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April Fool’s Day Blu-ray Review

“April Fool’s Day” falls apart in the end.

For spring break, a group of college friends are invited over to an island mansion owned by the family of a student named Muffy. While on the ferry over to the home, a man is badly injured which could prove to be a bad omen for the getaway. Upon arriving, the friends are subjected to April Fool’s Day pranks around the house, but as people soon begin to disappear and even die, it appears there are much more than just pranks going on. What exactly is going on and who is responsible?

To be fair, this  Fred Walton directed 1986 slasher/mystery film deserves credit for deviating from the standard slasher formula. It takes a big swing to differentiate itself from the rest of the genre with its bold ending. With that said, I’d wager one’s opinion of this film will come down to whether you buy into the ending or not. Personally, I find Danilo Bach’s script to collapse under the weight of the ridiculous twist ending. I won’t spoil what happens, but it makes it feel like the entire story is just a waste of time.

The characters don’t fare much better here as they are largely one dimensional. Sure, you get some familiar faces like Amy Steel (“Friday The 13th Part 2”), Thomas F. Wilson (“Back To The Future” trilogy), Deborah Foreman (“Valley Girl”) who all do their best with the roles they are given, but they just don’t have much to do other than act hormonal, goof around, panic, or ponder their future ever so slightly. 

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.35:1 1080p. How does it look? Some shots look better than others here to be sure, but overall this is a nice crisp transfer that fans will adore.

Audio Track: 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD MA Stereo. How do they sound? Expect clean audio tracks. 
Extras:
* Theatrical trailer and 3 TV spots for “April Fool’s Day.”
* Separate interviews with cast members Deborah Goodrich Royce and Clayton Rohner.
* An interview with composer Charles Bernstein.
* An interview with cinematographer Charles Minsky.
* A 47 minute 2 part interview with director Fred Walton who talks about his life, career, and, of course, behind-the-scenes stories about “April Fool’s Day.”

March 22, 2020 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | 80's, Amy Steel, April Fool's Day Blu-ray Review, April Fool's Day: Collector's Edition Blu-ray Review, Horror Film, Scream Factory, Slasher Movie, Thomas F. Wilson