A
bunch of kids at a campground in New York
called Camp Blackwood seeks revenge on a
sadist camp caretaker who carried garden
shears with him named Cropsy (Lou David)
by trying to scare him as that was
exactly we he did to the kids but however
the prank goes too far as he is badly
burned as well as the campground and then
sent to a hospital.
Five
years later Crospy has recovered but
badly scarred as he returns to the
campground for revenge as a nearby camp
starts up as kids are trying to enjoy
themselves by playing softball, hiking,
swimming, canoe riding and camping out as
well.
However, one of the kids named Alfred
(Brian Backer) doesn't feel like he fits
in and has a hard time making friends
with the rest. Plus, he is bullied by one
of the tougher kids named Glazer (Larry
Joshua) which makes his summer tougher
for him.
However, the counsellor named Todd (Brian
Matthews) tries to help him out as much
as he can but he tells the kids a
campfire tale about Cropsy and during
that night Alfred claimed he saw Cropsy
staring at his window but no one believes
him.
Suddenly
one of the girls named Karen (Carolyn
Glenn) gets hacked in the throat by
garden shears and then is taken away. The
campers look for her as they are
concerned but they suddenly become
Cropsy's next target till he has a deadly
plan for one of the people running the
camp.
We spot good shots on some teenage
supporting actors planning a prank and
then nice shots on Todd going into a cabin to set up the prank.
There's also good close up shots on Cropsy sleeping in his bed.
However when he freaks out it looks very
phony and not intense enough like you'd expect when a deadly prank like this happens. But we have a nice shot of him on
fire spinning around as well as him
running and rolling down to a lake.
Things seem awfully corny and cheesy in which we have two hospital employees having a discussion on how burnt Cropsy is and going into his room to find out which looked a bit amaeteurishly done on how all this was set. However there's a not too bad shot on Cropsy's arm shooting out and grabbing one of them. Yet this was supposed to have made you jump but misses a bit on this scene.
A nice shot on Crospy walking out
of his wheelchair to some doors of a
hospital letting himself out.
There's a scene in the city with Cropsy and a prositute in a hotel room but it
looks lacking on how her situation with him is like as well as a deadly moment surrounding her in which this doesn't look the least bit intense. While spotting this you'd think to yourself if the story stays in this mode we're in trouble but it does get better.
A nice outdoor setting of kids playing
softball and a good moment between the campers Dave and Eddy discussing
a hot girl on one of the bases which
gives you that Meatballs type
of appeal especially close up shots on her bikini type shorts too which adds some nice flavor to the start on a slasher flick.
We have a good moment with one of the girls Tiger going into
the woods to look for a softball with a
camera approaching her. Next, a great
shot on some garden shears ready to kill. This adds some neat cheesy suspense here.
A good shot on the innocent type named Sally taking
a shower and suddenly hearing a noise with her trying to find out where it's coming from as this looks slightly chilling wondering if the killer will appear to get her since a shower scene is often a traditional moment in a horror flick. This looked well put in.
Of course what is nicely put in by spotting the head bully at the camp named Glazer picking on a smaller kid whom is Alfred and get forceful towards him which can make you cringe reminding you of your younger years being pitted against someone especially on him discussing to keep his eyes off of a girl he likes. This was also perfectly written in too.
A nice shot on Alfred standing on a pier not knowing how to swim with a perfect fast action camera shot zooming in on him as you get the impression that someone is going to push him in the lake.
We spot the bully Glazier swimming to another pier and trying to act charming towards the girls there which seemed pretty impressive on young girls who enjoy a bad boy like him since most highschool girls seems to attact drama like him. This was well put in.
A great moment here is with a bunch of kids helping Alfred with his problems agains Glazer picking on him about to aim a pellet gun at him which can grow a smile on your face and thinking of a vengeful moment with nasty kids and what will come to them.
A great camera shot lurking towards a
cabin window at night but then we spot Alfred looking at the window and briefly spot a scarred face looking at him which was supposed to look scary yet it looks like someone wearing a mask. Pretty cheap here although Tom Savini did the effects for this flick whom is a horror wizard for this type of stuff.
There's a nice dark moment with
Woodstock walking to his cabin and then someone coming in and he is about to
activate his flashlight. This for sure makes you cringe a bit wondering if the killer is coming in for the kill.
We see a nice setting of a campfire
hosted by Todd telling the
story of what happened to Cropsy but yet
the setting is totally ripped off from Friday
the 13th Part 2 if you watch the
campfire tale on that one but there are
good close up shots on the cast at the
campfire. Yet this seemed to inspire the makers to do Madman with this scenario as well. So hats off to Lawrence regardless for writing this scene in.
