My Bloody Valentine

A Canadian mining town, a Valentine's Day massacre, and a killer in miner's gear with a pickaxe, and unusually for the cycle, a genuine sense of place and a strong central mystery. The claustrophobic mine setting gives the final act real atmosphere.

For decades it was seen only in a version gutted by censors who cut most of the excellent gore; the restored cut reveals a slasher considerably better than its reputation. The blue-collar setting and the doomed-romance framing set it apart.

One of the strongest early-80s slashers, finally watchable as intended.