Camp Pleasant Lake – Review
Sometimes the idea is better than the execution… and sometimes, the execution is exactly what the idea needs.
**NOTE: this post may be updated with audio once we actually have the chance to talk about it. Until then, you can read Mark’s review below. Remember, though, you can listen to all our discussions of this and every other movie directly over on ACAST. Stay tuned.**
90 Minutes, Not Rated
Written and Directed by Thomas Walton
Synopsis:
A couple breathes life into a new camp on an old campsite, connecting them to a chilling past that unravels a 20-year-old mystery involving a missing young girl. As eerie events unfold, they must confront forces tied to a brutal crime.
Camp Pleasant Lake is a campy (pun unintended) look at the “hardcore” horror fan and their need for more: more blood, more scares, more deaths.
A rebooted camp promises a weekend experience in which fans can experience a horror film for themselves. In this case, it’s the story of Echo Meadows, who went missing 20 years ago at the camp, and whose parents were found killed. Such is the stuff of legend, and in this case, most believe the legend to be just a revved up telling of a sad, simple affair in order to sell a fan-based experience.
But is it?
From the cheesy feel of the flashback retelling of what “happened” to Echo back in the day, to the campers complaining that they aren’t seeing enough blood, to their excitement when a masked killer shows up and starts taking out the camp staff in front of them, the movie is an extra-cheese dipped love letter to those fans of both the horror genre and true crime, who live vicariously through the traumas of others.
By any objective standard, Camp Pleasant Lake is pretty poor. In terms of performances, it’s not great, but it carries some horror DNA in its cast, including Robert LaSardo, Mike Ferguson, and Devanny Pinn. The appearance of Jonathan “the human head weighs 8 pounds” Lipnicki is a surprise, and he channels the sociopathic energy of his character very well.
But what it is is Fun. It’s a goofy, wacky, bloody look at horror legends and their fans.
And that’s exactly what this story needs.
Camp Pleasant Lake hits cinemas and VOD February 27 and stars Jonathan Lipnicki, Michael Pare, Bonnie Aarons, Andrew Divoff, Robert LaSardo, Kelly Lynn Reiter, Mike Ferguson, Devanny Pinn, Elley Ringo, Maritza Brikisak, Leila Almas Rose, and James Di Giacomo.
And remember, if the BEST thing you can say about a movie is that it’s “visually stunning,” then they’ve done something wrong.
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