PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I’ve worked with Brad Twigg on several movies (including Deathboard, Shriekshow, Harvest of Horrors, and the upcoming Crackcoon) and I think that he’s just one of those guys who gets it when it comes to horror. He’s definitely a fan of the genre, and without a doubt it shows in his movies as he puts his heart and soul into them. He brought us the fun slasher flick Killer Campout back in 2017 (our review), and I was recently able to watch the eagerly anticipated follow up, Killer Campout Part II, after waiting several years to check it out.
So, was the sequel an awesome follow up to the original and worth the wait? Keep reading and find out…
Killer Campout Part II Synopsis
Gene Blackwell is brought back to life by a trio of teenagers who perform a Satanic ritual, and he picks up right where he left off, slashing and slaughtering anyone unlucky enough to cross his path. He targets another group of troubled teenagers who are brought out to his woods by a new age guru who wants to help better their lives, but thanks to Gene, none of them may make it out of the woods alive.
Brad Twigg (Shriekshow, Frames of Fear 1-3) directed the film from a screenplay written by Jon Killough (Skinned Alive, Galaxy of the Dinosaurs). Killer Campout Part II features an impressive cast made up of people like Kay Leahy (Bloody Summer Camp), Justin P. Martin (10/31: Part III), and Tim Hale (Chains of Redemption, Brimstone Incorporated) as well as many more talented actors and actresses.
One of the film’s biggest strengths is the fact that it has such a great cast and as a result you care about the characters and want them to survive. That’s something that doesn’t quite happen in some other horror films I have seen of late.
I must be honest here and say that I absolutely loved Killer Campout Part II and had a complete blast watching it. It’s just a good old-fashioned slasher flick that harkens back to the slashers of the 80s, and I think that anyone who is into those classic horror movies will love this movie as much as I did. It’s just a fun movie in general that has some awesome death scenes, likable characters, tons of gore, and just the right amount of humor that brings it all together. I adore the first Killer Campout, but I think that Killer Campout Part II is even better.
So why is it so good? One of the reasons is because it has an interesting plot. It just works in general. It may not be the most original idea in the world, but it doesn’t matter because you’ll be having too much fun watching Blackwell slice and dice his victims that you won’t care.
In a lot of ways, the movie reminded me of Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives (which is my favorite of the entire series) as we have a seemingly unstoppable killer brought back from the dead who slaughters his victims in a number of brutal and creative ways. Gene Blackwell, played by both DeRome A. Chretien (Go Away) and Michael McGlynn (Z-ERO), reminded me a lot of Jason Voorhees from that installment.
He looks awesome and bears an uncanny resemblance to everyone’s favorite hockey mask wearing killer. Blackwell is an intimidating fellow, and I can see him becoming the next big thing in the horror world.
Did I mention that this movie has a ton of great death scenes? Blackwell doesn’t play around when it comes to taking out his victims. As a result, we get some fun decapitations, heads (and bodies) split wide open, a person nailed to the floor, and my personal favorite that involves an unfortunate character being split open from the crotch up. It looks incredibly painful. All the death scenes look great and the majority of them involve a huge amount of blood, so all the gore hounds out there (like me) will definitely be satisfied. The practical effects that were used throughout look really sweet.
As I mentioned earlier, I also really enjoyed the cast and thought that everyone involved did a spectacular job bringing their respective characters to life. It is extremely hard for me to pick out my favorite character because I dug all of them, but there were four that really stood out to me.
Brucellious Morris Jr. (The Soul that Ties Us) was a hoot in the role of Austin, the bad boy who has a horrible attitude (I love the alterations that he made to his Camp Phoenix shirt). I also thought that the always awesome Chanda Rawlings (Heavy Duty Man) ruled as Stacy. She has some great lines. I was also very fond of Rosario Eraso (Crackcoon) as Jill and Yasmin Qudah (Brazen Impact) as her sister Julie. It’s cool how they seemed to share the same brain and spoke in unison at times, plus the reason that they were at the camp in the first place is totally hilarious.
I can’t complain about anyone’s performance in the movie at all as everyone did an outstanding job, and you can’t help but like each and every character for their own unique reason.
In case you couldn’t tell, I really enjoyed Killer Campout Part II. There is a lot to like about it and I think that a lot of viewers out there will too. To be honest, I can’t really think of anything negative to say about it. Right now it would be my pick for the best horror film of 2024, because it really is that good.
If you are a fan of the first film, or if you just love slasher films in general, I guarantee you will love this movie. Check it out as soon as you can. You won’t be disappointed. I just hope that Twigg decides to do a third installment, because I would definitely approve if he did.
Check out the trailer below:
Killer Campout Part II is premiering on May 26th (along with the before mentioned Crackcoon on the 25th) at The State Theater of Havre de Grace in Havre de Grace Maryland. Be sure to check them both out if you are in the area!
