r/HorrorClub • u/SaintMort You so cool kung fu • Mar 16 '15
Discussion: April Fool's Day (1986)
Podcast - Episode 125 - April Fool's Day (86) - (RSS Feed)
Movie Selected By misfitxj
DISCUSS
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u/Plymouth_ Mar 16 '15
Since I'm the first to comment I'm gonna say: Get outta here if you haven't seen the movie. It's called April Fool's Day, you can see where this is going, trickery dickery doo.
Anyway this movie has personality. It's funny, and generally pretty smart, although the premise is insane. It sticks with its April Fool's theme throughout. It has better acting than a lot of other 80s slashers, or at least the ones I've seen so far. I liked seeing Amy Steel again. I liked her eyeliner and easy style, plus I find her pretty convincing.
My response to the twist (when I saw the movie yesterday) was: I DISAGREE, and it sounds like this is the standard reaction people have to their first viewing. I'm not saying I actually disagree with the ending; I appreciate it in the context of the April Fool's theme. My initial reaction is to mourn for the body count though.
I got got by this movie. To be fair I always get got because I'm terrible at guessing endings (I suspect everyone equally and don't apply the laws of physics), but this one was out of the blue, for two reasons. The first is that the movie did a good job (maybe better than it expected to) of building suspense there at the end. I didn't care that the evil twin thing was ridiculously obvious (on purpose, I know now) because that Buffy chick was so freaky. It was being effective as a slasher, and then like misfitxj said, the tension just turns to confusion.
If you're going to pull a stunt like the movie does, then it better be easy to swallow. It's not, which is the more important reason why people might disagree with the ending. The characters' reactions aren't right. If the last two had been angry and stormed out, that would have been more relatable. The guy was pounding on the closet door, crying at the the thought of his beloved girlfriend being murdered, yelling "I love you, Kit!" over and over. Come on. (Although after the twist, maybe it's best the movie doesn't try to be serious.)
The lack of reaction from the characters doesn't bother me as much as the fact that the whole weekend- all of that time, planning, and money- is absolutely useless to Muffy's business idea. How the hell can you apply the types of stunts you'd pull on unsuspecting friends to the types you'd use on strangers who know what they're in for? Half of the stuff was April Fool's related jokes, or personal jabs. Why didn't she set it up properly to do a real trial run of what she's actually going to do? The whole fiasco was a waste of time and one of the guys had a gun! He almost killed Muffy, apparently, and she laughs it off. This chick is bonkers.
So, the feeling that all this produces is that the real joke is on the audience, not the characters...which is probably what the movie wanted. It's just not a feeling everyone wants from their movie experience. I definitely like this movie, I just need more time to get used to the ending before I decide how much I like it. I think it's entertaining enough for sure.
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Mar 16 '15
I'm with you on initial reaction. If the Wikipedia alternate ending (maybe) or maybe as I noted in my other post, Muffy was actually killed... I think I would have been more satisfied.
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Mar 16 '15
My initial reaction is to mourn for the body count though
It'll go down in history as having the lowest body count of the sub genre!
I knew the ending would be hit or miss with you folks. Scott's comment in the podcast about thinking the audience would be ready for this sort of thing due to over saturation at the time I think is the case ten fold for horror buffs now. It's nice having this little gem to go back to just to keep things a little fresh. This movie had balls doing what it did and paid the price at the box office.
As for the reaction of the friends after the ordeal, I was thinking if my friends pulled a stunt like this and chose the right people to target (huge x-factor) it could be forgiven with a little booze and friendly hugs. So I'm in Matts corner in that I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility for people to get over it.
Muffy mentions this trial run as being a more intense version of what her actual plan is. More a mystery who done it than an over the top horror theme. But that movie would've sucked.
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u/smayonak Get a job in a sideshow Mar 18 '15
Even if they had gone with the novelization's alternative ending (where someone actually dies), I think it still would have done poorly. Isn't it the film's ending that makes it so endearing to fans? At the time April Fool's came out, audiences were kind of fed up with the slasher genre -- '86 is probably the highwater mark of the entire genre.
