April Fool's Day (1986)

June 18, 2018

I've been watching a lot of seasonal horror films lately. I swear it is not intentional. But, well, here's another one. April Fool's Day. This was another great film with a strong cast of characters, brutal deaths, and a couple twists in the end that left me both shaking my head and smiling. April Fool's Day is about a group of nine friends who go to a part on their friend Muffy's remote island. Upon arriving each of them is mysteriously killed off one-by-one by an unknown killer.

What I love most about this film is the cast of characters. Each character represents 1980s movie stereotypes (I'm looking at you Breakfast Club). There is the goofy jock, the obnoxious artists (doing a Christian Slater impression.... which is just a Jack Nicholson impression), the Reaganite business student, the prankster, the slut, etc. Rather than being annoying, I really began to like each character. This is a testament to the filmmakers' work. They do a solid amount of character development before people start getting killed off. All the goofing off made me feel like I was on vacation with them.

Also, the film stars Deborah Foreman of Valley Girl and Lobster Man from Mars fame as Muffy! She does a great job as the party hostess who decked out her house in various fun April Fool's pranks and refuses to acknowledge the partiers who continually go missing. Her nervousness creates a certain uneasiness. Also, Biff from Back to the Future is in it as the jock.

In essence the film is a dinner murder mystery where the guests are continually murdered. There are numerous red herrings intent to throw the viewer off. Towards the end of the film we learn that Muffy has a twin sister Buffy who had spent the last three years in an asylum. I thought this was the big twist that I was waiting for. It isn't. I don't want to spoil the ending. Just watch it. The ending might upset you. You might think it is stupid. But try to watch it and not smile. I loved it!