The Redeemer: Son of Satan (1978)

Saw this for the first time back in 2010 as Class Reunion Massacre in one of those Mill Creek public domain DVD 50 packs. That off kilter electronic score just remains unnerving and the soft light photography the 70s could really provide (as well as the early 80s) I guess always captivates me, for lack of a better term. A film that might either be purposely fire and brimstone or parodying religious message ferocity, nonetheless, there is something just magnified by this addition to what could have been a basic slasher plot regarding former classmates gathered for a ten year reunion, not anticipating a master of disguises with an extra thumb picking them of one at a time. The human-sized clown puppet with a dagger and flame thrower with strings is creepy enough but the kid rising from a lake and Finkbinder dressed as a magician and clown among other made-up characters is especially effective. A bit sluggish at times and I'm sure will be considered also problematic if the viewer finds the possible message condemning and insulting.