January 23, 2009 No one was more depressed at cuts made to 1981 Canadian slasher movie "My Bloody Valentine" than its director George Mihalka. Mihalka's original gory vision for this now classic slasher film was finally restored this year with the first-time-ever uncut release of the film on DVD from Lionsgate.



We had the chance to ask the veteran filmmaker some questions about his film and his future plans.

How does it feel to have your film released uncut after so many years?

Like an unexpected surprise, a present you find years after the party., Seriously, I am relieved that finally the fans can get a taste of what we originally intended the film to be.

The film seems like an altogether different movie with the gore scenes intact. Was it devastating when they forced you to make cuts all those years ago?

Of course it was devastating. It was like dying a death by a thousand cuts, since after the initial demands to cut large chunks of the scenes, we then had to spend another week trimming shots by a second here and there and then another round where we were told to cut a frame or two from each shot. That was literally nitpicking to shorten a shot by 1/12 or even 1/24 of a second. By the time we finished there was almost nothing left of the great effects our fantastic team created.



Had anyone thought of releasing it unrated, like 'Maniac' or 'Dawn of the Dead'?

You must remember the historical context. 28 Years ago unrated versions were not released, especially by major studios. The only way would have been to release it in an X rated version which would have meant a handful of porno theaters at best, but that certainly was not an option for a major player such as Paramount.



How did you get the job directing this movie?

John Dunning, the father of genre films in canada saw my first feature, liked what he saw and
approached me with a synopsis for 'My Bloody Valentine' written by Stephen Miller.

Is it true you had an idea for a sequel?

Over the years, I mulled with the idea, so did John Dunning. We spoke a few times about different ways of approaching the sequel. John finally wrote one, it was pretty interesting, but I haven't heard anything about it since. Then of course news of the remake emerged.

Where was the 'found' footage discovered?

John Dunning had kept some of the censored footage from the initial larger chunks we had to cut out. He had kept it in the safe in his office all these years. He intended to use them as flashbacks in the sequel.

It seems to work seamlessly with the movie, although the gore scenes do have some spots on them. Was it difficult to segue it all back into the film?

The fact that the new footage works so well in the movie is because it was intended and shot to fit there. It is also the great work of Peter Ventrella at Deluxe and all the talented folks at Lionsgate. Let's not forget that the added footage was from negatives that are 28 years old and not kept in the most ideal conditions, so restoring those shots to match the film is almost impossible, hence some spots i guess. There really was no difficulty in putting the images back in the film, it was extending the sound and music to cover those shots that was more problematic, but again done brilliantly by Peter and his team.



What impact do you think directing this movie had on your film career?

I am not sure if it was very positive at the time. Having made a movie that got censored, that was never shown in theaters as was intended, did not exactly impact well on the career of a young director. There were too many negative connotations attached to the film. So I chose to direct other genres such as comedy and dramas, and also directed many films in French. As the cult status of 'My Bloody Valentine' increased, of course my association with the film
was seen in a much more positive light. 28 Years later I am being rediscovered and appreciated for my genre work, it's really cool.

I noticed you directed some episodes of 'The Hitchiker' as well. Which episodes? Do you think this show had an influence on more recent horror shows, like 'Masters of Horror'?

'The Hitchhiker' was the first of the modern breed of anthology series after Hitchcock's,
The Outer Limits, and the Twilight Zone. I directed two episodes in France. I really cannot remember what number they were or their titles, but if you are interested I will try and find out. If any readers or fans out there have the answer please let me know. I am sure it has influenced Masters of Horror just the same way it influenced the Hunger series

What current films are you working on? Do you expect to be doing more horror?

I am working on a comedy/drama about a young rebellious girl in a small town who grapples with religion, faith, and fraud and an image of jesus christ that appears on the wall of the local
donut shop. After the extremely warm response from fans around the world to the restored 'My Bloody Valentine,' I am feeling the urge to try my hand at another horror picture if the right project comes along.

All my best wishes to the fans and a huge thanks for keeping the spirit of the original 'My Bloody Valentine' alive all these years.

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