History Film / HappyBirthdayToMe

* {{Foreshadowing}}: “I’ll break your neck” [[spoiler:Ann says to Greg at the start of the film after he nearly gets himself, Amelia, and Ginny killed by driving over an opened draw bridge. She later makes good on that promise by dropping a weight onto his crotch, causing him to drop another weight onto his neck.]]

* AllInTheEyes: After escaping from the killer's clutches, Bernadette leans against a concrete pillar, which conveniently has light that frames her eyes shining on it.

* BirthdayPartyGoesWrong: In the shower, Virginia has a flashback of her mother's death: Her mother, a newly-inducted socialite, invited the Top Ten to Ginny's birthday celebration four years earlier. Instead, the group opted to attend Ann's party. Drunk, her mother drove to the Thomasons' house with Ginny, where she was kept out by Ann's family butler. Enraged, she attempted to drive across a raising drawbridge in a drunken fury, resulting in a violent crash which ended in her drowning. Ginny, however, managed to swim to safety.

* IronicNurseryTune: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be-t1W0C2hA The theme song]]. It sounds like it's sung by a 10 year old girl and has plenty of slow creepy music.

* MadnessMantra: At the end, when the lieutenant finds [[spoiler:Ginny]] in the cottage surrounded by all of the bodies, she starts mindlessly singing "Happy Birthday to Me" to her self, over and over.

* RampJump: After causing a commotion in the pub, the cast hop into their vehicles and drive over a drawbridge that is opening, leading to a series of these. Virginia freaks out when Greg does it, since he almost totals his car from the jump.

* SlashedThroat: Escaping from the killer, Bernadette runs into someone whom she recognizes, thinking that she's now safe. This mysterious person then opens a straight razor, and slashes her throat open.

* BirthdayPartyGoesWrong: In the shower, Ginny has a flashback of her mother's death: Her mother, a newly-inducted socialite, invited the Top Ten to Ginny's birthday celebration four years earlier. Instead, the group opted to attend Ann's party. Drunk, her mother drove to the Thomasons' house with Ginny, where she was humiliated by Ann's parents. Enraged, she attempted to drive across the raising drawbridge, resulting in a violent crash which ended in her drowning. Ginny, however, managed to swim to safety.

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:In the end, Virginia survives, only to get all the blame for her half-sister's murders]].

* RedHerring: [[spoiler:The creepily acting Alfred, the angry Rudi and ultimately Virginia, who turns out to be a victim of a frameup]].

%%* TheShrink: Dr. Faraday

* TwistEnding: The film became a notable slasher film mainly for its ending; [[spoiler: the killer is Virginia's best friend Ann, who is also her bastard half-sister who has been systematically drugging her and [[LatexPerfection wearing a latex mask]] that makes her Virginia's exact double]].

The film starred Creator/GlennFord as Dr. Faraday, and Melissa Sue Anderson (from ''Series/LittleHouseOnThePrairie'') as Virginia. The film also featured an early appearance from Creator/LenoreZann (future voice of Rogue in ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' and Aisha in ''Anime/OutlawStar'').

* DisproportionateRetribution: [[spoiler: Ann learns that her father had an affair with Virginia's mother and that they are half-sisters, which led to her parents getting divorced. To get back at Virginia, Ann murders all the guests that were supposed to be at her party while disaguised as her, kills Virginia's father and therapist, and digs up her mother's corpse. All so Virginia gets the blame. And it works.]]

* ReReleaseSoundtrack: The original DVD release from Sony Pictures had a completely different, disco-inspired, soundtrack. It was later revealed that the film's temp soundtrack was used accidentally. Anchor Bay's DVD reissue and Mill Creek's Blu-ray have the original audio.

* RampJump: After causing a commotion in the pub, the cast hop into their vehicles and driver over a drawbridge that is opening, leading to a series of these. Virginia freaks out when Greg does it, since he almost total's his car from the jump.

* DangerTakesABackseat: Killer attacks Bernadette inside her car, grabbing and strangling her from the backseat. She manages to get free and escape [[PlayingPossum by pretending to die]].

* StunnedIntoSilence: Amelia, one of the few Top Ten who isn't murdered, is last seen standing outside of Virginia's house holding a birthday present in shock, having seen the tableau that has been set inside.

The film starred Glenn Ford as Dr. Faraday, and Melissa Sue Anderson (from ''Series/LittleHouseOnThePrairie'') as Virginia. The film also featured an early appearance from Creator/LenoreZann (future voice of Rogue in ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' and Aisha in ''Anime/OutlawStar'').

The film starred Glenn Ford as Dr. Faraday, and Melissa Sue Anderson (from ''Series/LittleHouseOnThePrairie'') as Virginia. The film also featured an early appearance from LenoreZann (future voice of Rogue in ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' and Aisha in ''Anime/OutlawStar'').

[[caption-width-right:356:John is a lucky man, [[CoversAlwaysLie as he doesn't appear in the movie at all.]][[note]](Death by shish kebab however, does)[[/note]]]]