April Fool's Day

A cut above the usual hack 'em up, and perhaps even a hack above the usual cut 'em up. Read full review

Director Fred Walton (When a Stranger Calls) cheats shamelessly to effect the various surprises, but has so much of that "who-is-next?" tension going for him that the movie more or less makes itself. [01 Apr 1986, p.D9]

The dialogue is mostly composed of rude variations on ''eek,'' ''ugh'' and ''I'd like to sleep with you this evening.'' Read full review

Clever enough; but, as is the case with all stalk-and-slash films, it becomes repetitive and boring very quickly. Read full review

If you have ever been the butt of a practical joke, you have some idea how you will feel during the last few minutes of April Fool's Day. [27 Mar 1986, p.2C]

Unfortunately, the film blunders into such an outlandishly dumb conclusion that you don't get a charge of surprise -- just a bad case of whiplash. [28 Mar 1986, p.16]

There's a lightheartedness to the film that belies its genre, however. As one of the dimmer of the dwindling party says, after the body count has reached three, "You gotta look on the bright side of things." April Fool's Day eventually does, but the mild satisfaction of its climactic twist does not redeem the tedium of the first 88 minutes. [29 Mar 1986, p.B4]