Review: April Fool's Day

April Fool's Day (1986) ** out of 5 asterisks
Director: Fred Walton (When A Stranger Calls, When A Stranger Calls Back)
Cast: Deborah Foreman, Jay Baker, Deborah Goodrich, Ken Olant

I really don't understand how this came to be called a "horror classic." It's more of a campy B-movie slasher flick and not nearly scary enough to be a true horror film. Furthermore, the acting is campy and crappy, and the plot -- especially the ending -- is just way too predictable and contrived. While I could at least credit the director for effectively building suspense throughout, it's so ponderously slow you figure out the ending well in advance. This is a lame attempt at repackaging an Agatha Christie classic as a teen screamer. I suppose if you like vintage silly slasher flicks you might find this one interesting, but otherwise don't bother watching this or the 2008 remake which is only slightly less crappy than the original.