Take a look at the cover, can you guess what overrated horror franchise this movie wants to imitate? What is so scary with a hockey mask anyway? It has no features to produce eerie shadows, smooth plastic has no texture, it's round, and regardless of what the lighting it's 1 step away from a big white smiley face. It is far from intimidating. The only thing intimidating about Jason is the make up under the mask (which isn't that intimidating anymore since it's been revealed in so many films) and Kane Hodder himself, who is one big bad monster of a stuntman you wouldn't want to screw with. With that said, why rip that off? Sorry, Bloody Murder doesn't employ Kane Hodder so this killer--what's his name--is not intimidating.
I find it hilarious this film tries to mimic Friday the 13th so much; Friday the 13th didn't even try to be a good movie. Heck, Friday the 13th was fund raiser for Sean Cunningham that happened to get lucky. So it's no surprise that Bloody Murder succeeds very well in following in another franchise's footsteps, despite what F13 fanatics will argue. F13 and Bloody Murder share many things in common: they have bad acting, bad scripting, bad scoring, bad directing, bad sound effects, tiny budget, you get the idea. Friday the 13th's only high points over Bloody Murder is Tom Savini, the gore-master, and the fact that Friday the 13th had much fewer films to compete with and 'rip off' in the early 80s.
Bloody Murder does have a twist (still ripping off F13, but it is a twist) .. . the 'mystery' element thrown in for good measures; my personal favorite scene was the classic 'it could have happened this way . . .' narration over a possible re-enactment of what could have happened. Friday the 13th meets Clue? Yeah, that's a scary thought.
I'll give the filmmakers the benefit of the doubt and assume they knew all along how corny this was. With that stated, even though the result was intentional, it still does not work. Small budget--no excuse. It does not work as corny horror, horror/comedy, or any combination. Sorry, nada, not here. Only thing here are clichés that have been tapped into so much that they're annoying now, even if the filmmakers are trying to make fun of them.
Ultimately, a very forgettable horror film. Much like how Friday the 13th should have gone, but didn't.
