2022 SCREAMFEST REVIEW!
It’s deer season! Six friends from Detroit head north for Deer Camp ‘86 on their annual hunting trip, and they are looking forward to all the fun they will have together. It’s difficult for them to get away, and their time together becomes more and more precious with each passing day. When a bartender turns up dead, something mysterious and vicious is let loose as well. The six friends know that they are in danger, but they are unsure of the terror that lurks in the darkness. Can the friends survive, or will the terrors that haunt them pick them off one by one?
Deer Camp ‘86 reminds me of those old, campy horror films that, to some, threw 1980’s Hollywood off kilter. Films like Evil Dead and Friday the 13th come to mind when I think of films from that comical horror subgenre. Again, some may believe that films like this are somewhat of a cancer, but the reality is that without them cinema would be far from what it is today. It’s always nice to pay homage to those classic films, but filmmakers often run the risk of being too derivative, losing something along the way in terms of luster. Deer Camp ‘86 finds the sweet spot between borrowing from those aforementioned films and creating something new and entertaining. Writers Bo Hansen and Riley Taurus, along with Director L. Van Dyke Siboutszen, introduce a new error of campy horror to the world with Deer Camp ‘86–and I can’t imagine that the name was simply coincidence (and a funny, subtle nod to the films of the past). This aspect alone, the fact that Deer Camp ‘86 is obviously, and effectively inspired by films like those I’ve previously mentioned, is enough to intrigue potential viewers–but that’s just the tip of the iceberg for this film.
If anything I’ve already said is appealing to you, I can guarantee that you will find something else about Deer Camp ‘86 to appreciate. Siboutszen, Hansen, and Taurus adhere to the guidelines of this genre, but even better, their actors pull everything off masterfully. From Jay J. Bidwell (Buck)–who very much feels like the ringleader–to David Lautman (who plays the eccentric Egbert “EP”), each and every one of these actors knows how to bring this level of beautifully calculated intensity and comedy to life at the same time. Viewers are sure to sit through this film questioning the validity of the acting, never entirely sure of whether or not the actors are effective. However, It appears to me that they’ve all achieved their goal in creating something ironically funny and intense at the same time–proving that they are impeccably talented. This hunch (I guess you could call it) is proven as the film progresses and they are able to become the embodiment of emotion–conveying sentiment that wasn’t necessarily present toward the start of the film. They do such a wonderful job of shifting with the intended tone, and helping to close out the film in appropriate fashion.
I was worried, I won’t lie, that by the conclusion of Deer Camp ‘86, once the monster was revealed, that the intensity that had existed for some time would have drifted, ultimately dissipating before the film closed. Films such as The Village proved how drastically in the wrong direction a less-than-adequate monster can shift a film, and on the flip side, The Thing proved that you don’t always have to see the monster to be afraid of it. However, once the big reveal occurred I was once again impressed–understanding that everyone in charge of Deer Camp ‘86 knew what they were doing, and they weren’t willing to take any shortcuts. The film’s villain impresses just like the rest of the production–and the fervency rages on throughout the closing seconds of the film.
In addition to every single beautiful aspect that I’ve already mentioned, the visuals are just another notch on the belt of these filmmakers. The setting is impeccable, fully enveloping viewers in the series of insane scenarios–and beyond that it’s simply honest. Each and every moment–regardless of the plausibility of the film–comes across as genuine, and that comes as a result of the setting. Also, what appears to be a fairly low-budget film proves to viewers that it has the gumption to present spectacular special and practical effects. Every instance of the effects works to support the rest of Deer Camp ‘86, and it lends itself nicely to the narrative, only strengthening the things that viewers are sure to love about it.
Paying homage to the greats of cinema is important, and it’s welcome when it’s done properly. Deer Camp ‘86 is the perfect example of doing it the right way. From a beautiful blend of horror and comedy, stellar (but cheesy acting), and everything else along the way bringing Deer Camp ‘86 to life with aplomb, this horror flick is sure to tickle every cinephile’s fancy. This team delivers brilliantly, and Deer Camp ‘86 will surely be a film that I look to procure a physical copy of in the near future.
Directed by L. Van Dyke Siboutszen.
Written by Bo Hansen & Riley Taurus.
Starring Noah Lalonde, Jay J. Bidwell, Brian Michael Raetz, Josh Dominquez, Arthur Cartwright, David Lautman, Tina Joy, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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