Red alert! Based on the period of release (1987), the prototypic title (Summer Camp Nightmare) and the cover image of the old VHS (showing a hysterically screaming young blond wench), I was all prepared for the umpteenth routine slasher movie taking place at a remote teenage camping site. But then suddenly I noticed a couple of peculiar things in the opening credits
Written by Penelope Spheeris? Based upon the novel "The Butterfly Revolution" by William Butler? What the hell
could it be I picked up a profound coming-of-age allegory instead of a slasher? They can be really great, of course, but I so wasn't prepared for that.
Well, the good news is that "Summer Camp Nightmare" is not a pretentious coming-of-age melodrama, or at least not primarily so, but it's definitely not a brainless teen slasher, neither. The film is kind of a mixture between "Battle Royale" (without the extreme violence), "Lord of the Flies" (minus the island setting) and "The Most Dangerous Game". Camp North Pines is a separate sexes summer resort that used to be extremely popular until this year's edition, now that the new managing director Mr. Warren implemented a series of drastic changes to cut back on funds. When the boys' section rebels against his new policy in a playful manner, he only gets more hateful. He cuts off their nudity television shows, interrupts the Free Podium contest and even cancels the dance where the boys and girls camp traditionally come together to copulate. Some of the toughest kids decide to take over control during the annual "reversed authority" game; the day when the campers become the leaders and vice versa. Their aura of superiority quickly runs out of hand and pretty soon their "revolution" sows abuse of power, corruption, indecency, kidnapping and even murder. It's fairly easy to see how this film got catapulted into 80's oblivion between all the contemporary teen slashers, high school gang wars and vigilante movies. Nevertheless this is a modest hidden gem and I urge more people to seek it out. "Summer Camp Nightmare" benefices from a tense build-up, detailed enough character drawings and a couple of sequences that keep you on the edge of your seat. The acting performances are more than adequate, most notably Chuck Connors as the grumpy camp director and Charles Stratton as the lead "guerilla" teenager Franklyn Reilly. His looks and obnoxious attitude even reminded me of Captain Rhodes in "Day of the Dead", and horror freaks know this is a big compliment!
Well, the good news is that "Summer Camp Nightmare" is not a pretentious coming-of-age melodrama, or at least not primarily so, but it's definitely not a brainless teen slasher, neither. The film is kind of a mixture between "Battle Royale" (without the extreme violence), "Lord of the Flies" (minus the island setting) and "The Most Dangerous Game". Camp North Pines is a separate sexes summer resort that used to be extremely popular until this year's edition, now that the new managing director Mr. Warren implemented a series of drastic changes to cut back on funds. When the boys' section rebels against his new policy in a playful manner, he only gets more hateful. He cuts off their nudity television shows, interrupts the Free Podium contest and even cancels the dance where the boys and girls camp traditionally come together to copulate. Some of the toughest kids decide to take over control during the annual "reversed authority" game; the day when the campers become the leaders and vice versa. Their aura of superiority quickly runs out of hand and pretty soon their "revolution" sows abuse of power, corruption, indecency, kidnapping and even murder. It's fairly easy to see how this film got catapulted into 80's oblivion between all the contemporary teen slashers, high school gang wars and vigilante movies. Nevertheless this is a modest hidden gem and I urge more people to seek it out. "Summer Camp Nightmare" benefices from a tense build-up, detailed enough character drawings and a couple of sequences that keep you on the edge of your seat. The acting performances are more than adequate, most notably Chuck Connors as the grumpy camp director and Charles Stratton as the lead "guerilla" teenager Franklyn Reilly. His looks and obnoxious attitude even reminded me of Captain Rhodes in "Day of the Dead", and horror freaks know this is a big compliment!