Slasher Studios is proud to present to you the very first clip from our very first slasher feature, “Don’t Go to the Reunion.” In this clip, former friends Erica (Stephanie Leigh Rose) and Jessica (Hannah Herdt) discuss the horrific prank they pulled during their high school years.

Plot synopsis:
Scott Rantzen (Brady Simenson) is a horror movie loving misfit who is teased by the popular students in school. When a date with the very popular and very beautiful Erica Carpenter (Stephanie Leigh Rose) backfires, he feels as though his life is ruined. Ten years later, the gang reunite for their class reunion. Little do they know that someone is waiting for them and ready to see that they pay for what they did. Is Scott back for revenge and will the old gang survive to tell the tale? It’ll be more gore for Class of 04.

To become a Don’t Go to the Reunion backer:
Don’t Go to the Reunion Indiegogo

We did it everyone! With the help of awesome slasher fans like yourself, we were able to make Don’t Go to the Reunion into the slasher feature of your nightmares. But the journey is far from over. Right now we are in post-production on the film and we plan to have it released on DVD worldwide by this fall. We need help to get this film into film festivals across the nation. Film fests are expensive for a feature (up to $50 plus shipping costs EACH) and the more money we raise on here, the more film fests we can be a part of. Support indie horror today and become a Don’t Go to the Reunion backer!!

Plot synopsis:

Scott Rantzen (Brady Simenson) is a horror movie loving misfit who is teased by the popular students in school. When a date with the very popular and very beautiful Erica Carpenter (Stephanie Leigh Rose) backfires, he feels as though his life is ruined. Ten years later, the gang reunite for their class reunion. Little do they know that someone is waiting for them and ready to see that they pay for what they did. Is Scott back for revenge and will the old gang survive to tell the tale? It’ll be more gore for Class of 04.

To become a backer on the film:

Don’t Go to the Reunion Indiegogo

Hannah Herdt–Jessica Thompson

I’ve always been such a huge fan of Slasher Studios, so of course, when Kevin mentioned “Don’t go to the Reunion during a break while we were shooting “Blood Brothers,” I’d been excited about the project ever since. When I finally got to read the character descriptions before I taped my audition, I really loved the character of Jessica, so I’m extremely thrilled I got to bring her to life, and I hope I did her justice!

Working on this film was one of the best experiences I’ve had, and some of the most fun I’ve had in ages! Most of this is due to the amazing cast and crew that I had the privilege of working with. (Also, getting to stay for a week at the house we were filming at and getting to really get to know everyone really made this a great experience.) The crew was so great at whatever they happened to be doing, and some of the most professional people I’ve ever worked with! Paul was amazing behind the camera, not to mention has some killer dance moves, Dave is one of the smartest people I’ve met and just fantastic with all that equipment that I have no idea what it even does, and of course Alex doing great with the sound, and Cody, at his many many tasks! Also, we can’t forget our lovely AD and behind-the-scenes photographer Zach, and the amazing John Pata! I’m so glad to have met them and I’d love to get to work with them in the future! Then, there’s the amazing cast! At first I was very intimidated by all the talented people, but they were so great to work with!

Our amazing leads, Stephanie and Spencer really know their stuff, they made every scene seem so effortless, and I also think I learned a lot about my own acting by working with them. Steph especially had lots of great advice and always told me what I needed to hear. I also got to meet some other extremely talented actors! Tawnie and Brady were so fun during the school scenes, Nick was hilarious on and off camera (I actually had to cover my face during one of our scenes because I was laughing too hard!) and Hayley was just a sweetheart and was perfect in her role! Then of course I got the joy of working once again with the amazing Matty and Mike, who always do a great job, it was so nice to get to see them again, and also my good friends Jerry, and Marla, as the authority over at “Hamilton High” which was more frightening than any serial killer! I also have to thank my wonderful friends Mary, Taylor, Cassie, and Hannah Jaye for coming along to be extras! (And although I didn’t get to see much of Johnathon, Kaleb, or J.R. I look forward to seeing their amazing performances in Oct!) And thanks to you-know-who-you-are for being very patient while I put a bunch of makeup on your faces… and bodies.

