This tediously unfunny slasher movie parody succeeds mostly in wasting a fair deal of comedic talent. It's something of a chore to get through, as it goes from scene to scene with one joke after another falling flat. It's not without its moments, of course - Zane Buzby, at least, is hilarious - but it's hard to care about a bunch of characters THIS insufferable. It wouldn't be so bad if they were actually funny, but they weren't, not to this viewer.
Directed by Michael Miller ("Jackson County Jail", "Silent Rage") and written by John Hughes, it's an ensemble piece in which an obnoxious bunch of students at Lizzie Borden high school (ha, ha) play a cruel prank on loser Walter Baylor (Blackie Dammett). 10 years, ol' Walter is ready for revenge, attending their class reunion uninvited and aiming to kill.
And that's another thing. If whoever watches this is a slasher fan they may well be disappointed with the very small body count. "Class Reunion" wastes an awful lot of time for an 85 minute long feature; it probably would have worked better as a short. Still, it's got a decent enough cast - they just can't make this uninspired material work. Gerrit Graham ("Used Cars"), Stephen Furst ("Animal House"), Miriam Flynn (the "Vacation" series), Fred McCarren ("The Boogens"), Mews Small ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"), Misty Rowe ("Meatballs Part II"), and a seriously slumming Michael Lerner ("Barton Fink") star. Art Evans ("Die Hard 2") and Barry Diamond supply some mild chuckles as the stoner duo. Dammett, it's worth noting, was born John Kiedis, and is the dad of Red Hot Chili Peppers singer Anthony Kiedis. Look for Anne Ramsey ("Throw Momma from the Train") as the cook. Rock 'n' roll legend Chuck Berry makes a musical appearance.
Overall, a lame, boring movie that cannot really be recommended. The title song sung by Gary U.S. Bonds made me think that I might have a good time, but such was not the case.
Four out of 10.
Directed by Michael Miller ("Jackson County Jail", "Silent Rage") and written by John Hughes, it's an ensemble piece in which an obnoxious bunch of students at Lizzie Borden high school (ha, ha) play a cruel prank on loser Walter Baylor (Blackie Dammett). 10 years, ol' Walter is ready for revenge, attending their class reunion uninvited and aiming to kill.
And that's another thing. If whoever watches this is a slasher fan they may well be disappointed with the very small body count. "Class Reunion" wastes an awful lot of time for an 85 minute long feature; it probably would have worked better as a short. Still, it's got a decent enough cast - they just can't make this uninspired material work. Gerrit Graham ("Used Cars"), Stephen Furst ("Animal House"), Miriam Flynn (the "Vacation" series), Fred McCarren ("The Boogens"), Mews Small ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"), Misty Rowe ("Meatballs Part II"), and a seriously slumming Michael Lerner ("Barton Fink") star. Art Evans ("Die Hard 2") and Barry Diamond supply some mild chuckles as the stoner duo. Dammett, it's worth noting, was born John Kiedis, and is the dad of Red Hot Chili Peppers singer Anthony Kiedis. Look for Anne Ramsey ("Throw Momma from the Train") as the cook. Rock 'n' roll legend Chuck Berry makes a musical appearance.
Overall, a lame, boring movie that cannot really be recommended. The title song sung by Gary U.S. Bonds made me think that I might have a good time, but such was not the case.
Four out of 10.