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Valentine (2001) (Spanish) (Sub) |
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Valentine (2001) (Spanish) (Sub)
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by Warner Home Video
Sales Rank: 164469
Price: $9.98
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Five comely and well-to-do female friends receive dire threats inside anonymous valentines. When two of them meet violent ends, the remaining trio suspect that the killer may be a nebbishy former classmate whom they spurned years before at a school dance. Their solution: Throw a lavish Valentine's Day party, all the better to distract them from the hulking, cherub-masked killer <p> As the above suggests, <I>Valentine</I> is the absolute nadir of the post-<I>Scream</I> slasher film. Australian director Jamie Blanks (whose previous effort was the equally dismal <I>Urban Legend</I>, 1998) obviously had lofty goals for his film, given his bald-faced homages to John Carpenter and Dario Argento. But he hasn't a clue as to how to generate suspense, and his frequent reliance on well-worn shock effects (hands dropping on shoulders, etc.) suggests more contempt for the genre than affection. No less than four writers (including two writer-producers for <I>Roswell</I>, which explains the appearance of series star Katherine Heigl) contributed to the screenplay, which fails to generate the twentysomething drama and hip, cutting dialogue required for this brand of horror. As the five friends, actresses Marley Shelton, Denise Richards, Jessica Capshaw, Jessica Caufield, and Heigl have little to do other than alternately look attractive or afraid; Richards, in particular, looks weary of playing the man-eater. As Shelton's dipsomaniac boyfriend, David Boreanaz (<I>Angel</I>) lumbers through each scene with an embarrassed scowl. <p> Warner Bros.' DVD includes commentary by Blanks, as well as cast and crew interviews and a video for Orgy's contribution to the noisy, new-metal soundtrack. <I>--Paul Gaita</I>
Viewer Reviews
SPOILER ALERT:
Valentine is a film that is hated in some quarters. As one might gather from my 5 star rating, I disagree. There are one or two things that I would characterize as weaknesses. It is a bit slow in the middle, and the characters are quite flat and boring(with the exception of Dorothy and Jeremy.) However, these shortcomings sort of feed off of one another.If the characters were not so weak, the middle segment of the film would have been much more easily tolerated. At the end of the day, though, Valentine is noteworthy because it manages to do something that very few other slasher films have been able to accomplish-it introduces a great villain.
Personally, I have always believed that Michael Myers, from Halloween, is the premiere slasher villain. But the list of truly great slasher film killers is a rather short one, for my money. I was a big fan of Alex Hammond, from Prom Night. I liked Mrs. Voorhees, as well. Both of these characters, oddly enough, found their motivation in the desire to avenge the death of someone they loved. However, the killer in Valentine is a different breed. Jeremy Melton wants revenge, on his own behalf.......but he is also a complete sociopath, so there are no real limitations as to what he might be capable of. He will kill for revenge, but he will also kill for convenience. Compare that to Hammond, from Prom Night, who kills out of a sense of retribution. You never get the feeling that he is really dangerous to anyone but the people he harbors a grudge against. Even Mrs. Voorhees has a sort of sentimentality about her, although it is clearly tinged with complete lunacy. There is none of this with Jeremy. Jeremy has his own agenda. He is, in some respects, the ideal slasher villain. He is large and physically powerful. He is cunning and obsessive. He also has a bit of Michael Myers' love of the hunt,for its own sake.
Imagine how strong your personality would have to be in order to carry out such a plan. Jeremy harbored his hatred for years before putting his plan into action. As a revenge fantasy, Valentine is incredible. Jeremy Melton goes down a list, evening scores one by one-and tops the whole thing off by attaching the blame to the person he hates the most. (and kills them, as well.) Another strong factor is the mask he chooses to wear. It is a cupid mask, and this feature makes him even more distinctive. It is a ghoulish, bizarre visage, and the perfect thing for such a character to wear. This cherubic face, along with the sinister black coat(and, of course, black gloves), as well as his large, intimidating frame, make Melton the most visually striking killer since Myers.
Most of my comments have centered around the killer. The film has other merits, as well. Dorothy is a complex, interesting character. She is extremely well portrayed. The music is beautiful and haunting. Best of all, Valentine is visually stunning. The cinematographer lights and shoots the movie in such a way that it is quite distinctive. There is a recurring 'red' theme, and it is beautifully executed. On a purely aesthetic level, this is easily one of the most resplendant horror movies ever made.
I'd love to see a sequel. There just HAVE to be some more people somewhere that Jeremy hates. However, Valentine stands alone very nicely. It would rank in my top ten favorite slasher films, and Jeremy Melton would be my third favorite slasher villain, behind Michael Myers and Alex Hammond. It also features one of the greatest endings that you will find in any film of this sort.
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Valentine (2001) (Spanish) (Sub)
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