Thanks to fangoria I came beware of this flick, I watched the trailer and agreed, I want it, but that wasn't that simple. Again the production let me know that they weren't allowed to export their feature. But I kept emailing and after a while they send over the DVD. Included in my package was a pair of knickers from Julin. That was already a fun part, but was the movie as good as her panties? Lucky it was. First I would like to say that the movie is indeed a mixture between 70's slashers and comedy. But the comedy doesn't take the lead. This independent takes off already with gore and nudity, always a good teaser to start. Then we go 2 years further and the movie really starts, and as in a slasher all kind of girls are in it, the fat one, the nerdy one, the sexy one. All facing into the face of death. The killings are mostly off screen only showing the results or even just hearing the knife going into the flesh or a scream. But still it works. And the best thing is that the editing is okay, you will never notice that it is a low budget flick, and the acting is good too. So if you are into some old school fun, be sure to take the road to spirit camp.
18 Reviews
Heard the one about the cheerleaders and the psycho?
BA_Harrison12 February 2011
Pretty girls being slaughtered at a lakeside cheer-leading camp—hardly the most original idea for a horror film. Clearly believing that the only way they could possibly get any mileage from this already well-worn plot, the makers of Spirit Camp opt to play much of their film for laughs, only attempting anything remotely resembling real scares in the closing moments.
Ironically, it is the tongue-in-cheek humour that comes across as the most tired aspect of the whole film, slasher films having been subject to mockery for many years now, whilst the scary bits in the finale actually work the best. I suspect that if director Kerry Beyer had had a bit more conviction in his abilities as a film-maker he could have made a genuinely good slasher, instead of a cheesy, trashy and laugh-free spoof with not nearly enough blood and guts. Maybe next time, eh?
Still, I suppose it could be worse: the women in the film are attractive, buxom, and aren't shy about taking off their cheer-leading outfits for a spot of much appreciated nudity; the acting isn't all that bad considering that most of the cast seem to be new to the job; the film has a polished look to it, belying its low budget independent roots; and with such delights as a camp counsellor being killed while breaking in a sex toy, several sneaky up-skirt shots, the campest male cheerleaders imaginable, and a fat guy going down on his total babe of a girlfriend (the lovely Katy Rowe), at least Spirit Camp can never be accused of being boring.
Ironically, it is the tongue-in-cheek humour that comes across as the most tired aspect of the whole film, slasher films having been subject to mockery for many years now, whilst the scary bits in the finale actually work the best. I suspect that if director Kerry Beyer had had a bit more conviction in his abilities as a film-maker he could have made a genuinely good slasher, instead of a cheesy, trashy and laugh-free spoof with not nearly enough blood and guts. Maybe next time, eh?
Still, I suppose it could be worse: the women in the film are attractive, buxom, and aren't shy about taking off their cheer-leading outfits for a spot of much appreciated nudity; the acting isn't all that bad considering that most of the cast seem to be new to the job; the film has a polished look to it, belying its low budget independent roots; and with such delights as a camp counsellor being killed while breaking in a sex toy, several sneaky up-skirt shots, the campest male cheerleaders imaginable, and a fat guy going down on his total babe of a girlfriend (the lovely Katy Rowe), at least Spirit Camp can never be accused of being boring.
OK Slasher Throwback
FilmFatale14 May 2015
Warning: Spoilers
A group of cheerleaders head to cheerleader camp to strengthen their skills for a shot at nationals. Unfortunately for them, there's also a crazy coverall-clad killer in the woods intent on picking the ladies off one by one.
Sound familiar? Probably yes, since we've seen it all before. Spirit Camp borrows heavily from its predecessors and doesn't really bring much new to the table. The gore starts off well but drops to mostly offscreen deaths as things go on, and the acting is uneven - some of the cast seem to be playing it straight while others ratchet up the camp. Roxy Vandiver is a standout as bad girl Nikki, whose past is not what it seems.
