This week I'm excited to be reviewing the very first feature length entry from Kevin and the Slasher Studios team: Don't Go to the Reunion.
Don't Go to the Reunion follows in the steps of multiple slasher films from the 1980s. In particular this film feels like a homage to Slaughter High in particular. But the film doesn't stop there, it basically references as many 1980s slasher movies as possible in the span of its short hour and ten minuted running time.
Don't Go the Reunion begins with the tried and true--or perhaps cliche-- high school prank gone wrong. The most popular kids in the school have decided to screw over the school's valedictorian, Scott, by planting some damning evidence in his locker. Unfortunately, not only does Scott get expelled, he also slowly goes insane and kills himself.
Ten years later the group of high school students have all tried to move on with their lives. Each of them gets an invitation requesting their presence at a special high school reunion.
Unfortunately for them, they are about to get the surprise of their lives when it seems like Scott has returned from the grave to take his revenge, picking them off one by one in the classic slasher style method.
Luckily, Don't Go to the Reunion manages to create a fairly interesting and entertaining homage to the 1980s horror genre we all loved.
For instance, one of the first things I noticed about the film was its excellent soundtrack. The music has a nice synth element to it that really helps set the mood for the "1980s" feeling. My one qualm with the soundtrack was that there were many scenes that seemed too quiet or dead for music.
Similar to the craftsmanship of the soundtrack, a few elements of the film's cinematography were very appealing. A few wide shots of the lake where the movie takes place were beautiful. The team obviously went to great effort to reference, pay homage to, and emulate slasher classics.
Additionally, some spots of rough editing, where the scene cuts felt awkward or the voices get cut off or slightly repeat themselves, became obvious and distracted from the overall film. Additionally, the film was filled far to full of unnecessary and questionable jump scares which added little to the films tension.
Finally, it seemed as if the dialogue, or the actors, or both seemed to have difficulty with pacing. Some scenes and conversations go on unnecessarily long, creating a pointless pregnant pause in the film's action.
The most disappointing part of this movie is that I wish it had taken place in more of a school setting rather than an abandoned house.
Don't Go to the Reunion, while a little rough compared to newer entry, is still a charming throwback to the 1980s slasher genre.
Summing it Up
Deaths: 9
Language: 5
Gore Factor: 3
Sex Factor: 3
Scare Factor: 3
Fun Factor: 4
Overall Rating: 3