Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

I'll be honest - I don't know what the hell was going on during most of The Redeemer (or Class Reunion Massacre as the version I watched called itself), but I know I sure did love it. Although the plot sounds like a rather straightforward slasher (in fact, "the killer staging a fake reunion to lure classmates back" thing has been done a few times since), but it's anything but.It begins with a little boy rising from a lake and hoping aboard a bus to church (as one does) and joins the choir as a priest with two thumbs(?) gives a rousing fire and brimstone speech about damnation. In between these bits, we see a man (never see his face) walk into a school with a briefcase, kill the caretaker, and make a mold of his face. Confused yet? The man begins slicing into an old yearbook and, as he does, we get to meet several former classmates and see what they're up to now. One is a lawyer, one is a glutton, a slutty barfly, a lesbian, a bitchy gay actor, and we have one who's so rich that she likes to shoot birds for entertainment.According to this priest, they're all sinners and deserve to die. Did I mention that it turns out this priest is the same man who killed the caretaker and made a mask of his face? Why did he do this? Well, to put it on and fool all these people that there really is a high school reunion going on.Once he gets everyone inside, he locks and bars the doors and windows, so there's no chance of escape. People start putting two and two together and figure out they were called her under sketchy circumstances. Pretty soon, ol' priesty is dressing up like a clown, a hunter, and even the grim reaper himself to kill these people off one by one.This is probably the most straightforward part of the film (and the must substantial), but even this feels askew and dreamlike (in the best way). I don't know if it's because of the quirky prologue and epilogue it's sandwiched in between or what, but this film really does feel like someone's horrible nightmare.The Redeemer has interesting cinematography, a good cast, phenomenally creepy music score, atmosphere out the ass, and a genuinely creepy villain. Give this one a watch!

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.

Wonderfully strange and offbeat "The Redemeer:Son of Satan!" aka "Class Reunion Massacre" tells the story of six old high school friends,who meeting up at their old school under the guise there is a reunion taking place.Of course this is a deadly trap.The Redeemer wants to punish them for their sins.Very bizarre and highly original slasher flick with dreamy atmosphere and the sense of impending doom.It's like a religious morality tale mixed with slasher elements on acid.There are some effective deaths including a really creepy scene involving the life size marionette and the killer dons a different costumes like in "Terror Train" or "Hollow Gate".He is clown,magician and grim reaper.The film is taking place within a nightmarish dream.It's time to punish sinners!Beware!From out of the darkness the hand of the Redeemer shall appear to punish those who have lived in sin...9 out of 10.

Well, this flick from the 70s proving that religion has its repercussions. This pre-Halloween movie follows more in the venue of Italian "giallos" films, except you get to "see" the killer function like a chameleon constantly changing props and costumes with different setting for each killing.There was some great chilly moments such as the theater stage scene where one of the characters gets a sword in his head. There was even a lesbian subtext (in the beginning each character is given vignette to show us their hidden lives and "sins") to satisfy the "straight" male interest. Each killing relates to each of the seven deadly sins, a "killer" if you are Christian!There was some quirky film-making moments, which added on to the "weirdness" of the film in how the characters interact with each other. Watch out for the scene where the freeze framed image (70s motion picture technique) of the killer wearing a black cloak outfit with a skull mask, with his eerie laugh echoing, fun stuff!