Join us for “Sunday Scaries On Shudder” where we watching a different horror movie from the Shudder library to prepare for the horror that is the week ahead.
Shudder announced its “Febru-scary” content calendar earlier this month, and along side the Boris Karloff Collection, Joe Bob’s Heartbreak Trailer Park, and the newly anticipated Shudder original, Slapface, is a 2001 Jamie Blanks slasher titled Valentine. It has dropped just in time for the month of love, roses, chocolate, and romantic butcher knives covered in blood.
A group of women who have been good friends since middle school are gearing up for Valentines Day, but we start to see a revenge story unfold as they are getting picked off one by one by a masked killer. Much like its slasher predecessors, Valentine relies heavily on a basic formula, extreme kills, and multiple red herrings. There’s plenty of violence to go around in this one. It’s also quite stacked as far as the cast goes- Mary Shelton, David Boreanaz, and Denise Richards are the key players here.
David Boreanaz steals the show in every scene he’s in. He’s just that captivating all around, and Valentine was a great casting for him. You feel for his character, you’re attracted to his character, but you’re also a little terrified of his character. Kind of reminds me of another troubled boyfriend baddie that plays in fake blood in a white t-shirt…
Denise Richards absolutely elevates this film just in a few scenes. She has an unforgettable, bone chilling stare and plays her part perfectly. She, of course, adds an overall sexual element to Valentine, but proves that she can hang with the top tier scream queens.
One of the best and most creative things about this fan favorite is the homemade valentines day cards that the killer sends to the victims before he strikes. They are these vintage inspired cards that articulate and have sinister messages in them foretelling their fate. It’s over the top and silly, and I love it. I wish they would have been sold as a promotional item.
This movie is nowhere near perfect and obviously doesn’t have the power that other slashers like Scream, and even My Bloody Valentine have. There are too many characters to keep track of, and you don’t end up caring about any of them. No one is redeemable in this movie, and maybe that’s why watching them all get their comeuppance is just a fun ride. However, it has one of my favorite endings of any horror movie, ever.
Valentine is now revered as an under-appreciated cult flick, and I can see where the fans are coming from. But, I’m not sure where it lands without the macabre Valentines Day factor. Without that element, this movie is pretty bone dry. It’s a great way to celebrate anti-vday festivities once a year, but no more than that.
Brittany Fernandez is a Lifestyle Writer for SoBros Network. She’s a Nashville native covering events on the local scene, B-movie horror reviews, and everything in between. Her go-to karaoke song is “No Diggity.” Follow on Twitter: @brittbutspooky
Check out the SoBros Shop. Become a Patron. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.
