Every February 14th I watch two movies: _My Bloody Valentine_, and _Valentine_. I feel that _Valentine_ is superior for many reason, not the least of which being that it stays true to the idea of Valentine's Day itself, while working within the framework of a slasher movie. Honestly, what does a mineworker have to do with V-day? Furthermore, the kills in _Valentine_ are motivated by heartbreak - very apropos.
Within the pantheon of holiday-themed movies with mask-wearing killers - which go back to _Halloween_ and exploded during the '80s - we have those that stand the test of time, and those that have rightfully been forgotten. _Valentine_ not only pays tribute to the genre's roots, with its whodunit plot, but also manages to carve out its own place.
We have several big names here - some of whom were just starting out their career - (e.g., Richards, Boreanaz, Shelton, and Heigl).
The score is affective while being subtle. There is no forced humor - which is a component I hate in horror - there may be some funny moments, but they all fit within the situation. The direction is spot on, down to the colors, and mood.
Another piece that was handled well are the kills: within a slasher movie there is going to be a bodycount, the trouble is balancing setting up the characters enough so you have some level of feeling when they die, versus having too much time with them.
_Valentine_ - similar to the first _Halloween_ - has a small bodycount of our core girls, and then just anyone who gets in the way. Again, every part of the movie just works. It's not just a random person killing random people. There is motive here.
This is truly a classic that I can enjoy every year, and it never gets old.

_**By-the-numbers slasher is entertaining**_

In the San Francisco area, five girls in 6th Grade reject a boy’s polite offer to dance with one of them falsely accusing him of assaulting her. Thirteen years later, when they’re all about 25 years-old, the women start receiving macabre valentines before their gruesome deaths. Who’s killing them and why?

"Valentine" (2001) was made by the director of “Urban Legend” (1998), which gives you an idea of what to expect. Like “Urban Legend” and the overrated “Scream” (1996), there’s a wink of parody, but it’s done better and is actually amusing, not to mention disappears by the second half.

Unlike those flicks, “Valentine” wasn’t successful at the box office, but I like it better. Sure, it’s a standard slasher with the tropes thereof, but I enjoyed it from beginning to end. It’s similar in tone to “April Fool’s Day” (2008), just superior.

The notable female cast includes: Marley Shelton (Kate), Jessica Capshaw (Dorothy), Katherine Heigl (Shelley), Jessica Cauffiel (Lily), Denise Richards (Paige) and Hedy Burress (Ruthie). On the other side of the gender spectrum there’s David Boreanaz (Adam), Fulvio Cecere (Detective Vaugn) and Daniel Cosgrove (Campbell).

The rockin’ soundtrack is good, featuring acts popular at the turn-of-the-century, like Rob Zombie, Disturbed, Linkin Park, Deftones and so forth.

The film runs 1 hour, 36 minutes, and was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Riverview Hospital in nearby Coquitlam.

GRADE: B/B-