Who doesn’t have nightmarish memories from high school?  The mere thought about my 10-year high school reunion makes me nervous – not because I didn’t like my classmates or have any terrible regrets, but because you get to see how people change and after years, and who knows what kind of monsters people have become…

In Slasher Studios’ debut feature film, “Don’t Go to the Reunion,” the reunion of the 2004 class of Hamilton High is no different, however instead of awkward conversation and bad fruit punch – this 10-year reunion is MURDER.  You see, the popular clique, led by the beautiful Erica Carpenter (Stephanie Leigh Rose), wasn’t exactly the nicest to a certain horror movie loving geek Scott Rantzen (Brady Simenson). After a high school prank goes terribly wrong, naturally destroying Scott’s life, someone is back for settle the score 10 years later at the special, invite-only, “A-list” class reunion…

It’s the classic set up for a 80s revenge slasher, which “Don’t Go to the Reunion” has no shame emulating.  And why would it?  In this day and age, we are bombarded with horror remakes, sequels and reboots.  It seems like a lifetime ago that the golden age of slasher horror reigned supreme – and “Don’t Go to the Reunion” reminds us how great the campy slasher can really make us feel.  This film is an unbelievable pleasure to watch, especially for its target audience:  die-hard slasher movie junkies.

And for those less seasoned horror viewers – let me explain what “Don’t Go to the Reunion” can offer:  amazing, tongue-in-cheek one-liners (such as “Out of my way, faggot!” and “Why did we ever come to this fucking reunion?!”), plenty of gratuitous sex and nudity, tons of red-herrings and most importantly buckets and buckets of GORE.  “Don’t Go to the Reunion” is a serious blood bath!

Brandon (Matty Dorschner) warns that something is going very wrong at this reunion…

But sex and gore do not alone a terrific slasher make.  “Don’t Go to the Reunion” features several terrific performances by some cool-as-ice actors.  Most notably, the quiet and cautious Brandon (Matty Dorschner) and the mysterious new boyfriend David (Spencer Harlan) really shine and add a couple of layers of suspense and intrigue to this film.  And who can’t love the beer guzzling brute Joe (Mike Goltz), who can be spotted frequently in this film slamming beers and trying to convince other people (and himself) that he’s not gay (you might remember him in a similar fashion in Slasher Studios awesome horror short, “Teddy”).

I think it’s safe to say that director Steve Goltz and writer Kevin Sommerfield have succeeded in what they’ve set out to do:  create an enjoyable, gory slasher film which pays homage to the greats that came before it.  Albeit a classic set up, it’s great to see original horror coming out of indie filmmakers to remind us of how thrilling the scene used to be, and still could be for that matter.  The work of Goltz and Sommerfield will be a pleasure to watch in the future as their passion radiates in each shot of this film, lending to the sense that everybody was on board to get bloody, have fun and make a memorable, freaky and occasionally hilarious slasher romp.  I’m not sure if I’ll go to my 10-year high school reunion next year, but “Don’t Go to the Reunion” is one event that you should definitely not skip!

To preorder your copy of “Don’t Go to the Reunion” and other Slasher Studios films, visit their official website.  Be sure to follow Slasher Studios and “Don’t Go to the Reunion” on Twitter.  You can also find “Don’t Go to the Reunion” on Facebook.