DVD review (region 1)
Directed by The Butcher Brothers
Starring Taylor Cole, Mark D. Headen, David Low, Scout Taylor-Compton
Release date Out now

A year after a wealthy society girl dies in suspicious circumstances, an unseen killer starts picking off the survivors…

The original April Fool’s Day was one of the more unloved slashers of the 1980s, meaning that a remake was never likely to generate a Halloween-style uproar. But it was still an amusing, tricksy little movie that had its own quirky appeal. This remake from The Butcher Brothers, on the hand, is a glossy bore – a shame as the directing duo’s previous effort, The Hamiltons, was an effective little shocker.

April Fool’s Day 2008 doesn’t actually have much in common with the original, aside from a new (and inferior) variation on the infamous twist ending. Instead, this slickly made comedy-thriller is closer to Cruel Intentions (with a dash of Scream thrown in) – slasher fans will be disgusted at the lack of stabbing, slashing, severing and impaling to be found here.

Unfortunately, there’s nothing else worthwhile in the movie either. Cruel Intentions worked because it contrasted its wicked step-siblings with other more sympathetic characters; here the characters are all so obnoxious (not to mention dull) that you quickly give up caring about anyone, while the script simply isn’t witty enough to work as a satire on the lives of Paris Hilton-esque socialites. Pointless.

Zero DVD extras. Matt McAllister

VERDICT: 3/10
A comic slasher with few laughs or scares. Revisit the original instead.