Summary of Exploring Happy Birthday to Me - From Small Canadian Studio to Major Hollywood Competitor

00:00:00 - 00:20:00

"Happy Birthday to Me" is a low-budget horror film from the early 1980s that became a major Hollywood competitor. The film's director, Jaylee Thompson, elevates the film above its exploitation roots, and the ending is surprisingly unique for its time.

• 00:00:00 This video tells the story of two film producers, John Dunning and Andre Link, who started producing softcore films in Quebec under the banner Cinepix Films. These films, known as "maple syrup porn," became known for their erotic content and were some of the highest-grossing Canadian films of their time. In 1977, they produced David Cronenberg's horror film "Shivers." This success led to them directing the blockbuster "Stripes" (1981) and the blockbuster "Ghostbusters" (1984). Canadian cinema was starting to take off, and Dunning and Link were able to produce films like "My Bloody Valentine" (1978), which became their biggest commercial success. This success led to them producing "Happy Birthday to Me" (1980), which became a huge breakout for Canadian cinema.
• 00:05:00 The video discusses the making of Happy Birthday to Me, a low-budget Canadian horror film directed by Jaylee Thompson that became a major Hollywood competitor after being acquired by producers who discovered that its director, Jaylee Thompson, was a talented dramatic horror filmmaker. The cast and crew of the film were largely unknown Canadian actors and actresses, with the exception of effects artist Steven Dupuis, who was fired midway through production for disagreements with the director.
• 00:10:00 The director of a small Canadian studio produces a horror movie that quickly becomes a major Hollywood competitor. However, Paramount Pictures' ratings board cuts out violence and gore, causing the film to lose money. The director of the original film, "Happy Birthday to Me," offers to help Paramount Pictures with the release of the new film, but the producers turn him down. After the original film's release, the director of "Happy Birthday to Me" tries to get Paramount Pictures to release his film, but is unsuccessful.
• 00:15:00 This video tells the story of a small Canadian film studio that became a major Hollywood competitor, thanks to the success of their horror movie "Happy Birthday to Me". The original film's gruesome scenes were trimmed down to avoid an R rating, and some kills were changed or removed altogether due to complaints from reviewers. However, the movie still managed to break 9.5 million in its opening week, and spawned a sequel. Today, the director and producer continue to work in Hollywood.
• 00:20:00 "Happy Birthday to Me" is a low-budget horror film from the early 1980s that has been largely forgotten, but has a dedicated fanbase. The film's director, Thompsons, elevates the film above its exploitation roots, and the ending is surprisingly unique for its time.