Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

My Bloody Valentine 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

My Bloody Valentine is a classic slasher film produced in Canada. The Canadian horror film has withstood the test of time to become a cult classic favorite with horror fans. Shot in Canada in the Sydney Mines and Nova Scotia, the film features beautiful on-location photography. Based on the original concept by Stephen A. Miller, My Bloody Valentine was produced by John Dunning (Happy Birthday to Me, Rabid), Andre Link (My Bloody Valentine 3D, Happy Birthday to Me), and Stephen Miller (My Bloody Valentine 3D, Airwolf). My Bloody Valentine was a film picked up for release by Paramount Pictures during its first theatrical exhibition. The original cut fell victim to the hands of censorship with the MPAA forcing cuts to the film. Shout Factory provides an uncut film presentation on the release.

Every Valentine’s Day someone has their heart broken in half. Perhaps their heart has been crushed in to a million pieces. The hearts of the lonely are ripe for being destroyed. One such Valentine’s Day, an unexpected tragedy causes five miners to lose their lives. The only survivor to the night’s horror is Harry Warden. Upon surviving the night, Harry Warden is institutionalized. One year later, Harry Warden burst out from the institution and caused a chaotic blood-bath to ensue – killing an onslaught of people on the first anniversary on the miner tragedy.

Flash-forward 19 years later and it is time for another Valentine’s Day celebration to commence. Lovers T.J. (Paul Kelman) and Sarah (Lori Hallier) are looking forward to the festivities. Close friend Axel (Neil Affleck) is also excited about a Valentine’s Day party. Yet these aloof teenagers soon find a candy box with a warning about an impending bloodbath. Could Harry Warden somehow be back for a new trip of revenge on sweet Valentine’s Day? Will these teenagers even survive the night – a night of bloody and terrifying horror?

The cast does excellent work in the film. Slasher films aren’t always the first thing to come to mind when one thinks of quality performances. The main cast members do great work here, though - Paul Kelman, Lori Hallier, and Neil Affleck are especially impressive as the leading cast members. The supporting cast includes Keith Knight as Hollis, Alf Humphreys as Howard, Cynthia Dale as Patty, Helene Udy as Sylvia, Rob Stein as John, and Thomas Kovacs as Mike. The supporting cast performances are excellent and contribute a great deal to the suspense and horrifying thrills of the production as well.

The cinematography by Rodney Gibbons (Screamers, The Amityville Curse) is one of the great highlights of the film and with the new 4K restoration one can appreciate the production merits of the visuals as intended. The cinematography is well stylized and provides a nice balance between showcasing the serenity of the Valentine’s Day holiday and the terror of the slasher elements in the film. The nice contrast of styles provides an aesthetic that carries the film to greater heights as a horror film. A wonderful undertaking by Gibbons.

Edited by Gérald Vansier (Evil Judgement, Asylum) and Rit Wallis (The Surrogate, Nowhere to Hide), My Bloody Valentine is a well-assembled horror film with plenty of great moments to shock audiences. A sense of calm before the storm adds tension to the filmmaking while the terrorizing slaughter of the slasher genre makes the film a good showcase for the bloodbath that ensues. A good cut and it is a testament to Shout Factory that the uncut presentation is available on the release.

The score composed by Paul Zaza (Prom Night, Popcorn) adds unease and tension to the slasher genre and provides a solid backdrop to the Valentine’s Day nightmare. The score is well established early in the film and it builds tension throughout the production. The score sounds terrific and there is a lot worth appreciating here. The music certainly enhances the production and brings out the best of the scares.

Featuring excellent art direction by Veronica Hadfield (Superstition, Illusions), My Bloody Valentine has a compelling production aesthetic. The art direction in the film is one of the highlights of the film. For one thing, the cave setting from the beginning of the tale (as the film unfolds) adds a nice sense of menace and unease. The art direction capably reflects the style of horror requisite for the production.

Written by John Beaird (Happy Birthday to Me, My Bloody Valentine 3D), My Bloody Valentine features an above average script and there are a lot of great moments in the film. The script provides viewers with interesting characters – characters a step above cookie-cutter slasher fare that sometimes can materialize. It is no wonder the film became a cult favorite. The horror magic begins with the script.

