

[@smacksalad]

As a thinly drawn cliche myself, I find all this very offensive.

[@Duragizer8775]

I first watched this back in 2003, when I was 16 years old. I was a big _Friday the 13th_ fan back then, so I got a small kick out of seeing Amy Steel in it. Aside from that, I wasn't entertained and found the ending lame. Rewatched it in around 2017. Liked it slightly more that second time, maybe? Still nothing special.

[@CarlKeeling1881]

I like this movie

[@iyona14granturismogt6gtspo7]

Really people? The likes are not gonna stay 666 for fk sake.

[@shannondore]

The whole cast was annoying, and I was kinda happy when they started getting picked off one by one. Then the big reveal. Whomp whomp!!🙄

[@nolotrippen2970]

And yet your title has NO apostrophe. Mystery solved.

[@marklotinga]

There's surely a muffy / camel toe joke here somewhere......can anyone help me out here?

[@DarkCornersReviews]

One character does make a joke about Muff diving in that scene on the boat.

[@marklotinga]

​@@DarkCornersReviews Ah, got to love the classics!

[@Philbert-s2c]

This movie was ridiculously stupid.... and I have to say, at the time I quite enjoyed it.

[@glenmcculla6843]

I still prefer 'Slaughter High'.

[@buzzawuzza3743]

There were hundreds if not thousands of movies made between 1980 and 1989 and less than ten are worth watching. That's why my friends and I are not going to make a 1980s style monster movie. Instead we're going to make a good old fashioned 1950s mixed up teenager becomes a monster in a rubber suit movie. We're going to give audiences what they really want and we're going to make it easy for them to find our film. We're going to call it RUBBER SUIT.

[@shallendor]

It was a fun film, worth watching!

[@dawwe8869]

Eyy

[@EveryoneWhoUsesThisTV]

I find horror trying to be horror funny, but horror trying to be comedy rarely works. So Evil dead is comedy with a horror theme, not a horror/comedy in my book! :)

[@voodoochile333]

let me guess........ he didnt like this......? add it to the rest.......

[@billg3356]

Surely this negative review is an April Fool's Day prank