Prom Night and many more.
Another entry in this particular cycle was 1981's My Bloody Valentine. While it was famously trimmed of most of its gore during its original release - which was later found and restored for DVD and Blu-Ray releases - its villain The Miner became something of a horror icon in his own right. The Miner was brought back for 2009's My Bloody Valentine 3D, a remake of the original film. The story takes place a decade after a bloody Valentine's Day massacre caused by Harry Warden, a miner driven insane after being trapped in a cave-in. Warden disappeared that night after being shot by police, only to seemingly come back and start picking - quite literally, since his weapon of choice is a pickaxe - people off again.
My Bloody Valentine 3D starred Supernatural's Jensen Ackles as Tom Hanniger, the son of the mine's owner who narrowly avoided being pickaxed during Harry's first massacre. Suspicion falls on Tom as he returns to town at the same time the killings start up, which seems to be negated when he's also attacked by The Miner and witnesses a murder. The remake is a fun, gory slasher that actually builds up a nice whodunit mystery, before revealing The Miner is really part of the mentally disturbed Tom's psyche.
My Bloody Valentine 3D reveals the real Harry was shot dead by the sheriff the night of his original massacre, and they buried him in secret. Tom was so traumatized by the event he spent years in a mental institution but coming back to town triggered the darkness inside him. He dug up Harry's old mining gear and unknowingly carried out the killings himself. Jensen Ackles' Tom is one of the more sympathetic killers in the horror genre, and the actor does a solid job playing both sides of the character.
The Miner is also in stark contrast to the heroics of Dean Winchester, and weirdly enough, his Friday The 13th, which also came out in 2009. Surprisingly, My Bloody Valentine 3D was the bigger hit, grossing $100 million worldwide compared to Friday The 13th's $92 million. Despite this, a sequel didn't emerge, which apparently would have seen Jensen Ackles' Tom launching into a new massacre while the sheriff from the original movie hunts him down.