But of course, I can’t talk about the cast and crew without mentioning the masterminds behind the whole project! I can never say enough about how much I respect and admire Kevin and Steve! Kevin has such a passion for the genre, that’s very rare to find these days, and he’s the best person ever to go to if you want to know anything about horror! This was also the best script I think he’s ever written; the twist at the end even had me guessing! And Steve is just such an amazing director! He knows exactly how he wants the film to look, and how to get us to deliver every time. (He’s also extremely patient about answering the zillions of questions I always have!) Without these guys, there’d be no film, and I also wouldn’t have had this amazing opportunity, so thanks again, guys!

I have so many amazing memories from this shoot, and I’m so grateful I got to take part. I really felt like I was part of something amazing! I can’t wait for the finished product, so we can see how all of our hard work paid off! From start to finish, so much dedication was put into this project, and I think all of our love for what we do is really going to show! See you guys in October!

We have for you slasher fans two brand new, exclusive stills from our very first slasher feature, “Don’t Go to the Reunion.” We hope to have a trailer for you within the next couple of weeks. Until then, enjoy the gory goodness!

Plot Synopsis:
Scott Rantzen (Brady Simenson) is a horror movie loving misfit who is teased by the popular students in school. When a date with the very popular and very beautiful Erica Carpenter (Stephanie Leigh Rose) backfires, he feels as though his life is ruined. Ten years later, the gang reunite for their class reunion. Little do they know that someone is waiting for them and ready to see that they pay for what they did. Is Scott back for revenge and will the old gang survive to tell the tale? It’ll be more gore for Class of 04.

Slasher Studios Podcast is back as our hosts Steve Goltz and Kevin Sommerfield chat with the cast and crew of Don’t Go to the Reunion on the making of the killer slasher. Behind the scenes gossip, killer stories, deaths galore..it is sure to be a Reunion to remember. Click on the link below to listen in live on Monday May 13th at 10PM for all the gory details or to listen to an archive of a previous episode.

Slasher Studios Podcast: Making of Don’t Go to the Reunion

After months of preproduction, including script and characters changes, securing actors and locations, and finding props, it was finally time to start filming. The first location was at a local high school. We had access until 5:00 and that was cutting it close with all the pages we needed to get through. Luckily we had a great cast and crew and all we ready and willing to work and get the job done. It was a little hectic towards to end of the day, but we ended on a great note for our first day.

The second day of shooting was a park that I had visited many times as a kid. Baseball fields, a playground and tall old trees made this the perfect backdrop for this scene. Again, we were on a deadline…we had to be out by 10pm. It was cold and dark, but actress Tawnie Thompson was great in this scene and made it for an east shoot. Paul, our DP was on top of his game as well. It’s not easy to light an exterior night scene, but Paul and Dave (head of everything and anything electric) worked to create a perfect looking night in the park.

So, off to the boonies we go. The home that we used for most of the shoot was about 35 min away from any real stores or civilization. There were two gas stations and a local restaurant in town, but not much else. By the last day, that back and forth drive was getting a little old to say the least. But, the house itself turned out to be all we could ask for. It had enough beds to house some of the cast and crew for two weeks and it was located right on a river that made for some great scenery.

This was a very demanding shoot and I couldn’t have asked to work with better people. With long hours and a few overnights towards the end, each member of the crew was there, rain or shine. The cast was more than willing to go above and beyond for the film and did so many times. Stephanie was such a trooper as she left the film with multiple bumps and bruises. But she did all this physical acting while still delivering an amazing performance. A big thanks goes out to her.

