User reviews

This offbeat little curiosity happens to be one of my absolute favorite slasher films. In fact, only 1974's "Black Christmas" (which is also my pick for best of the horror genre in general) beats it. Released mere months before Carpenter's "Halloween" would kick start the core slasher movement, it's an extremely eerie picture. There's a sense of the foreboding here that is more prevalent than you'd expect. It focuses on a mysterious morality killer who tricks a group of "undesirables" into attending a fake high school reunion, only to begin picking them off once they arrive. If you think this sounds a bit like "Slaughter High", you'd be right. This came first and is the infinitely better of the two. It's religious subtext alone makes it far more intriguing than that popular, but ultimately quite bland effort.

The six so-called degenerates include a lawyer, a gay actor, a lesbian, a cute girl who takes pride in her appearance, a rich snob and a cocky former football jock with gluttonous tendencies. Despite negative comments about the acting on this site and in a horror reference guide of mine, the six main characters are perfectly believable people. In fact, all but the glutton wind up being rather likable, particularly Cindy, played with a free-spirited innocence by the lovely Jeannetta Arnette. The Redeemer himself comes off as over the top at times, which actually works in the character's favor, really making him seem like an absolute lunatic. His Shakespearean rant in the auditorium is a highlight. Props to T.G. Finkbinder for going all in with the role and, in turn, bringing to life one of the most memorable psychos on film.

Indeed, the Redeemer is a very creepy individual. Throughout, he dons many different costumes (as "Terror Train"'s killer did a few years later), each one representing an aspect specific to his victims' lives. It's an unsettling touch that really adds to the overall tone. Perhaps the creepiest scene in the entire movie is when one of the girls is yelling for someone in the distance to let her out of the locked down school. Said individual turns out to be the Redeemer, dressed as the Grim Reaper, who proceeds to pound on the barred window with his scythe.

This film is an exercise in the surreal, the above mentioned sequence being positively nightmarish in execution. The film's ambiguous opening and closing segments revolving around a sinister child reinforce this feeling tenfold. The school itself is an atmospheric setting, imprisoning our characters like a tomb. The rural area surrounding it certainly lends to the feeling of hopeless isolation.

Having originally seen this via the big box "Class Reunion Massacre" VHS at my local video store, I was instantly taken with it. Not easy to forget, it's a bleak, dread-inducing slasher with a unique utilization of religious themes and well worth rediscovering. It should be regarded much more highly. It truly is one of a kind.

When THE REDEEMER: SON OF Satan was released back in 1978, the ad campaign made it look like another THE OMEN. I remember seeing the ad campaign but I never saw the movie because I was too young back then. I've wanted to see the movie ever since. I finally got hold of a very cheap video, renamed as CLASS REUNION MASSACRE, and watched it for the first time. Boy, what a letdown. The original OMEN angle was extremely deceptive. The film is more like a standard Agatha Christie kind of movie (and no, it's not even close to being a giallo), sorta like a crude version of TEN LITTLE INDIANS, were people are locked up in some big mansion, in this case it's a rundown High School (it doesn't look like a school) and the stupid people are killed one by one by a maniac. The whole thing is soooo lame. I expected Jessica Fletcher to pop in at any moment and try to solve the killings.

If you look at the cast list at the IMDb page for this movie, the killer, or the REDEEMER, is played by T.G. Finkbinder, a doughy guy who overacts shamelessly in a theatrical manner and looks like he ate too many twinkies. Now how scary is that for a murderer? There's NO supernatural element in this film, or no one is killed with supernatural means. The boring killer uses a flamethrower, death by drowning or a standard shotgun to off his victims. Again, where's the originality? I suspect the producers of this film had original intended the film to be a standard TEN LITTLE INDIANS kind of movie but decided to make a few superficial changes to the film in order to sell it as an OMEN kind of film, which were popular back in those days and were making a lot of money at the box office. The core of the movie is the Agatha Christie part. The superficial additions I suspect were added at the last minute to bookend the movie: they happen at the beginning and at the very end, with a little boy (sorta like Damien from THE OMEN) walking out of a lake(!) and heading for the school, and ends with the kid going back into the lake. If you cut those two pointless scenes, it wouldn't make any difference to the bulk of the movie. In fact, the scenes with the kids don't have anything to do with the group of six adults locked up in the mansion. The whole thing is obvious and remarkably tacky and transparent. Imagine, back in the 1970s, the producers tried to sell this turkey as an OMEN kind of film. When the film was released on video in the 1980s, the producers retitled the film in order to sell it as a slasher, which were all the rage thanks to the success of HALLOWEEN and Friday THE 13TH. I wonder what title they'll come up with when they release the film on DVD today. SCREAM AND MORE SCREAMING ?!?!