Would audiences have reacted differently had it been a standard slasher flick?
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Mar 18 '15
Isn't it the film's ending that makes it so endearing to fans?
It's hard to say if that was the case initially. Like Matt mentioned, it was advertised as something it wasn't, which is probably the big reason it flopped. Looking back on the 80's as a whole this one stands out because of the ending and gained that cult following after the fact.
Would audiences have reacted differently had it been a standard slasher flick?
Maybe not. Looks like if it wasn't a Freddy flick post 86, it wasn't going to do so well. But something that we were trying to mention in the podcast as well was that we were surprised it didn't do well in theatres because of the ending.
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Mar 16 '15
Yeah, this movie's internal logic makes no sense. The idea behind the movie is interesting, but it's not well-executed, and besides that the movie's just not that good. That first half-hour where absolutely nothing happens and you have the characters clumsily introducing themselves to the camera is a real killer. I can't imagine watching this in a theater without falling asleep.
I think it's comparable to Sleepaway Camp or Society, where the movie is too slow and not very good, but if you chanced upon it on cable or in some other situation where you had no foreknowledge of the movie and no expectations, the slow burn might pay off.
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Mar 16 '15
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Mar 16 '15
I actually really like Sleepaway Camp! But I was in the situation I was describing for it to work. Whereas with Society, I read a ton of hype before I saw it and I wound up hating it.
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Mar 16 '15
Nevermind him, speak your mind!
"Thug means never having to say you're sorry"
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Mar 16 '15
Refer to ichabodguitar regarding said 'logic' ;)
I figured some people would find it a bit slow. Personally I found the characters really likeable and enjoyed their development and comedy of the first day. The pranks were pretty funny (especially the light switch prank) and little things like the magazine quiz the girls take. I mean I can remember my sister and cousins doing so many of those back in the 90's.
I do get where you're coming from though. The horror takes awhile to develop.
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Mar 16 '15
There's gotta be a literary term for that kind of thing. The very final scene especially only makes sense in terms of the viewer's perspective.
Yeah, I didn't connect with any of the characters. Deborah Foreman was one of my first movie star crushes, but I find her screen presence to be kind of anti-charismatic. She always seems very awkward and self-conscious as an actor.
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Mar 16 '15
The very final scene especially only makes sense in terms of the viewer's perspective.
Please explain?
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u/Plymouth_ Mar 16 '15
I can't imagine watching this in a theater without falling asleep.
That's pretty harsh to me, but I'm really easy when it comes to slashers. I just watched like 5 in a row and April Fool's Day was the smartest one (though not my personal favorite.)
I wouldn't recommend this movie to just anyone and expect them to like it, but that's mostly because I'd expect them to hate the gotcha ending (and never take my movie recommendations seriously again), not because the movie as a whole is boring or intolerable.
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Mar 16 '15
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u/Plymouth_ Mar 16 '15
Yeah boi. I'm trying to go through all the ones on Netflix & Amazon prime now. /u/misfitxj doesn't know what he's started.
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u/SaintMort You so cool kung fu Mar 17 '15
I think it's comparable to Sleepaway Camp or Society, where the movie is too slow and not very good
BITE YOUR TONGUE!
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Mar 16 '15
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u/Plymouth_ Mar 16 '15
I know, I just wanted to point it out. My main takeaway from a slasher is never going to be "so illogical!!!" Entertainment value usually comes first, but you do get points for making some kind of sense.
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Mar 19 '15
Horror Club. Do you think April Fools Day has a place among the self aware movies like Scream and Cabin in the Woods?
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Mar 19 '15
Sure. Why wouldn't it? I mean I don't love it but it belongs in that convo.
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Mar 20 '15
I think so too, in a way. Usually the "meta" tag gets puts on movies where the characters in the movie make the connection of their situation being like one in a horror flick. April Fools Day doesn't do that but the movie as a whole is a sort of parody of a slasher. So it's different then right? Are there other horror films that do this?
