REVIEW // 'Camp Death 3 in 2D' is stupid fun
Let’s be clear right off the bat, 'Camp Death 3 in 2D' is stupid. The Canadian produced Friday the 13th parody lives up to the poster’s tagline – “This movie is stupid”. The slasher parody is crude, gross and well -- stupid. With that being said the film is clearly a love letter to the films that inspired it and is chalk full of Easter eggs for Friday the 13th and 80’s horror film fans to enjoy. The film's taste level might not be for everyone, but it is stupid fun at its finest.
Following a massacre at Camp Crystal Meph at the hands of depraved Johann Van Damme (I’m not making this up) just 3 years prior, the killer is allegedly locked far away from the camp. This is where the film finds a new set of characters to grossly dispatch of as the camp is reopened as a rehab for the mentally ill. A standout would be Verta (played by Katherine Alpen) who made me laugh every frame of the film she is present in. In a film as chaotic as 'Camp Death 3 in 2D' it’d be easy to get lost in the shuffle, but the cast all rose to the occasion and seemed to genuinely enjoy themselves with each committing 100% to the zany antics unfolding in the film.
The film’s slasher, Johann, closely resembles the hockey masked Camp Crystal Lake killer, Jason Vorhees. His mother is driven mad after he contracts scurvy. She, like Pamela Vorhees, massacres a slew of camp counselors before meeting a fate similar to the original Friday the 13th killer. After her death, he follows in her murderous footsteps. These moments, assuredly would be Camp Death 1 and 2. You know, if those existed. 'Camp Death 3 in 2D' is the single film in said Camp Death “franchise”, likely a wink to 'Friday the 13th Part 3 in 3D'.
Directed by Matt Frame, the film doesn’t just wink at its audience. It bluntly brutalizes you with its screwball comedy and hijinks over and over. Unlike most films, the film realizes it’s a mindless romp and we aren’t spoiled with long, drawn out introductions or character motivations. We want to see these idiotic characters killed off, in the most bizarre and horrible ways possible. This is a strong point of the film. The film is low budget and embraces it. The humor doesn’t always hit the mark, but the film and actors are so committed that it’s hard not to find something to like about it. The film knows it’s stupid, and so it leans further into the stupidity.
Camp Death 3 in 2D is not for everyone. The humor sometimes is too over the top and stupid, but there are genuine moments of humor and homage sprinkled throughout that will make diehard 80's horror fans smile. The film has a lot of heart and that shows in nearly every frame of the film.
Camp Death 3 in 2D hits Amazon Prime on February 15.
