April Fool’s Day (4K UHD Review)

Reviewed by: Tim Salmons
Review Date: Jan 28, 2025
Format: 4K Ultra HD

Director

Fred Walton

Release Date(s)

1986 (January 21, 2025)

Studio(s)

Hometown Films/Paramount Pictures (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)

Film/Program Grade: B
Video Grade: A
Audio Grade: B+
Extras Grade: B+

Review

In the wake of Halloween and Friday the 13th, there were a plethora of slasher films released with a myriad of storylines, killers, and varying qualities—from the bottom of the barrel to the surprisingly respectable. By 1986, there wasn’t much more you could do with the genre without copying previous efforts, either intentionally or accidentally. Because of his association with Friday the 13th, producer Frank Mancuso, Jr. (along with director Fred Walton) decided to tackle another entry into the genre, but with a new twist on it. Lo and behold, April Fool’s Day was released to varying critical and audience reaction, but long-term fan appreciation.

On April Fool’s Day weekend, a group of college friends decide to get away from it all, making their way to their rich friend’s Muffy’s palatial mansion by the water. There they celebrate in style, complete with champagne and fine dining, but their idea of a good time is to pull pranks on each other for the entirety of the weekend. However, it seems that someone is taking the pranks too far when multiple bodies start piling up. The cast includes Amy Steel, Deborah Foreman, Thomas F. Wilson, Deborah Goodrich, Clayton Rohner, Griffin O’Neal, and Leah Pinsent.

At the time, slasher films were known primarily for their use of violence, which was often over the top and gory, even after the MPAA had gotten its hands on them. In April Fool’s Day, the bloodletting is severely minor, but for good purpose. The surprise ending, which is a “love it” or “hate it” situation, allows the lack of carnage to make sense. The film also has a fine pedigree behind it since Frank Mancuso, Jr. had cut his teeth on several horror films up to that point, and director Fred Walton had helmed the successful When a Stranger Calls several years prior. However, both men wanted to make something that was different, thoroughly succeeding but not totally winning over audiences at the time.

Upon its initial release, April Fool’s Day did only minor business, but managed to garner a following on home video soon thereafter. Rumors of scenes that were cut from the final film, most notoriously the additional ending, have circulated since the early days of Fangoria and Gorezone. They have yet to be unearthed, but the film continues to be a favorite for like-minded horror fans.

April Fool’s Day was shot by cinematographer Charles Minsky on 35mm film using Panavision cameras and anamorphic lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Kino Lorber Studio Classics brings the film to Ultra HD for the first time with a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and presented on a triple-layered BD-100 disc. The film makes the jump to 4K splendidly with a very attractive and organic presentation, and an obvious boost in color and detail. Grain is obviously thick, but it’s very well-attenuated, and the bitrate sits primarily between 70 and 100Mbps, fluctuating at times, but never at the expense of the picture. It’s a much crisper presentation with beautiful textures and enormous depth, offering beautiful lakeside scenery, including an amazing shot of a sunset, and some terrific indoor atmosphere. The HDR grades widen the gamut to increase the detail in the film’s palette, with more aggressive shades of blue, green, and red, as well as perfect flesh tones and deep blacks with excellent contrast. It’s also thoroughly stable and clean, with no obvious digital artifacts to be seen.

Audio is presented in English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. The film was released in Dolby Stereo, and both tracks (carryovers from the Scream Factory Blu-ray) represent it well, offering plenty of atmospherics. The 5.1 sounds a bit more natural comparatively, but for either selection, dialogue exchanges are perfectly discernible, while sound effects, score, and the music selection have plenty of aural heft to them. Low end is lacking at times, but both tracks are clean and free of dropouts, distortion, or any other faults.

The 2-Disc 4K Ultra HD release of April Fool’s Day from Kino Lorber Studio Classics sits in a black Amaray case alongside a 1080p Blu-ray containing extras only, with an insert and a slipcover featuring the original theatrical artwork. The following extras are included on both discs:

DISC ONE: UHD (FILM)

Audio Commentary with Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson

DISC TWO: BD (EXTRAS)

Horror With a Twist: Fred Walton on April Fool’s Day – Part I (HD – 23:59)
Horror With a Twist: Fred Walton on April Fool’s Day – Part II (HD – 23:03)
Well of Lies: Deborah Goodrich Royce on April Fool’s Day (HD – 16:33)
Looking Forward to Dessert: Clayton Rohner on April Fool’s Day (HD – 17:16)
Bloody Unforgettable: Composer Charles Bernstein on April Fool’s Day (HD – 26:01)
The Eye of Deception: Charles Minksy on April Fool’s Day (HD – 17:24)
TV Spots (Upscaled SD – 3 in all – 1:36)
Trailer (Upscaled SD – 1:43)
Happy Birthday to Me Trailer (HD – 1:17)
New Year’s Evil Trailer (SD – 1:48)

The majority of this content was included on Scream Factory’s 2020 Blu-ray. New to this release is an audio commentary with film historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson, three names you’ll likely recognize and, as per usual, they bring their usual brand of mutual humor and expertise to the table. It’s a much-appreciated addition. Next is a series of interviews conducted by Justin Beahm for Reverend Entertainment. In the two-part interview Horror With a Twist with Fred Walton, he speaks about his upbringing, getting into filmmaking, shooting both The Sitter and When a Stranger Calls, his relationship with Frank Mancuso, Jr., and working with the film’s cast and crew. In Well of Lies, Deborah Goodrich Royce talks about how she got into acting, shooting soap operas, working with Fred Walton, getting injured during the well scene, and a couple of deleted scenes, including the additional cut ending. In Looking Forward to Dessert, Clayton Rohner pontificates on how he got into show business, building up his character in the film, and his memories of the alternate ending. In Bloody Unforgettable, Charles Bernstein also talks about his background, his process, working with Wes Craven, how he got involved with April Fool’s Day, and his work on it. In The Eye of Deception, director of photography Charles Minksy speaks about learning to be a cameraman, his early work, being hired to shoot the film, and his approach to capturing it. Last are 3 TV spots and a trailer for the film, as well as trailers for Happy Birthday to Me and New Year’s Evil, which are also available from Kino Lorber.

Having not seen the film in a while, I was surprised at how much more I enjoyed April Fool’s Day than I had in the past. Part of that is likely down to having seen a glut of slasher films that offer the same old thing over and over again, as well as getting older and learning to appreciate more than just blood and guts in horror films. It’s also likely because I knew the film’s outcome going in, so it kind of softens the blow, so to speak. In any case, Kino’s 4K upgrade is an essential purchase if you’re a fan, with a gorgeous picture and a nice selection of extras. Highly recommended.

- Tim Salmons

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