Analysis
Clearly intended as a homage to the classic series of slasher films based on the unluckiest day of the year, director Brad Sykes meant Camp Blood to be nothing more than a spin on the now hopelessly lost 'Friday the 13th' films. Trying to recapture a little bit of the silver sparkle that graces so many of the films that are now perceived as important horror icons is an uphill struggle from the outset and Brad's movie suffers dearly for it's brave attempt.

Camp Blood is essentially a simple film about a group of teens who take a vacation in the woods and end up being stalked by an insane killer that doesn't like to share his turf with anyone. The problem is that very little, if any, attempt has been made to add something original to this now formulaic story and instead has ripped the heart out of the first 'Friday' movie and transplanted it into this movie but unfortunately left the sole behind. This is however Brad Sykes first horror film and he has now achieved a lengthy string of macabre titles to his name so it must be remembered that everyone starts somewhere (James Cameron and Piranha 2 for example).

Another downside to this film is the incredible lack of color. Almost every scene is presented in a bleached and washed out style that does not go well with the horror genre. I am presuming that this is a technical issue probably stemming from a low budget and poor DVD transfer rather than a deliberate production decision but either way you look at it we have a film that looks almost black and white in places. Even the blood looks gray!

It's not all bad though as certain moments in the film make for entertaining viewing. For a start we have a couple of excellent gore moments that look effective and most importantly, painful. The execution of these scenes are made all the more outstanding given the amateurish nature of the film that encloses them but are spoilt yet again by poor continuity . One moment a machete in the arm, and in the next shot a machete in the head but the arm wound has vanished. Now that's fantastical.

The only other good point (now were getting a little desperate) is the opening five minutes when we are introduced to the lovely Sally who is played by Meredith O'Brien. She acts out the inevitable topless scene which in my opinion should have been left until at least the first 20 minutes had passed, peaking after 5 minutes is not a good think don't you agree? Anyway, Meredith is absolutely stunning and has a fantastic body, as the high point of the film she should have been utilised more preferably with her top off !!!!

Key Area	Rating (out of 5)	Comment
Action		A couple of chase scenes don't really make up for the woeful lack of any real action.
Thrills/ Tension		OK, so we do have a little tension towards the back end of the film when our hapless survivors are being hunted by the psycho-clown but most of the opportunities that are presented go to waste.
Violence/ Gore		The gore is generally of a high standard and is the only thing that looks like time has been taken to get it right. Stand out moments include a great scene where a guys arm is hacked into, followed by the same guy having his head chopped in half. Guess it wasn't his day.
Bare Flesh		Meredith O'Brien gets a single point all to herself. If there is one thing that this movie should be watched for then it's the lovely Miss O'Brien. The first five minutes will have you gagging for more but sadly she gets bumped off and the rest is not worth bothering with.
Plot		Take the first 'Friday the 13th' movie, remove 90% of the stuff that made it great and call it 'Camp Blood'.

Verdict If you absolutely love horror films based in remote areas involving maniacal slashers, blood, a little hany-panky and lots of screaming then go ahead and fill your boots with Camp Blood. It is poorly shot, has a predictable story line and isn't even frightening. It does have a few high moments that I have mentioned above but these are way outnumbered by negative and down right amateurish problems.

Movie Pictures (Click picture to enlarge)