A Film whose Title confuses you almost as much as the Film itself does!
This is The Redeemer, a 1978 Film also released as The Redeemer... Son of Satan! There's a third, vastly different Title, but that's for a different Post.
The Film appears to be the only Film made by its Director Constantine S. Gochis. The man also has no Wikipedia Page, nor does most of the Cast.
Only Jeanetta Arnette does, as she's got credits as recent as 2021's Impeachment: A Crime Story.
The Plot is just plain bizarre. A strange man invites 6 people to a 10-Year High School Reunion, traps them inside and plans to kill them all.
Thiis is why I've skipped my Reunions so far. You never can be too sure!
Since it is the '70s, there's weird sounds, weird angles and lots of bizarre things going on. It's a Film that never makes you bored...but definitely befuddled.
To see how this one and done turned out, read on...
The Film begins with a VERY LONG shot of this Lake, this weird bit of text and then a young man emerging from it.
He walks out of the water casually and boards a Bus to sing in a Church Choir.
A fire and brimstone Preacher in the Church rails against people who sin as the Film cuts to 6 different people that are apparently guilty of said sin.
This includes a Lawyer for the Mob, an Actor, a Letch and...a closeted Lesbian Woman?!?
Earlier, we saw a strange man kill the Caretaker and make a mold of his face.
Now he lets the group in and they find nobody, save for a full Buffet.
This lady is so concerned that she asks the same question twice in 30 seconds...
******
...and gets the same answer twice. Did you do 'two for coverage' and not pick one to use?
Anyhow, they soon find the dead Caretaker and realize that they are locked inside by a crazy man, dressed here as Death (or Skeletor).
The letch- a former Jock who looks like Robert Wuhl- sneaks up on the killer...or so he thinks.
When he spins the chair around, a dummy is revealed...holding a flamethrower...which then goes off.
Ow. His friend only decides to put out the fire...after he's fully engulfed. Dick.
The killer takes out more of the group- via gunshot and falling knife- as he shows a strong flair for the dramatic.
What was his personal Costume Budget?!?
****^+**
With the Cast nearly all dead, he explains to one of them that he's planning to kill them over their various sins.
One of them, by the way, is one that even I had to look up.
The last survivor- manages to shoot the Redeemer, but is then killed by the marionette from earlier...somehow.
Now the final reveal(s).
We learn that this all happened in the recent past as the Preacher- who was obviously the killer- recovers from his gunshot wound.
He also has a double thumb on one hand, which soon transfers to the strange boy as he leaves via bus (after killing a kid and framing someone).
He goes back into the water and...that's it?!?
The (confusing) End.
Well, you get lots of points for creativity- that's for sure.
Remember too that this is 1978...and the Film was actually shot in 1976. These kinds of Films hadn't become the rage yet, since Friday the 13th and Halloween were years and months (respectively) away.
This one definitely does some weird stuff.
I can't fault it for trying stuff.
The execution is a really mixed bag, with confusingly long shots, a real lack of Editing and so-so Production Values.
The Plot will leave you thinking about it for days...but not necessarily because it is so clever. It's not quite, say, Memento, but nor is it, say, Monster A Go-Go.
Oh and you can make out the kid walking away from the Lake in the final Wide Shot (even in 360p).
Whoops.
Next up, I get back to a more recent time and cover a Film from the '00s. I'm finally covering this Film that everyone tells me is a 'must see.' Stay tuned...
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