There's a perfect shot on two teenagers skinnydipping in a pond at night as one of them tries to act forceful and the other one hesitates as you wonder if this will get more serious leading to a problem. Plus we spot the girl trying to find her clothes thats being hung on branches as on how this was done you truly feel sorry for her when she tries to get them. Plus this makes you cringe once more and having a feeling that the killer is behind all of this to trap her in to his next killing.
We spot Glazer acting lustfully forceful towards Sally with her acting hesitant at times in which this looked impressive as you wonder if he will pursue to rape her or not along with Afred watching them nearby. This also gives you the chills wonder if Glazer will spot him and kick his ass.
A perfect shot on Cropsy's legs
between Sally in the sleeping
bag trying to hold back his shears. This was a memorable moment while watching the film. Also a great side shot on what happens to Glazer near a tree as this looked perfectly dark to watch too.
Also we spot some teens on a raft and spotting a rowboat hoping to find one of the campers there in which it certainly looked suspenseful with the camera shots approaching closer to this boat with everything so still as you get the creepy feeling that something terrifying will happen here. It looked well done. Also very shocking to spot on what happens later here anmd great close up shots within all of this.
Great moments with Michelle swimming towards a lifeless raft as well as a good shocking and gross out surprise on what we find out that's on it. This for sure is powerful to watch this along with the reactions towards her and the kids at the pier.
There's a perfect dark setting on Todd in a run down mine shaft holding an axe
along with some good flashback sequences
involved from the beginning of this film revealing on why this incident came to be involving Cropsy on his vengeful killings at the camp 5 years later. Perfectly well done here as well as a good struggling battle between Todd and Cropsy.
The ending scene with a new camp counsellor
telling the tale of Crospy at a campfire
was an absolute classic!
Bottom line: If you have Friday
the 13th and Sleepaway
Camp what do you get??? You get
this film. Although many put this one
down and is easily forgotten I very much
enjoyed this as it had a killer, summer
camp, mean kids, pranksters and the
slayings. What more can you ask for?
The film was made on a bit of a lower
budget than Friday the 13th and not as suspenseful but so what??? It
still carries on it's own and a shame a
sequel never arose but again probably no
interest as this one came out the same
year with other slashers which were close
to being obscure and were trying to be
just as popular like Graduation
Day, My Bloody Valentine and Just Before Dawn.
There's many great scene's making it look
like a typical camp with teenage kids and
counsellors playing softball and other
activities with the killer watching all
of this. Plus there's great realistic
look at school bullies too against a put
upon kid which shows nice chemistry for a
typical kids summer camp. Especially with
the girls wooing for the bully liking the
rebellious types.
Of course we take a peek at the girls
showers too which seems suitable for a
slasher film with the boys trying to peek
at them and a bit of sex too which works
well before the killer is about to do
them in.
You never know when this killer will show
up next which is terrifically paced and
how menacing and deadly he can be.
This film isn't original
since it's been done before and we all
know who this killer is in which most
slasher films the killer is a mystery
till close to the end. Yet it's nicely
done and very entertaining and enjoyable
too and somewhat a cult classic even if
it's not a mainstream flick.
Many of these
actors started out on this film and some
moved on to be household names just like
anyone starting off doing low budget
horror.
Their acting is good for it's time by
most of them but there are moments it's a
little rough.
Brian Matthews (Todd) pulls his character
off as a laid back camp counsellor but
gets strict when he needs to which he
seems to play around not too bad. Does a nice job whenever he gets stern or aggressive showing a good hyped up type of attitude. Does really well by coming down on someone for pulling something off and getting strong with his actions while doing this. Plus knew on how to get stern and strict in a brief scene towards a bully which he seemed to show a good drive on handling a situation like this coming off marvellously. Was perfect with his dark speaking and showing high energy while telling a campfire tale.
Leah Ayres (Michelle) pulls off her part as a
counsellor for the girls very clearly and
is very impressive. She does a good job coming down on someone while discussing an immoral situation as this came to life a great deal. She also shows a nice type of understanding appeal to her role as well as coming across as charming too which looked nice to watch her perform like this. Plus she shows terrific energy too especially with her screaming reactions to something gruesome as well as trying to hold everything together and acting believeably courageous.
Brian Backer (Alfred) was better in his part
in Fast Times at Ridgemont High but still seemed fairly okay as his part
as a put upon teen at the camp. He needed some improvement while being scolded with his choked out words while trying to explain himself. His performance here was a bit rough. He was slightly off a little when he panicks explaining that someone is killed but yet does well by acting anxious with his choked words so he was at it half and half here. There's great menacing expressions by him towards the near end of his performance during a battle.
