‘BLOODY BIRTHDAY,’ Bloody Fun! 45 Years Later – A Retro Review

I have to be honest, I’d never seen Bloody Birthday before. I’m so glad I chose to write this article though, because I was pleasantly surprised by this delightfully cheesy horror-filled flick, which can be found in full on YouTube. 

Bloody Birthday was released in 1981 and celebrates it’s 45th anniversary in 2026. Starring Elizabeth Hoy (The Blues Brothers, 1980) as little Debbie, Billy Jacoby (Cujo, 1983) as young Curtis, and Andy Freeman (How to Eat Like A Child 1981) as little Steven. These three tykes are about as innocent as any monster from any horror movie, ever.

The idea of child murderers was something I’d only seen in Village of the Damned or Halloween but Bloody Birthday is done in such a way that you follow three little psychopaths their entire murderous journey, and revel in what a young brain can accomplish when it plots without the burden of conscience. There was no surprise ending, just a spree of good old fashioned slashings and other creative kills, like using a bow and arrow or ant poison on birthday cake. 

For those who need to be convinced, the storyline is as follows: June 9th, 1970, three babies are born in the same hospital under the glare of a solar eclipse. Ten years later, the murders begin. The first being in a cemetery, the second is of little Debbie’s father, the sheriff. After this, there is nothing to stop these three sinister children who share the same birthday. We are left with a cliffhanger ending that ensures Debbie will strike again, but alas, a sequel to Bloody Birthday was never in the cards. Bloody Birthday had all the markings of an underground cult classic only created and released for those who are true fans of the genre, and it does not disappoint. 

“A bloody fun time that’s great for all the wrong reasons.”~AllMovie

There are some great quotes from Bloody Birthday and I learned a lot. For example, little Debbie cries out “Mom! Dad fell!” After bludgeoning and pushing her father down the stairs. It was very easy apparently to get away with murder in the 1980’s.

Another great quote is from a teacher, Mrs. Davis, who heartwarmingly informs the pre-teens “Just because you all have the same birthdays, doesn’t mean you’re special” …she did not last long in Bloody Birthday as young Curtis has stolen the sheriffs handgun and feels it’s a golden ticket to freedom.

Also, while it is considered sociopathic to take money from your friends to secretly watch your sister undress to hair rock glam music, Bloody Birthday kind of normalizes it, and this sets a clear distinction between what’s acceptable in classic horror films, as opposed to modern day. Many, Many gratuitous booby scenes that would definitely raise eyebrows today.

I’ve got to hand it to director Ed Hunt (Halloween Hell 2014), Bloody Birthday is one wild film filled with satisfying jump scares, enough of a plot, and decent acting that any horror fan will not only find the film entertaining, but refreshing as well. I will definitely revisit!