Friday the 13th

Camp Death III in 2D!

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Camp Crystal Meph has developed a bit of a reputation. After a crazed woman going on a killing spree, then her murderous son returning to exact revenge, many have died on the property. When an overly-optimistic man decides to reopen the camp as a rehab center for mentally ill adults, it doesn’t take long for the body count to rise. Has the killer returned, or is there a copycat on the loose?

Camp Death III in 2D! is a horror comedy written and directed by Matt Frame (GGG: One Night Stab). It is an intentionally outlandish and campy spoof of Friday the 13th Part III in 3D. The film even begins in a similar fashion to the F13 films where the first few minutes recap the previous film, although in this case it is a film that doesn’t really exist. There are other similar plot points connecting Camp Death to the F13 films in fun and creative ways. That being said, this film is intentionally out there, campy with ridiculous effects and acting, and can be a bit abrasive at times. This is all on purpose. Some of the taglines for the film read “This movie is stupid,” “This movie is super stupid,” and “The most horrible movie ever made!” It clearly caters to a specific group of horror fans that not only enjoy the F13 franchise, but also loves the ridiculous, low-budget B-movie style the film has.

While it’s not the most horrible movie I’ve ever seen, despite what the taglines suggest, it definitely isn’t my cup of tea. I appreciated the nods it gave not only to F13, but other popular films as well. There is one scene specifically that I got a kick out of that is a hilarious nod to the Star Wars films. There is also a bit with a squirrel utilized in a few scenes throughout the film that I found very entertaining, and part of that is because of how ridiculous and low-budget it looks. There were times the jokes leaned a bit towards the offensive side. The laughs are centered around gross-out humor, sexual humor, and jokes that are aimed at the mentally ill campers. There are definitely people who will find these jokes funny, but it is not the kind of humor that I am entertained by.

This is the kind of film that is incredibly hard to accurately critique various elements. Acting is one of those elements. The performances in Camp Death III in 2D! are intentionally over the top, ludicrous, and just plain bad. If you take into consideration the fact that bad acting was the goal of the film, then in that respect the entire cast actually did a fantastic job. There is a lot of humorous overacting and some that is less humorous, but just as overacted. This also makes it more difficult for me to pinpoint any single performance because of how “bad” everyone was (even though that was the point). Instead I will throw nods to some of the performances I enjoyed watching even with the insanity. I will send shout outs to Dave Peniuk (The Coroner: I Speak For the Dead), Angela Galanopoulos (Michelle’s), and Katherine Alpen (Cubicle the Musical) for all being ridiculous yet still fun to watch.

As with the acting, the effects from Camp Death III in 2D! are incredibly hard to critique. The bizarre mash-up of CGI, practical effects, puppetry, green screen, close-up fisheye camera work, and interesting color choices will definitely grab your attention. The problem is that it might not grab your attention in a good way. Most of the effects are rather cringe-worthy in how poorly done they are, but as I’ve said multiple times in this review that low-budget look is intentional. Each of these different effects and tricks used have different levels of success. The scene I mentioned previously that relates to Star Wars is surprisingly well done. Most of the puppetry is also good for a laugh. This includes the scenes with the squirrel, which may have once just been a stuffed animal. Much of the CGI is hard to look at and even many of the practical effects are laughable, which is most likely on purpose.

There is definitely a subset of horror film fans who will get a lot of enjoyment out of Camp Death III in 2D! I simply was not one of those horror fans. The filmmakers are very successful in the sense that they created the outlandishly insane and cheesy film they set out to make. It ticks all the boxes for a low-budget B horror film, especially ones from the 80’s. I wouldn’t be surprised if this film eventually gained a cult following in the way that films like Troll 2 did over the years. Will I watch it again? Probably not, but it was definitely a memorable hour and 20 minutes.

OVERALL RATING: 2/10

Favorite Things: Birthday Movies Pt 1

Today is my birthday! To celebrate I wanted to create a fun movies list for you all. I couldn’t decide what the basis for my list should be so I’m giving you not one, not two, but THREE movie lists! First up is a list of horror films that take place on or around a character’s birthday.

Here are my top five favorite horror films that take place during a birthday (in no particular order):

1. FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980)

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While a birthday is only really mentioned in passing, there was no way I could not include Friday the 13th on this list. The killings that take place at Camp Crystal Lake happen on what would have been Jason Voorhees’ birthday. This is a classic slasher flick that made way for numerous sequels. All the kills in this film are as awesome as in the subsequent films, yet this first installment stands apart for one specific reason (which I won’t mention even though by now you should know the spoilers). Friday the 13th is a film every horror fan needs to see.

