Campfire Tales

In this very low-budget horror anthology, Gunnar Hansen plays Ralph, a booze swigging homeless guy who joins three young horror fans around their campfire in the woods and recounts a series of scary stories, which, as one might expect from a guy who has rotted most of his brain cells with cheap alcohol, aren't very good. In fact, all four stories are so elementary that they can easily be summed up in a single sentence: 1) An escaped maniac with a hook kills people. 2) Two guys smoke bad weed and melt. 3) On Christmas Eve, a heartless yuppie receives a visit from Satan Claus. 4) A mutinous pirate is attacked by his zombie shipmates.

Although writer/directors William Cooke and Paul Talbot's obvious energy and enthusiasm for the genre does result in some cheap and cheerful, unsophisticated entertainment along the way, particularly whenever the blood is being thrown around, it is the film's weak script that prevents it from being a success, with each uninspired story notably lacking any satisfactory resolution (whereas most anthologies strive to deliver a neat pay-off or cool twist ending, these tales are happy to just peter off at the end). By the fourth and final story, the least enjoyable of the bunch, I found myself seriously struggling to stay awake.

"Campfire Tales" (1991) is no where near being a great horror flick: the acting is- for the most part- not the best and one can clearly see right off the bat that it is a low budget picture. And yet, the movie manages to somehow be entertaining. The movie centers around three teenagers who are camping out in the woods when town drunk Ralph (Gunnar Hansen who manages to play the role of storyteller pretty good) tells them four tales: one about a murderer with a hook for a hand, one that is an obvious tribute to "Reefer Madness" (with a more graphic image, mind you), another about Satan Claus (my personal favorite of the bunch), and one about a marooned pirate who learns the price of treachery. Even with the shoe string budget, the film crew manages to do a decent production job with each individual story in the areas of tone, lighting, bizarre music, and (again, considering that this is a low budget movie) very well done makeup. I'll admit, I'm a sucker when it comes to anthologies (especially now that nobody seems to make them anymore) but if you're like me and you like to see the filmmakers put some effort into their work (especially if they're working on a low budget) then check out "Campfire Tales". PS: Not to be confused with the 1997 version. Also, this movie is available on you tube but just to give fair warning, you will have to put up with a software water mark on the screen. However, with the movie's charm, you might not notice it after a while.

Horror icon Gunnar "Leatherface" Hansen is on hand in this horror anthology, as he essays the role of Ralph, a rough-hewn stranger who materializes out of the night before three young male campers. He proceeds to spin a quartet of horror tales, and for the most part, they're actually pretty entertaining; this little film does live up to the word "horror". It gets pretty damn disgusting at certain points, so it will appeal to gore fanatics, and the stories are entertaining and succinctly told. This little film was the product of the imagination of William Cooke and Paul Talbot (if the second name rings a bell, it's because he's a Charles Bronson expert who's written books and recorded commentaries for a number of Bronson vehicles).

"The Hook" is pretty standard stuff about a couple who run afoul of the title maniac. It's decent, but is basically just a warm-up for the tales to follow.

"Overtoke" is good, gruesome fun. Two stoners come into contact with a supplier who gives them some VERY strange stuff indeed ... stuff that has dire consequences when ingested.

"The Fright Before Xmas" has the appeal of a "just desserts" sort of yarn, as a resentful, greedy son experiences his own consequences of a murderous act. As you can expect, the ending is very satisfying.

Finally, "Skull and Crossbones" is a solid, atmospheric tale of a pirate shipwrecked on an island. He's determined to unearth whatever treasure may be there, but is warned that he won't be successful if he tries to get off the island. This segment is pretty talky for a while, but it has a VERY fun payoff.

Overall, Cooke and Talbot do a good job with this little film, well worth seeing if slowly paced at times. Hansen makes the journey(s) worth taking; one might think that as the token "name" actor, that his cost made up a substantial part of the budget, but he proved to be quite reasonable, to the filmmakers' delight.

Horror anthology aficionados should dig this.

Seven out of 10.

Campfire Stories (1991)

This is very low budget movie, the movie did look cheap, I don't let that get in the way, As this turn out to be really decent after all,

3 boys about 12-14 years old go camping and then Bum or Home less man Join in and then he tell them 3 Stories

The first story is about Young couple who making out, in the woods hear on the radio that a murderer with a hook on his right hand, as escaped from the local insane asylum , So boy takes to her Home.

This story wasn't to bad but It didn't feel creepy at all but there decent a mount of blood in this story, Which made it more watch able. 4/10

Next story was about two stoner's who are looking for some drug and run into this strange guy who's selling these drugs.

They take but next day, they notice them are rotting away, slowly before try to get more before they rot away.

The effect was not bad, very decent for low budget movie, 5/10

3rd story is about Man who come home for Christmas soon, he want is mother money, so he kills her by pushing her down the stairs so he leaves and goes to brother house to watch his kids

One kids tell story evil Santa Claus known as "Satan Claus look who comes and punishes those who do evil things.

When kids go to bed and then he stalked by someone, until come face to face with Satan Claus

This story sound really good, they could I have done a lot more then that, Satan Claus was not that scary at all

The acting was not that good in that story and it wasn't really that bloody at all. 3/10

The Fourth and Finally story was pirate, who been shipwrecked and another Man warn the pirate about Zombie pirate if find the buried treasure but I as didn't care for what man said , he digs anyone and finds it.

Soon Zombie pirate are out to get him and they don't look bad at all, they some make up effect looked really decent and some looks a bit odd but I don't think there scary at all.

Then boys goes sleep and there is a little small twist, which anyone could see coming.

None of the stories were that scary or creepy at all they just watch able

I give this movie 4 out of 10

It was many years ago that I saw this movie and I haven't seen it recently so I am working off of old memories here but I seem to remember that this was a fairly gory, low budget, short story movie with Gunnar Henson (Leatherface) telling the stories. The first story is an old classic about a guy and a girl in a car going out to a lovers lane type place. They get attacked by a man with a hook and you can probably guess the rest. The second story is about two guys who smoke too much weed and end up falling apart because of it (litterally). The second story is about a killer Santa Claus (always hilarious) and the last story is about a pirate looking for lost gold on an island filled with zombies. This was a rather entertaining film even if it is blatantly obvious that it was on almost no budget. I enjoyed it and I am sure if you took the time to look the movie up you will enjoy it also.