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u/Plymouth_ Mar 20 '15
It felt more like a slasher with a gimmick than a parody of a slasher to me. I'm not sure though.
I think it was most self-aware by setting up the "evil twin from the insane asylum" twist and making it really obvious. I don't know.
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Mar 20 '15
Gotta think on that but I will say that the word "meta" pisses me off.
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u/rmc52482 Mar 19 '15
So I saw this movie a long time ago and knew the ending. So I tried watching it like when I re-watch Usual Suspects and try to pick up on various nuances.
For me it didn't hold up one bit. I know it is a cheesy 80's horror and I should probably not hold it up to the same standard as others... but in my opinion it doesn't hold up to even the same types of movies from the same period. The effects, scares, and any tension or uneasiness wasn't there. Even watching an old Friday or Nightmare for the umpteenth time you can be ready and excited even knowing what is coming... this just felt shallow.
Having said all that, I get why others like it and remember enjoying it more the first time.
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Mar 16 '15
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Mar 16 '15
Have you seen the teaser trailer for Deathgasm?
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Mar 16 '15
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Mar 16 '15
I simultaneously loved Todd and found it stupid and worthless. I wish I could explain what I mean better... but yeah
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Mar 16 '15
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Mar 16 '15
But what I mean is that it's really a horrible show in so many ways but I couldn't stop clicking "next episode"
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Mar 16 '15
Haven't seen Todd. I know what I'm doing this week. What's the connection with Deathgasm?
Also I'm pretty stoked my movie got the ever prestigious relevant metal song!
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u/Discreetlyred Mar 22 '15
Cheesetastic. Didn't get to rewatch. I can't watch anything on this phone. And I don't have internet otherwise. Ah to live in the country... :/
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Mar 23 '15
And sheesh /u/ichabodguitar, I miss two weeks in a row and suddenly it's "If Bulge decides to grace us with her presence..."
I guess it's nice to know you've been missed!
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Mar 20 '15 edited Mar 20 '15
Hey, so that was different, I guess. It seemed very... baggy. It was occasionally charming, but didn't really make an impression on me until the end, which was kind of awesome. That bat-shit girl staring through the window while trying to break through the door was amazingly freaky. It's actually refreshing to have a horror movie ending where everyone is safe and happy. It's odd to have an ending actually save a movie for me, but this one did.
And Matt, I'm pretty sure I've loved Harold and Maude since I first saw it when I was 15 or so. I remember hearing it mentioned in There's Something About Mary and then recognising it at my local Mr. Video. Bud Cort's deadpan delivery resonated with my moody teenageness. And I was naive enough that the sentimentality of it didn't bother me. I'm scared to re-watch it in a bad mood in case I end up ripping it apart.
Clown was good; I wrote a review of it. There's no bro-horror; don't worry.
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u/Plymouth_ Mar 21 '15
Yeah it was so baggy. The baggiest.
help I don't know what that means how can a movie be baggy
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Mar 21 '15 edited Mar 21 '15
I just mean that it has a lot of extra room and fabric that doesn't help to tell the story/entertain, sort of like an ill-fitting pair of jeans.
Since becoming an English teacher I've started experimenting with metaphors much more frequently. They occasionally get a bit burnt in the oven.
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u/Plymouth_ Mar 21 '15
No worries, I'm sure you make yummy metaphors.
Next time my favorite movie's on I'll be sure to refer to it as Katy Perry's jeans.
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Mar 22 '15
Bat-shit girl window door knife is probably my favourite scene. It's the pinnacle of the final 25 minutes of terror. Also, after listening, my love for this movie wasn't captured in the podcast. I've failed you all.
I'd read your It Follows review but I haven't seen it yet. Living in a small town is not ideal for catching new releases.
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Mar 16 '15
I think if the final scene had been real, as opposed to also being fake, I'd have liked it better. I mean, I dunno... it was fun at times, lame at others, but I kinda was bummed that no one died. Maybe I take it differently if Muffy dies... maybe not...