George Mihalka (Pick-Up Summer, Eternal Evil) directs and brings the mayhem some style. The film is visually interesting especially during the final act of the film. Mihalka does a good job with the cast. Directing with a style that is reserved during the dramatic moments and voyeuristic during the big slasher scenes, the filmmaking works quite well. Mihalka did a good job in the director’s chair and My Bloody Valentine stands out as a classic of the slasher genre.

My Bloody Valentine 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on 4K UHD by Shout Factory, My Bloody Valentine is presented in 2160p HEVC / H.265 in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. The 4K UHD comes from a new 4K restoration. Shout Factory provides the 4K restoration in HDR10 and Dolby Vision. The 4K presentation is of the Unrated Cut. The theatrical cut is also included in the set on a separate Blu-ray disc. The 4K scan and restoration is incredible. This is one of the best-looking discs of the year and a great release by Shout Factory. The picture-quality is jaw-dropping. The clarity and detail present on the release surpassed expectations. The naturally filmic scan retains fine filmic grain in the image. The presentation looks remarkably faithful to the roots of the film. The encoding is first-rate and the image pleases with exceptional color reproduction. The HDR grading is top-notch, too. The HDR is subtle at times but highly effective and engaging throughout the entire presentation. There are some outstanding uses of HDR on the release to enhance some of the terrifying scenes. The quality of the print is also remarkably clear and detailed. The scan does not showcase signs of any noteworthy print damage, debris, dirt, or scratches. My Bloody Valentine has received a truly outstanding 4K restoration that will make fans and newcomers alike enormously happy.

My Bloody Valentine 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (24 bit high-resolution). The lossless, high-resolution audio track is a great accompaniment to the 4K restoration of the feature-film. The fine quality lossless encoding is highly detailed, enormously crisp, and easy on the ears. The track doesn't suffer from any egregious hiss, crackle, pops, and other audio-related source issues. The audio track sounds clear and engaging throughout the presentation. Shout Factory made sure to deliver a audio presentation that would be a good match for the 4K presentation. Though the audio track is not a new Atmos sound mix or something to that nature, there is no feeling of something having been lost: the presentation is top-notch.

My Bloody Valentine 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary with Director George Mihalka (Unrated Cut) – Included on both the 4K UHD and the Blu-ray

Unrated Cut:

My Bloody Valentine 35^th Anniversary Cast Reunion (HD, 46:54)

Thomas Kovacs Performs "The Ballad of Harry Warden" (HD, 5:03)

Theatrical Cut:

Interviews –

My Anemic Valentine with Director George Mihalka (HD, 24:09)

From the Heart with Actor Paul Kelman (HD, 14:15)

Axel, Be My Bloody Valentine with Actor Neil Affleck (HD, 14:48)

Friends of Mine with Actress Lori Hallier (HD, 19:20)

Becoming Sylvia with Actress Helene Udy (HD, 17:17)

Broken Hearts and Broken Bones with Special Effects Make-Up Designer Tom Burman (HD, 10:36)

The Secret Keeper with actor Rob Stein (HD, 27:25)

Holes in the Heart (HD, 12:29)

Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:11)

TV Spots (HD, 1:32)

Radio Spots (HD, 1:01)

Still Gallery with 141 click-through slides.

My Bloody Valentine 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

My Bloody Valentine is a horror classic. Fans of slasher films will find My Bloody Valentine to be a must-see Canadian horror classic with excellent production values, nail-biting suspense, and plenty of good scares. The film is presented by Shout Factory in an uncut version on the 4K UHD disc release. The theatrical cut is also provided on a separate Blu-ray disc in the same package. The release comes loaded with enticing supplemental features and fans will be thrilled with the wide assortment of extras provided. The 4K UHD presentation takes the cake: a pristine, outstanding 4K restoration with stunning clarity and detail. My Bloody Valentine looks filmic and beautiful frame-to-frame. Fans of the film and newcomers alike should consider this a must-purchase release. Highly recommended.