The film opens to a prologue set in 1979, on - what else - the evening of Friday the 13th. We're in New Jersey, and specifically a summer camp known as Camp Crystal Meph (sic). The obligatory final girl, Alice (Cynthia Chalmers) is being chased through the woods by a burly masked assailant named Johann (Terry Mullet). She manages to dupe her would-be murderer with the aid of a pink fluffy hand-puppet, which she uses first to distract him, and then to bludgeon him with.
Subsequent newspaper headline tell us that Alice has since been committed to a local asylum, Johann is dead, and the puppet has been arrested for his murder. However, it soon transpires that the killer's body has never been found. This black cloud clearly hangs over Camp Crystal Meph for a short while, until a later news article informs us that camp owner Mel (Darren Andrichuk) has decided to re-open the site.
Once the camp's plans to re-open are announced, Alice goes missing from her mental hospital and reports leak suggesting the puppet has escaped from prison. This coincides with reported sightings of the fabled Johann on the camp grounds, and the news that Mel's dim nephew Todd (David Peniuk) is managing the new-look site - which he has now refashioned as a "nature-based rehabilitation centre for the criminally insane".
All of which brings us up to speed. It's now 1981, and we're back at Camp Crystal Meph, where Todd is enjoying the glorious summer weather while preparing for his fellow counsellors to arrive. Aware of the camp's dubious history, he has a placard outside his office which asks "No Murders Please!".
Uncle Mel is also present, a foul-mouthed, cigar-chomping businessman who's not above kicking the shit of a wheelchair-bound man, simply because he happens to be in his way. Mel disapproves of Todd's plans for the camp, but only on revenue grounds.
Rachel (Angela Galanopoulos) turns up, and it soon becomes apparent that she has a dark history with the camp. Then we get invalid, accident-prone Barry (Chris Allen) - and that's the team. Shortly afterwards, a bus of eleven social miscreants arrives. Todd has the unenviable job of showing this motley bunch around the camp. This includes introducing them to aggressive cook Waffle (Stephanie Bally).
One of the guests, hard-arsed Georgia (Starlise Waschuk) recognises Rachel from somewhere. This is something Rachel is also clearly aware of, and perturbed by. The plot thickens.
But this is a slasher film, right? While you may be somewhat intrigued in Rachel's history and the identity of the masked bogeyman lurking in the shadows, you'll be expecting some kind of body count ... correct? Well, fear not, CAMP DEATH 3 IN 2D! (a riff on FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3 IN 3D) soon delivers. The first casualty is deranged groundskeeper Crapsey (Shawn Bordoff).
So, as the masked killer gets busy, the film reaches new levels of madness: power-tool violence, lots of spurting gore, a brief but cheerfully cheesy homage to RETURN OF THE JEDI, characters breaking the fourth wall and, at times, filling in the blanks plot-wise ... All of which is delivered at a relentlessly frantic pace.
This film's tagline is "This movie is stupid". So, going in, you kind of know what you're getting. And CAMP DEATH 3 IN 2D! certainly lives up to its threat.
At 81 minutes and 50 seconds in length, this Canadian production is a taut proposition. It essentially consists of one joke (visual or verbal) after another, racing through the trashing of slasher tropes with furious energy. The cast are all game in their own comic book style - which suits the ludicrous script to perfection.
We have characters that suddenly appear dressed as Santa, a very energetic sex scene where both actors remain fully clothed, a shitload of profanity, a smidgeon of enjoyably crude CGI and an unhealthy preoccupation with deriving humour from the mentally ill. That latter point may sound totally offensive, but CAMP DEATH is too silly, too juvenile to offend. And too good-natured. You know while watching it that director Matt Frame (who co-wrote this, if the Internet Movie Database is to be believed, with 18 other participants) just wants his audience to have fun.
Surprisingly, the film is also tightly edited, well-lit and attractively shot. I remember reading a review of a Dwarves album ("The Dwarves Come Clean", I believe) which said they were a band who were very clever at appearing to be dumb. And this film is that equal. On the surface it's painfully stupid, Troma-style, but the fact that it emerges as a coherent, decently paced and enjoyably lo-fi shitfest suggests a lot of focus and - dare I say it - talent involved.
We were sent an online screener for review purposes. The film, presented in 16x9, appears to have been shot on HD. It looks and sounds great.
The film is presently enjoying festival screenings - catch it if you can - but we'll strive to keep you updated regarding any domestic or VOD release.
Review by Stuart Willis
| Directed by Matt Frame |