Memorable, crazy movie

A Masterpiece!

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Red alert! Based on the period of release (1987), the prototypic title (Summer Camp Nightmare) and the cover image of the old VHS (showing a hysterically screaming young blond wench), I was all prepared for the umpteenth routine slasher movie taking place at a remote teenage camping site. But then suddenly I noticed a couple of peculiar things in the opening credits… Written by Penelope Spheeris? Based upon the novel "The Butterfly Revolution" by William Butler? What the hell … could it be I picked up a profound coming-of-age allegory instead of a slasher? They can be really great, of course, but I so wasn't prepared for that. Well, the good news is that "Summer Camp Nightmare" is not a pretentious coming-of-age melodrama, or at least not primarily so, but it's definitely not a brainless teen slasher, neither. The film is kind of a mixture between "Battle Royale" (without the extreme violence), "Lord of the Flies" (minus the island setting) and "The Most Dangerous Game". Camp North Pines is a separate sexes summer resort that used to be extremely popular until this year's edition, now that the new managing director Mr. Warren implemented a series of drastic changes to cut back on funds. When the boys' section rebels against his new policy in a playful manner, he only gets more hateful. He cuts off their nudity television shows, interrupts the Free Podium contest and even cancels the dance where the boys and girls camp traditionally come together to copulate. Some of the toughest kids decide to take over control during the annual "reversed authority" game; the day when the campers become the leaders and vice versa. Their aura of superiority quickly runs out of hand and pretty soon their "revolution" sows abuse of power, corruption, indecency, kidnapping and even murder. It's fairly easy to see how this film got catapulted into 80's oblivion between all the contemporary teen slashers, high school gang wars and vigilante movies. Nevertheless this is a modest hidden gem and I urge more people to seek it out. "Summer Camp Nightmare" benefices from a tense build-up, detailed enough character drawings and a couple of sequences that keep you on the edge of your seat. The acting performances are more than adequate, most notably Chuck Connors as the grumpy camp director and Charles Stratton as the lead "guerilla" teenager Franklyn Reilly. His looks and obnoxious attitude even reminded me of Captain Rhodes in "Day of the Dead", and horror freaks know this is a big compliment!

Summer Camp Nightmare (1987) was a version of the book "The Butterfly Revolution". Whilst the book was a good read, the film was pure teensploitation. This movie is like totally dated dude. The haircuts, clothes and make-up put this one in 80's hell. The characters, for the most part are broadly drawn and the acting is mediocre at best. The direction is sloppy and uninspired. Just your typically 80's teen flick. The campers have enough of the puritanical rule of Camp Leader Chuck Connors and the campers revolt. The leader of the "revolution" is a charismatic young fellow who likes to read Thoreau in his spare time. Sadly, this "revolution" suffers from what all of them become prey to. Loss ofideals, a lack of a true focus and lust for power turns the camp into something frightening.An okay film. Chuck Connors plays his usual self, a character with something repressed beneath his grizzly haggard persona. But other than that, there's nothing to really talk about or worth mentioning. It has it's moments and a couple of scenes are quite entertaining. Like the revolution, this film's full potential is not fully realized. A pity because this one could have been good.Okay film, slightly recommended.C+x

When I bought this movie, I thought the title meant that this movie would be scary. I won't tell you what it is about (for the ones who have not seen it yet), but if you really want to see this movie, go ahead and look at it because it is not that bad. My rating on a scale of 1 to 10 is a 6.

This movie is like a mix of "Meatballs" and "Taps". The title is misleading. This isn't a "Friday the 13th"-type horror film. It's a pretty good little film about a teenage counselor who organizes all of the kids to take over the camp and lock up the adults. They do it because the new camp director (Chuck Connors) runs the place like a dictator and doesn't let the kids do anything fun. I wish we had done this when I was kid at bible camp! The teen counselor isn't exactly playing with a full deck either, but the kids don't mind as long as they get what they want, which is rock n' roll, parties, and sex. The supporting characters are well-drawn, especially Runk the Punk. Check this movie out if you come across it in the video store. It's a good time-killer.