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Happy Birthday to Me

  • 1981
  • R
  • 1h 50m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
12K
YOUR RATING
Matt Craven in Happy Birthday to Me (1981)
At the snobby Crawford Academy, Virginia's group of friends start to go missing years after horrible events that happened to her as a child around her birthday.
Play trailer1:18
1 Video
99+ Photos
B-HorrorSlasher HorrorTeen HorrorHorrorMysteryThriller

At the snobby Crawford Academy, Virginia's group of friends start to go missing years after horrible events that happened to her as a child around her birthday.At the snobby Crawford Academy, Virginia's group of friends start to go missing years after horrible events that happened to her as a child around her birthday.At the snobby Crawford Academy, Virginia's group of friends start to go missing years after horrible events that happened to her as a child around her birthday.

  • Director
    • J. Lee Thompson
  • Writers
    • John C.W. Saxton
    • Peter Jobin
    • Timothy Bond
  • Stars
    • Melissa Sue Anderson
    • Glenn Ford
    • Lawrence Dane
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.0/10
    12K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • J. Lee Thompson
    • Writers
      • John C.W. Saxton
      • Peter Jobin
      • Timothy Bond
    • Stars
      • Melissa Sue Anderson
      • Glenn Ford
      • Lawrence Dane
    • 173User reviews
    • 122Critic reviews
    • 24Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 nominations total

    Videos1

    Theatrical Trailer
    Trailer 1:18
    Theatrical Trailer

    Photos145

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    + 139
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    Top Cast53

    Edit
    Melissa Sue Anderson
    Melissa Sue Anderson
    • Virginia Wainwright
    Glenn Ford
    Glenn Ford
    • Dr. David Faraday
    Lawrence Dane
    Lawrence Dane
    • Hal Wainwright
    Sharon Acker
    Sharon Acker
    • Estelle Wainwright
    Frances Hyland
    Frances Hyland
    • Mrs. Patterson
    Tracey E. Bregman
    Tracey E. Bregman
    • Ann Thomerson
    • (as Tracy Bregman)
    Jack Blum
    Jack Blum
    • Alfred Morris
    Matt Craven
    Matt Craven
    • Steve Maxwell
    Lenore Zann
    Lenore Zann
    • Maggie
    David Eisner
    • Rudi
    Lisa Langlois
    Lisa Langlois
    • Amelia
    Michel-René Labelle
    • Etienne Vercures
    • (as Michel Rene Labelle)
    Richard Rebiere
    • Greg Hellman
    Lesleh Donaldson
    Lesleh Donaldson
    • Bernadette O'Hara
    Earl Pennington
    • Lieutenant Tracy
    Murray Westgate
    • Gatekeeper
    Jérôme Tiberghien
    • Prof. Heregard
    • (as Jerome Tiberghien)
    Maurice Podbrey
    Maurice Podbrey
    • Dr. Feinblum
    • Director
      • J. Lee Thompson
    • Writers
      • John C.W. Saxton
      • Peter Jobin
      • Timothy Bond
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews173

    6.012.2K
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    Featured reviews

    6Tikkin

    Good in parts but gets confusing

    Happy Birthday To Me started off looking promising, with a girl getting her throat slit, and the pace moving along nicely. But then things started to get confusing, as the girl has flashbacks, and you're left trying to figure out how this fits into the storyline. At the end of the film it starts making a little more sense, but then suddenly things take an unexpected twist (a twist too far if you ask me) and the film gets too far fetched, resulting in a spoilt film. If they had of left the twist as it was rather than adding the ridiculous second twist, it would have been a much better film. However, there are many good scenes which get points from me such as the flashback of the car falling off the bridge - it's very well done and we get to see the car falling in at different angles. The acting from Virginia's mother is also superb for her brief appearance. There are some unusual death scenes too although I must have seen the cut version because I didn't get to see much of them.

    Overall, this film could have been a lot better without the elements that make it confusing, but it's still worth seeking out and is better than a lot of slashers out there.
    7n7990467

    See it to believe it!!

    This has to be the most unintentionally funny film I have ever seen. I cannot believe there is not a goofs list for this film, when it contains the worst bit of Continuity EVER!! Imagine the scene, the young star has a flashback, her and her mother are trapped on an opening bridge. As it opens, the car falls, spins 180 degrees and lands roof first in the water. The Director, Editor, whoever, obviously loved this stunt as we see it 4 times, in slo mo, from 4 different angles, then, as a climax to her flashback we see it one more time, this time, however, the car falls into the water Roof UP!!! Who was editing this thing?? Anyways, its worth a look for its laughs, and has a few decent effects too, including a kebab skewer through the head. Watch it, you may actually like it!!
    6funkervogt

    Not that bad at all.

    Well first things first, It makes me wonder if the creators of scream and I know what you did last summer watched this movie to get ideas. This movie I think is BETTER then those movies, It has way more suprises in the ending thats for sure. And best of all its filmed in Canada! Good shocks, Good death scenes (the dumbell!), and a great plot make this a winner. Just when you think you know the killer it changes again and again Worth the price to rent (I just saw it on movie PIX for free uncut and commerical free) A solid 7/10 Check out my other horror movie reviews click on my name above!
    6SnoopyStyle

    Very good B-horror but bad Scooby Doo ending

    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.
    7kayrannells

    A Good Time

    A nearly 2 hour excuse to showcase some grisly deaths and silly plot twists, but that's not a bad thing. I did sometimes wonder if the film's content really supported the run time, but the pacing isn't terrible, so you don't spend most of the movie checking your watch. It's nice to see Melissa Sue Anderson in something other than Little House on the Prairie and she's really likable in this as the birthday girl with memory problems whose friends keep disappearing and she might be the one responsible. The finale is one of the silliest and most entertaining conclusions I've ever seen.

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    Related interests

    Bridget Hoffman in The Evil Dead (1981)
    B-Horror
    Roger Jackson in Scream (1996)
    Slasher Horror
    Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. in I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
    Teen Horror
    Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Horror
    Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974)
    Mystery
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Many fans were upset with the 2004 DVD release from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The cover was completely different, and a disco score played over the opening credits, instead of the original atmospheric piano piece. In 2009, Anchor Bay/Starz Home Entertainment re-released the DVD using the original poster as the cover, and restored the original music over the opening sequence.
    • Goofs
      When the car flies over the drawbridge it sustains immense damage. The damage vanishes later.
    • Quotes

      Virginia Wainwright: God, you've got a lot of nerve.

      Etienne Vercures: That's not all I've got. Want to see?

    • Alternate versions
      UK cinema and 1986 RCA/Columbia video releases were culled from a longer print with slightly gorier footage of the weight-lift and shish kebab death scenes. The DVD releases are the edited R-rated version.
    • Connections
      Featured in Sneak Previews: This Is Elvis, Bustin' Loose, Atlantic City, The Four Seasons (1981)
    • Soundtracks
      Happy Birthday to Me
      Music by Lance Rubin

      Lyrics by Molly-Ann Leikin

      Performed by Syreeta Wright

      Courtesy of Motown Records

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    FAQ16

    • How long is Happy Birthday to Me?Powered by Alexa
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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 15, 1981 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Canada
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Feliz cumpleaños para mí
    • Filming locations
      • Concordia University, 7141 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest Montréal, QC H4B 1R6 Canada(Crawford Academy)
    • Production companies
      • Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC)
      • Famous Players
      • The Birthday Film Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • CA$3,500,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 50m(110 min)
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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