Fred Walton's "April Fool's Day" is a bit of an anomaly in the slasher genre: there's very little violence. But even so, it's pretty fun, as a bunch of friends gather at an old house for April Fool's weekend...and they start getting picked off. Who's the culprit? The movie does have a few of the things that we expect in a slasher flick (namely a sex scene),but I literally did not see the ending coming. I'd say that the best thing about the movie is the scenery: it's filmed off the coast of British Columbia, one of the most beautiful places on earth. The whole thing is worth seeing if you're into the genre, and maybe even if you aren't. Watch for Thomas F. Wilson (Biff in the "Back to the Future" franchise) in a supporting role.

I have a huge fondness for 1980s-era cinema in general and the slasher genre in particular, so my enjoyment of a film like APRIL FOOl'S DAY is a given. It has a typical set-up in which a bunch of vacationing teenagers end up at an isolated location before being bumped off one by one by persons unknown, Agatha Christie-style. What makes this one stand out are the unusual plot twists and turns along the way, particularly that big twist ending which is unlike anything else. The film is obviously low budget but the photography is crisp and sharp and director Fred Walton infuses the proceedings with the appropriate atmosphere. Watch out for Thomas F. Wilson, playing another jerk character much like his Biff in the BACK TO THE FUTURE trilogy.

Muffy St. John (Deborah Forman) invites a group of college friends to her mansion on the island for the weekend. The ferry won't be returning until after the weekend. People are playing April Fool gags. However an accident with one of the Ferry's crew sets a bad tone. And then old stories haunt the guest as they get picked off one by one.

It's a slasher movie on an island without a way to escape with a bunch of young people. It's also trying to copy the scary-date slasher movie concept like Halloween and Friday the 13th. They even got Amy Steel who survived Friday the 13th Part 2. The use of April Fool's as a jumping off point allows for that everything-is-a-joke idea. However it quickly becomes lame joke-arama. The violence is tame by comparison to others of its era, and is mostly restricted by the story's gimmick. In the end, the movie could never be truly violent or scary because of the gimmick.

It has the feel of 'The Big Chill' but the writing isn't good enough. There are a couple of recognizable faces in the group. However none of them are outstanding in this slow moving story. This just doesn't have enough scary moments. It's a barely functional 80s horror. The ending provides the only interesting aspect to this movie.