The
1980s were the era of the slasher films, but as with most cinema genres
it had begun to wither after several years of over-saturation. By the
time that
Cheerleader Camp
came around, the genre had become associated more with sex and gore
than the horror and mystery of the early films. From a brief synopsis,
Cheerleader Camp
sounds like the ultimate slasher movie - a remote campsite, a cheesy
plot, dozens of attractive women, and a mystery killer, however
nothing actually seems to come together and the film simply fails to
entertain a lot of the time. The camp itself makes no sense - and
although a logical plot is hardly the requesit for a low budget horror
film, a little explanation of why a state tournament had to be held at
a remote campsite couldn't have done any harm. Some attempts to
make it into an
American Pie
style sexy/teen comedy don't really come together because the
characterisation is rather poor, but there are a few laughs thanks to
Timmy, the jolly fat guy. As for the attractive women, there are
plenty of them, but only two
brief topless scenes in the whole film makes it a real let down in the
sleaze department, especially with such a set-up that was used far more
effectively in the
Cheerleader
movies of the 1970s. Fortunately the film does build some good suspense
around the identity of the killer, especially in the final twenty
minutes and it does build to a very clever ending that could be unique
in slasher history.
Production was obviously low budget but it looks pretty standard. The gory effects certainly pale compared to the likes of
Sleepaway Camp
and its sequels, but fortunately the editors realise this and keep
shots of the effects to a minimum. The soundtrack is mostly a
synthesised job but works well, and does include one of the cheesiest
rap films ever recorded, that really triples the cheese level of the
whole film (although the director insists that for the 1980s it was very hot).
There
are no real big names on this cast. Actress Betsy Russell who plays
Alison is probably best recognised now for her brief roles in
Saw II and
III
and performs well here in the variety of strange dream sequences, but
never really gets too much to do. Musician Leif Garrett plays her
boyfriend and looks decent in the role. Look out for the frequent cult
star George '
Buck' Flower, while a trio of Playboy/Penthouse stars get minor roles.
Ultimately,
Cheerleader Camp
is a light hearted slasher movie, but severely lacking in the all
important sleaze department hinted at by the title and situation.
Thanks to a very well written climax it will be of interest to slasher
fans, but not really recommended to anyone else.