Spencer was another incredible actor and I see only great things in his future. I loved seeing Stephanie and him work off each other in their scenes. It was a work of art. Brady was a great last minute addition to the cast and I now can’t see Scott played by anyone else. I must also mention and thank Hannah for dealing with a mouth full of blood while laying on her back, Mike for staying up all night and going into work tired as hell, Hayley for not holding back and really becoming her character, and of course Nick for well, being Nick. Hands down the most naturally funny person I have ever met. He really kept the cast and crew at ease and gave us all laughs when we needed them. Johnathon was also a great find as he dove right into his character with not much rehearsal time. J.R. was also a great sport when it came to the “window” and he did a great job in his scene with Stephanie.

This films production value is way above what I could have hoped for. This is because of the great crew. Paul and I said is a master at lighting and Dave was there to adjust or set up a light at the drop of a hat. Cody really came through for us as the AC and worked hands on with Paul and learned much throughout the shoot. Props go out to Alex for obtaining great sound and to Zach as well for not only his great set decoration but for also his AD work to help us stay on track.

And of course I must thank Kevin for giving me the creative freedom my mind needs. Lots of on the spot decisions were made and I can not wait to watch the finished product. Now that editing begins, it will be fun to remember all the great times we had on set. We are hoping to have everything ready to showcase by early fall, so I guess I need to get back to Final Cut!

–Steve Goltz

It sounds like a cliché but “Don’t Go to the Reunion” started as a dream. Blame one too many viewings of “Slaughter High” and “Scream” combined with a high fever, nearly the entire initial draft of “Reunion” started in this 80’s nightmare. I knew I wanted to make a revenge slasher (so many in the 1980’s and so “out of style” in today’s horror market) and I knew I wanted to play homage to every single slasher film that I grew up with. I turned on my computer and starting typing. Working here and there, I finished the rough draft of “Don’t Go to the Reunion” in just over a month. Little did I know that less than a year later, production would be wrapped and I would be waiting on my co-creator Steve Goltz to hand in a final cut of the film. It still feels so surreal.

When we started the Kickstarter campaign last November, we had a goal of $10,000. We knew that we would have to fund at least part of the film on our own as $10,000 just wouldn’t cut it on our feature. But, the true question remained, would we receive the funding we needed in order to see the movie through from final draft to final cut? After two tireless months of promoting, we were happy to say that we raised our goal and production would be going forward with the film. The generous backers on the Kickstarter have to be thanked at least one more time. This movie would not have been made without you and we are grateful more than words can possibly share. This movie is our baby and it is a baby that we cannot wait to share with the world.

As pre-production loomed on, we began to receive audition videos from all over the United States. Stephanie Leigh Rose from Chicago signed on as our Final Girl Erica. Her audition video showed grace and pose but, more importantly, strength. This is NOT a final girl to fuck with. Spencer Harlan from Texas was cast as David, the “Final Guy” who is both charming and sincere. These are two traits that Spencer has no problems expressing. After our initial Scott, the horror loving misfit, left the project due to scheduling conflicts, Brady Simenson was cast in a role that Brady brought a sweet, non-ironic touch to the role. You really do feel for the kid and that says everything you need to know about Brady’s performance. Nick Sommer, from the underrated slasher Blood Junkie, was hired as a drunken asshole Christopher and he was a hoot every single day he was on set. He was hilarious and I can’t wait to see how his character comes off in a large audience.

Also back on the Slasher Studios pack is Mike Goltz, Hannah Herdt, and Matty Dorschner three of our favorite actors to work with who are all game for anything and a treat to work with. Filling out the cast is Hayley San Fillippo as the hilarious, no-nonsense Kimberly, Tawnie Thompson as the sweet and lovable Megan, Johnathon Krautkramer as the wisecracking and always honest Jeremy, the great Marla Van Lanen as the tough as nails Ms. Sorensen, Kaleb Shorey as Scott’s sweet horror loving little brother and J.R. Watkins as the neighbor who may know more than he leads on. Seriously, this cast gave their all and slasher fans are going to have a hell of a good time.

Stay tuned as Steve Goltz continues as he talks about the production process and the incredible crew.