Mother's Day (1980) Reviews

Three women find their worst nightmares have become a reality in this horror film that combines extreme violence with dark, absurdist comedy. Abbey (Nancy Hendrickson), Jackie (Deborah Luce), and Trina (Tiana Pierce) have been close friends since their college days, and they decide to celebrate their tenth class reunion by taking a vacation together. The women go camping in the woods of rural New Jersey; however, an idyllic few days in the great outdoors turn ugly when they're ambushed by a pair of subnormal thugs, Ike (Holden McGuire) and Addley (Billy Ray McQuade). Ike and Addley live in a garishly decorated hovel deep in the woods, where they gorge themselves on sugar, obsessively watch television, debate the merits of punk rock versus disco, and strictly obey the instructions of their aged Mother (Rose Ross) -- a vicious psychopath who goads her boys into acts of rape and murder, with Mother shouting encouragement throughout. When one of the women is killed by Ike and Addley, the other two escape, and they plot a gruesome revenge. Mother's Day developed something of a cult following after its initial release, and no small amount of controversy -- many feminist groups denounced its depiction of violence against women, while writer and director Charles S. Kaufman contended that he intended for the film to be viewed as a satire. The film was later reissued in a cut version that eliminated some of the more extreme scenes of rape and violence. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi