Sunday, 31 March 2019

Happy Horror-day! Mother's Day (1980)

Having strayed into the world of monstrous imps we’re firmly back in the genre of psychotic killers celebrating another holiday but in name only, the 1980 classic- Mother’s Day. As far as I can tell, the movie doesn’t actually take place during Mothering Sunday; frighteningly it’s just another day in the life of Ike, Addley and their mother! But whenever someone researches these Holiday themed Horrors Mother’s Day always makes the list so it’s included in my challenge.    
Rather appropriately for this month Mother's Day was directed, co-written and produced by Charles Kaufman, brother of Troma Entertainment’s Lloyd Kaufman (who also acted as an associate producer) a film notorious for recounting the tale of a mother and her two deranged sons capturing and torturing three women camping in the woods. Starting out much in the vein of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre it jumps into an early Troma movie style, having you almost forget the previous scenes before it jumps back in again before shifting into an I Spit on your Grave conclusion! Notorious for its scenes of violence and rape it also contains satire which sadly went completely over most people’s heads resulting in it being labelled as depraved and nothing more than an exploitation film. With movie critic Roger Ebert giving it zero stars, stating that he was disgusted by it and the BBFC rejecting it and banning it from distribution in the United Kingdom the film wasn’t a huge success but as is always the way now it’s now a cult classic and it was even remade in 2010! Almost a distant relative of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes with its feeling of isolation and decrepit surroundings and demented characters I am certain that Mother’s Day must have also played a small part in the inspiring of later movies such as House of 1000 Corpses. If you haven’t seen it and you like such movies, be sure to seek it out- me I’m going to grab some sleep, tomorrow is April 1st.... April Fool’s Day!


© Arfon Jones 2019. All images are copyrighted throughout the world.

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