Valentine (2001)
Remember that kid everyone ignored on Valentine's Day? -
He remembers you.
Starring: Marley Shelton, Denise Richards, Jessica Capshaw, Jessica Cauffiel & David Boreanaz
Director: Jamie Blanks
Written by: Gretchen J. Berg, Aaron Harberts, Donna Powers, Wayne Powers
Released: February 2, 2001
Budget: $29 million
Box office: $36.7 million
Distributed: Warner Bros. Pictures
When it comes to creepy masks, none stick out to me more than the one from Valentine. The uncanny quality of seeing this expressionless cherub face 👼🏼 on top of an all-black wearing figure, walking slowly towards you with a large knife 🔪. Perhaps that’s why I keep coming back to it every February…well that, and I love a themed horror film.
This movie doesn’t disappoint when it comes to the Valentine’s Day imagery. It commits to incorporating as many elements as it can. We get speed dating, sticky relationship dynamics, threatening valentines cards, a Valentine’s Day party, use of the colour red throughout and of course a cool bow and arrow kill.
Beloved director, Jamie Blanks (Urban Legend), is back to helm this film which centres on four women who are targeted by a vengeful killer on Valentine’s Day. Instead of it being akin to the late 90’s slashers, he opted to make a thriller that was a love letter 💌 towards 70’s giallo genre films.
However, the film wasn’t received well and didn’t make a big splash at the box office. I guess people at the time were either in a state of slasher fatigue or they just didn’t like female-centred horror. Oh well…perhaps it would do well today if it got the remake treatment, which I’m quite surprised it hasn’t already gotten.
Luckily I’m in the mood to pick some petals, so let’s get into the love-me 🌹 and love-me-not’🥀of this film.
The opening score with the red-tinted Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow logos immediately sent the chill down my spine. The piano keys, eerie stings and deep ominous bass immediately grabbed my attention and made my heart race a little more than usual. Sound engineering is important in creating the atmosphere, lifting the scene and drawing emotion from the viewer. Valentine’ score does it effectively and elevates some scenes (with the killer) that could have packed more punch. Listen to it here.
While I think the scene at the school dance is necessary for exposition and sets up the whole plot of the film, I also feel like it takes away from any sort of mystery as to why these girls are being targeted. When we meet their younger selves, we don’t really see anything other than them rejecting Jeremy Melton in a mean way, and while of course I don’t agree with the way he was spoken to, was that really enough to warrant an elaborate murder plot? Perhaps if we saw the girls pull some sort of elaborate prank that went tragically wrong, then I’d understand, but to be killed because of a simple sentence…many years later…makes the motive quite weak. Dorothy on the other hand is the guilty one so I feel like she should have gotten the brunt of the terror.
I remember watching Roswell 👽occasionally when I was younger, but not enough for me to have recognised Katherine Heigl in this. I probably only saw Bride of Chucky after this film, so to me this had no Drew Barrymore effect. It was just another girl getting stalked and killed. I think this is more of a hindsight “most famous star” kill than it truly was back in its day, but it’s still a good scene. As many have mentioned (including the director) the moment the cadaver inhales takes the scene down a notch or two in plausibility points. However, redeems itself when the killer is revealed and stalks Shelly into the body bag room. I distinctly remember feeling scared as a kid when he stabbed each bag and the knife sound it made as it pierced through. That was pretty scary and amped up the tension a lot. It felt like a countdown to death of some sorts. Upon the rewatch, I did scan the room to see if there were any other places she could’ve hidden and sadly there wasn’t, so the body bag was at least quick thinking on her part. Now, we all know that the key to hiding is not to trap yourself too, so unfortunately Shelly was not as smart there, resulting in her getting caught by the cherub killer and her throat being slit.
Let’s talk about the killer. Although simple in design, the all black attire with a long black coat and cherub face still is quite jarring to the eye. It’s uncanny and doesn’t quite make sense. Angels are associated with innocence, light, trust and love. So to see this baby faced cherub figure being threatening and dangerous 👼🔪 appear on screen elicited a visceral reaction from me. The nosebleed looks very cool and adds an interesting visual and story motif, however back to the previous point, immediately spells out who the killer is and tells me Jeremy Melton is back for revenge. There are only so many male characters in the film, so it weakens the whodunnit aspect to the film.
I also really like the body language of the killer. Always stalking and peering. There are many scenes where he is standing by a door frame or entryway either slowly entering or peeking. It’s very commanding on the screen. It’s as if he appears out of nowhere like the angel of death.
JM is also a poet. A rather sinister one at that. The cards and gifts he leaves for the women are very IKWYDLS and shows how much trouble he went through to exact his revenge.