Larry Joshua (Glazer) played a perfect bully
at the camp showing great menacing
attitude as he was believeable by acting
threatening as well. He shows this off powerfully towards someone else by showing a nice brute force with his blocking and dominating attiude as this was also brought to life greatly. Does well by acting charming to some girls on a pier in which he showed a nice versatality with his behavior here. Shows off a nice macho attitude too as this comes across perfectly well performed here too. Plus does a great job by screaming in pain after being shot by a pellet as well as yelling out in anger which looked pretty energised. Also does a nice job acting forceful in certain situations while getting sexually aroused almost coming across as aggressive which looked amusing. He had the perfect rough guy looks along with knowing his craft by acting obnoxious which were perfect pluses to his part here.
This was a first timer for Jason
Alexander (Dave) as a camper chasing girls
and his part in the film was not as
memorable as the rest but he still pulled
off a nice character for his part in it. He does a good job with his outgoing type of charm and acting believeably bubbly and full of life. He comes across perfectly as one of the good kids at the summer camp.
Ned Eisenberg (Eddy) shows off as another asshole at summer camp in which he has a good cocky attitude as well as doing a good job trying to act forceful towards a woman in the lake and then getting aggressive by brushing her off which he was well focused by doing all of this. He also does a nice job with his demanding type of atttiude later on in the story along with acting arrogant too. He had the right looks for this type of role which was another good plus to his role.
Carrick Glenn (Sally) seems to do well for
herself as the popular teenage beauty
which of course is what we need for a
slasher flick. She does well with her frightened emotions in certain parts as well as doing well with her sobbing too. Plus she shows a good shyness to her role which looked impressive coming across as believeably innoent. She also showed a perfect frightened expressions while struggling against the killer which looked very energised.
Fisher Stevens (Woodstock) stands out well as a
slim teenager in the film and has the
right looks to be in a camp slasher
flick. Plus he shows a perfect frightened expressions on his face while sneaking into a cabin and knowing that someone else is coming in as he showed perfect adrenaline here. Also does well with his outgoing behavior and showing alot of great spunk by being likeable here.
A breast shot on Carrick
Glenn taking a shower
A few kids moon someone
There's a full nude body shot from top to
bottom Carolyn Houlihan when she
goes skinny dipping in a lake as well as
coming to onshore in the woods looking
for her clothes.
There's a butt shot on Larry Joshua getting
up from a sleeping bag in the woods.
A hooker is
stabbed in the stomach with scissors
Throats are cut open and stabbed
A group of people on a raft are butchered
with their fingers cut off heads sliced
and a cut off arm.
Plenty of blood but it looks a wee bit
phony
The music was cheesily
composed with a synthesizer by Rick
Wakeman which is the downfall of
this film as it sounds quite Z-grade. However there's some good low creepy tones to it as well as the odd screeching sounds when the slayings happen which also sounded impressive here.
Todd:
There's a camp not far from here, just
across the lake. It was called Camp
Blackfoot. No one goes there anymore.
Everything burnt down. This camp had a
caretaker, and his name was Cropsy. Now,
this Cropsy was a sadist, and he got real
pleasure out of hurting... scaring. And
he had these garden shears. The kind with
long, thin blades. He carried them all
the time, wherever he went. And he had
this kind of demonic way of look at you.
One time, Cropsy really went after this
kid from Brooklyn, followed him around
night and day. He made this kid's life a
living hell. But this time, he chose the
wrong guy, cause the kid and some of his
buddies had planned a little prank. Only
problem was, the gag went wrong. The next
thing anybody knows, Cropsy's trapped
alive and burning in his bunk. They try
to get him out, but the fire's so fierce,
they can't reach him. All they can do is
stand outside and listen to him cry out
in agony. They say his smashed his way
through the bunkroom door in just a mass
of flames. And as he burned alive, he
cried out, "I will return! I will
have my revenge!" They never found
his body. He survived. He lives on
whatever he can catch. Eats them raw,
alive. No longer human. Right now, he's
out there. Watching, waiting. Don't look;
he'll see you. Don't move; he'll hear
you. Don't breathe; you're dead!
Todd: What do you expect me to do. Cut his
balls off?
Dave:
[looking at Playboy] God bless her
mom and dad.
Marnie:
Hey Todd... over here!
[last
lines]
Camp Counselor: They never found
his body, but they say his spirit lives
in the forest. This forest. A maniac, a
thing no longer human. They say he lives
on whatever he can catch. Eats them raw,
alive maybe. And every year he picks on a
summer camp and seeks his revenge for the
terrible things those kids did to him.
Every year he kills. Right now he's out
there. Watching. Waiting. So don't look;
he'll see you. Don't breathe; he'll hear
you. Don't move; you're dead!
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