Happy Birthday to Me

Recovering from a highly traumatic event that took place around the time of her birthday many years past, pretty and popular Virginia (Melissa Sue Anderson) appears to have made some real progress. But as she approaches her 18th year, there’s a black-leather-gloved killer on the loose, knocking off her elite-private-school friends, which brings her stability into question. Giallo-like in its plot convolutions as well as its stark, shadowy visual style, this rare foray into strict horror by dark crime thriller master J. Lee Thompson is perhaps best known for its infamous shish-kebab murder scene, but the underappreciated slasher film has much more to offer, with a whole slew of show-stopping death setpieces and a stellar supporting cast, including Glenn Ford as Virginia’s doctor.