Taking Things Too Seriously: The Canadianism of MY BLOODY VALENTINE

There's a point in My Bloody Valentine (1981) where you realize that you're watching a Canadian horror film. Is it the scenery, the stunning vistas of mountains and rivers and lakes situated near a gross and dusty mine shaft? No, although My Bloody Valentine does have a couple of scenes where the setting parallels the events happening on screen.

If one were watching My Bloody Valentine for the first time, ignorant of the fact that it was shot in Canada, the scenery might not be the most obvious giveaway. It could be anywhere, in fact; during my stay in Massachusetts at college, I had much the same vista, especially with the mountains. It's not the setting.

Could the tell be the multiple, multiple references to Moosehead Ale? In the film, EVERYONE is drinking Moosehead. There are boxes being transported, and guess what? They're labeled Moosehead Ale. A waitress comes over to a table in the bar, asks the patrons, "Who ordered the Moosehead?" Well, someone did, but if you look at the table, it appears that every single person that lives in Valentine's Bluffs drinks Moosehead Ale. The tables are littered with the green bottles, their labels just visible to the camera. You don't see any Budweiser in this joint, just Moosehead.

But for those who aren't beer drinkers, or for those who've never had an imported Moosehead, this doesn't scream Canadian either. For a low-budget film, it's not out of the question for some serious advertising to pop up in exchange for funding, which is most likely what happened here.

But it's the accents that really give it away, especially T.J.'s. Paul Kelman has a serious Canadian accent here, and in any scene where he needs to throw some dialogue the viewer's way, the lilt in his voice places the audience in the context of Canada. At least after the attacks in the mine the survivors will get free health care.

Being the ignorant American that I am, I did some research into Valentine's Day in Canada. I've never been there during Valentine's Day, and I wasn't sure if they were big celebrators of the holiday like we are. Here's what I found, from Timeanddate.com:

"Valentine's Day is an opportunity for people in Canada to tell somebody that they love them in a romantic way. It falls on February 14, the name day of two saints, St Valentine of Rome and St Valentine of Terni. In pre-Christian times, the middle of February was a time of pagan fertility festivals in Europe and allegedly the time when birds chose a mate." 

Sounds familiar. Did they jack our holiday? What's more:

"Many people give gifts to loved ones on Valentine's Day. Common gifts are:

• Flowers, particularly red roses.
• Chocolates and/or candy.
• Teddy bears.
• Toy hearts.
• Sparkling wine.
• Cosmetics.
• Clothing, including lingerie.
• Jewelry."

Canadians, apparently, celebrate Valentine's Day much the same way that we do. It's thanks to this illustrative guide that I now understand that the events in My Bloody Valentine are, in fact, realistic, and that the residents of Canada are able to celebrate February 14 with candy, roses, and pickaxes.

Happy Valentine's Day, Canada! Oh, and every other country that celebrates it. I can't be bothered to look it up.