Camp Pleasant Lake
| Camp Pleasant Lake | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Thomas Walton |
| Screenplay by | Thomas Walton |
| Produced by | Jared Safier Thomas Walton |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | David M. Parks |
| Edited by | George Lambriodes John Mark Triplett |
| Music by | Reuven Herman |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by |
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Release date |
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Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Camp Pleasant Lake is a 2024 slasher horror film that takes place in a camp around a 20-year-old mystery regarding a missing girl.[1][2][3]
Synopsis[edit]
Some attendees at Camp Pleasant Lake get a surprise from their past, while campers and camp counselors become victims of twisted serial killers.[4][5][6]
Cast[edit]
- Jonathan Lipnicki as Jasper Meadows[7][8]
- Bonnie Aarons as Esmeralda[7]
- Andrew Divoff as Evil Man[7]
- Mike Ferguson as Lucifer 'Lou'[9]
- Leila Almas Rose as Ruby Meadows[9]
- Amber Oliver as Sheena[10]
- Sajid Ali as Gabe[11]
- Michael Paré as Rick Rutherford[7]
- Robert LaSardo as Angel[7]
- Anne-Marie Olsen as Kim[9]
- Kelly Lynn Reiter as Echo Meadows[7]
- Devanny Pinn as Harper[7]
- Jody Nolan as Ross[12]
- Elley Ringo as Grace[7]
- Tom Batchelder as Logan[13]
- Ashley Medina Perez as Bayley[11]
- Peter Augustine as Mitchell[12]
- Adam Treasure as Jamal Davis [14]
- William Delesk as Young Jasper
- William Bowker as Lenny[12]
- James Di Giacomo as John Meadows[9]
- Jackson Everest as Hunter
- Sophie Welch as Młoda Harper[11]
- Paul Gunn as Clay
- Jean Heathen as Joanne[9]
- Lacey Burdine as Young Echo
- Joe Barlam as Wyatt[10]
- Scott Alan Ward as Charles
- Thomas Walton as Camp bus driver
- Elizabeth Noelle as Andrea[9]
- Anson Days as Terrance
- Christopher Sky as Mike Wilson[13]
- Collin Lee Turner as Jacob[10]
- Mary Jones as Isabelle[12]
- Randy Pascuzzi as Jackson[11]
Production[edit]
- Thomas Walton directed and wrote this feature.[2]
- The film was produced by Jared Safier and Thomas Walton.[7][2][8]
- Cinematographer was David M. Parks and the feature's editing was completed by George Lambriodes and JohnMark Triplett.[7][8]
- Original music was created by Reuven Herman.[7][8]
- Kurt Finney was the production designer, and the art director was Nicholas Griffo.[7][8]
Release[edit]
The film was released in selective theaters and VOD platforms on February 27, 2024.[8][15][16]
Reception[edit]
Matt Donato of Bloody Disgusting wrote, "Worse still, the film’s slasher elements might be squirting red juices like sprinklers full of Kool-Aid, but the working mechanics that keep the killer slicing and dicing are a mess. There’s nothing exceptional about Camp Pleasant Lake despite dialogue that tries to cheekily serve up “epic” sequences of violence — a garden-variety masked and hooded murderer stabs victims with sharp objects who drop to the floor immediately dead."[17]
Jeremy Werner of Moviehole wrote, "All-in-all, “Camp Pleasant Lake” is empty on laughs, empty on suspense, and sometimes empty on gore despite the killer slashing his way through 30 people throughout its runtime. It's really unfortunate because the idea behind the film is fantastic, the look of the killer is great for being low budget, and the killer's origin story could easily be built into a franchise, but it never blossoms."[18]
In B-Sides & Badlands, Bee Delores wrote, "While the film bungles its flashbacks — the backstory, in particular, drags for far too long — once it settles into the present, it thankfully finds its groove. A staged murder weekend bursts into a nightmarish wasteland worth of any of the Sleepaway Camp sequels."[19]
Michael Gingold of Rue Morgue wrote, "There’s no visual invention or stylistic ambition to compensate for the microbudget look and slapdash plotting, which includes a revelation of the killer’s identity that’s obvious from about the 10-minute mark. Once the malefactor claims victims two separate times right in front of the other characters, and also takes out a bunch of other people in a very conspicuous (if poorly staged) way, and no one ever acknowledges, addresses or discusses these actual slayings, Camp Pleasant Lake has descended from tedious and grating to downright insulting to the intelligence. Even the most die-hard of slasher fans are advised to take their vacation elsewhere."[20]
John Soltes of Hollywood Soapbox wrote, "The acting in the movie, which is written and directed by Thomas Walton, doesn’t add up to much, although there are some sinister delights from The Nun’s Bonnie Aarons. The jokes don’t land, and the horror is never terrifying enough for the audience to care too much. The kills are gratuitous and not terribly original."[21]
