Campfire Tales (1997)

   

Written & Directed by: Matt Cooper, Martin Kunerti & David Semel

Starring:

Jay R. Ferguson .... Cliff
Christine Taylor .... Lauren
Christopher Masterson .... Eric
Kim Murphy .... Alex
Ron Livingston .... Rick / RV Driver
Jennifer MacDonald .... Valerie / RV Passenger
Hawthorne James .... Cole
Alex McKenna .... Amanda
Devon Odessa .... Katherine
Jonathan Fuller .... Jessica / Internet Man
Glenn Quinn .... Scott Anderson / Paramedic #1
Jacinda Barrett .... Heather Wallace
James Marsden .... Eddie
Amy Smart .... Jenny
Rick Lawrence .... Rockin' Rob
Stewart J. Zully .... Deputy Manson

Release Date:
Direct-to-Video: May, 1997 (UK)

 

Rating:

 

A bunch of kids return home in their car after a rock concert driving recklessly and then they crash their car on a deserted road.
They then build a fire to wait for help and decide to tell campfire stories to scare one another convincing each other that all of this really happened but each tale is more terrifying each time.

The first story is called The Honeymoon about two newlyweds named Rick (Ron Livingston) and Valerie (Jennifer MacDonald) go out on their RV and a local native indian named Cole (Hawthorne Jones) warns them about the dangers where they're at but they ignore his warning and continue to camp out but suddenly Rick goes out to get some stuff and is attacking by a hairy beast.

The second story People Can Lick Too is about a little girl named Amanda (Alex McKenna) is celebrating her birthday and has interacted with a psychopath on the internet and stalks her at her house at night who calls himself Jessica (Jonathan Fuller) watching everything she does without her knowing about it.

In the final chapter named The Locket a travelling biker named Scott Anderson (Glenn Quinn) stops by at what looks like an abandoned farmhouse as a storm is about to occur but meets a mute beautiful woman named Heather Wallace (Jacinda Barrett) whom he grew attached to but however he realises that the farmhouse is haunted and he tries to get her out of there as the house is starting to get dangerous with slaughtering moments.

After these kids tell their stories help is on the way but they realise that something terrible has happened to them which was left behind before the accident.

 

A typical horror anthology but done in a good way as we have an impressive wraparound segment with kids being kids telling scary tales but it is sad at the very end. An impressive wraparound story and shows good shots on the car driving on the road as well as it swerving into a cliff.
Good shots on the characters around a bonfire waiting for help and the main character Cliff acting like a dork trying to scare them by being loud.
Towards the end there's a great lighting background on the cast looking sad of what happened to them which was touching.

The Honeymoon was fun to watch although not enough werewolf type showings as that was what it was meant to be as hthere's a good moment with a native indian holding a shotgun with silent talking about warning the couple about what is going to happen.
There is a good shot onthe character Eric being dragged underneath a vehicle.
There's a scene with Rick being attacked by a werewolf but it looks too dark alot of the times but it almost looked suspenseful from what we saw.
Nice shots on Valerie while being grabbed as well as her trying to fight off what is attacking her from outside while she is in her trailer.

People Can Lick Too is probably the best chapter of a child's fears of the dark and what madness can be out there at night too as well as a nightmare of meeting the psycho she associates on the internet. It is full of suspense without a doubt as there's a good opening with a child named Amanda running down the street excited for her Birthday and going to her house.
A good shot on the Internet Man showing his full body but not his face watching a home video in his chair in a bare room as the setting is totally creepy
A nice scene with Amanda playing soccer at night in her back yard with her dog and a good shot on her looking for the soccer ball in some bushes with a nice shot onthe Internet Man's hand about to grab her head when she is looking as you wonder if she will notice or not.
A good shot on Amanda holding some shears.
There are nice dark shots on the Internet Man in the bushes looking creepy too.
There's a perfect setting on Amanda going in the garage to look for her dog and sees something covered up with a great close up shot on her lifting the covers.
A nice shot on a mirror reflection with lipstick writing and a shot on Amanda on her bed with her hand below the ground and the Internet Man underneath the bed licking her hand.

The Locket was a perfect haunted house tale and lots of fun touches throughout the story with lots of ghostly action surrounding it.
There's a good shot on Scott Anderson riding his motorbike up to a house and reacts well when a storm is about to begin.
Nice intereactions between Scott and a mute girl named Heather Wallace when she is trying to do charades with him to explain stuff during the thunderstorm inside the house.
There's a nice shot with Scott and Heather on a bed making out as well as good shots of the clock striking ten o clock many times and a fire lighting up with insane moments going on.
We also have some interesting hallucination shots Heather's father going to a well in a storm.
There's a good moment with him holding an axe about to attack Scott as he does well trying to defend himself.

The acting is above average. In The Campfire, Jay R. Ferguson (Cliff) is impressive as a goofball in the wraparound segment and was a believeable troublemakin teen.
Christine Taylor
(Lauren) knew her stuff as usual and does her part nicely as an outgoing but yet an emotional one of the pack.
Does well by laughing after the first chapter is told and then starts to sob.

In The Honeymoon, Christopher Masterson (Eric) does well and has a bubbly type personality as the newlywed husband
Jennifer MacDonald
(Valerie) has the great looks as the wife and seems to pull of her part fairly well too.
But the most effective performer for this chapter was supporting actor Hawthorne James with his eccentric behavior as a native indian.

In People Can Lick Too young actress Alex McKenna (Amanda) has a nice charm to her part as a happy girl on her Birthday night and really shows great character. Does well screaming and running away after encountering something in her garage.
Devon Odessa
(Katherine) tries to pull it off as a bitchy rebellious older sister but yet she tends to overdo it especially when she gives idle threats to her onscreen sister.
Although Jonathan Fuller (The Internet Man) never had any lines as a maniac he still looked creepy which was convincing enough.

In The Locket Glenn Quinn (Scott Anderson) pulls off a good performance as a lonesome traveller packing some energy to his role.
Jacinda Barrett (Heather Wallace) pulls her part well as an innocent mute strange woman at the haunted house.
Supporting actor Denny Arnold (Heather's Father) was convincing as a menacing ghost especially when he attacks.

In The Honeymoon there is a brief breast shot by Jennifer MacDonald in a trailer during a sex scene doggy style.
We also have a butt shot by Ron Livingston outside but it is dark.

There's a hung body clawed up on a tree.
A head bloodily pops off

The music had great adventurous tones and some chiming too on a synthesizer all composed by Andrew Rose