Rachel Talalay knows horror. The British-American filmmaker got her directorial start with 90s horror flicks Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare and Ghost in the Machine before helming cult classic Tank Girl. In the last few decades, she has directed dozens of TV episodes that dip or full-on dive into That Most Chilling Genre. From Doctor Who and Doom Patrol to Supernatural and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Talalay has been asked to tell many a spooky story.
Talalay’s latest, A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting is a feature film adaptation of the kids comedy horror book series from Joe Ballarini, and it drops on Netflix today. In honor of the occasion and of the Halloween season, of course, we talked to Talalay about five of the scariest scenes she’s ever directed.
Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) — Carlos’ Q-Tip Death
Film synopsis: In this sixth film in the classic horror series,...
Talalay’s latest, A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting is a feature film adaptation of the kids comedy horror book series from Joe Ballarini, and it drops on Netflix today. In honor of the occasion and of the Halloween season, of course, we talked to Talalay about five of the scariest scenes she’s ever directed.
Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) — Carlos’ Q-Tip Death
Film synopsis: In this sixth film in the classic horror series,...
- 10/15/2020
- by Kayti Burt
- Den of Geek
Film review: 'Camp Stories'
Obviously a labor of love, Herbert Biegel's debut feature is a nostalgic, bittersweet evocation of camp life that won't have much appeal to anyone other than those who went to an Orthodox Jewish camp in the 1950s. This not being a high percentage of the moviegoing population, the film will be lucky to last a week in theaters before being relegated to the cutout bins in the video stores.
The autobiographical story concerns 15-year-old David Katz (Zachary Taylor), who, despite his wishes to spend his summer watching movies, is sent by his parents to Camp Ararat, a run-down Jewish summer camp in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania.
What David finds is a maelstrom of social conflict. The founder of the camp, Schlomo (Jerry Stiller), is in failing health, and is deciding who will inherit it. The two candidates are Moishe (Paul Sand, making a rare and welcome return to the screen), his longtime, loyal second in command, and Chaim (Ted Marcoux), an ambitious counselor with a mania for discipline.
David finds himself stuck in the middle as he tries to get along at the camp without making any waves. Chaim, who is becoming increasingly unhinged because of suspicions about his attractive wife's possible infidelity, takes an instant dislike to him and attempts to make him an example to the other campers.
Meanwhile, despite all obstacles, David pursues a budding romance with Sally (Susan Vanech), an attractive young townie (and shiksa, no less).
Other key plot points involve a fellow camper with a candy addiction, a mystery involving the vandalism of a tray of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and the issue of whether David Will be allowed to attend the camp's movie screenings.
Director-screenwriter Biegel evokes the camp's atmosphere with affectionate detail and verisimilitude, but this coming-of-age tale simply lacks the resonance that would have enabled it to connect with general audiences.
Subtle and snail-paced, it's neither funny nor dramatic enough to have much impact, and some of its more melodramatic excesses prove laughable. Its most notable attribute is a basic and undeniable sweetness.
Taylor, who appeared in the acclaimed TV series "I'll Fly Away", is an appealing teenage hero, and Sand has some nice quiet moments as the beleaguered Moishe. Elliott Gould shows up briefly in an unnecessary prologue and epilogue, playing the grown-up David.
Roy Nathanson from the group the Jazz Passengers has contributed a pleasant klezmer-flavored musical score.
CAMP STORIES
Artistic License Films
A Forensic Films production
Director-writer Herbert Biegel
Producers Scott Macaulay, Robin O'Hara
Associate producer Richard Miller
Director of photography Paul Gibson
Composer Roy Nathanson
Editor Meg Reticker
Color/stereo
Cast:
Schlomo Jerry Stiller
Moishe Paul Sand
Young David Zachary Taylor
Young Paul Kris Park
Chaim Ted Marcoux
Mary Talia Balsam
Sally Susan Vanech
Grown-up David Elliott Gould
Running time -- 99 minutes
No MPAA rating...
The autobiographical story concerns 15-year-old David Katz (Zachary Taylor), who, despite his wishes to spend his summer watching movies, is sent by his parents to Camp Ararat, a run-down Jewish summer camp in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania.
What David finds is a maelstrom of social conflict. The founder of the camp, Schlomo (Jerry Stiller), is in failing health, and is deciding who will inherit it. The two candidates are Moishe (Paul Sand, making a rare and welcome return to the screen), his longtime, loyal second in command, and Chaim (Ted Marcoux), an ambitious counselor with a mania for discipline.
David finds himself stuck in the middle as he tries to get along at the camp without making any waves. Chaim, who is becoming increasingly unhinged because of suspicions about his attractive wife's possible infidelity, takes an instant dislike to him and attempts to make him an example to the other campers.
Meanwhile, despite all obstacles, David pursues a budding romance with Sally (Susan Vanech), an attractive young townie (and shiksa, no less).
Other key plot points involve a fellow camper with a candy addiction, a mystery involving the vandalism of a tray of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and the issue of whether David Will be allowed to attend the camp's movie screenings.
Director-screenwriter Biegel evokes the camp's atmosphere with affectionate detail and verisimilitude, but this coming-of-age tale simply lacks the resonance that would have enabled it to connect with general audiences.
Subtle and snail-paced, it's neither funny nor dramatic enough to have much impact, and some of its more melodramatic excesses prove laughable. Its most notable attribute is a basic and undeniable sweetness.
Taylor, who appeared in the acclaimed TV series "I'll Fly Away", is an appealing teenage hero, and Sand has some nice quiet moments as the beleaguered Moishe. Elliott Gould shows up briefly in an unnecessary prologue and epilogue, playing the grown-up David.
Roy Nathanson from the group the Jazz Passengers has contributed a pleasant klezmer-flavored musical score.
CAMP STORIES
Artistic License Films
A Forensic Films production
Director-writer Herbert Biegel
Producers Scott Macaulay, Robin O'Hara
Associate producer Richard Miller
Director of photography Paul Gibson
Composer Roy Nathanson
Editor Meg Reticker
Color/stereo
Cast:
Schlomo Jerry Stiller
Moishe Paul Sand
Young David Zachary Taylor
Young Paul Kris Park
Chaim Ted Marcoux
Mary Talia Balsam
Sally Susan Vanech
Grown-up David Elliott Gould
Running time -- 99 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 4/28/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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