The first thing I noticed when I switched this film on was Amy Steel from Friday the 13th Part II, so that immediately added a bit of a nostalgia factor the film right from the get-go. Of course, this being an 80's slasher flick, that wasn't the only thing nostalgic about the picture. April Fool's Day was quite a pleasant surprise as I expected it to be more on the cheesy side and less on the thrills- don't get me wrong, this movie definitely had some cheese but it was also pretty well written and directed and there was a fair amount of tension. The whole setting was very 'Agatha Christie', a name that's slyly dropped early on in the film, and reminded me of Bava's Four Dolls for an August Moon (a giallo film based on Christie Novel Ten Little Indians a.k.a. And Then There Were None), so that added even more of a nostalgic vibe to the film. Although this film was very nicely carried out, the plot was very transparent, and every twist was telegraphed a mile ahead... other than the ending which was just silly. For me, this really wasn't a problem as I wasn't looking for a dense mystery. In fact, this probably only added to the to the expectations and sense of familiarity that one generally wants when turning on an 80's slash- n-stalk.Just as a little side not so you can get an extra feel for the film, here's one of my favourite quotes.Harvey: I know you think I'm a hick, but I'd like to change your mind about that if you give me a chance.Hal: Why?Harvey: Because I would really like to plow your field.

The slasher boom of the early 1980's had more or less completely curdled by this point, but nobody had come up with anything to replace the long played-out template which had very little influence beyond initiating the replacement of tired stories about sexually neurotic psycho killers with tired stories about sexually neurotic psycho killer monsters. The film contains relatively little graphic gore, no actual nudity, and some pretty good actors, thereby going against the cookie-cutter recipe and, instead, concentrating on the development of likable characters, eerie atmosphere, and some genuinely effective spook-show scares. The plot is quite simple. A group of eight college friends (each more annoying than the next) gather together at an island mansion belonging to heiress Muffy St. John to celebrate their final year of school. They soon discover that each has a hidden secret from their past which is revealed, and soon after, they turn up dead. Yet, are they really dead? Or is it just part of some very real and cruel April Fool's jokes? The hostess, Muffy, is the only one who apparently knows what's going on. But then again, is it really her doing the killing? Fun from beginning to end.Director Fred Walton uses a funny, yet haunting script to create a slasher film with a twist. Nothing too special, for it stills holds very true with the genre, "April Fool's Day" will greatly satisfy fans of a film that combines humor and violence, while others purely dedicated to the slice-and-dice theme might be turned off. There is no argument that "April Fool's Day" was riding in on the wave of 80's slasher films, but that is where the similarity to other genre movies ends. You really have to think at this one. They really want to you ask yourself "is this all a joke?" and "could anyone have actually survived that?" I have to give some credit to the music for setting up some great tension. It adds to the feel without taking you out of the moment.Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

This is a pretty funny and unpredictable horror flick about a group of college students staying at a friend's remote island mansion during the April Fool's Day weekend and finding themselves falling victim to vicious crimes.The movie starts off very slow with the college kids just cracking each other up with cheesy, unfunny and crude sexual jokes while waiting for their ferry to taxi. But, the excitement slowly begins after they arrive at the mansion and the practical jokes and nefarious activities mount. This all leads to some suspense and thrills as the character leads investigate the mysterious events about the house, followed by the usual screams and thrills. The acting was cheesy at times but not bad for the most part, especially for lesser-known actors back in the day. The plot and story are well-written and unique in a way that is not like the usual, and sometimes predictable, slasher flicks. Red herrings and twists and turns in the plot will keep you engaged and the climax will be something that is unexpected.Overall, not a bad horror/slasher flick - definitely one of the more unique ones.Grade B-

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.