Having said that, is the core of the movie good? Nope. It's lame. Acting, dialogue, cinematography. Practically everything about the TEN LITTLE INDIANS portion of the film sucks. The only good thing in the movie is the main theme of the soundtrack. It's actually good and effective.

If you expect an OMEN or DAMIEN kind of film with THE REDEEMER, well, you'll be sorely disappointed. If you expect to see a slasher kind of film under its second title, CLASS REUNION MASSACRE, well, you'll be disappointed by it as well. And if you expect a good movie of any kind, well, you won't find it with this sad excuse of a horror film.

Well, I didn't know what to expect going into this movie. The copy of it I have is entitled "Class Reunion Massacre", but after you watch it, that title is a bit misleading. Instead of a "massacre" we get a very atmospheric, strange horror/slasher film. I don't even know if the writers of the film knew which direction they wanted to go in, but it all seems to work if you are into this kind of stuff.

Basically, the beginning of the movie is strange as it starts with a boy walking out of a lake and getting a ride from a bus to a church. There we here the ramblings of a mad priest talking about sinners getting what they deserve and what not. Then, the movie seems to go into the past introducing a group of people, one by one, talking about going to their high school reunion. When the group arrives at there old high school, they are locked in and one by one are murdered off in various ways by a man wearing multiple costumes.

Everything about this movie is bizarre. The music is very good appropriate and helps to build some dread, especially during the scene in which the boy at the beginning of the movie is walking out of the lake. The whole storyline feels like it was two stories put together as the beginning and the end of the movie doesn't fit with the whole class reunion part. It was still fun. Also, the costumes the killer was wearing was a nice little treat as it gave him some personality. But don't expect much gore. There was only one scene and that was actually pretty hilarious.

Check this one out. You might not be disappointed. 7/10

I would like to preface these comments by saying that I saw this movie on a poor quality double feature DVD (paired with Andy Milligan's "CARNAGE") that I picked up at the dollar store, so I honestly wasn't expecting much from CLASS REUNION MASSACRE (aka "THE REDEEMER: SON OF Satan!") from the get-go. I read some reviews of the film on this site and several others before viewing it, and I noticed a lot of comments about its "dreamlike" or "surreal" quality. After watching the movie, I wonder how much of that "dreamlike" quality was intentional and how much was just dumb luck on the director's part. There were a few interesting scenes in CLASS REUNION MASSACRE but for the most part I found myself laughing at the screen more often than not.

Here's our "plot" more or less: six people, each a cartoonish stereotype representing a "deadly sin," (a greedy lawyer, a vain gay man, a lesbian, a rich bitch, a male chauvinist pig, and a promiscuous former teen-queen) return to their now-closed high school for a ten-year reunion, where they quickly discover that they're the ONLY people in the school building aside from a psychotic killer who locks the doors and proceeds to pick them off one by one while wearing a variety of masks and costumes. Our six victims, to be blunt, are idiots. After nearly every death scene, the remaining survivors invariably sit around looking dejected and discuss "NOW what are we going to do?" until the crazed killer strikes again, rather than doing the logical thing, like trying to smash out a window, break down a locked door, or whatever is necessary to escape. They also tend to stand around in shock and horror after every death while the killer makes a long, drawn-out speech about their sinful lives, letting him say his piece rather than simply rushing the guy and trying to kick his ass. Oddly enough, our killer (who is a fire-and-brimstone priest, judging from the not-very-helpful exposition shown at the beginning of the movie) seems to have no connection to the six people other than the fact that they're sinners and he hates them. If he had gone to school with the six and they'd shoved him in a locker or otherwise mistreated him in some way in the past, then perhaps the rampage would make sense. I'm not even going to get into the kid with an extra thumb (?) who rises mysteriously out of a lake (!) at the prologue of the movie (accompanied by some of the most annoying synthesizer music ever recorded) and is not seen again till he returns there in the epilogue, because those scenes feel like they were pasted in from a different film. The prevailing theory seems to be that the kid is actually "The Redeemer" and that he's the one pulling the strings (those of you who've seen the movie will get that reference, I'm sure) behind the Priest's murder spree, but overall CLASS REUNION MASSACRE isn't coherent enough for the viewer to know for sure. It seems to me like the makers of the film were trying to mesh the then-popular "Satanic child" genre (i.e. "The Omen") with the slasher film genre, but they bungled both sides of the equation. The highlights for me were the teen-queen character, a Farrah Fawcett wanna-be who was wearing a short skirt, and one kill scene involving a pendulum hanging from the ceiling and a creepy puppet in a clown suit. Otherwise, CLASS REUNION MASSACRE was 90 minutes that I should've put to better use, like clipping my toe nails or watching paint dry.

