Party Camp (1987)

It’s funny how life works. Just last Saturday, I was browsing the web for eighties comedies. I wound up not purchasing anything, but did have a few films jotted down. One of them being “Party Camp”. The next day, I go to my local video store and what do I find? “Party Camp”! I snatched it up and immediately popped it into my VHS player when I got home.

I know not to expect much from this subgenre. All I want is an exotic location, likable characters, buxom babes, a colorful attitude and a sufficient laugh quotient. “Party Camp” delivered on all fronts! One could argue that a camp isn’t exotic, but I’m a sucker for the setting. It was a common area for eighties films, particularly in the horror genre. The first film to come to mind is “Friday the 13th”, which gets referenced here.

The story itself is simple. Jerry Riviera (Andrew Ross) takes a job as a counselor at Camp Chipmunk. He expects it to be a fun experience, but shortly discovers the place is run like a boot camp. Sarge (Peter Jason) rules with an iron fist. At least, that’s what screewriter Paul Brown would like us to believe. I have a feeling his story arc got lost in the shuffle in Gary Graver’s direction, as he’s not focused on that much.

To be honest, outside of a few jokes (such as the sign reading “Your best isn’t good enough”), Camp Chipmunk never feels like a military training camp. Graver constantly has the characters bring this up, but the place feels like your average summer camp. Various activities such as hiking and volleyball are prevalent and everybody seems to be having a good time. It just doesn’t live up to Jerry’s version of partying (drugs, alcohol and parties are prohibited).

It may be for the best that Graver toned the strict nature down. It skips over the laborious “good hearted guy overcomes evil hierarchy” aspect and jumps right to the zany fun. Making up for the lack of Sarge is an abundance of fun stock characters. Tad (Kirk Cribb) is the jock asshole with an airhead girlfriend, Dyanne Stein (Jewel Shepard); Heather Morris (Kerry Brennan), the girl of Jerry’s dreams (she’s on the brochure which prompted him to take the gig); Nurse Brenda (April Wayne), the kinky nurse who loves to inject people with needles. Jerry’s gang of misfits that he leads are the Squirrels. They’re filled with the technical wizard, the poor kid, the horny one (well, hornier than the rest) and the gun nut They square off Tad’s honchos, the Falcons. All the while, they play pranks on Sarge and the camp owner Mrs. Beadle (Cherie Franklin), who has Sarge dress up as a fly and whips him with a flyswatter. You read that right.

That’s the essence of the plot. The underdogs, Squirrels, combat against the jocks, Falcons. It’s a streamlined story to balance the jokes and gags on. There’s also a slew of pop culture references, from “The Love Boat” to “The Twilight Zone” to the Four Horsemen (which made me mark). There’s one long “Rambo” reference revolving around the gun nut. There’s a funny gag where he brings a rocket launcher to a shooting range.

The only thing that really matters in a film like this if it’s funny. As long as there’s a good amount of jokes that work, it’s worth a watch. In the case of “Party Camp”, there’s more than enough! Some jokes get beaten into the ground (such as the child being pulled by the ear by Sarge), but it’s all done with a jovial attitude. Like most eighties comedies, the tone is light, making for an easy watch. This isn’t high art, but it’s a fun side attraction!

MVT: The genial tone. The film (despite being raunchy) is light and fluffy and easy to digest thanks to this.

Make or Break: Honestly, it’s hard to pick a certain scene. They all flow nicely together. With that being said, I’ll pick the opening, which has Jerry fantasizing about his dream woman, then being awoken by a school bus that nearly runs him over.

Final Score: 7/10

The Initiation (1984)

For me, one of the most intriguing aspects of a slasher is it’s setting. Where the murders take place is a key element in grabbing my attention. This may be why I was always a fan of sequels that went to exotic locations. Changing up the scenery added new flavor to the genre.

One of my favorite locations for a slasher would be a department store/grocery store. This is why the 1989 film, “Intruder”, is such a favorite of mine. I’m a sucker for the grocery store setting. That’s why this film jumped out at me. Being set in a department store after hours while a killer is on the loose was tantalizing.

Larry Stewart does take his sweet time getting there, though. The first half of the film is a slow build to the megaplex. We’re introduced to a group of sorority pledges who are enduring Hell Week. Our main female is Kelly Fairchild (Daphne Zuniga), whose father owns the department store. It’s her responsibility to get the gals into the building after hours for a mini party.



In the midst of Hell Week, she strikes about a working relationship with Peter (James Read). He’s a psychology TA specializing in dreams. She’s been having the same reoccurring nightmare since she was a child. In it, she catches her parents having sex. She grabs a knife and stabs her father in the leg. Immediately after that, another man enters the room and engages in a fight with her father. After a short scuffle, the intruder is set ablaze.

This loosely ties in with Jason Randall (Robert Dowdell), an escaped mental patient who has been horribly burned. Half of his face is scarred, heavily resembling the man in Kelly’s nightmares. As you could guess, he begins picking off the pledges one by one, as well as leaving a blood trail around them. In true slasher fashion, he has a signature weapon. His being a gardening tool that is used to dig up weeds.



“The Initiation” follows the slasher’s guide to filmmaking to a tee. It has naked women, a good body count, disfigured killer, signature weapon, exotic location and even a twist. It’s twist definitely sours the ending, as opposed to enhancing it. I won’t spoil it, but will state it does more harm than good. It feels tacked on and forced.

The subplot on nightmares is a bit of a bore, to be honest. As captivating as the subject matter is, Stewart handles it in a way that would cause sleep to occur. Peter spouts out the usual mumbo jumbo while Kelly frantically tosses and turns into her sleep. It’s fitting that this was released the same year as “A Nightmare on Elm Street”. Wes Craven came to the rescue and salvaged the damaged goods of this project.



Wade through this and the slow build (which produces some decent tension) and you’re treated to a satisfying back half set in the department store. Stewart uses the huge surrounding effectively. One nifty sequence has the lamps in an appliance store turning on and off as Kelly runs by them. Randall also swaps out his gardening tool with whatever he can get his hands on. This includes a spear gun!

If you’ve watched all the big guns of the slasher genre and are salivating for more, “The Initiation” is a good little treat. You may have to sift through some garbage, but the good stuff at the bottom is worth it. It may not be anywhere near the levels of “Friday the 13th” or “My Bloody Valentine”, for example, but it gets the job done.



MVT: Easily the department store setting. It’s what jumped out at me and grabbed my attention. It’s utilized so well and plays as a nice host for the murders.

Make or Break: I’d go with when Randall brandishes the spear gun. That was a sign of things to come and that I had a lot to look forward to.

Final Score: 6/10