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Reviewed
by: Jamey Hughton
Directed
by: Dae-wung Lim
Starring:
Mi-hee Oh
Ji-hyeon Lee
Seol-ah Yu
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| Old elementary school friends decide to get together for a reunion to see their ailing and wheelchair-bound former teacher, Mrs. Park (Mi-hee Oh). The view is just wonderful from Mrs. Park’s lakeside cottage. Unfortunately, most of the students have reasons to harbor strong grudges against her because she belittled and abused them in the past. Cue a psycho killer in a rabbit mask and a steadily increasing pile of bodies. |
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BLOODY REUNION (aka TO SIR WITH LOVE) owes a lot to slasher movies like FRIDAY THE 13TH and APRIL FOOLS DAY, but it’s a helluva lot better than most DTV sludge that passes for decent horror these days. It’s a product of South Korea, and anyone familiar with Takashi Miike (or the fact that about 50% of modern American horror movies seem to be remakes of Japanese works) knows that Asian filmmakers often have a flair for intensity, and lots of the red stuff. BLOODY REUNION has a familiar plot structure, but it’s made with energy and obvious regard for characterization, location and suspense. It also has some intense murder sequences and memorable shock moments. Some do involve torture, but instead of being exploitative and lingering over disgusting images, the movie comes across as clever and twisted in all the right ways. Let’s just say it had me at razor blades and boiling water.
As the movie gets rolling, it’s fun to watch the students each reveal what could be their own personal motive for murder, as memories of Mrs. Park’s ill treatment surface in the table conversation (seems the woman was a total bitch and a terrible teacher).The acting is mostly very solid and a few characters, like the former taunted fat girl turned skinny and the injured past athlete, are actually given some definition. A great location adds a lot to the film’s creepy vibe, and director Dae-wung Lim delivers a polished-looking product, deliberately paced until the titular reunion turns, well, bloody. And the title isn’t false advertising, folks. The knifings, staplings and buckets of blood offered up here will have gore enthusiasts happier than pigs in shit.
Only in the last 15 minutes or so does BLOODY REUNION really stumble. The ending tries to pull the carpet out from under the viewer, and in doing so makes most of the movie inconsequential. I didn’t care for the detective procedural that bookends the film at all, but the gory slasher-fest wedged in-between is fun shtuff. There’s so many utterly unoriginal, and amateurishly made, horror movies made these days; it’s refreshing to see something done with style - even if it’s little more than a knock-off with a better-than-average concept. |
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Video Anamorphic Widescreen
Audio Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround or DTS Surround Sound 5.1, with optional English and Spanish subtitles |
The Making of Bloody Reunion A lengthy featurette with lots of interviews; mostly it’s just a casual glimpse into the goings-on around the set.
Interview with Director Lim Dae-Woong
Three Deleted Scenes, with optional director commentary.
Special Effects and Make-Up A look into the ghoulish effects and prosthetics used in the film, which for some reason eventually turns its focus to location and story themes (?).
Also included is a Photo Shoot, the film’s Original Trailer, and a gallery of other releases from the same company, Tartan Asia Extreme.
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| Splashy gore and creatively gruesome death scenes make BLOODY REUNION a most entertaining diversion for any fan of slasher movies. There’s hardly anything new here, but the story is effective and twisted, and the blood flows in liberal portions. The ending is a cop-out, but BLOODY REUNION has enough memorable moments to remain an inspired take on the slasher genre. |
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Episode #34