As a life long horror fan I had heard of The Redeemer but it wasn't until I recently read an article about it that it stirred my interest. Coincidently a VHS copy came up for sale. Intrigued, I simply could not resist! Six former students are invited to a school reunion 10 years on but one by one they are killed by a mysterious man who takes several guises. He is The Redeemer. This is an early slasher movie, made 2 years before Halloween, but it also contains religious/supernatural elements. It was made on an obviously very low budget with a cast of unknowns, the plot is also pretty confusing and at times illogical. So I appreciate people's negative reviews. However, I found it strangely enthralling and creepy. The synth score adds to the atmosphere. I think the acting is good enough considering. It's one of those films that some viewers will just write off as rubbish, whilst others - such as myself - will want to know more about it. Watching it on grainy VHS was a treat. And I will certainly be popping the tape back into the VCR again!

A darn good amateur film!

Okay, it's not particularly good. But if look at in context, it's pretty impressive. For most of the people involved in this movie, this is either their first movie or only movie. This is writer, William Vernick's, only movie. This is director, Constantine S. Gochis', only movie. Of all the actors and actresses, it is only Jeannetta Arnette who goes on to have a film career. So, when you consider how little experience everyone had on the set, this is a delightful little horror film. It clocks in under 90 minutes, and once you get through the first 30 minutes of set up, the rest of the film really breezes by. They don't have much money, but they make the most of it, and the finished product is much better than it has any right to be.

I for one enjoyed this little known film, first having seen it at a friend's house way back when VCRs were for people who had a bit of extra money to burn and were the darlings of the neighborhood. We were really blown away by The Redeemer since there just weren't that many great horror films showing at theatres or on home video at the time. Just notice how those of us who appreciate The Redeemer were young at that time and those who don't like it are young NOW and weaned on flashier "horror" fare that are really Tommy Hilfiger ads in disguise.

Sure the lack of budget shows sometimes, but The Redeemer (later retitled Class Reunion Massacre for those who need a lot of help in knowing what a film is about in the title, what a joke) has many little things in it that really shine. For me, the one scene where the victims are in the school's gym for the "reunion" and are sitting at the table, notice how it's a re-creation of The Last Supper? There are several tense scenes of chases that really offer some sense of dread and the killings are rather creative and effective for a film from 1978 (that blade going into the guy's head and the marionette are a wow). There's some brilliance at work here in this little gem of a film. Note also that this film was shot in 1976, so it pre-dated films like Halloween and others that were considered forerunners of the genre.

There is much that leaves us befuddled: What's with the two thumbs, the kid possibly changing into the man and then back, why the lake.....but I enjoyed the film for trying and succeeding if you can just put aside the questions of logic and lack of budget. I actually like when a film uses unknown actors, it helps you get into the characters and the story easier that way (and not being distracted by a very recognizable actor), and the fact that the actors aren't all young and pretty people posing as teens was a major plus. It's why I enjoy horror films like The Bone Yard and more recent efforts like Session 9 where the film's creators aren't scared to give us mature characters. Also noteworthy is that it is full of atmosphere, not needing to distract audiences with nudity nor heavy gore to distract them from lack of substance. The Redeemer holds its own quite well.

Some may be put off by the film's "moral" theme, claiming it's not fair that these killings are justified because each person killed represents a sin. I think of it like the story presented in the frightening 1991 film The Rapture, what IF the universe really is controlled by a vengeful god that punishes us at every little turn? I just see it in The Redeemer that religion really can be a bit hypocritical in how it seems to justify killing in the name of God. That said, then I must be missing something else though because one of the titles for this film is The Redeemer: Son Of Satan! Does that mean that it's really Satan having some fun killing in the guise of Christianity? Hmmmm. Or just that like the awful retitling Class Reunion Massacre, by putting the words "son of Satan" in the title it grabs the attention of more gullible minds? (Just like ruining a good drama called Celia by retitling it Celia: Child Of Terror) Geez, I'm getting a headache.

This is a film to just enjoy it as it is, and giving it credit for really trying. There are way too many big budget Hollywood films that can easily be forgotten, but little films like The Redeemer manage to stay in people's minds and over the years always manage to be brought up in conversation about memorable obscure films. This one is a gem I'm glad people love and has been kept alive all these years.

Update October 2010: Now available on DVD from Code Red as The Redemeemer: Son Of Satan. Hooray!

I wasn't expecting much, but "The Redeemer" really entertained me. The low budget, poor quality stock, and choppy editing didn't distract from what is a weirdly atmospheric mash-up of a stereotypical "school reunion" slasher movie with a late 1970's satanic supernatural chiller. There's some excellent almost dreamlike scenes, especially the duck hunter, the use of masks and giant mascot heads, and the theatre performance, which comes complete with a creepy life size puppet. There's also plenty of religious symbolism, including the victims seated at a buffet similar to the disciples at the Last Supper. The appearance of six fingers on the hand of one character reminded me of an Old Testament biblical reference to fallen angels, which would match with the words of the written narration at the beginning and end. Maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but certainly worth a watch if you're bored with the same old modern horror cliches and want something different.

