Cheerleader Camp (1988)

This hammy slice of wonder has insecure yet talented cheerleader Alison (Betsy Russell) joining her team at a remote cheer camp where they are competing for titles that could propel their team to nationals. Things turn immediately sour when one of the girls is found dead in an apparent suicide, but things go from bad to worse overnight when someone starts picking the girls off on by one."Cheerleader Camp," (also known by the kitschy title "Bloody Pom Poms") is one of the few slasher films to emerge so late in the decade, when the sub-genre's big boom had already waned; similar films, such as "Sorority House Massacre" and "Return to Horror High" tended to be low caliber, low budget, and were ultimately waylaid by critics and audiences for their less-than-stellar production values. "Cheerleader Camp" falls in with this crop of films, hardly, if at all, making a footnote in the horror history books.Obviously a low budget endeavor, I have to commend "Cheerleader Camp" for really making the most out of what its production was working with. While this is a straightforward, classless slasher, there are some genuinely fun moments and some well-shot scenes, as well as decent gore effects. The flip-side of this means that the film is something of a lost opportunity, because it did have the potential to take out the eighties' slasher trend with a bang. It was destined for failure regardless after its distributor went bankrupt in the middle of its limited theatrical run, relegating it to the video store circuit in 1990.There is some black humor in the film that, combined with the familiar camp setting, is reminiscent of "Sleepaway Camp." There is also some misguided sex-comedy hi-jinx that round out the sleaze factor, and plenty of topless girls sunbathing at the river. These quirky elements of the film offset the darker edge it has— there are underlying themes of sexism, relationship abuse, suicide, jealousy, depression, insecurity, and anxiety that are unusually serious for a film of this type. Betsy Russell is somewhat effective as the protagonist who exemplifies many of these themes, with Leif Garrett playing her womanizer boyfriend, but the cast on the whole are playing eighties slasher clichés to the hilt, and the performances are rarely, if at all to be taken seriously. Normally I'd knock a film for having such hammy acting, but this film is of a specific league where underwhelming performances are the norm.The film's final act is almost destroyed by poor editing— things happen in such rapid, sloppy succession that it's hard for the viewer to orient themselves; it almost feels like the filmmakers haphazardly rushed the last act to makeup for lost time, which is not only a terrible mistake, but also a suspense neutralizer. In spite of this, the contrived ending is sickly satisfying, and, call me naive, but I didn't see it coming. In spite of how silly it all may be, there is something genuinely macabre about the final "cheer" scene that ends the film, and I think that sentiment goes for it as a whole.Overall, "Cheerleader Camp" is a surefire discussion piece for fans of late eighties slashers; it has all the makings: hammy acting, juvenile sex comedy, gory kills, and plenty of T&A from big-haired babes in the woods. In spite of it being a prime example of genre sleaze, I also found it to be a film that had promise which was destroyed by production decisions and budget problems. The film has a lot of heart and spunk, which contrasts with its more downbeat elements that really make it a dark gem in its own way. 7/10.

After having watched "Cheerleader Camp", I must confess that I am absolutely stumped as to why this movie has built a sizable cult in the more than 20 years since it was first released. It's packaged as a kind of spoof of the slasher genre, but it is anything but funny. The attempts at humor are very feeble and half-hearted. In fact, the whole movie is lacking energy, and it's acted out in a way that makes you feel that the whole movie was improvised on the spot rather than following a set script. What about the movie's nudity and sex? Well, there isn't much of that here. Blood and gore? Well, the second half of the movie has some okay splatter, but it's nothing that will really grab gorehounds' attention. The movie's only interest is for those interested in seeing how the career of Leif Garrett (who looks too old for his role, by the way) had severely declined around the time the movie was made.

God Bless "USA Up All Night". I was cleaning my room when suddenly a box filled with VHS appeared. I decided to dust if off and I found some movies I taped over the years. One of them was "Cheerleader Camp" when it was presented on "Up All Night".This little slasher flick offers some black humor jokes and some decent gory death scenes.You shouldn't care for the plot as you might have guessed. You only need to know that an "unseen" maniac is on the cheerleader camp prowling, and killing cheerleaders. Well that's until you find out -easily- the killer's identity.Expect some cheesy dialogues, good humor, and thank God, nudity. This slasher has all the winning ingredients and that's why it's among the most see slashers from the 80's.Highly recommended if you are into low production values, bad acting -putrid acting-, horrible music, weak direction, etc. Overall, trash cinema. Still, it's the 80's so it's great.

A new camp called Camp Hurrah just opened for newly recruited cheerleaders who are practicing for the upcoming all-state finals show. One of the newest girls named Alison begins to have some bad horrific nightmares that drive her mad and there's a maniac on the prowl at the camp there waiting for any victim, could it be she's doing it or is it anyone of the cheerleaders or counselors.Fun and cheesy 80's made slasher comedy flick with hot chicks, nudity, and some good kills like the shears scene even though it's low on the splatter-meter. Some Playboy and Penthouse beauties like Teri Weigel, Rebecca Ferratti and Krista Pflanza star as the gorgeous cheerleaders that make the guy viewer's drool even though some of them will face a grisly fate.The acting may suck for a b-movie but i think it's an enjoyable and light-hearted slasher flick with some humor to it and babes abound.Also recommended: "Sleepaway Camp", "Friday The 13th series", "Halloween series", "Bloody Birthday", "Scream", "Scream 2", "Urban Legend", "Final Destination Trilogy", "Club Dread", "The Burning", "Madman", "High Tension", "Jeepers Creepers", "The Prowler", "Scary Movie", "Nightmare on Elm Street series", "Freddy Vs. Jason", "Cry-Wolf" and "Return to Horror High".