Neither good nor bad. Amazing acting, but completely unrealistic ending.

Veteran director J. Lee Thompson was unusually fond of stepping into the gutter once in a while, so this gory slasher-flick wasn't just a case of an esteemed filmmaker cashing a paycheck. Thompson gets good work from top-billed Melissa Sue Anderson as a traumatized teen who may or may not be responsible for the elaborate slayings of several of her classmates at an elite academy--but the picture goes on and on for a seat-numbing 110 minutes, and one good performance isn't enough to carry the load. The screenplay by John Saxton, Peter Jobin and Timothy Bond, from Saxton's original story, appears to have been worked over many times by too many writers, and the whole bloody mess collapses under the weight of throat slashings, false scares, brain surgery and a double-twist ending that makes no sense. Glenn Ford's obtuse role as Anderson's doctor is also a puzzler--but no matter, he's trashed right along with most of the cast. Canadian-made thriller has very few thrills, however cinematographer Miklos Lente gives the final scenes an eerie sheen and Thompson stages a suspenseful game of chicken near the beginning. *1/2 from ****

While my favorite movie remains the 1981 slasher My Bloody Valentine, this film offers many of the same things; a mysterious plot, interesting if not sometimes comedic characters and a creepy soundtrack, along with vocals at the end credits, making Happy Birthday to Me a fun and thrilling little movie.Basically the plot follows Ginny, a girl who grew up with a rich father but whose mother grew up poor and had a reputation for being the town tramp. Now, nearly grown up and in a fancy prep school, Ginny is a member of a snobby club that annoy people just for the heck of it. Soon various members of the club begin to die... but who is the murderer? I watched this with my best friend and little sister at a Christmas party, we were bored and picked it out. It turned out to be a thrilling and entertaining film with some sad moments, creepy moments and even funny moments, especially the scenes where the snobs play pranks on the science teacher and the drunken winos at the bar. Creepy, oh boy, there is one scene I don't think I'll ever forget which shows a very graphic brain operation in Ginny's childhood.If you love slasher movies or just want a cheesy but fun film, check this one out!

Virginia (Melissa Sue Anderson) finds her friends from private school slowly disappearing. She was unconscious after a bad accident on her previous birthday. She recovered but lost her memories after some dangerous brain surgery. Now her birthday is coming up again.There is a lot to like in this B-horror movie. The possibility of Virginia doing the killing is quite compelling. The kills are competent without being ridiculous. This is more of a serial killer movie than a slasher splatter horror. And I like the reveal of what happened in the previous birthday. Everything is working toward a very good B-horror. But then the ending pulls a Scooby Doo. It is really unacceptable to stupid it up like that.Also Melissa Sue Anderson best known for 'Little House on the Prairie' doesn't have enough screen presence. She needs to own this movie, but mostly she remains the shy quiet girl in the background. The camera really needs to follow her more.