Spirit Camp works when it's moving along on retro slasher mode or when Nikki is on screen. The lame attempts at humor are mostly painful and the last act could have used some tightening, but you could do worse if you are looking to scratch your slasher itch.
Sound familiar? Probably yes, since we've seen it all before. Spirit Camp borrows heavily from its predecessors and doesn't really bring much new to the table. The gore starts off well but drops to mostly offscreen deaths as things go on, and the acting is uneven - some of the cast seem to be playing it straight while others ratchet up the camp. Roxy Vandiver is a standout as bad girl Nikki, whose past is not what it seems.
Spirit Camp works when it's moving along on retro slasher mode or when Nikki is on screen. The lame attempts at humor are mostly painful and the last act could have used some tightening, but you could do worse if you are looking to scratch your slasher itch.
Spirit Camp
Scarecrow-8818 June 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Loomis Lake. A serial killer in a blue jump suit and white gloves, ax in hand (or shiny butcher knife when the moment presents itself), loves to attack cheerleaders, sexually assaulting them mostly after death. A new group of girls arrive to Loomis Lake two years after a psychopath was sent to prison, supposedly locked up tight maximum security, but he escapes and could be on the hunt for more cheerleaders to hack and slice. Julin is the stuck-up biatch who has plenty of insults for those she considers inferior, like Nikki (Roxy Vandiver), on parole and given a chance to escape further sentence if she cooperates with the whole "spirit squad" ordeal.
Here's the thing: at Loomis Lake, a supposed superstar cheerleader (in this movie's case, Amy Morris as Lindsay, who uses her *status* as a weapon to penalize the girls whenever they break one of her "rules") teaches teenage girls to be part of the "spirit squad", a cherished tradition, it seems. One by one, the girls are picked off by a maniac who moves through the woods where their cabin is located, using an ax, knife, his own hands (like when he lifts one little teenage suburban bitch off her feet with one stranglehold), whatever weapon he so chooses. Katy Rowe, as Amber (who has an overweight boyfriend, which is actually surprising considering she acts like Rachel (Julin), in regards to her appearance as a spoiled suburban princess. Megan Moser is the obnoxious girl who really "gets into the spirit" of being a cheerleader, knowing the fundamentals of what it takes as if cheerleading was a religion.
Vandiver is obvious from the get-go the "final girl" who will take the necessary steps to protect herself against the crazed killer on the rampage. Nikki is considered a tattooed outcast, a "freak", a "skank" by Rachel and Amber since she comes from "the trailer park" and has a past. Nikki, however, isn't necessarily the misfit they make her out to be, and, is in fact, the reasonable, more decent member of this group of girls. The film barely strays from the slasher formula, but I must admit is rather funny at times.
I like the way Vandiver is allowed to evolve and has, to me anyway, a sympathetic character with appeal. She could easily remain the stereotype the film initially presents, but the fact that she is not some fake Valley girl who objectifies people allows her Nikki to become a character we can accept and appreciate. And, the girl is hot—the tattoos and "white trash" image projected at first glimpse cannot mask her sexy figure, often brought to our attention by the camera which often ogles her body, legs to face. The fact that Vandiver is the heroine is thankfully another difference in how slashers often work. Vandiver is even shown taking her shirt off, exposing her breasts as the nearby groundskeeper looks on from the outside window of the cabin. Of course, because the other girls are so mean or vapid or self-absorbed, Vandiver is the only real pick of the litter we can root for.
Where "Spirit Camp" suffers is the lack of gore shown on screen; the director often shows the ax blade lifted up in front of a massive moon in the sky, swinging out of screen and into a victim. The film pretty much follows the slasher formula besides the few exceptions I mentioned. I will say that the end has a surprising violation as the killer has subdued poor Vandiver, using his knife to cut away her panties after it slides down her quivering body, raping her until the heroine can find a weapon to free herself from his clutches. The ending has the usual "is the killer really dead?" kind of climax you expect from these kinds of movies.
