At the snobby Crawford Academy, Virginia's group of friends start to go missing years after horrible events that happened to her as a child around her birthday.At the snobby Crawford Academy, Virginia's group of friends start to go missing years after horrible events that happened to her as a child around her birthday.At the snobby Crawford Academy, Virginia's group of friends start to go missing years after horrible events that happened to her as a child around her birthday.
- Awards
- 3 nominations total
Tracey E. Bregman
- Ann Thomerson
- (as Tracy Bregman)
Michel-René Labelle
- Etienne Vercures
- (as Michel Rene Labelle)
Jérôme Tiberghien
- Prof. Heregard
- (as Jerome Tiberghien)
Featured reviews
A nearly 2 hour excuse to showcase some grisly deaths and silly plot twists, but that's not a bad thing. I did sometimes wonder if the film's content really supported the run time, but the pacing isn't terrible, so you don't spend most of the movie checking your watch. It's nice to see Melissa Sue Anderson in something other than Little House on the Prairie and she's really likable in this as the birthday girl with memory problems whose friends keep disappearing and she might be the one responsible. The finale is one of the silliest and most entertaining conclusions I've ever seen.
The teenager Virginia Wainwright (Melissa Sue Anderson) studies in the traditional Crawford Academy and belongs to a group of wealthy friends named The Top Ten. Virginia had a serious car accident a couple of years ago where her mother died. Now she lives with her father and is psychologically treated by the prominent Dr. David Faraday (Glenn Ford). She has also frequent blackouts but she is slowly recovering her memory. When one by one of her friends are murdered and disappears, Virginia starts to believe that she is the killer, but Dr. Faraday does not think so. Who might be the serial-killer?
"Happy Birthday to Me" is a creepy slasher with a good story with many twists. When it seems to have disclosed the killer and the motive, there is one last unexpected twist that surprises the viewer. The conclusion is extremely dark and makes this movie one of the best in the genre. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Feliz Aniversário para Mim" ("Happy Birthday to Me")
Note: On 30 Jun 2020, I saw this film again.
"Happy Birthday to Me" is a creepy slasher with a good story with many twists. When it seems to have disclosed the killer and the motive, there is one last unexpected twist that surprises the viewer. The conclusion is extremely dark and makes this movie one of the best in the genre. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Feliz Aniversário para Mim" ("Happy Birthday to Me")
Note: On 30 Jun 2020, I saw this film again.
Well first things first, It makes me wonder if the creators of scream and I know what you did last summer watched this movie to get ideas. This movie I think is BETTER then those movies, It has way more suprises in the ending thats for sure. And best of all its filmed in Canada! Good shocks, Good death scenes (the dumbell!), and a great plot make this a winner. Just when you think you know the killer it changes again and again Worth the price to rent (I just saw it on movie PIX for free uncut and commerical free) A solid 7/10 Check out my other horror movie reviews click on my name above!
Happy Birthday To Me started off looking promising, with a girl getting her throat slit, and the pace moving along nicely. But then things started to get confusing, as the girl has flashbacks, and you're left trying to figure out how this fits into the storyline. At the end of the film it starts making a little more sense, but then suddenly things take an unexpected twist (a twist too far if you ask me) and the film gets too far fetched, resulting in a spoilt film. If they had of left the twist as it was rather than adding the ridiculous second twist, it would have been a much better film. However, there are many good scenes which get points from me such as the flashback of the car falling off the bridge - it's very well done and we get to see the car falling in at different angles. The acting from Virginia's mother is also superb for her brief appearance. There are some unusual death scenes too although I must have seen the cut version because I didn't get to see much of them.
Overall, this film could have been a lot better without the elements that make it confusing, but it's still worth seeking out and is better than a lot of slashers out there.
Overall, this film could have been a lot better without the elements that make it confusing, but it's still worth seeking out and is better than a lot of slashers out there.
This was quite different from any other slasher that came out in the 80's. You could tell that they really wanted their death scenes to be set apart from all the other slashers. I mean, who can resist this movie after seeing the cover anyway? I was a little disappointed to see the 'actual' shish kabob scene as opposed to what they have on the movie cover. but hey, thats marketing for you. Although none of the characters were very likeable, the theme of the movie keeps you going. I would have hated the movie if they hadnt thrown in that last twist in the end though.
Did you know
- TriviaMany fans were upset with the 2004 DVD release from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The cover was completely different, and a disco score played over the opening credits, instead of the original atmospheric piano piece. In 2009, Anchor Bay/Starz Home Entertainment re-released the DVD using the original poster as the cover, and restored the original music over the opening sequence.
- GoofsWhen the car flies over the drawbridge it sustains immense damage. The damage vanishes later.
- Quotes
Virginia Wainwright: God, you've got a lot of nerve.
Etienne Vercures: That's not all I've got. Want to see?
- Alternate versionsUK cinema and 1986 RCA/Columbia video releases were culled from a longer print with slightly gorier footage of the weight-lift and shish kebab death scenes. The DVD releases are the edited R-rated version.
- SoundtracksHappy Birthday to Me
Music by Lance Rubin
Lyrics by Molly-Ann Leikin
Performed by Syreeta Wright
Courtesy of Motown Records
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Feliz cumpleaños para mí
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- CA$3,500,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 50 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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