A
troubled teen named Tommy Leary (Will Denton) is
sent to a bible camp by his religious parents
where he meets his camp counsellor Christian
(Christopher Denham) about the rules there and
having his mind poisoned about good and bad
deeds.
He also meets a girl named Melissa (Valentina de
Angelis) who manipulates him to sneak out at
night with her.
The head preacher Fr. Phineaes McAllister (Bruce
Davison) makes his stay less welcoming making him
refuse to see the girls at the camp.
A demonic force is at the camp in which everyone
ends up by having the same nightmare along with
satanic pentagrams suddenly displayed at their
camp chapel including possessions occuring.
The story starts off in an
interesting fashion with a family gathered
together to say a prayer in which this left me an
impression that these people are taking religion
too far as well as the youngest child Rose
snitching on her brother Tommy telling them he
has sinned for having a girlfriend in which this
seemed like a brainwashing belief and fearing
that he is going to be in alot of trouble.
Then there's a head priest named Fr. Phineaes
McAllister talking to a disturbed teen as this
kid acts paranoid in which this is a nice key to
the story giving you a feel that something nasty
is going to happen later on and well written in.
Makes you look forward to seeing the terrors
later on.
Then we see the family drive through a wooded
dirt road and are troubled by some backwooded
headbangers which nicely draws to the story too
for anyone who rebels against religion. Plus we
see Tommy's father Michael Leary doing a blessing
for his son before going to camp as I was
convinced right then this family was a little
dysfunctional with their beliefs.
Then when Tommy enters his cabin soon afterwards
he meets his camp counsellor Christian telling
them the rules of no rocks music, magazines and
other stuff most people have fun in which this
looked well put in on a brainwashing religious
environment by having too many rules on your
typical everyday teenage lifestyles. Christian
also grabs a comic book from one of the campers
named Jack in which you have a feeling that he
will make judgements on him since it's a Spawn
comic also I felt he was going to tear it up and
he just does that. This was a nice touch on a
counsellor you don't want to have while being at
camp in which I was starting to enjoy this flick
already by having these types of roles.
Then we have Fr. Phineases McAllister preaching
about the rules at the campground and how bad it
is with lusting with a boy and a girl and then
this looked nicely put in for a start on a horror
story too making you think that some demonic
events will happen later on effecting the kids at
the camp or even possessions making me look
forward to watching this even more.
Also there's great nightmare sequences involving
poor Tommy which looked dark and creepy on him
being trapped in some dark hole in the ground or
even him discussing about his Grandfather warning
him about the campground when a group of them
gathered up with Christian is discussed which
seemed cool to watch this too and perfectly put
in and then moments on him running away in the
woods which keeps you in suspense but really we
find out he's playing capture the red flag and is
troubled by those headbangers again as I love a
film involving troublemakers in which you have a
bad feeling that a fight might break out then or
later on.
Then we have a nice suggested romance with a girl
at the camp named Melissa towards Tommy about
secretly sneaking out to meet her and then
Phineases later on approaches them and calls her
a tramp in which this left me an impression that
this preacher is not a good person at all which
works for a horror flick perfectly.
There's some good horror demonic moments when
some of the kids spot some figures displayed but
then are set differently with Mother Mary moving
her head which looked creepy.
There's even a moment with Phineases acting
disturbed while listening to his tape recorder
making you wonder if he was possessed as well as
spotting headless doves underneath his pillow in
which we all know this is Satan's doing so the
horror is coming together more and more and this
looked well done in general.
What's really suspenseful is when both Melissa
and Tommy get together and are about to have
pre-marital sex out in the woods as the setting
here looked dark and perfect. However they keep
their clothes on. They also hear a sound which
makes you cringe as to wondering if they will end
up getting caught since there's plenty of
brainwashing by the people working there and will
explode if they see this.
Another nice jumping moment is when Melissa
sneaks back into her cabin and all the girls
start crying out an evil chant in their
nightmares making this scene look effective and
dark or even when Phineases encounters satantic
pentagrams at the chapel in the campground which
also looked nicely effective.
To top it off the next day is when Tommy is
forced to call his parents on what he did
confessing a sin and the father making out he
will disown him as this was perfect peer pressure
and mind poisoning on how far a family will go
with their beliefs.
Also it was nice to see Jack stand up to
Christian and brawling it out on him along with
speaking his mind which grew a smile on me for
being a horrible camp counsellor.
What was nicely drawn together is Jack and his
father talking to Tommy's parents on that
troubled teen that was discussed in the beginning
of the film that was badly poisoned by Phineaes
and what him and his sibling did nearly
possessing suicide as this definetely makes you
think on how far you can go with someone's
beliefs onto another plus some demonic
possessions too that occurs here. It seems to
twist the plot onto Tommy and his sister Rose as
this looked clever on how this was drawn in too.
There's also cool possessions on one of the
austistic campers changing his voice as all of
this was powerfully written in too since alot of
bible camp horror flicks needs to have something
like this too.