Funny supporting part for Brandon Smith as a sheriff who has his share of problems with Nikki (and sniffs panties he finds on the ground near where a dead cheerleader can be found, but he is too inept to find if he had properly investigated). Smith's sheriff has this absurd scene where he informs the woman in charge of the spirit camp about the escaped killer yet doesn't properly evacuate the girls whose lives were in danger. Emma MacInnes has an amusing scene as Amber's cute sister who has some of the film's best lines and threatens to tattle-tale if not paid (Amber's naughtiness is often held against her). Kerry Beyer (who wrote and directed the movie) is a gas station attendant Nikki becomes enamored with; he gives her a lift to the camp when the girls ditch her).
The girls are definite eye candy (only Vandiver shows her breasts, while the others are shown in bras and skimpy cheerleading outfits), even though their personalities are lacking.
Here's the thing: at Loomis Lake, a supposed superstar cheerleader (in this movie's case, Amy Morris as Lindsay, who uses her *status* as a weapon to penalize the girls whenever they break one of her "rules") teaches teenage girls to be part of the "spirit squad", a cherished tradition, it seems. One by one, the girls are picked off by a maniac who moves through the woods where their cabin is located, using an ax, knife, his own hands (like when he lifts one little teenage suburban bitch off her feet with one stranglehold), whatever weapon he so chooses. Katy Rowe, as Amber (who has an overweight boyfriend, which is actually surprising considering she acts like Rachel (Julin), in regards to her appearance as a spoiled suburban princess. Megan Moser is the obnoxious girl who really "gets into the spirit" of being a cheerleader, knowing the fundamentals of what it takes as if cheerleading was a religion.
Vandiver is obvious from the get-go the "final girl" who will take the necessary steps to protect herself against the crazed killer on the rampage. Nikki is considered a tattooed outcast, a "freak", a "skank" by Rachel and Amber since she comes from "the trailer park" and has a past. Nikki, however, isn't necessarily the misfit they make her out to be, and, is in fact, the reasonable, more decent member of this group of girls. The film barely strays from the slasher formula, but I must admit is rather funny at times.
I like the way Vandiver is allowed to evolve and has, to me anyway, a sympathetic character with appeal. She could easily remain the stereotype the film initially presents, but the fact that she is not some fake Valley girl who objectifies people allows her Nikki to become a character we can accept and appreciate. And, the girl is hot—the tattoos and "white trash" image projected at first glimpse cannot mask her sexy figure, often brought to our attention by the camera which often ogles her body, legs to face. The fact that Vandiver is the heroine is thankfully another difference in how slashers often work. Vandiver is even shown taking her shirt off, exposing her breasts as the nearby groundskeeper looks on from the outside window of the cabin. Of course, because the other girls are so mean or vapid or self-absorbed, Vandiver is the only real pick of the litter we can root for.
Where "Spirit Camp" suffers is the lack of gore shown on screen; the director often shows the ax blade lifted up in front of a massive moon in the sky, swinging out of screen and into a victim. The film pretty much follows the slasher formula besides the few exceptions I mentioned. I will say that the end has a surprising violation as the killer has subdued poor Vandiver, using his knife to cut away her panties after it slides down her quivering body, raping her until the heroine can find a weapon to free herself from his clutches. The ending has the usual "is the killer really dead?" kind of climax you expect from these kinds of movies.
Funny supporting part for Brandon Smith as a sheriff who has his share of problems with Nikki (and sniffs panties he finds on the ground near where a dead cheerleader can be found, but he is too inept to find if he had properly investigated). Smith's sheriff has this absurd scene where he informs the woman in charge of the spirit camp about the escaped killer yet doesn't properly evacuate the girls whose lives were in danger. Emma MacInnes has an amusing scene as Amber's cute sister who has some of the film's best lines and threatens to tattle-tale if not paid (Amber's naughtiness is often held against her). Kerry Beyer (who wrote and directed the movie) is a gas station attendant Nikki becomes enamored with; he gives her a lift to the camp when the girls ditch her).
