Lately I have been browsing the instant view flicks on Netflix and ran across some great old movies that I haven't seen in years. One of the best is the classic 1980 sleazefest, Mother’s day.
There is nothing quite like Mother’s day. Never has been and never will be. Part exploitation, part horror film, and all balls, this film will pound your ass into the dirt and stomp all over it.
Somewhat of a bastard child of Last House on the Left, Mother’s day tells the story of three old female college friends who meet once a year for a mystery weekend. On the particular weekend in question they wind up being terrorized by one of the most mentally unbalanced families this side of the Manson family.
The film opens with a scene of a seemingly harmless old woman offering a ride to a couple after they have all just graduated from a self help class. The nice old lady comes across as your typical sweet old lady type, while the couple seems rather shady and their methods certainly seem less than congenial. As always with horror films, things are not at all what they seem, and thus begins a descent into a nightmarish landscape of a film that is equal parts disturbing, bizarre, violent, humorous, and wildly entertaining.
The three college friends are shown bonding over memories in a viewing of a slideshow, and wondering what things will be like for their friendship years from now/then. Flash forward years later for a peak into the lives of our trio of characters.
Trina is living the lifestyle of the rich and famous in Hollywood. Abbey is forced to take care of her nagging and ill mother. Jackie is seemingly the weaker of the bunch. Never having learned to stand up for herself, as is revealed in her opening moments in the present and a flashback to an old boyfriend, that only invokes retribution courtesy of her two friends.
But, these weekend getaways are what Jackie and Abbey seem to live for, while Trina seems to be the more successful of the bunch and therefore could certainly take or leave the get togethers.
The current vacation spot is in the middle of the woods, to a place called Deep Barons. Of course, what horror movie about young women who are going up in the woods to meet their certain death would be complete without an old storekeeper who tells them "Don't go messin up in Deep Barons"?
Well, messin up in Deep Barons is just what the three women do and they wind up being attacked and taken hostage by two lunatic brothers, Ike and Addley, and brought home for some maniacal family fun time.
Ripped from their weekend getaway and a peaceful journey of self discovery and forced to take part in scenarios of rape, torture and violence, the trio of ladies are in for quite a weekend.
In a deeper examination of the films politics I heartily enjoyed the depth given to the lead characters on their journey through hell. Though a completely unique beast and a different kind of film than Jaws, it was oddly reminiscent of the same character development of the three men in that film as they set out to destroy the big bad fish who "Injured some bathers", according to the town Mayor in that film classic.
These women set out on a weekend of self awareness, and even though things are not at all what they anticipated they certainly get just that tenfold.
Mother's day is one of those rare movies that has it all. It’s both gory and funny and one hell of a ride for anybody who steps on board.
The true stars of the film are the two demented brothers, Ike and Addley. Whether raping, slicing and dicing or going out of their way to make mother proud . . . . . Sometimes even in fact raping, slicing, and dicing to make mother proud . . . . . . These brothers prove that there is nothing quite like that special love only a mother can give. Even if mother is just as deranged as her testosterone fueled brood.
I just recently found out that a remake of Mother's day has been shot. In doing some research, I discovered that the film that is being released sounds like a completely different movie. The plot has been worked over and doesn't resemble this 1980 classic at all. It doesn't sound like the film makers are in fact attempting a remake of this film. A smart move because Mother’s day is a truly one of a kind film experience.
A movie like this cannot be remade for this experience can never be duplicated. Mother's day shoots for the hip and takes out your ribcage with crippling velocity. Movies like this are rare. It’s a film experience that cannot and will not be imitated justly.
A feast for the senses that is a frenzied blastbeat from the hooves of hell upon the consciousness of the viewer, Mother’s day delivers thrills a plenty from its brutal opening scene to one of my all time favorite endings ever. It’s a film experience for all time for fans of sleazy exploitation and classic horror. It belongs at the top of any must see list of any horror movie fan.
***Original blog post date 9/9/2010***
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