Severin Films has a BLOODY BIRTHDAY for their five year anniversary with a new high definition-mastered DVD of Ed Hunt’s 1981 killer kids flick (although nothing is made of the film’s own 30th anniversary) with new extras.

In 1971, three children are born during a total eclipse in which the sun and the moon both blocked Saturn. Ten years later, as their joint birthday approaches, Debbie (Elizabeth Hoy, HOSPITAL MASSACRE), Steven (Andy Freeman, BEYOND WITCH MOUNTAIN), and Curtis (Billy Jacoby, SUPERSTITION) put their jump ropes and baseball bats to deadly use (Debbie also charges Curtis and Steven to peek in on her sister Beverly [Julie Brown, CLUELESS] changing clothes). Their Midwestern town is rocked by a series of murders, first that of a teenage couple necking in an open grave at the local cemetery, followed by Debbie’s own father, the Sheriff (Bert Kramer, EARTHQUAKE). The authorities assume that the Sheriff tripped on Debbie’s skateboard, but his death means Curtis has a new toy to play with: his gun. When strict schoolteacher Miss Davis (Susan Strasberg, THE MANITOU) does not grant their request to excuse all of the students from school for their birthday party, Curtis shoots her. The sweet trio is above suspicion to all but Timmy (K.C. Martel, THE AMITYVILLE HORROR) and his big sister Joyce (Lori Lethin, THE PREY) who both become targets of the killer tykes.

Like HALLOWEEN, BLOODY BIRTHDAY was shot in Southern California standing in for the Midwest and has a similar suburban feel (albeit on the extremely cheap without Dean Cundey’s swooping Panaglide shots and contrasts of amber and deep blue lighting), but the cinematography of Stephen Posey (SAVAGE STREETS) is largely unatmospheric. INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN composer Arlon Obler’s score apes Henry Manfredini’s FRIDAY THE 13TH with its stabbing horns and shrieking strings (minus the vocal effects), but there is so little suspense until the finale. Perhaps the film’s most memorable element is comedienne Brown’s five minute striptease, since it is not a particularly “bloody” birthday (the arrow-to-the-eye gag was executed with more aplomb – and in 3D – in FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3). The most likely shocking aspect of the film is that Hoy, Jacoby, and Freeman were all very close in age to their murderous characters (all three look appropriately soulless while wielding weapons during the murder scenes), but it is hard to believe anyone would find Hoy’s and Jacoby’s characters to be sweet and innocent.

Lethin is a likable “final girl,” if one can get over her serving as the mouthpiece for the film’s somewhat laughable astrological explanation for the kids’ motivations (apparently being born during an eclipse means you have no conscience). Like the two female victims of HALLOWEEN, Brown’s victim-to-be is sexually active without being brainless unlike the disposable brainless bimbo of later slasher films. Strasberg is clearly just picking up a paycheck here, as is Jose Ferrer who plays the doctor who delivered the three tykes of terror. A young Michael Dudikoff (AMERICAN NINJA) appears as Beverly’s boyfriend (and inexplicably does not get killed off), JAKE AND THE FATMAN’s Joe Penny has a single scene as Joyce’s college advisor, and Cyril O’Reilly (DANCE OF THE DAMNED) plays her boyfriend.

VCI Home Video’s 2003 DVD featured a single-layer, progressive, anamorphic transfer from a 35mm print with some almost impenetrable night scenes in addition to the usual print wear. Severin’s spotless new HD-mastered progressive, dual-layer, anamorphic (1.66:1) transfer from the negative is a visual improvement over the old transfer, but not without its own faults. While the night scenes are improved (as much as they can be, since they are simply underlit), some interiors that were well-lit in the first place look too bright. Both transfers feature edge enhancement, but it is more apparent on the Severin transfer due to the increased brightness. While there is more detail, the brighter transfer occasionally looks flatter and less moody. The VCI disc’s sound was slightly hissy with some clipping in the music. Severin’s mono audio is cleaner, but also seems to have required digital clean-up and is not entirely hiss-free. Both tracks are fairly flat but for some gunshots and the bassy presence of the muffled rock song that underscores Brown’s striptease.