Camp Utopia

This is a really interesting little film. A Manson-like cult leader disappears after freaking out and hacking up a bunch of his followers with a machete. Thirty something years later some kids come and camp out on the site of the killings. Of course, bad stuff happens. Camp Utopia is odd in that it's a slasher movie with very little slashing. It's sort of a cerebral horror film. That's not necessarily a bad thing but may tick off the more blood thirsty viewers. Camp Utopia's biggest problem may be that it's a little to hip for the room. A lot of ideas and themes thrown around in this film. What are the differences between world views from 1969 and now? The cast range in ability from pretty good to outstanding. Alexandra Westmore gives a performance way beyond what one would expect from a film like this. Stephen Pearcy (of RATT fame)appears briefly as the crazed hippie, Timmothy Bach, and also contributes some music. This will not be everyone's cup of tea but I liked it a lot.

For such a low budget film the production value was a lot higher than most in this genre. The writing and dialogue were better than you expect from teenage slasher films. I loved the play on words "Camp Utopia" and the film had a campy feel to it almost making fun at the genre. There some really good performances from a good looking young cast. Could have used Pearcy more. I like a lot of blood, so it could have been bloodier. Ranger Rogers gets a bad rap. Dudes, he's the classic comic relief. All in all I'd say definitely worth a watch if you love the genre for what it is and actually understand what makes horror great. Give it a look.

In the summer of 1969, a cult leader (RATT's own, Stephen Pearcy) of a hippie commune known simply as Camp Utopia, goes nuts (well he's a hippie, so let's just say he goes crazier) and starts killing his followers. Cut to present day, 5 annoying college students decide to go camping at the same spot as the murders. They meet one of the Ranger's of the forest. And soon start being picked off by an unseen killer.The massacre scene is very badly done, however it DOES set the mood for the crappy effects to come later. All the actors and actresses are uniformly bad. And I wasn't invested in any of them. Furthermore, the rant of one character towards the end is one of the stupidest things I've heard, and let's not get started on the lack of real motivation on the part of the killer.

My Grade: D-

Eye Candy: Athena Demos, Rachel Newman, Jessica Jordan, and Sarah White get topless; an extra shows tits and ass

With it's unique ability to cause reactional schizophrenia, you'll laughter will suddenly turn to a scream. Incorporating a complex plot with teen rhetoric, took an outstanding writer together with an amazing director, and team of producers, making this movie a taut psychological thriller that will make horror maniacs proud of their passion. The cast deliver's stellar realism, reminding us of a time when horror was just another genre, not an excuse for horrible acting. Mark my words, these kids have a huge future! Expect more and Camp Utopia will deliver.

It's really not that bad! Let's not delude ourselves into believing that it will inspire you, or impact your life in any way, shape or form, but it was fun. The cast is young and talented but fell victim to low budget film-making. The production team used them for cheap labor, and managed to get some good performances. It's really not their fault the movie doesn't have a better impact. The scariest thing about this movie is that it is advertised as a horror movie and not a comedy. Although, that guy from RATT is pretty scary. If you are a young actor in LA, unfortunately, this is the sort of preliminary work offered to you. The saddest thing would be if the cast never broke away from this genre and remained in the B-movie section at Blockbuster forever. That would be a punishment worse than having this one movie, or mistake, on their resume.