hypnokomedy 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.

Scarecrow-88 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.

Geoff Woodbridge 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.

trashgang 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.