The girls are definite eye candy (only Vandiver shows her breasts, while the others are shown in bras and skimpy cheerleading outfits), even though their personalities are lacking.
Not much of a cheerleader camp.
McQualude7 August 2019
It wants to be a late 70s early 80s style slasher but many of those were competent films made on a low budget while this is clearly an imitation. A lot of shots are too tight and zoomed into faces and things for no reason and they do that thing where a victim is standing in the open, in daylight, and the killer appears in front of them out of nowhere. Lighting in the woods at night is too bright, even, and are obviously studio lights. The actresses often portray caricatures of the roles they fill. Only one of the girls was really believable as a cheerleader. The cheer camp is in the middle of nowhere down a road that is randomly muddy and impassible as the plot requires. For some reason we are treated to a long camp safety speech. The music randomly changes from creepy to upbeat. The girls are mostly cute and they manage a little bit of gratuitous nudity but there isn't much blood.
All-female Friday the 13th variant
Leofwine_draca2 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
SPIRIT CAMP is a little better than I'd hoped for, what with it being a no-budget independent horror film and all. This one's a slasher that heavily copies Friday the 13th, replacing the summer camp locale with a cheerleader camp set in the isolated woods. This means that almost the entire cast is female with just a couple of guys in support.
The gender reversal twist is probably the most interesting part of this story, as are the attempts at characterisation that you don't normally see. Certainly the slasher aspects are predictable and the gore quite cheap and disappointing. The acting is average but not the worst I've seen, and at least the actresses are making a genuine effort here. I can't call SPIRIT CAMP a good film, but at least you get the impression that the filmmakers tried their best here.
The gender reversal twist is probably the most interesting part of this story, as are the attempts at characterisation that you don't normally see. Certainly the slasher aspects are predictable and the gore quite cheap and disappointing. The acting is average but not the worst I've seen, and at least the actresses are making a genuine effort here. I can't call SPIRIT CAMP a good film, but at least you get the impression that the filmmakers tried their best here.
I would rather watch Michael Moore eat anything
realityinmind14 February 2018
I don't know what is worse - the movie or the movie's reviews. Clearly the reviews are either paid advertising or belong to people who helped make the film. This movie is such a waste of matter. Knowing that matter cannot be created or destroyed, the existence of this movie means that someone transferred matter from something good in this universe into this abomination of a film. Someone needs to destroy this movie and everything related to it so that all of that wasted matter can be returned to the universe and be used for something better. Hell, use it to feed Michael Moore and that would be a better use than existing as Spirit Camp.
Terrible flick... avoid if possible
hypnokomedy7 April 2014
After reading the reviews of this abortion it is hard to understand why ANYONE would give it a favorable review. It is a "camp rendering" of the slasher flicks of the 80's with plenty of boobs to keep the viewer tuned in. The acting is barely possible, campy, and poor at best. It is a Michael Meyers knock off with a bad mask to boot. The murderer is previewed early on and most of it is just a trashy waste of time. You would be better off getting your hemorrhoids sandpapered than to waste the time watching this bloody abortion. The first chick killed reminds me of one of the K-people... the people are parodied that would anger most people. This movie couldn't decide if it was a satire or a serious flick. Avoid if at all possible.
Friday the 13th meets Bring It On
Wuchakk1 March 2020
A cheerleading squad from the suburbs of Houston goes to summer camp to improve their camaraderie and cheer skills, but a masked killer is on the loose and most of the youths end up dead one-by-one.
"Spirit Camp" (2009) is a satirical meshing of the Friday the 13th and Bring It On flicks. It's a spare change Indie, but the director/writer (Kerry Beyer) is proficient and so the filmmaking is professional with quality locations, lighting, photography, gore, sound and score/soundtrack. Even the no-name cast rises to the challenge with an amusingly campy approach, although there are a couple of scenes with noticeably dubious "acting."
Beyer wisely includes all the staples of the slasher genre and, best of all, knows how to photograph women. The standouts are Katy Rowe (Amber), Denise Williamson (Monica), Amy Morris (Lindsay), Julin (Rachel) and Sarah McCulley /Thygeson (Beth); superb job on this front.
