Spirit Camp (2009)
Review by Dhampir
Spirit Camp promotes itself as Bring it On meets Friday the 13th and in some respects it delivers. I found it entertaining enough to merit further viewings. It is not the typical “Let’s go make a horror film and pay homage to everything we love about slasher films” fare, though hardcore horror and slasher fans alike will note numerous references to the 80’s films. Some of them are subtle while some are more in your face, but neither type distracts from the story.
Writer and director Kerry Beyers isn’t shy about using sex to sell the film either. At conventions he has the actresses dress in their characters’ cheerleader outfits to behave flirtatiously on their own. They are a sight to behold!
Spirit Camp opens with a group of cheerleaders headed off to camp to prepare them for Nationals. Of course it starts with mucho grande eye candy, as that’s the primary allure of the film. If you didn’t figure that out by looking at the DVD itself, then you’re blind. Beyer pays much homage to classics like Halloween, Friday the 13th (Part 2 in specific) and Sleepaway Camp. The film is funny at times, but no so campy as to detract from the story. There’s the obligatory T & A that one would expect from a cheerleader slasher flick, with all the angles and tight shots we want to see in films like Bring It On but never get, so in that respect it delivers.
Julin (interview) and Roxy Vandiver deliver solid performances being the bitchy popular girl and the misunderstood emo girl respectively. The killer is cut from the mold of slashers of the past, at times displaying Meyers-like behavior and at others he’s reminiscent of Voorhees.
The story becomes at times predictable, but occasionally veers left when you expect it to turn right, so to speak. The dialogue is solid and entertaining. However, most straight men can watch this film with the volume off and still be entertained…which is always a plus in my book! One shot in particular is taken directly from Guns N Roses Appetite for Destruction album cover, which is an awesome pop culture reference.
Many might claim that this is just another indie slasher trying to be the next Friday, Halloween or Chainsaw. I can see where after viewing this film some might think that, but after some brief discussions with Beyer I think he simply wanted to make a film that made nods in the directions of the films that influenced his tastes as a film maker. (No I don’t mean Bring It On).
I believe that anyone who gives the film a chance will find it enjoyable and fun, though not heavy on FX it harkens back to a time when heavy prosthetics and the over usage of FX wasn’t common. Sometimes what you conceive of in your mind is far worse than what you see on the screen!
If I am not mistaken the film is to be self distributed but has played at a number of conventions and festivals and has received a warm welcome and is getting a fairly good following. I recommend that you see it as soon as you get a chance!
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