 
A dweeby preteen named Jeremy Melton (Joel Palmer) is humiliated by a group of kids at his school during a Valentine's Day dance and years later most of these kids have grown up and leading different lives in which Jeremy has been missing in action since he went to reform school for an accusation he did not commit.
Two friends named Paige Prescott (Denise Richards) and Lily Voight (Jessica Cauffiel) are watching videos on who to find a date for a Valentine's Day party and then receiving threatening Valentine's Day cards with some chocolates not what they are supposed to be either.
They also hear some devastating news that their friends are being killed one by one in a killer wearing a doll faced mask which brings Jeremy's name up again and remembering the awful things they did to him as well as trying to find any evidence on him before they are next.
One of the friends named Dorothy Wheeler (Jessica Capshaw) confesses on a lie she made due to being unpopular back in school that had Jeremy convicted.
The body counts keep piling up more and more and the party is the real big thing as many deadly surprises are about to happen to each and one of them.
Watching the film looked fun to see a prologue with a dweeby preteen named Jeremy Melton nervously asking a girl to dance with him at a Valentine's Day dance and them being nasty to him which seems quite disturbing. Then he asks a plump girl named Dorothy in which it seems like that he found the right one since she accepts since she was another misfit in the school. Yet this moment breaks when some punks catch them kissing down in some bleachers and she accuses him of molesting her and then these kids tear off his clothes to humiliate him. I found that this was well put in making it even more disturbing and how far mean kids will go to drive someone to madness later on. This seemed to be a good slashing tradition that is if you've watched Terror Train or even Slaughter High.
Then it's present day and one of the kids fully grown up named Paige Prescott is on a blind date with someone who seems full of himself and she scrawls words on her dinner plate saying help me which offers some good comedy thrown in. Plus it's a realistic look at a date on the fellow who is not who he's cracked up to be or even a disappointment with two strangers attracted to one another but their personalities don't click at all. This seemed very psychological with the humor put in it. There's more humopr with videos Paige and her friend Lily watches spotting a geeky guy really acting desperate for a date which can turn anyone off while watching this.
There's also a moment with a medical student named Shelley realising that a dead body she was practising on is gone and a killer in a doll faced mask is trying to get her with the nose bleeding which shows some nice clues that maybe Jeremy is out for revenge and disguising himself. Along with this maniac trying to kill her the scenery very much looked like something you'd see a killer like Michael Myers from Halloween doing. This was another fun paying tribute to the old school slasher films.
Some nice original stuff thrown in was the plump preteen Dorothy now popular after losing her wieght living in a rich home but not seeing eye to eye with her stepmom who is her age and her Dad taking the stepmom's side since this woman is such a bitch making you feel frusterated wondering if your parents will ever try to do that to you.
Then there's more paying tributes with a card and a box of chocolates having a threatening note in which we've seen in of course My Bloody Valentine. Yet there's no heart in these candy boxes so this is a little different. After all the makers wouldn't be able to clone something like that and get away with it. There's even maggots in some of the chocolates which can gross you out since this killer will not bring you anything pleasant regardless. I found this exciting to watch cause it leaves a nice dark unsolved mystery knowing that the killer will do these people in soon but not right away.
Threre's the loud phone rings which reminds me of the moments used in Scream but yet there's no caller from the killer leaving death threats which was a bummer since I was hoping that this would happen.
There's even conversations with people like Paige joking about the past with the Jeremy kid and what a geek he was yet discussing that it was still mean on what they did. You kinda wonder if she has really grown up and learned from her nasty mistakes or not.
There's a creative killing with the doll mask faced killer shooting arrows intop a victim in which in a Valentine wish Cupid uses an arrow to strike the other one that the fellow is in love with on Valentine's Day. This seemed fairly clever for a slashing moment.
What else seemed fun to watch was a cocky detective using a computer to show Jeremy at 11 and using designs on what he may look like right now.
There's also a good confession by Dorothy telling her friends the truth on what really happened as this looked entertaining and written in a good serious manner about her lying accusation on Jeremy. It definetely shows alot of good fears within her scared that he's out to kill all of them for what he has done. It almost makes you think of a lie you kept for a long time and finally spitting out the truth.
Then there's a Valentine party which seems to seem quite bland to watch like a pervert trying to make Paige thinking that there's a surprise for her only to be alone with her to try and do aural sex with him and she isn't impressed and pulls a trick on him. I was thinking to myself this looked soooo lame and needed more inspiration.
However, there's a good slashing moment with Paige when she is almost suffocating in a hottub with a lid closed in on her and I was thinking to myself that he is gonna increase the heat which is a terrible way of dying a slow and intense pain. The killer uses a drill to try and get to her with it. This almost seemed like it was done Slumber Party Massacre kind of fashion since the killer used a drill to do in his victims. Yet I doubt the makers saw that film since this one was better made. Oh does she get it especially since she used a sarcastic manner towards young Jeremy at the dance her preference than to dance with him.
