April Fool's Day [VHS]
What looks like a standard 1980s holiday-themed slasher movie turns out to be a much more witty venture. A group of college students head out for a weekend of relaxation and April Fools' pranks at an isolated island cottage, catching the very last ferry until Monday morning. A practical joke goes awry, hostess Muffy starts tromping around in frumpy clothes and acting like she's not quite herself, and the bodies start piling up. Don't you just hate it when you're on a completely remote island and the phone goes out? All of this is done, though, with a fairly low gore content and a sly wink at the usual slasher conventions--rather than whodunit, the trick is to figure out what's in good fun and what's real bloodletting. It ain'tCitizen Kane, but it's not a bad evening's enjoyment either.--Ali Davis