When people mention Eastern horror you either think of the slick, disturbing "new wave" of films on the market (THE EYE or AUDITION to name but two) or look back to the distinctly-Eastern-flavoured delights of snake curses, snake women, outlandish black magic, flying body parts and evil wizards. So, when I sat down to watch THE DEADLY CAMP, I was expecting this film to fall into one of the two camps. Instead, what I found was a cheesy, no-budget slasher yarn distinctly influenced by all the American horror films of the last thirty years!
The movie kicks off with a camera prowling at ground level around a forest, so THE EVIL DEAD influence is clear. Next, we're on to a bandaged baddie wielding a chainsaw and chasing women through the woods – Friday THE 13TH, that'll be. Of course, the killer is horrific-looking, all blood and bandages and weeping sores – a bit like Freddy in A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. He likes to take his victims home as playthings for his retarded son in some truly disturbing scenes reminiscent of THE Texas CHAIN SAW MASSACRE. In the end, the survivors set a trap in the trees for him – PREDATOR anyone? And there we have it.
The film isn't as gory as you'd imagine – splashing blood and the distant shot of a severed body is the most we get, which will be a disappointment to those who enjoy modern gorefests like HOSTEL and THE HILLS HAVE EYES. Instead, it makes up for a lack for gore with some repulsive moments done in the worst taste possible: the scene in which the retarded boy is urinated on comes to mind. Really, I don't enjoy watching stuff like this, it's not what I would call entertainment. To make matters worse, the English subtitles are poor, sometimes impossible to read and not making much sense when you CAN read them, either. The cast of young teenage actors is clichéd and rather uninteresting, although they somehow drafted in a big name, Anthony Wong, to draw the crowds; I guess he took up most of the movie's budget.
The only good things I can say about this film are that it's over quickly; with super-fast pacing, the running time flies past, and there are a couple of scenes involving spiked jungle traps which I always enjoy. Otherwise this is a strictly clichéd slasher, the type of thing you'd expect from '80s America, not turn-of-the-century China.
The movie kicks off with a camera prowling at ground level around a forest, so THE EVIL DEAD influence is clear. Next, we're on to a bandaged baddie wielding a chainsaw and chasing women through the woods – Friday THE 13TH, that'll be. Of course, the killer is horrific-looking, all blood and bandages and weeping sores – a bit like Freddy in A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. He likes to take his victims home as playthings for his retarded son in some truly disturbing scenes reminiscent of THE Texas CHAIN SAW MASSACRE. In the end, the survivors set a trap in the trees for him – PREDATOR anyone? And there we have it.
The film isn't as gory as you'd imagine – splashing blood and the distant shot of a severed body is the most we get, which will be a disappointment to those who enjoy modern gorefests like HOSTEL and THE HILLS HAVE EYES. Instead, it makes up for a lack for gore with some repulsive moments done in the worst taste possible: the scene in which the retarded boy is urinated on comes to mind. Really, I don't enjoy watching stuff like this, it's not what I would call entertainment. To make matters worse, the English subtitles are poor, sometimes impossible to read and not making much sense when you CAN read them, either. The cast of young teenage actors is clichéd and rather uninteresting, although they somehow drafted in a big name, Anthony Wong, to draw the crowds; I guess he took up most of the movie's budget.
The only good things I can say about this film are that it's over quickly; with super-fast pacing, the running time flies past, and there are a couple of scenes involving spiked jungle traps which I always enjoy. Otherwise this is a strictly clichéd slasher, the type of thing you'd expect from '80s America, not turn-of-the-century China.