Shelly does well tripping out and getting upset discussing her past and how her supposed boyfriend stood her up making you wonder if maybe that she is behind the whole mess. There's some good twists at the party as anyone could be the killer since some of them seem way too innocent and they change showing some of their true colors too.
The ending was a bit of a disappointment and it opened a door for a sequel which one never arose probably due to it not being very popular.
Bottom line is the film is fun to watch paying alot of slashing tributes to the retro flicks like mentioned but yet it's not all that special or original. Still it is mysterious making you wonder whatever happened to poor little Jeremy way back when and is he killing these people now for revenge? A good budgeted film too behind a studio in which the most of the retro one's mentioned were independently made. But this seems to be the thing nowadays to get it into theatre's. The film's release was also at the starting peak on many horror remakes we see today.
The acting is very well done and everyone seemed believeable in what they were doing. Denise Richards (Paige Prescott) really brought on a good bubbly type of personality in her performance with her outgoing behavior as well as getting sarcastic too especially discussing her past school life. Does well by feeling guilty discussing the truth in which this looked nicely done and a real attention grabber. Was very energetic getting aggressive towards one of the actors in which she really spits out her words in a great high paced reaction. Does well with her choked out words quarter way through and acting believeably frightened. She was incredibly sharp in everything that she did within her performance giving it a good A+. A total ball of spunk no matter what she did in it.
David Boreanaz (Adam Carr) proved that he can portray a character in a horror film than in horror TV shows like Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He was definetely on his road to scream king stardom. This guy brings on a nice charming attitude into his role by acting someone who is understanding and romantic too. He also shows another side to him quarter way through by acting strange, obsessive and insecure proving a nice versatality into his part of the film.
Marley Shelton (Kate Davies) shows a good innocence to her role in the film as well as a petite type girl features too. Yet she seems like one of those good girl types you want to know in which she does this perfectly. She shows a nice fearful attitude portraying a good virgin type of scream queen in the same vein as Jamie Lee Curtis. She totally was crowned one herself due to the list of horror movie credits due to her acting career and earned it well especially in her performance with this one.
Jessica Capshaw (Dorothy Wheeler) showed a nice mysterious type of personality and showing a stuck up and insecure attitude the odd time in which this seemed quite impressive making you wonder if she's behind the madness or not. Does a great job telling someone off and almost acting choked up to find answers to her question about who her boyfriend is as this seemed quite impressive too. Was impressive getting stressed and upset towards another cast member by showing good anxiety and losing her mind and good ounces of energy with her doing all of this and acting believeably creepy. She made herself to be a great suspect and shows alot of nice characteristics into what she did in her performance. I found her to be one of the best in the whole cast.
Jessica Cauffiel (Lily Voight) does a nice job laughing at the good times in her past when talking to her fellow actress as her friend plus she does well by spitting out some chocolate after realising on what's inside it as well as acting grossed out. This looked nautral and very well done. Does well at a party making out with another actor and then she does a good job getting snappy at him and telling him off showing a good amount of anger. She brought this in nicely. Does a good painful and choking reactions on her falling back while being shot with arrows.
Hedy Burress (Ruthie Walker) certainly draws out a terrific stuck up aggressive behavior into what she did in the film even if her role wasn't exactly huge. Still she really drew to the attention onto the big screen by her dominating type of personality.
Fulvio Cecare (Detective Leon Vaughn) seemed to show off a good cocky attitude as one of those douchebag types that works for the law. He brings a good idiotic type whenever he tries to help out with the clues bringing some nice stand out characteristic types. He was another one who had a nice key supporting role in the film.
A few bloody stabbings
A few arrows impaled in a woman's stomach
A guy's face is fried by a clothes iron
An axe whacked in the back
Decapitated head found in water near a fountain
Bloodied face revealed
Don Davis powerfully composes good screechy sound effects which sounds incredibly effective for the real susepseful moments used in the film. He also has alot of good orchestral playing in the film which seems common for something like this with the quick violin and trombone music too. Of coruse there's the traditional loud banging sound effects for the jumping moments.
Jeremy Melton: Ummm, Paige, will you dance with me?
Young Paige Prescott: I'd rather be boiled alive.
Dorothy Wheeler: When you are old enough to rent a car, we can talk about your role as my stepmother.
[Dorothy reads her Valentine]
Dorothy Wheeler: Roses are red, Violets are Blue, They'll need dental records to identify you.
[to Lily Voight]
Max Raimi: What's the problem?
Lily Voight: The problem is that you turned out to be a cheap, hypocritical sleazeball!
Max Raimi: Yeah, but you knew that. So... does this mean you're not gonna be my Valentine?
Paige Prescott: [sarcastically, to Brian] You brought me upstairs to show me your penis? How sweet!
Dorothy Wheeler: [about Campbell] He loves me.
Ruthie: He loves your trust fund. Trust me.
Ruthie: Watch your back... leech!
Dorothy Wheeler: Come on Kate! You've always been the popular one, and Shelley was always the brainy one, and Lily was the fun one, and Paige was the sexy one, and I was the big, fat one! And as far as you're concerned, that's exactly the way that it is. Well, you know what? Screw all of you! |
