DVD Corner

Camp Dread DVD Review

“Camp Dread” is a poorly made slasher. The last word.

The plot: In order to resurrect his blacklisted career, Julian Barrett (a shady director of a popular 80’s slasher film series) decides to make a reboot of his famous camp slasher film disguised as a self-improvement reality TV series for 10 troubled youth in need of rehabilitation. Julian tells the contestants that there is a million dollar prize for the “show,” but in reality, it’s all a ruse. I won’t spoil what the desperate director does, but let’s just say this is no ordinary film production.

On paper, the meta “Camp Dread” sounds like a slasher film fan’s dream come true. Not only does the film star horror genre fan favorites like Danielle Harris (“Halloween 4”) and Felissa Rose (“Sleepaway Camp”), but you also have a clever movie within a movie plot device that pays homage to slasher classics like “Friday The 13^th.” Unfortunately, all of that potential is cut away (pun intended) by writer/director Harrison Smith.

From a screenwriting perspective, Smith completely drops the ball by never taking full advantage of the potentially rewarding story. Worse than that, however, is the fact that the suspenseless script is so chock full of plot holes and laughable plot twists that it’s near impossible to invest in the film. By the time the credits roll around, you likely won’t care who the killer is how or this bloody mess ends.

The rest of the production is sadly not much better. The edits are awkward, the gore f/x are abysmal, and the production values are sparse. It’s clear that most of the budget went towards the cast which is a mixed bag at best. Sure, Eric Roberts, Felissa Rose, and Danielle Harris seem to be enjoying themselves here, but their screentime is fairly limited. Most of the film is comprised of a robotic cast acting out lifeless one dimensional characters.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.35:1. How does it look? The film generally looks like a cheaply made indie film, but at least the location shooting is picturesque at times.

Audio Track: Dolby Digital 5.1. How does it sound? Mediocre at best. The dialogue is clear enough but there is an inordinate amount of background noise. It almost sounds like EVERYTHING has a microphone on it.

The only extras are RLJ Entertainment.

Overall Thoughts: I really wanted to like “Camp Dread,” but the film never lives up to its promise.

April 7, 2014 - Posted by nicklyons1 | DVD review | Camp Dread DVD Review, Danielle Harris, Eric Roberts, Felissa Rose, Slasher Film, Sleepaway Camp