In Spectrum Culture, Miyako Pleines wrote, "There is so much tonal dissonance in this film that it becomes totally unwatchable after a point. Nothing is surprising to the viewer, and it’s obvious from the very first scene who the real killers are. Basically, the story is the sort of movie you expect a seventh-grader to turn in for her English class. The only difference is that it might actually be more interesting to read that seventh-grader’s story than it is to watch this film. Camp Pleasant Lake is a movie that makes you realize that it’s actually truly hard to, well, make a movie. Not just anyone can do it. These people certainly can’t."[22]
J Hurtado of Screen Anarchy wrote, "There's nothing new in Camp Pleasant Lake, and the things that are familiar aren't even executed well, leaving the audience to wonder what exactly is the point? The film attempts to place itself in the universe of meta horrors, acknowledging the bloodthirsty nature of many fans of the genre, the idea that the context of the bloodletting is inconsequential just as long as it doesn't stop flowing. And there is something to that idea, but the film has no interest in investigating this mindset, rather it mocks these fans as they are gleefully picked off, one by one. "[23]
In Scare Value, Bryan Staebell wrote, "The story of Camp Pleasant Lake is one of concept vs. execution. Unfortunately, the latter wins out too often. There is a fundamentally great idea at the core. When the movie is able to take advantage of it…the movie hits some nice highs. There is also a fun performance by Jonathan Lipnicki. In the end, however, there it’s trying to serve too many masters."[24]
References[edit]
- ^ Ntim, Zac (2024-01-26). "'Camp Pleasant Lake:' Slasher Pic Starring 'Jerry Maguire' Actor Jonathan Lipnicki Lands Distributor". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ a b c Beth, Amy (2024-02-23). "'Camp Pleasant Lake': Everything We Know About the Indie Slasher Flick". Collider. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ "Camp Pleasant Lake - Movie - Where To Watch". TV Insider. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ "'Camp Pleasant Lake' Is Your Callback to '80s Slasher Mania [Review]". Wicked Horror. 2024-02-28. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ James, Jonathan (2024-02-14). "Horror Highlights: CAMP PLEASANT LAKE, CIRCUS OF THE DEAD PART 2, FROGMAN, COLD MEAT, MAKE BELIEVE SEATTLE 2024". Daily Dead. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ bloodyflicksblog (2024-02-21). "Camp Pleasant Lake review". Bloody Flicks. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Camp Pleasant Lake | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. 2024-02-27. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ a b c d e f "Camp Pleasant Lake (2024) Showtimes". Fandango. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ a b c d e f "Camp Pleasant Lake". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ a b c "Cast – Camp Pleasant Lake (2024)". Kinorium. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ a b c d "Camp Pleasant Lake (2023) pełna obsada". Filmweb (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ a b c d "Camp Pleasant Lake (2023) movie posters". MoviePosterDB.com. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ a b ASLAM, SOHAIB (2024-02-25). "Camp Pleasant Lake 2024 Story Cast &Release date NEW MOVIES". INTERNATIONAL NEWS CENTER .COM. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ Beth, Amy (23 February 2024). "'Camp Pleasant Lake': Everything We Know About the Indie Slasher Flick". Collider.
- ^ Camp Pleasant Lake - AMC Theatre (amctheatres.com)
- ^ Bolt, Neil (2024-01-26). "Camp Pleasant Lake Release Date Revealed for 80s-Inspired Slasher Movie". ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ Donato, Matt (2024-02-27). "'Camp Pleasant Lake' Review – Micro-Budget Slasher Movie Offers a Dull Trip to Sleepaway Camp". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ "Camp Pleasant Lake Review". 2024-02-27. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ Delores, Bee (2024-02-25). "Review: 'Camp Pleasant Lake' knocks off 'Friday the 13th' & 'Scream' — and it's a blast -". Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ Gingold, Michael (2024-03-01). "Movie Review: Stay far away from "CAMP PLEASANT LAKE"". Rue Morgue. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ Soltes, John (2024-02-28). "REVIEW: 'Camp Pleasant Lake' plays to the horror crowd with mixed results". Hollywood Soapbox. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ "Camp Pleasant Lake". Spectrum Culture. 2024-02-29. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ "CAMP PLEASANT LAKE Review: A Crazed Jonathan Lipnicki Headlines This Summer Camp Slasher". ScreenAnarchy. 2024-02-23. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ Staebell, Bryan (2024-02-23). "Camp Pleasant Lake Review". Scare Value. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
