April Fool’s Day

Summary

“Here we are. Privileged,independent,the hope for the future… right at this table. Not one of us knows what we are going to do with the rest of our lives.”

Shout! Factory’s Scream Factory label has long been one of the greatest labels for horror film fans. Their incredible lineup of pictures includes everything from John Carpenter classics to Clive Barker’s directorial efforts. They have also been one of the best labels for fans of Eighties slashers with their releases ranging from Halloween and the Friday the 13th collection to Sleepaway Camp and The Burning. Last night I was in the mood to watch a slasher and perusing my collection of Scream Factory titles I landed on April Fool’s Day. April Fool’s Day is a murder-mystery slasher directed by Fred Walton who is probably best known for When a Stranger Calls. The film was also produced by Frank Mancuso Jr. who associate produced six of the Friday the 13th films and the Friday the 13th television series.  I was in the mood for this type of entertainment and April Fool’s Day scratched the itch.

For Spring Break, a group of college kids decide to visit their friend Muffy St. John (Deborah Foreman.) Muffy comes from a very wealthy family and has invited them all to stay with her for the weekend at her secluded home. Some of the guests invited have not met each other before, and some are fairly close to one another. There is filmmaker and provocateur Chaz (Clayton Rohmer,) bookworm Nan (Leah Pinsent,) Southerner Harvey (Jay Baker,) boyfriend and girlfriend Rob and Kit (Ken Olandt and Amy Steel,) hot to trot Nikki (Deborah Goodrich,) and pranksters Skip and Arch (Griffin O’Neal and Thomas F. Wilson.) They all take the ferry to Muffy’s place which resides on an island. Skip and Arch perform a clever trick with a fake knife on the ferry. Afterward, a boat worker is legitimately severely injured when the ferry backs into him and slashes his face and eyeball. A policeman rushes the worker away from the island on his boat. The group of friends arrive at the palatial estate of Muffy and begin to enjoy their stay. They sit around the dinner table conversing and drinking champagne. That night, when they return to their rooms, they find that almost all of the rooms have some form of a joke to play on them. That night, when Skip goes to the boat house, he is killed. When Ron and Kit try to hook up in the boathouse, they see Skip’s body float under the floorboards below them. As they try to convince the other guests that this may not be a joke, more of the guests meet their demise.

April Fool’s Day is an enjoyable slasher. Because the film uses elements of mystery within the confines of a regal mansion, it drew comparison in my mind to an Agatha Christie setup. I like the overall setup of the film for that very reason. The big difference between April Fool’s Day and other slashers is that the film displays more of a sense of humor than many other entries in the genre. It’s a welcome addition. Director Fred Walton allowed some improvisation from the actors and drew better performances from his cast than many films of its ilk. The cast in the film have good chemistry together and the film allows them to be playful with one another. The film is certainly a product of its time with many of the characters discussing sex or pursuing sex during the film, but it is not overly provocative in the amount of sexual activity displayed onscreen. April Fool’s Day understands that horny adolescents are good fodder for slasher films, and has fun with that. While the script by Danilo Bach might not shoot for the moon, it has its fair share of clever setups and interesting moments. Unfortunately, the film was not given much grace by critics when it was first released, especially the ending of the film, but on reappraisal it has found its own audience.

The cast features a strong ensemble. In my eyes, the standout performances were those of Clayton Rohmer, Deborah Foreman, Deborah Goodrich, and  Thomas F. Wilson if I needed to pick favorites. The actors are all well suited to the film even if the material is not the most demanding. Fans of the slasher genre will find that the cast of characters and actors are more likable than on many slasher films. Fred Walton keeps the pacing of the film moving efficiently. The only weakness of the film is that it never quite feels as thrilling or scary as some other films, but I think in some ways that was intentional. The film is also less gory than many slasher films, so it will probably appeal to fans of the genre that are turned off by gore.

Overall – I really enjoyed April Fools Day. It’s a more lighthearted slasher than the usual fare, and a fun little film.

Video

Shout! Factory has given the film a great looking transfer that is in my eyes as handsome as some of their 4K scans on the Friday the 13th set. While it is derived from a 2K scan, the film looks great for the most part. Grain is very well resolved and the source is in great shape. Color tones are very healthy and the cinematography by Charles Minsky is pretty good looking. Fans of the film should be very pleased with how this transfer looks.

Audio

Shout! Factory has provided a very capable DTS-HD MA 5.1 track that sounds good. The score by Charles Bernstein sounds very nice and the surrounds help to make the film feel more alive. Like other films with remixed surround tracks, it is still a little front heavy, but overall I was definitely pleased. Shout! Factory has also included a DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono track for purists.

Supplements:

• Horror with A Twist: Fred Walton on April Fool’s Day ; Part I and Part II – Walton lends himself to a long form interview in which he discusses his early career and films like When a Stranger Calls, his work on April Fool’s Day, and how the film influenced his family to move away from Los Angeles.
• Well of Lies: Deborah Goodrich Royce on April Fool’s Day – The actress who played Nikki talks about her career in dance and how it led her to acting in soap operas and eventually to April Fool’s Day.
• Looking Forward to Dessert: Clayton Rohner on April Fool’s Day – This is my favorite interview on the disc. Clayton Rohner talks about his interesting upbringing in Hollywood and how his life circuitously led him towards acting. I won’t spoil the stories, but they are very interesting.
• Bloody Unforgettable: Composer Charles Bernstein on April Fool’s Day – Bernstein discusses his career in composing and how he ended up writing compositions for horror films.
• The Eye of Deception: Charles Minsky on April Fool’s Day – Charles Minsky is a well respected cinematographer. In this interview he talks for awhile about the craft itself before briefly discussing his work on April Fool’s Day. This is a good interview..
• Theatrical Trailer
• Original TV Spots

Overall Scores:

Video – 4.5/5

Audio – 4.5/5

Supplements – 4/5

Overall – 4/5

April Fool’s Day was not given much grace by filmgoers or critics due to a marketing campaign that had made the film out to be far more serious and frightening than it intended to be. It’s a slasher that borrows heavily from Agatha Christie style mystery setups that also allows itself to be fairly goofy and funny at times. The ensemble cast is full of talented actors and the characters are likable. While the film is by no means perfect, and the ending in particular ruffled critical feathers, I enjoyed watching April Fool’s Day. Shout! Factory’s Collector’s Edition has given fans of the film everything that they have been wanting. The release comes with a couple hours worth of supplemental interviews and the new video transfer from a 2K scan looks great. Fans of the picture will be elated with the work that Shout! Factory has put into the release.