With the campy vibe I had doubts that the story would remain compelling over the course of the slightly overlong runtime (for an Indie slasher, that is), but Beyer keeps things moving and I eventually found myself taking the events fairly seriously (surprisingly). A plus is that I couldn't predict who the killer turns out to be. A minus is that he shoulda toned down the crudity, but it's not as bad as some flicks, e.g. the tasteless "American Pie," and he was obviously aiming to amuse.
The film runs 1 hour and 36 minutes and was shot in Cleveland, Texas (a 2.5 hour drive south of Lake Tyler), with the suburban scenes done in Houston.
GRADE: B/B-
"Spirit Camp" (2009) is a satirical meshing of the Friday the 13th and Bring It On flicks. It's a spare change Indie, but the director/writer (Kerry Beyer) is proficient and so the filmmaking is professional with quality locations, lighting, photography, gore, sound and score/soundtrack. Even the no-name cast rises to the challenge with an amusingly campy approach, although there are a couple of scenes with noticeably dubious "acting."
Beyer wisely includes all the staples of the slasher genre and, best of all, knows how to photograph women. The standouts are Katy Rowe (Amber), Denise Williamson (Monica), Amy Morris (Lindsay), Julin (Rachel) and Sarah McCulley /Thygeson (Beth); superb job on this front.
With the campy vibe I had doubts that the story would remain compelling over the course of the slightly overlong runtime (for an Indie slasher, that is), but Beyer keeps things moving and I eventually found myself taking the events fairly seriously (surprisingly). A plus is that I couldn't predict who the killer turns out to be. A minus is that he shoulda toned down the crudity, but it's not as bad as some flicks, e.g. the tasteless "American Pie," and he was obviously aiming to amuse.
The film runs 1 hour and 36 minutes and was shot in Cleveland, Texas (a 2.5 hour drive south of Lake Tyler), with the suburban scenes done in Houston.
GRADE: B/B-
Awful slasher pi
billcr1218 May 2012
Here we go with yet another teen slasher movie with the usual wooden acting by a bunch of bimbos who obviously won't be doing Shakespeare in the park this summer. A troubled adolescent is sentenced by a kangaroo court to be punished by spending her days at a cheerleader camp. I can't make this sh** up.
Roxy Vandiver "stars" as Nikki, the goth bad girl who has a resemblance to the singer Pink. She is immediately despised by her fellow pom pom girls as they make fun of her for being different. The killings start quickly, and in between are some drills on the correct way to lead a cheer; go team go; ra ra ra, and praise the lord and pass the ammunition. Spirit Camp is about as bad as it gets, so do yourself a favor and avoid this movie.
Roxy Vandiver "stars" as Nikki, the goth bad girl who has a resemblance to the singer Pink. She is immediately despised by her fellow pom pom girls as they make fun of her for being different. The killings start quickly, and in between are some drills on the correct way to lead a cheer; go team go; ra ra ra, and praise the lord and pass the ammunition. Spirit Camp is about as bad as it gets, so do yourself a favor and avoid this movie.
Spirit Camp is a fun time
james_depaolo30 May 2012
Plot-Think Friday the 13th meets The Breakfast Club with cheerleaders. Roxy Vandiver and Julin, among others in cheer leading outfit trying to not be killed by a slasher in the woods at Spirit Camp. This film really just sells itself.