2. MY SOUL TO TAKE (2010)

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This was Wes Craven’s penultimate film he directed and the last feature film he wrote. My Soul to Take revolves around a group of kids all born on the same day. The night they were born a serial killer with multiple personalities was killed, so the townsfolk believe one of his personalities went into each kid. It’s a really great concept, but for some reason the film was not liked by critics and moviegoers alike. I personally love this film. It’s a great story with a wonderful cast and an amazing performance from Max Thieriot (Bates Motel).

3. DEMONS 2 (1986)

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If you’ve seen Demons and thought that was crazy, just wait until you see Demons 2. This sequel takes the insanity and gore from the first film and injects it with steroids. There are crazed demons, a dog creature, and tons and tons of gore all inside a 10-story high-rise. It all starts with a teenage girl’s birthday where she ends up possessed, and the “plot” continues to go nuts from there. In terms of quality the first film is probably better, but Demons 2 is still gory and unintentionally funny. If you love campy films, you’ll love this one.

4. HAPPY DEATH DAY (2017)

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This is a film that really surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. The basic premise is a college student who gets repeatedly killed on her birthday, only to wake up and restart the same day. Happy Death Day is one of the most successful horror films that uses the gimmick made famous by Groundhog’s Day. It has a really great mystery, it’s fun, and it had me laughing the entire time. This is a film I definitely recommend, especially with the sequel coming out this year.

5. CHILD’S PLAY (1988)

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Child’s Play is a double-whammy because it takes place during a birthday AND it came out the year I was born. As I’m sure you all know, the film tells the tale of a serial killer who uses a spell to put his soul inside a Good Guy Doll in order to escape the police. Then a woman buys that possessed doll for her son’s birthday, which leads to murder and mayhem. Like Friday the 13th, this is another classic horror film that spawned several sequels. I personally love villains with a lot of personality, so Chucky is one of my favorite bad guys to watch.

To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story

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Every horror fan knows Kane Hodder, whether they realize it or not. Sometimes he is a stuntman in the background of a film, other times the killer under layers of makeup or a mask, or even front and center in your favorite horror movie. His most famous film roles are from the Friday the 13th and Hatchet franchises, playing the main villains in both. While many people know of him because of his work in the film industry, not many can say they truly know who the man is. In the documentary To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story, audiences get to learn everything there is to know about their favorite horror villain.

The film does a great job of going through Hodder’s entire film history. We get to learn how he started doing stunts just to get a reaction out of his friends, and how that eventually led to him auditioning for a stunt film role. The documentary takes extra care to go over Hodder’s two biggest roles as Jason Voorhees, starting with Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, and Victor Crowley of the Hatchet films. Hodder has killed more people on screen than any other actor, and a majority of them are from those two fan-favorite franchises. It’s only natural that a lot of time would be spent on Hodder’s time in those films.

Looking at the hulking man we all know as Kane Hodder, it is hard to imagine anyone trying to pick a fight with him. Yet when Hodder was younger, he was bullied and beaten. While eventually he learned to hit back, which got rid of the bullies, he still went through a lot of hardship along the way. Hodder not only tells the story of his childhood trauma, but he uses this time to talk about the amount of physical and emotional harm bullying can do. He even discusses how often bullying can lead to suicide. Hearing that someone who plays Jason Voorhees went through the same experiences of bullying as many others not only reveals Hodder’s softer side, but it allows fans to relate to him on a more personal level.

Fans love meeting Hodder at various conventions. He always takes the time to talk to his fans, and if you want a photo of him strangling you he will strangle you for real. Anyone who has met the man in person has likely noticed the burn scars all over his body. For years the origin of those scars was kept relatively secret. While I won’t go into all the details, I will say that Hodder not only describes the true events that led to his horrific burns, but there are also still photos of the event shown. What’s even more horrific than the accident itself is the long recovery process that followed. While this is a horrible and tragic event in Hodder’s life, it actually benefited his career. Not only does he still do fire stunts to this day, but he also takes care to make sure that every stunt he performs (or coordinates) is the safest it can possibly be.

To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story is an absolute must for any horror fan. It shows a side of Hodder rarely seen by fans, and it allows us to connect with him even more. The documentary includes some great clips, images, and interviews with Hodder. It also has interviews with Hodder’s friends and other big names in the horror film industry such as Adam Green, Robert Englund, Bruce Campbell, and Cassandra Peterson (aka Elvira). The documentary is equal parts funny, interesting, and heartfelt. Not only do I recommend this to avid horror fans, but I think even non-horror fans will appreciate learning about one of the greatest stuntmen alive.

OVERALL RATING: MUST SEE*

*Since this is a documentary about a person’s life, it didn’t feel right giving it a number rating out of 10. Instead I am giving it a “MUST SEE” designation. I strongly urge people to see this documentary, especially if you get the chance to see it on the big screen.