His killing style is also quite unique. Always something different when it comes to the weapons and method. Lily, Paige and Ruthie had pretty memorable send offs.
Speaking of the women,
As Dorothy says to Kate “Oh come on Kate! You’ve always been the popular one and Shelley was the brainy one and then Lily was the fun one and Paige was the sexy one and I was the big fat one”
This one little rant tells you everything about how these women are characterised throughout the film. Everything is based around that single descriptor rather than something that gives them more substance. From their behaviour, style in clothing and even the interactions with the questionable men they have in their life, it all falls under the specific archetype they were presented as. The best comparison I can think of is Sex and the City. I think most females who have seen that show have called themselves: Samantha or Carrie or Miranda or Charlotte because at face value, they depict a very specific character description. Similarly, this film could have female viewers saying I’m like Kate or Paige etc. out of their friend group.
However, I still enjoyed them on screen. I think each actress worked well with what was given to them and brought their uniqueness and strengths to the characters they played. I mean of course Denise Richards is going to be a natural at being sexy, so I like that she used what’s in her tool belt to her advantage. The strongest moments with the characters were when the women were interacting with each other. As an ensemble they have great chemistry together and I could believe without a doubt that they have been friends for a long time.
Every man in this film is not favourably depicted and has some sort of questionable thing about them. Whether it’s sleazy artists, dates and policemen, alcoholic boyfriends, panty stealing neighbours or even scam artists…they all come with some BS the women have to deal with. Which is, I’m sure a rare glimpse into what females have to deal with in real life.
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This movie is also paced really well and doesn’t feel like it’s dragging on and on to get to the point. The mystery and killings never get lost in the foil and are present in every other scene, which is what makes it fly by quickly. This is a good sleepover movie that I think most teen girls would mostly appreciate, especially those who are looking to dip a toe into the horror genre.
I can see why this is a hit or miss amongst the horror community. It definitely isn’t on the level of some of the great slashers that have come before or after, and is sometimes very paint-by-numbers at times, but there is something charming about this film that keeps me returning to it annually. There’s a solid story and decent performances to bring it to life, along with some pretty cool imagery and kills.
I would actually like to see a new modern take on this film, because it could go so many different directions given how much the climate has changed for women since the 2000’s. Who would you cast in the various roles?
I give this film 3 out of 5 scary Valentine’s cards 💌
I love reading scripts to the teen/young adult horror films I’ve seen. There are always interesting little tidbits that an earlier draft of the screenplay has which didn’t make it to screen. I found a version of the script, so I thought it would be cool to include my notes on it as well. Read the script here:
Script vs Screen:
The opening scene is different. I prefer the movie version, although in the script it adds a little more to visually explain the cadaver on the table breathing.
Kate Davies’ name in the script is Jennifer Keates
Detective Vaughn (a man in the film) was originally a woman named Cindy Vaughn.
The quartet was a little more distant it seems. Paige and Lily don’t remember Dorothy and Jennifer (Kate) doesn’t recognize Lily.
There’s an apartment sequence with the girls after the funeral.
It’s also revealed that Jennifer is working in catering. That the whole reason there is a massive party at Dorothy’s mansion, is because Jennifer (Kate) is using it as a venue for a client.
The valentines card rhymes are better in the film version. Also the card isn’t signed with the initials J.M liked the film, instead Dorothy’s is signed by Jeremy Melton.
In the apartment shower scene, there’s an almost electrocution by means of radio before the hair toilet rinsing moment.
No scary Gary character in this draft.
The art gallery has some extra dialogue in it. Jen (Kate) goes into the kitchen, when the killer dressed in white grabs a kitchen knife.
Lily’s death is more drawn out. Stabbed in the throat. Hung upside down. Shot with arrows and pulled into the ceiling and bleeds to death while Jennifer (Kate) searches for her.
A scene at Shelly’s apartment is included. The women find flowers sent from Jeremy Melton. Dorothy explains she’s the reason for the mob attack on Jeremy Melton.
Campbell’s body is covered by leeches in a hot tub, ultimately killed with a dumbbell.
Paige gets the hot tub death, but in a different way.
Ruthie’s death is different too, falling down from the top of the stairs.
Reading the script I can see why the final product cut a lot out. Some parts of the script felt unnecessary and also the kills felt a little too elaborate without the payoff…the movie version was more focused and the Jeremy Melton aspect was more mysterious. The movie trimmed a lot of the fat and rightfully so.
What did you think about Valentine? Share your thoughts below on the film and/or the earlier draft of the script.
Happy Valentine’ Day 😘