Review-Kerry Beyer is truly a fan of horror. With references in this film to genre classics such as Halloween,( camp director's name is Miss Haddonfield)and kills very much like Friday the 13th. Spirit Camp is a prime example of what an indie film can do right, and a Hollywood film will always screw up. Kerry is another example of the talent that is coming out of Texas right now. Texas has become a hotbed for horror in the last few years, pretty much like when Nirvana put Seattle on the map. Where people will look at the cover art of this film and have their minds made up before even attempting to give this film a shot. I can tell you that this film delivers a very solid story, very well written characters, a decent amount of kills, and a huge amount of nudity. Make no mistake about it, this film was created for a certain demographic, and that is male between the ages of birth and death. You have Julin, Roxy Vandiver and etc running around in cheer leading outfits while being chased by a killer. Who else could you market this film to? Churches? What it lacks on kills, it makes up for with the ladies. And the shock, what it lacked on ladies and kills, it made up for with a well written script. Kerry actually made a smart script from a type of genre comic film that a smart script should not work on, and it worked. Look at Roxy playing Nikki, where most directors would be content letting Nikki be the bad ass misunderstood rebel. Kerry, as the film went on made her character a "don't judge a book by the cover" character. This is another example of the brilliance of this film. He lets the actors own their characters, instead of playing against the tongue and cheek feel of the film. He made them seem serious, funny but yet sympathetic that you would not want to watch anything bad happen to them.
This film has such a dark humor and very fan written script, that you cannot hate this film. It was made by a fan for the fans. You almost feel as though, Kerry had a proverbial check list as to what to include in this film. We have to have the male characters that have the appeal of someone from Porky's. We have to make a death scene even worst, why not get a snake to crawl on the girl while she is in fear. This film is such a fresh breath of air to the horror genre. Spirit Camp is a great example of how far indie films have progressed in the last few years. How are Julin and Roxy Vandiver not more famous by now? This film shows what these ladies are capable of, and shows you what Texas is becoming very well known for releasing. Spirit Camp is a fun time. This film is an example of do not judge the film by the box art. It is so much more than fun and exciting than the cover art shows you. This is definitely a must watch.
Review-Kerry Beyer is truly a fan of horror. With references in this film to genre classics such as Halloween,( camp director's name is Miss Haddonfield)and kills very much like Friday the 13th. Spirit Camp is a prime example of what an indie film can do right, and a Hollywood film will always screw up. Kerry is another example of the talent that is coming out of Texas right now. Texas has become a hotbed for horror in the last few years, pretty much like when Nirvana put Seattle on the map. Where people will look at the cover art of this film and have their minds made up before even attempting to give this film a shot. I can tell you that this film delivers a very solid story, very well written characters, a decent amount of kills, and a huge amount of nudity. Make no mistake about it, this film was created for a certain demographic, and that is male between the ages of birth and death. You have Julin, Roxy Vandiver and etc running around in cheer leading outfits while being chased by a killer. Who else could you market this film to? Churches? What it lacks on kills, it makes up for with the ladies. And the shock, what it lacked on ladies and kills, it made up for with a well written script. Kerry actually made a smart script from a type of genre comic film that a smart script should not work on, and it worked. Look at Roxy playing Nikki, where most directors would be content letting Nikki be the bad ass misunderstood rebel. Kerry, as the film went on made her character a "don't judge a book by the cover" character. This is another example of the brilliance of this film. He lets the actors own their characters, instead of playing against the tongue and cheek feel of the film. He made them seem serious, funny but yet sympathetic that you would not want to watch anything bad happen to them.
This film has such a dark humor and very fan written script, that you cannot hate this film. It was made by a fan for the fans. You almost feel as though, Kerry had a proverbial check list as to what to include in this film. We have to have the male characters that have the appeal of someone from Porky's. We have to make a death scene even worst, why not get a snake to crawl on the girl while she is in fear. This film is such a fresh breath of air to the horror genre. Spirit Camp is a great example of how far indie films have progressed in the last few years. How are Julin and Roxy Vandiver not more famous by now? This film shows what these ladies are capable of, and shows you what Texas is becoming very well known for releasing. Spirit Camp is a fun time. This film is an example of do not judge the film by the box art. It is so much more than fun and exciting than the cover art shows you. This is definitely a must watch.
look out - Spirit Camp's about
voda19534 February 2012
Warning: Spoilers
The film I thought took me back to the older horror films when it was just basic people trying to escape a psycho killer. But the real thing that makes this film so good is the smart comedy mixed in, it is a horror, comedy, you can watch over and over again. It is one of those horror films which also doesn't need loads of special effects because it's so good anyway, and it just never gets boring, it will have you glued to the screen. Some people may think the acting is a bit low rated because the actors are not super well known, but who cares? If you liked other films such as Friday the 13th or Halloween then this is the sort of film you need to be watching. The film picked out a cast of characters that really work well with each other, if they had used different actors the film would of been ruined.
