“And don’t anyone say ‘April Fool’s’ again or I’ll rip them apart!”
What is it about the first day of April that makes us want to torture our friends? History tells us that just about every culture honors a day where tricks are not only celebrated, they’re the law of the land. In the west, we recognize April Fool’s Day – an auspicious 24-hour stretch in which the rules of logic and truth no longer apply. From gimmicky corporate announcements to fake positive pregnancy tests, the first day in April is a virtual smorgasbord of deceit designed to get a laugh or incredulous grin out of unsuspecting dupes. But sometimes the tricks go too far. While commitment to the bit may be admirable, not everyone enjoys having the rug pulled out from under them and many a friendship has died on the April Fools altar. The Lady Killers explore this jovial minefield with Fred Walton’s April Fool’s Day, a 1986 slasher in which everyone’s a suspect and nothing is what it seems.
The film opens with a group of loveable 80s archetypes boarding a fairy to Muffy’s Island. (Yes, that’s her real name.) Deborah Foreman plays the glamorous heir to the St. John fortune as she opens her lake house for a spring break getaway full of mischievous games. The trip gets off to a raucous start with whoopie cushions, trick doorknobs, strategically placed bondage gear and elaborately staged death. It turns out Muffy is a prankster and has planned an “enjoyable” weekend filled with relentless jokes and innocuous gags she unleashes on her friends while they’re trying to relax. But someone’s not laughing at these “harmless” jokes. One by one, Muffy’s friends go missing as a deadly cloud hangs over the house. Has a maniacal killer returned to settle an old score or has one of Muffy’s friends simply had enough of the “fun”?
Co-hosts Jenn Adams, Mae Shults, Rocco T. Thompson, and Sammie Kuykendall board the ferry for a hilarious episode on the concept of April Fool’s day and this tricky film. They’ll chat about Cosmo quizzes, bizarre shorts, switchblade hijinx, and the proper terminology for baked beans served with hotdog. What are the ethics of pranking? Can abortion jokes ever be funny? Why would anyone name a child Muffy and how hard is it not to drop all your belongings into a well? This boathouse is a rockin and you won’t want to miss this ball-busting episode filled with questionable surprises.
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