The very first thing I noticed about Camp Dread is its promotional poster art (as pictured above). I really love the bloody font type they picked as well as the tent (even though there is no tents in this movie). The cover gives off a very splatter film vibe, which in many cases is a plus. However, I thought the Photoshop job of the two actors at the top was a bit strange. The lighting and depth of field both seem a little off. But this isn't a big deal and didn't detract from my excitement to try the film out.
Camp Dread opens with a series of screen tests and auditions of "potential campers" for a new type of reality television show. All of the prospects are 20 to 30 years-olds with fairly rough backgrounds. Some were implicated in murder, others had drug issues; basically everyone was either going to jail or rehab, and this new type of camp was the only other alternative. I thought this opening sequence with the auditions was fairly well done. It almost gave the movie a more artsy feel to it. I was instantly beginning to be interested in and connect with the characters. Unfortunately, this feeling only lasted the few brief moments at the beginning of the film.
The campers arrive at the nearby town, stopping for a break from the car trip, and instantly begin to banter using all the colorful language possible. Almost instantly the script goes downhill because of this. It doesn't seem like the characters have a real history and the banter feels meaningless because of it. The plot gets a little convoluted and bogged down from here on out. The campers arrive at the camp and meet the man in charge of the show, an ignorant and unkind specimen of humanity. The campers quickly learn that there is a million dollars at stake and one of them is going to win it. The rest of them will be "eliminated" one by one. Oddly enough, there is only one camp counselor who will be there to mediate and act as a therapist for these broken people. (The counselor is played by Felissa Rose of the famous cult classic, Sleepaway Camp. It is a nice nod to the earlier slasher films of the 80s)
The plot then drags on with needless exposition that doesn't really help to deliver the plot or anybody's character. We get the occasional kill scene in between all this dialogue but they are usually short lived and unsatisfying. The film tries to reveal more clues and plot elements about what is going on at this strange camp, but it often feels out of place or forced into the flow of the story. Needless to say the pacing on this film is very off. I had a hard time even staying interested in the story or any of the characters.
Finally the climax of the film comes and--after waiting for over half of the film--there is a series of rushed killings one after another. They show blatantly who the killer is (or one of them at least) and it is not the least bit surprising or shocking. It was as if the script didn't even bother trying to hide who the killer was the entire movie. But I suppose, in contrast with their final "twist ending," the killer's identity is inconsequential. The ending itself has some interesting and high concept ideas behind it, but it doesn't play as well as I hoped because it seems a little tacked on.
I was sad because the introduction with the auditions made me really want to care about some of these people, but that ended up deflating quickly. Many of the actors are clearly very good performers. I was impressed with many of the performances considering the dialogue and material they were given. The scenes that were written well really shine in this case, but there is so much fluff in between that is dilutes it too much.
But I think the number one thing that bothered me about Camp Dread is the cinematography. It honestly felt either lazy or rushed, I can't quite decide wish. This is a slasher movie so I am expecting some good kill scenes. But all the kill scenes are zoomed in so close or so bouncy that it is hard to really see what is happening or enjoy the special effects. I realize that some of it is because of the low budget. They couldn't show everything they wanted because they didn't necessarily have the means to create it. But there is better ways to do it. I just wish there was better build up--more dread perhaps?--to the kill scenes, and I wish the kills themselves had been more satisfying.
I do give them credit for trying to pay homage to, and bring back, the camp slasher genre. They had a lot of little nods towards the slasher films that came before and I really liked those. As a huge fan of the genre it is nice to see these things and be able to recognize them. But the movie can't be carried by the spirit of movies past alone. It needs new spirit and creativity from the filmmakers. It is needs its own fresh take. Camp Dread tries to do this in many ways but ultimately falls short. This is sad because it is truly apparent that the creators and actors cared about this film quite a bit. They put a lot into it. It just didn't pay off as well this time.
Summing it Up
Deaths: 0
Language: 5
Gore Factor: 4
Sex Factor: 4
Scare Factor: 3
Fun Factor: 1
Overall Rating: 2