Worst movie I've ever watched!
sdchrgr147 September 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This is nothing but a high school movie project. It's horrible. This was a F rating for sure. The only bright spot was the little T&A... which still wasn't that good... there wasn't a bit of real acting... a complete waste of someone's money...
Awesome flick. A must see for Horror fans!
hch9128 April 2010
This movie is listed as a Horror/Comedy and it is a perfect blend of both. The comedic parts are actually really funny and the horror side of the film is a perfect slasher flick. The ads for the film describe it as "Friday THE 13th meets BRING IT ON" which is a pretty good comparison. Although there were actually more similarities and nods to the film HALLOWEEN than there was to Friday THE 13th (the action takes place at Loomis Lake and the camp director is named Mrs. Haddenfield). You will also see some more subtle nods to HALLOWEEN if you watch close enough...I won't ruin them all for you here.
The acting is the movie is superb. There is not one bad performance in the group. A few performances that really stuck out as really great were the part of Sheriff Todd played by veteran actor Brandon Smith, the part of Rachel played by Julin, and the character of Missy played by Megan Moser. These were great performances, but really all the actors did a great job.
The gore scenes is the film are great too. One thing this Horror/Comedy didn't do was skimp on the blood. There are plenty of great kills to satisfy even the most die hard slasher fans. This film is definitely one to watch again and is going on my list of favorite slasher flicks!
Be sure to watch the behind the scenes documentary on the special features. Beyer talks about making this movie with such passion, you can tell he really loves the genre and film making in general, and it shows in his final product. Also, during this behind the scenes look, we get a very personal glimpse of a tragedy that struck his family, as during shooting his mother had to undergo brain surgery to remove a brain tumor. Mrs. Beyer was did all the catering for the film and was very involved and supportive of her son and this project. There is a very touching interview with Beyer's mother and even footage of her right after having been through the surgery. This was a very interesting behind the scene featurette with a lot more substance than most of the making of documentaries we are used to on every other Horror DVD. I hope Beyer sticks with the Horror genre and I look forward to seeing future projects from this amazing filmmaker.
The acting is the movie is superb. There is not one bad performance in the group. A few performances that really stuck out as really great were the part of Sheriff Todd played by veteran actor Brandon Smith, the part of Rachel played by Julin, and the character of Missy played by Megan Moser. These were great performances, but really all the actors did a great job.
The gore scenes is the film are great too. One thing this Horror/Comedy didn't do was skimp on the blood. There are plenty of great kills to satisfy even the most die hard slasher fans. This film is definitely one to watch again and is going on my list of favorite slasher flicks!
Be sure to watch the behind the scenes documentary on the special features. Beyer talks about making this movie with such passion, you can tell he really loves the genre and film making in general, and it shows in his final product. Also, during this behind the scenes look, we get a very personal glimpse of a tragedy that struck his family, as during shooting his mother had to undergo brain surgery to remove a brain tumor. Mrs. Beyer was did all the catering for the film and was very involved and supportive of her son and this project. There is a very touching interview with Beyer's mother and even footage of her right after having been through the surgery. This was a very interesting behind the scene featurette with a lot more substance than most of the making of documentaries we are used to on every other Horror DVD. I hope Beyer sticks with the Horror genre and I look forward to seeing future projects from this amazing filmmaker.
Excellent indie horror, raising the bar
hamburgerman6 January 2010
I have been a fan of low budget horror my whole life and as a longtime fan of the genre, you really don't expect much when you hear "low budget horror film." Things are different now. If you weren't aware that Spirit Camp was a low budget horror film, you'd never know it when viewing the movie. It easily looks like a multimillion dollar effort.
