Director:
Michael Hoffman Jr.
Studio/Production Company:
Disruptive Media
Genre:
Horror
Length:
Feature
Website:
http://www.reunionofterror.com
Score:
2.5/5
Give Michael Hoffman an A for effort on this film. He aims high, maybe even higher than anyone would have a right to aim for in a slasher film, and winds up with a handsomely produced, moody, atmospheric that will satisfy horror fans looking for chills, gore and more than a little skin but anyone looking for a compelling or, for that matter, particularly coherent story will be disappointed if not downright perplexed.
The premise is as solid as they come in this genre, familiar (for instance, see “Prom Night” for a classic example) to be sure but a tried and true formula. Years after a trip to a woodsy cabin in which one of their group dies mysteriously, a handful of now young adults reconvene when they all come to realize that they have been seeing the spectral image of their dead friend. Pretty soon, it is back to the cabin they go and, big surprise, bad things happen.
Hoffman spends a lot of time establishing the vibe of the film with lots of beautiful footage of the verdant location, shooting the foliage and branches of the trees that renders them ominous, like a spooky chorus delivery a silent commentary on the situation. Unfortunately, as nice as this material is to look at, much of this time might have been better spent on plot and character development. Similarly, Hoffman spends an inordinate amount of time on an extended teaser – the opening sequence that is supposed to set the tone of the film. In a film that is less than ninety minutes, to devote nearly fifteen minutes of screen-time to dispatching characters who are not central to the main plot seems excessive. No, given stereotypical audience expectations for this kind of film, few people are going to complain about the prolonged start to the film involving hot lesbians getting drunk, having sex and then finding themselves on the wrong end of some very sharp blades. Unfortunately, in doing so, Hoffman really shortchanges his ending, which comes out of the blue not only plot-wise but in terms of tonality, attempting to turn the film into socio-political commentary. Nice try, a noble effort that shows ambition but it totally falls flat.
Still Hoffman and his crew (the acting ranges from pretty bad to sort of adequate) really know how to put together a stylish film on an obviously meager budget. Sure, while the attempt to raise the narrative quality of his film to a higher level rarely, if ever, seen in this genre, fails badly, it does not mean that he should not try to do it again.
Michael Hoffman Jr.
Studio/Production Company:
Disruptive Media
Genre:
Horror
Length:
Feature
Website:
http://www.reunionofterror.com
Score:
2.5/5
Give Michael Hoffman an A for effort on this film. He aims high, maybe even higher than anyone would have a right to aim for in a slasher film, and winds up with a handsomely produced, moody, atmospheric that will satisfy horror fans looking for chills, gore and more than a little skin but anyone looking for a compelling or, for that matter, particularly coherent story will be disappointed if not downright perplexed.
The premise is as solid as they come in this genre, familiar (for instance, see “Prom Night” for a classic example) to be sure but a tried and true formula. Years after a trip to a woodsy cabin in which one of their group dies mysteriously, a handful of now young adults reconvene when they all come to realize that they have been seeing the spectral image of their dead friend. Pretty soon, it is back to the cabin they go and, big surprise, bad things happen.
Hoffman spends a lot of time establishing the vibe of the film with lots of beautiful footage of the verdant location, shooting the foliage and branches of the trees that renders them ominous, like a spooky chorus delivery a silent commentary on the situation. Unfortunately, as nice as this material is to look at, much of this time might have been better spent on plot and character development. Similarly, Hoffman spends an inordinate amount of time on an extended teaser – the opening sequence that is supposed to set the tone of the film. In a film that is less than ninety minutes, to devote nearly fifteen minutes of screen-time to dispatching characters who are not central to the main plot seems excessive. No, given stereotypical audience expectations for this kind of film, few people are going to complain about the prolonged start to the film involving hot lesbians getting drunk, having sex and then finding themselves on the wrong end of some very sharp blades. Unfortunately, in doing so, Hoffman really shortchanges his ending, which comes out of the blue not only plot-wise but in terms of tonality, attempting to turn the film into socio-political commentary. Nice try, a noble effort that shows ambition but it totally falls flat.
Still Hoffman and his crew (the acting ranges from pretty bad to sort of adequate) really know how to put together a stylish film on an obviously meager budget. Sure, while the attempt to raise the narrative quality of his film to a higher level rarely, if ever, seen in this genre, fails badly, it does not mean that he should not try to do it again.