Incredibly, National Lampoon's Class Reunion was the project that launched John Hughes' writing career before he started directing. On some surreal level, the film's premise is actually quite ingenious. It blends together the nudie flick and stalker/slasher genres that became hugely popular in the early 1980s. The group of classmates reuniting 10 years after graduation are nothing like the idiots of Animal House: they're worse! So when they are hunted through the dilapidated halls by misunderstood psycho Walter Baylor (Blackie Dammett), you can expect lots of black humour. Running for their lives are yuppie-in-the-making Bob Spinnaker (a slimily smooth Gerrit Graham), class nobody Gary Nash, slobbish womaniser Hubert (Stephen Furst playing against his usual shy nerd), scary-looking Satanist Delores and two potheads who are oblivious to the goings-on. Hilarious cameos come from Michael Lerner as mysterious Dr Young, Chuck Berry (!) and the late, great Anne Ramsey (Momma in Throw Momma from the Train) as the world's worst school cook. There were more than a dozen theatrical "Lampoon" movies plus many more for TV and video: Class Reunion may not be subtle, and it's certainly not politically correct, but it endearingly remains one of the daftest from the series' early days .
On the DVD: The picture and sound are understandably average, but some effort has been put into the menu page at least; a gallery of 20 photos are the only extra. --Paul Tonks
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