Valentine Bluffs (2023) User Reviews

A fun unofficial successor to the 81 film!

[cinacultpodcast · 9/10 · 16 February 2023]

Fan films are always a hit or miss but Valentine's Bluffs is a straight up hit in its entirety as a sequel to the original film that honors the story.

Now it needs to be said: this is a fan film, so there are times when the dialogue falls flat but the cast does an amazing job at bringing the town to life and showing unseen trauma from its history a la the Halloween trilogy. The set really has the faithfulness of the original in its authenticity with an actual mine.

I had a lot of fun with the kills which are brutal and bloody and call back to some iconic moments in the 1981 movie!

My ONLY complaint was the reveal of the killer. I felt like motivation was lacking and it seemed cliché to make it the character they did. I was really expecting a Scream level twist of "omg it was them?! Why?!" but for what it is, it's a good story dealing with horrible truths, community trauma, greed and legacies.

Im going to say I was more impressed with this movie then Halloween Ends. The crew makes the most out of what little they have in terms of budget, special effects and location. The lighting and camera work in this is really impressive.

Like Friday the 13th: Vengeance, RoseBlood or some of the Halloween fan films I've seen, this was made by fans of the original for fans of the original and for those who are now discovering the original. It's made respectfully and I am in awe of the passion this film holds.

I will definitely revisit this film. Unless we ever get an official sequel, this is the best and closest we have!

Much needed and worthy sequel to a horror classic!

[skinnerramone · 10/10 · 15 February 2023]

Valentine Bluffs is one of the best low budget indie films I've ever watched, and I watch a lot of indie horror films. I'm a big fan of the original My Bloody Valentine movie, and this fan film sequel is very true to the original. Filmed in an actual mine, the sets and locations look fantastic! Thomas Smith and Chuck Ryan did a lot with a little here, the production value of this movie is much higher than you would expect with their budget. The movie has an excellent score, and the audio mixing is perfect. Poor audio is one of my largest and most common complaints about indie films, but that is not at all an issue in Valentine Bluffs. The movie also has an excellent soundtrack. Another pet peeve I have is when movies are so dark you can't make out what is happening, which you would almost expect in a low budget movie that takes place in a mine. But again, this is not an issue with Valentine Bluffs. The lighting is excellent. The action scenes in the mine, which are very well done, are perfectly lit, you can completely see what is happening.

Valentines Bluff is polished enough that at times you'll forget you're watching a fan film. It doesn't have a lot of needless filler dialogue that plagues many indie movies, and the acting is all above par. The movie is well paced, I never found it lagged and I was surprised how quickly the time passed.

The practical effects are fantastic, the props and special effects look great, just an outstanding job. The kills looks really good! The miner costume is awesome. Chuck Ryan does a fantastic job as the miner.

Story wise this movie feels much like the original. The way the original ended, I always wish they had made a sequel. Valentine Bluffs is a near perfect sequel. Again, at times it's hard to believe it's a fan film.

Oh, I was surprised to see Lloyd Kaufman as the mayor. He was hilarious! And it wasn't just a cameo, he has a fairly significant role. I have to say, this movie rarely feels like a crowdfunded indie project. It has a larger budget feel.

If you're a fan of My Bloody Valentine, I really recommend checking out Valentine Bluffs, I think you'll really enjoy it. It's definitely a must watch for us every Valentine's Day, though I'm sure we'll watch it again long before that.

Bloody good!

[roboner · 10/10 · 19 February 2023]

I have to be honest. I didn't even know this movie existed. But was totally blown away by this movie. It's well made... the kills are really good, there's some laughs... the gore... hot chick's... the references to the original. Would definitely recommend this movie. Gave it 10 stars... 9 for the movie itself and 1 star for the legendary Lloyd Kaufman. Not because of his acting, the guys a freaking legend (How the hell did you's manage that? Lol) Hopefully he's in the sequel. Will definitely be keeping my eyes open for the next one. Again, If you like fan made movies this is definitely it.....

Finally the story continues!!!