Bottom line is the film is based on true events
which I can understand since many people have
discussed these types of situations. The story
seemed like a psychological drama at first and
then the horror does come into it which all of
this looked exciting to watch. Sometimes the
story lagged a little too long though and there's
the odd disappointing moments in certain spots
when you expect to be frightened and at times it
doesn't happen. Otherwise this was well done and
worth chacking out if you like bullying religious
fanatics and dysfunctional family members.
The acting was pretty goos for the
most part as lead actor Will Denton (Tommy
Leary) seemed to do well with his disturbed and
quiet attitude in which he was believeable by
acting troubled as well as having an emotional
behavior too. He seemed to stady this role inside
out and really was good by acting unhappy about
his lifestyle.
Bruce Davison (Fr. Phineaes McAllister)
certainly was very powerful as a head preacher in
the film in which he had the great middle aged
looks along with sounding uplifting and then
changing that to having a disturbed type of
attitude. He also was great by acting intense
along with showing a perfect aggressive attitude.
He drew this all in and was a great character
actor.
Christopher Denham (Christian) portrayed a
perfect seriousness into his role as well as
knowing on how to behave like a bullying camp
counsellor with his obnoxious attitude. He came
across perfectly onto the screen within all of
this and showed a ton of great energy and not
lacking one bit with all of this.
Connor Paolo (Jack) of course knew his
stuff as a mischieveous teen who speaks his mond
making this role come to life. He pulled off a
good assertive and aggressive attitude and rolled
with the punches terrifically as one of those
smart assed but likeable types. I found his part
quite effective too.
Valentina de Angelis (Melissa) certainly
showed a good bubbly type of hyped up personality
into her role and really knew on how to act like
one of those un shy types showing some great
spunk into her role. She was pretty good by
performing this type of role on someone with a
sense of adventure in their mind.
Sasha Neulinger (Jimmy) brought on a
perfect autisic type of role with his stuttering
and made this look very realistic with everything
that he did making you wonder as if he's really
like that or not. He looked right for this role
too showing a nice expressionelss type of
personality.
Andrew McCarthy (Michael Leary)
certainly had an effective supporting role as a
closed minded parent in the flick and really knew
on how to be a religious fanatic and a good
seriousness along with his strict attitude too.
He shines on well even if he wasn't the main
character in this one.
Dana Delany (Patricia Leary) brings on a
great symathetic attitude as the other parent in
the film showing a nice passiveness into her part
of it. She knew on how to act calm with what she
did as well as showing some good emotional
personalities when something bad is happening.
She portrayed a perfect loving type of family
woman.
Headless doves are revealed
underneath a preachers pillow
Wrists are slit
Trails of blood are exposed
George
VanBuskirk does an impressive job with his
work on everyone in which he shows a nice start
with supporting actor Andrew McCarthy
speaking prayers with his other cast members as
his family in which he was well directed in a
good serious fashion.
Bruce Davison shows a good calm seriousness
towards supporting actor Jesse Eisenberg
as he does well getting hysterical and crying
untrollably in which he was intensely driven in a
great fashion here.
McCarthy also does well putting his hand
on Will Denton at a camp site doing a
blessing which also looked powerful and seriously
done.
A nice approach by Christopher Dennison
introducing himself and discussing the rules in a
cabin as he was good and clear with his words and
coming across good and sharp along with knowing
on how to act aggressive too as this looked very
powerful on coming across as unpleasant with his
actions.
There's nice discussions with Dennison
in a field towards others as well as a good
defensie reaction on Connor Paolo
towards him which sounded good, clear and
natural.
Denton does well breathing heavily and running
into the woods. Plus there's a good approach on
bit part actor Chris Northrop sneering
at him which also looked impressively directed.
Valentina de Angelis does
well speaking flirtatious towards Denton
and being charming towards him as well as him
having a nervous reactions on situations in which
this was well perfomed by him too.
Davison does well breathing heavily in
his cabin and acting obnoxious and disturbed
after listening to a tape.
The two of them react very well making out and
fornicating in the woods as well as their nervous
reactions after hearing something.
There's a good moment with Davison
acting manipulative towards Denton and
good scared reactions on him while he does this.
There's a great aggressive and intense reaction
on McCarthy talking on the phone as well
as a nice believeable sobbing reaction from Denton
on the other end.
Denton does well acting emotional
towards Paolo asking him to pray for him
as this looked sharply done.
Paolo does a terrific job losing his
temper screaming and shouting towards Dennison
and then striking at him which this showed
perfect timing and believeably physical and hyped
up.
Davison does well screaming and acting
physical towards Denton smacking him
around as this was highly energised.
Supporting actor James McCaffery speak
well and strong seriously towards McCarthy
with a believeable concerned attitude.
Supporting actor Sasha Neulinger does
well falling to the ground and then speaking
crazily and aggressive as this showed terrific
intensity on his end.
Supporting actress Dana Delany shows a
nice meitonal crying attitude while hugging Denton.
The
music was powerfully done in which we hear some
hissing sounds as well as the odd drumbeats too.
Plus there's good strong chanting sounds for when
the demonic moments happen which really fits into
the plotlines. There's also some nice piano type
tapping in certain spots too. At times there's
gloomy saxophone type sounds too in which we also
hear during the opening credits. All of this is
done by Gary DeMichele
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