Happy Birthday To Me [VHS]
starring: Melissa Sue Anderson, Glenn Ford, Lawrence Dane, Sharon Acker, Frances Hyland (II)
directed by: J. Lee Thompson
directed by: J. Lee Thompson
![Happy Birthday To Me [VHS]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21BZSW1TDBL._SL160_.jpg)
Amazon.com:
Happy Birthday to Me typifies the horror genre prior to the self-reflection and irony that saturated the genre in the late '80s and '90s.A solid cast, decent acting, a well-written script, and relatively high production values result in a solid movie that is engaging on its own in addition to offering a glimpse into the history of '80s horror.The plot follows the rules of the genre (later parodied in such films as the Scream and Scary Movie series).A number of teenagers (played by actors who appear visibly older than their characters) from an elite prep school get into mischievous sexual situations fueled by alcohol and pot smoking.As teens start to disappear, murdered in a variety of violent ways, the film suggests a number of suspects.Is the killer the troubled star played by Melissa Sue Anderson who lost her overbearing, social-climbing mother in a car accident that she survived?Or is it the stern school mistress, the wacky, cool social clown, the social misfit, or none of the above?The film keeps you guessing until the final scene.Happy Birthday is a must-see for serious fans of the horror genre and this release is a solid digital mastering of the movie.Hardcore fans should note that the DVD release was not able to secure the rights to the original soundtrack so this version features an alternate soundtrack of largely nondescript '80s electronic music.--Brian Saltzman
Happy Birthday to Me typifies the horror genre prior to the self-reflection and irony that saturated the genre in the late '80s and '90s.A solid cast, decent acting, a well-written script, and relatively high production values result in a solid movie that is engaging on its own in addition to offering a glimpse into the history of '80s horror.The plot follows the rules of the genre (later parodied in such films as the Scream and Scary Movie series).A number of teenagers (played by actors who appear visibly older than their characters) from an elite prep school get into mischievous sexual situations fueled by alcohol and pot smoking.As teens start to disappear, murdered in a variety of violent ways, the film suggests a number of suspects.Is the killer the troubled star played by Melissa Sue Anderson who lost her overbearing, social-climbing mother in a car accident that she survived?Or is it the stern school mistress, the wacky, cool social clown, the social misfit, or none of the above?The film keeps you guessing until the final scene.Happy Birthday is a must-see for serious fans of the horror genre and this release is a solid digital mastering of the movie.Hardcore fans should note that the DVD release was not able to secure the rights to the original soundtrack so this version features an alternate soundtrack of largely nondescript '80s electronic music.--Brian Saltzman
Browse for similar items by category:
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- loved it!
I purchased "Happy Birthday to Me." The movie was in excellent condition and was a great buy. Price was a little high but the movie made up for that. I really enjoyed it!
Rating: - Cheezy
I grew up watching Little House on the Prairie and loved it to this day watching re-runs. I still have a hard time looking at the kids as adults. This movie is cheezy but, great because it showed Sue Anderson in another role. She did well.
Rating: 
- 4 stars for the movie, 1 star for the DVD
"Happy Birthday to Me" is one of the classiest slasher films ever made; it's suspenseful, it has very high production values, and it has some pretty good performances from people like Glenn Ford and Melissa Sue Anderson, who was best known as Mary Ingalls on the TV show "Little House on the Prairie".Despite having a big-name director (J. Lee Thompson) and a major studio (Columbia Pictures) behind it, "Happy Birthday to Me" is mostly remembered for the hilariously exploitive poster art (shish kabobs, ... Read More
Rating: 
- manwhy ????
I just Brought This New Dvd Copy And I really Think They Destroyed It I Mean Why Did They Had To Redo The Music Score I Mean I Agree With The Others I Been Trying To Get This Movie On Dvd For A While Now And It's Not Worth It I'm Better Off Just Watching My Vhs TapeAt Lease It's The Original I Only Give It Two Stars Because The Picture Shows A Lot Better Than My Vhs But At Lease It's a Lot Scary Than That Garbage That They Have On Dvd
Rating: 
- One of the Slasher Greats!
I am a slasher afficianado and have seen them all hundreds of times, but Happy Birthday to Me will always be in my top 10 because of it's storyline and imagery, not to mention the bizarre and wicked kills!
The unfortunate thing is that the original score was replaced...and the new score does not work with the film.I will never understand why they had rights issues with the original soundtrack, but the original score is a million times better than this one.
That aside, the film ... Read More
- loved it!I purchased "Happy Birthday to Me." The movie was in excellent condition and was a great buy. Price was a little high but the movie made up for that. I really enjoyed it!
- CheezyI grew up watching Little House on the Prairie and loved it to this day watching re-runs. I still have a hard time looking at the kids as adults. This movie is cheezy but, great because it showed Sue Anderson in another role. She did well.
- 4 stars for the movie, 1 star for the DVD"Happy Birthday to Me" is one of the classiest slasher films ever made; it's suspenseful, it has very high production values, and it has some pretty good performances from people like Glenn Ford and Melissa Sue Anderson, who was best known as Mary Ingalls on the TV show "Little House on the Prairie".Despite having a big-name director (J. Lee Thompson) and a major studio (Columbia Pictures) behind it, "Happy Birthday to Me" is mostly remembered for the hilariously exploitive poster art (shish kabobs, ... Read More
- manwhy ????I just Brought This New Dvd Copy And I really Think They Destroyed It I Mean Why Did They Had To Redo The Music Score I Mean I Agree With The Others I Been Trying To Get This Movie On Dvd For A While Now And It's Not Worth It I'm Better Off Just Watching My Vhs TapeAt Lease It's The Original I Only Give It Two Stars Because The Picture Shows A Lot Better Than My Vhs But At Lease It's a Lot Scary Than That Garbage That They Have On Dvd
- One of the Slasher Greats!I am a slasher afficianado and have seen them all hundreds of times, but Happy Birthday to Me will always be in my top 10 because of it's storyline and imagery, not to mention the bizarre and wicked kills!
The unfortunate thing is that the original score was replaced...and the new score does not work with the film.I will never understand why they had rights issues with the original soundtrack, but the original score is a million times better than this one.
That aside, the film ... Read More
