No Class Has Less Class Than This Class

A high school class reunion turns bloody when a former student seeks revenge on his classmates in this black comedy. That mayhem would strike this 20-year reunion seems preordained, given that the name of the school is Lizzie Borden High. Little did anyone expect, however, that this trouble would come from Walter Baylor (Blackie Dammett), a social outcast who was the victim of a humiliating senior year practical joke. Now, two decades later, Baylor has escaped from a mental institution to kill off his tormenters one by one. Class Reunion was the first produced screenplay by John Hughes, a National Lampoon writer who would eventually find a highly successful career as a writer, director, and producer of teen-oriented movies. His debut was exceptionally inauspicious, however, as the film's uncertain mixture of gore and low comedy was met with critical derision and audience indifference.

Class Reunion is a 1982 comedy horror film produced by National Lampoon as the third film from the magazine. It was the second film released; although National Lampoon Goes To The Movies was filmed in 1981, it was delayed and not released until 1982.

Lizzie Borden High's class of 1972 are getting ready to go through the motions at their ten year reunion, when a deranged alum Walter Baylor, who was driven insane by a horrible sadistic senior-year prank, escapes from the mental institution and decides to crash the party at his high school reunion. Guests start to disappear and are found dead, the other alumni, including the high class snooty yacht salesman Bob Spinnaker, class tease Bunny Packard, and the class zero Gary Nash, spring into action as they try to uncover the culprit and put an end to the nightmare that has become their class reunion

The film was released theatrically in the United States by 20th Century Fox in October 1982. It proved to be a huge disappointment for the company following National Lampoon's Animal House, grossing only $10,054,150 at the box office.[5]

In 1982, Dell Publishing released a "photo novel" version book, adapted from John Hughes' screenplay by Sandra Choron.

The film was released on VHS and laserdisc by ABC Video in 1983. In August 1998, Anchor Bay Entertainment re-released the film on VHS.

In 2000, Anchor Bay Entertainment released the film on DVD. The film was re-released on DVD by MGM in 2005.

National Lampoon's Class Reunion grossed $10,054,150 in total for its career. Opening weekend for the movie it made $3,086,525.

National Lampoon's Class Reunion suffered negative reviews on release.

Critic's Review
According to T.V. Guide "this is a very unfunny film which was released after the successful National Lampoon's Animal House, and which died at the box office, focuses on the 10th reunion of a 1972 high-school graduating class. The plot combines both comedy and horror-slasher elements, a combination that doesn't work. A murderer is killing off class members, who are such dull, dreary creatures no one could blame him. Even Chuck Berry, who makes brief appearance singing a melody of his songs, cant save this one."[8]

Christopher Tookey states,"Very Inferior follow-up to Animal House, with remarkably tasteless basis for comedy. John Hughes can be blamed for the script, a feeble spoof of a slasher movie. Songs are used to extend running length, but even Chuck Berry seems under par."[9]

Release Date: October 29, 1982


Distrib: 20th Century Fox


Boxoffice: $10,054,150 2014: $28,555,200