I rented this a while back, being the fan of slashers films that I was (and still am, I guess). Seemed like an interesting premise, and hopefully, it would do better with it than the awful "Slaughter High" did. (Saw "Slaughter High" twice--first time, I was young and terrified, second time, older and bored. I don't recommend it.) Anyhoo, I took a chance on this, and actually, it's a very good movie, at its core. Some of the evil doings surrounding the pudgy boy from the lake, if I can recall, were sort of confusing, though.

I won't go on to describe the plot, you must know it by now. It's not a new plot, but what's done with it is what's unique. I don't remember all the characters too well, but the lesbian takes near-center stage as the leading lady, which I found to be a surprise, since the lesbian is usually just that. All the characters are utterly likeable, even the promiscuous girl. She may have been one of the sweetest characters, and her demise is heartbreaking. (C'mon, you knew it would happen.) From the murders in the film I remember (one of which I can't remember at all, God, my memory sucks), the one involving the killer dressed as a hunter and the character trying to escape outside was probably the scariest. You actually think she's going to make it, seeing how long the scene went on (once again, if I remember correctly). Add to that the stark daylight which is far scarier than the scene may have been at night. (Why don't more filmmakers realize this? Daytime can be extremely scary. See the climax to "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." An early-morning nightmare.) Anyway, I must be giving the worst review right now, but I thought I'd let people know that this is actually a very tense movie, with a merciless atmosphere of doom. It's not obvious who will live and who will die, and overall, you want everyone to survive, even the "bad girl" (who isn't bad at all!). The killer dons a couple creepy costumes--the hunter and the clown were pretty freaky (need I add--if I can remember). And while some of the peripheral plotlines concerning this killer are somewhat perplexing, don't let that turn you off to this movie. It's worth seeing, if you can find it. If I can remember : ).

"The Redeemer: Son of Satan!" or "Class Reunion Massacre" is a movie that constantly tries to be something more than an entertaining slasher. There is this whole talk about the Redeemer, there is a fully clothed boy emerging from a lake and the movie is often trying to be artistic with unnecessary shots which don't add anything to the experience than boredom. The movie's start is also slow and boring. Characters are surprisingly interesting and the whole thing does feel like someone had the necessary passion to do something good, but lacked either the budget or knowledge how to actually do it. Any kind of horror or tension is absent and the whole thing just feels like wasted potential. What could have been an entertaining slasher like "Slaughter High" for example is in turn a trippy 70-s horror movie wannabee. I was glad when the whole thing ended and as much as I would want for this movie to be a hidden gem, it in my opinion surely isn't. 5/10! I don't recommend it...

I'll give it to you straight: This movie is a stupid, boring waste of time. the acting is some of the worst i've ever seen, the charachters are faceless sterotypes, the plot (if you can call it that) is absurd, the soundtrack is a loud, annoying rip off of halloween, and to add to all that, it just doesn't make any sense. Unless you enjoy painful experiences, skip it.

I noticed here on IMDb.com, that nearly every low budget horror film that I have merely enjoyed or even thought to be spectacular has been given a bad review. To me, The Redeemer:Son Of Satan is an incredible film. It has gaillo qualities... very atmospheric, creepy, yet it doesn't need a whole lot of blood and guts to keep you interested. A stereotypical slasher film this is not. On VHS, the title of Class Reunion Massacre was most likely used to cash in on the whole slasher trend of the 80s. I found the cinematography to be incredible. The acting wasn't bad either. This isn't your regular 'piece of cheese' horror film. It was shot well, and overall, had good production values. It does have its 'cheese' moments, as most films of the genre do, but I can look beyond them. Also, I'm sure this film had a political subtext AGAINST Christianity. Showing how a crazed religious fanatic (the priest) committed murder under the justification that he was eliminating those who sinned. I also believe that the character of the little boy from the lake was the apprentice of the priest. Thats how his character comes into play. I really wish the director kept making horror films, he could've done something incredible. Love it or hate it, this film is MEMORABLE. It is Not some shoddy piece of garbage that you want to forget. All in all, The Redeemer:Son Of Satan isn't just another over-the-top slasher gore-fest. Its something more. So what if The Redeemer isn't as polished up as a squeaky clean "Scream" or "I Know What You Did Last Summer"? Cant find redeeming values in a low budget film? Stick to your million dollar Blockbuster horror.

There is nothing redeemable about The Redeemer. Low budget, lousy dialog, poor acting, and a dumb script leave one feeling frustrated. And does anyone really understand what it is about? I don't think so.

There are so many other great scary films from the 1970's why bother with this weak and shallow film? I can barely fill the space required here to talk about it. There isn't anything to it.

Yes, it DOES have a few odd scenes here and there but it's not enough to be awe inspiring at all and I can't think of ONE reason to sit through it again!

Horrible.