[ryanbohac · 10/10 · 24 February 2023]

Wow! This sequel was mind blowing! Very well done! Story was great! Perfect gore, perfect cheese! The way slasher should be done! Nightmare kristy! Yowie wowie! The twist on the main character was perfect! Just really brings back the feel of the original! This totally kicked the remakes ass, I'd rather forget it happened and just place valentine bluffs fan film in its place! Was great to see some original characters. Filming and camera work is on point. The music was great. The Roseblood promotion commercial in the film was awesome! Kudos to Peter Anthony on that masterpiece! Nightmare toys commercial was cool. This is definitely a must see! Cheers!

A fan film leagues better than most commercial movies out there.

[cartrektccom · 10/10 · 17 February 2023]

I love fan movies. Normally, they are rough around the edges but you can still appreciate all the love that went into making them. "Valentine Bluffs", on the other hand was so far above the level of a traditional fan movie that I would have been absolutely convinced it was a heavily funded movie from a large studio, had I not known what a tiny crowdfunded budget they were able to achieve it with.

So what is "Valentine Bluffs" all about? You may remember a cult classic slasher movie from the 1980s called "My Bloody Valentine". This fan movie is intended as a direct sequel to the original set about 40 years later. It does a phenomenal job of capturing the feel of the original. Obviously not a spoiler, as he's all over the poster, but the miner is back as the principle slasher villain of the film. The basic premise is that Peter's mother, Sarah, has died and he is trying to track down his estranged father to pass on the bad news. This brings him and his girlfriend to the town where the original movie events happened 40 years ago. Unsurprisingly, as the Valentine's Day party takes place, murder and mayhem ensues.

From start to finish, the acting is top notch. There are one or two lines that fall flat but most character interactions are fluid and believable and do not feel forced in any way. Good use is made of Lloyd Kaufman who is hilarious as the corrupt mayor of the town. However, even the background characters all help to improve the overall ambience of the small town where the events take place. Most of the character motivations are sound (except for one that I will cover later in the review)

The practical effects and make up were also extremely well done with some very creative, believable and extremely entertaining kills. Good use was made of lighting and the sets they had available. Although much of the action was at night or set in a real coalmine, the action was well lit and clear to follow.

What really helped to sell the tension and keep me fully engaged in the movie was the absolutely phenomenal sound mixing. The music was placed perfectly to add to each scene without overwhelming the dialogue or feeling out of place. The ambient sound effects added just the right amount of creepiness and helped to sell the practical effects as bones were crunched, flesh was torn and a very bad day was had by all.

Another aspect I thoroughly enjoyed was that the various characters and victims all had logical reasons for being where they were at the time. Most horror movies (including high budget ones) suffer from the victims doing stupid stuff that no person in real life would ever do. However, in the case of "Valentine Bluffs", the characters, for the most part, took quite reasonable actions which still led to them being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This really helps to keep the audience immersed and invested in the plot.

There were some great gotcha moments and subversion of the audience expectations which were, for the most part, very entertaining. However, I felt the reveal of the actual killer was a little abrupt and could have benefited from an extra line or two of dialogue explaining that character's motivations, which simple was not done. Also, right around the same time, we learn about the last victim's death yet the movie, up to that point, leads us to believe that this victim survived their ordeal. Again, a few seconds to explain this would have been helpful. Other than this 30 seconds or so of the movie which was inadequately explained, everything else was absolutely stellar and top notch. If I was able, I would take off 1/2 a star for these minor gripes. However, as I cannot, the perfect 10 rating stands and is absolutely deserved.

In summary, it is extremely hard to make a movie that perfectly captures the vibe that it intends. "Valentine Bluffs" is one of the rare few that raises itself to that high bar. Truly a "diamond in the rough" and an absolutely epic testimony to the love of the fans who turned it into a reality. "Valentine Bluffs" will almost certainly develop it's own following and likely become a cult classic in it's own right. Enjoy!

This was quite good for a fan made film

[TearsForFearsFan-1 · 10/10 · 21 February 2023]

I didn't go into this film with high expectations as fan films are usually very poorly done. This was an exception. This was rather well done, a ton of detail was made by the producers. The acting was quite good and the story was an homage to the original. The story flows well and it was shot very well! They actually shot in a real mine which brought this film to a new level! As an avid fan of the original I hold that story in high regard, this continues the story beautifully! I wouldn't mind seeing future installments and really respect that the film was feature length. The kills were solid and the effects were well done as well. Keeping in mind this is a fan film, so I'm giving this the highest mark's possible! Well done!