Technically, the film looked perfect. The cinematography, sound, shot composition, direction all first rate. And when I learned the history of this project, that not only did Kerry Beyer write, produce, direct and perform in Spirit Camp, but he was also the cinematographer, editor, sound editor and did the digital effects himself, it almost redefines "indie" -- he almost did everything himself.
The acting is a lot better than it needed to be as well. The leads and co-stars are great, and there are some great actors in bit parts.
If you are a horror fan, especially fan of classic slasher films, you should catch Spirit Camp if it comes to your city.
Technically, the film looked perfect. The cinematography, sound, shot composition, direction all first rate. And when I learned the history of this project, that not only did Kerry Beyer write, produce, direct and perform in Spirit Camp, but he was also the cinematographer, editor, sound editor and did the digital effects himself, it almost redefines "indie" -- he almost did everything himself.
The acting is a lot better than it needed to be as well. The leads and co-stars are great, and there are some great actors in bit parts.
If you are a horror fan, especially fan of classic slasher films, you should catch Spirit Camp if it comes to your city.
Neat n Sleak
geoff-795-59438727 July 2010
Beautiful glossy sweet movie of cheerleaders, blood and gore. This film is everything that you can expect and more. It's cool, sleek, witty, neat and enjoyable to watch in a teen slasher kinda way.
Basic plot involves a group of teens heading off for summer camp. Once arrived, they soon discover that a crazy madman has escaped from a local secure (or un-secure) prison and the body-count begins to mount up. Yes, this is the original obvious plot, but its produced as a pure homage to all that has come before, looks great and really is a fun film to watch.
When I say obvious, I really mean it. Basically, every time someone steps out of one of the chalets or into the woods, into a shower, they are sliced up. 'So, if it's so obvious, why is it good?' I hear you cry. This film is produced with such love an attention, fine detail and witty perfect script, it's impossible not to watch. I'm presuming it was filmed on HD Camera, it's gloriously lit and colourful to the eye. The cast are all great too. Great to see Julin again (after another fav of the 365Horror project, the Final) real screen presence and great comic timing. Roxy Vandiver is good, kinda in the lead here, but totally overshadowed by Julin. Brandon Smith and Amy Morris both offer sterling performances. Credence to Kerry Beyer, as writer, director, DP and actor for getting a great performance out of such a young cast whilst shooting a great lookin' film.
One of the best of the year so far.
Basic plot involves a group of teens heading off for summer camp. Once arrived, they soon discover that a crazy madman has escaped from a local secure (or un-secure) prison and the body-count begins to mount up. Yes, this is the original obvious plot, but its produced as a pure homage to all that has come before, looks great and really is a fun film to watch.
When I say obvious, I really mean it. Basically, every time someone steps out of one of the chalets or into the woods, into a shower, they are sliced up. 'So, if it's so obvious, why is it good?' I hear you cry. This film is produced with such love an attention, fine detail and witty perfect script, it's impossible not to watch. I'm presuming it was filmed on HD Camera, it's gloriously lit and colourful to the eye. The cast are all great too. Great to see Julin again (after another fav of the 365Horror project, the Final) real screen presence and great comic timing. Roxy Vandiver is good, kinda in the lead here, but totally overshadowed by Julin. Brandon Smith and Amy Morris both offer sterling performances. Credence to Kerry Beyer, as writer, director, DP and actor for getting a great performance out of such a young cast whilst shooting a great lookin' film.
One of the best of the year so far.
I did not expect it to be this good
marcusclarson29 December 2019
Yes, this film is not perfect. There are few campers at this summer camp, all the deaths are offscreen, and it takes a little while to get going. But everything else I loved about this movie. It is by no means a good story, but the surprisingly good acting, hilarious deliveries, facial expressions, and interesting acting decisions made it so entertaining to watch. The cast is truly the best part. If there were different actors, this would not be a good movie. But everything the actors brought made it so much better. Would recommend for slasher fans.
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