Campfire Tales (1997)

To me, this movie is perfection.

People are voting emotionally.

Absolutely Fantastic

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

5.9 is a very high average IMDb score for a low budget horror movie, but I have no idea why this film of all entries in the genre deserves it. The casting, locations, acting, cinematography, and writing of this film are all very sub-par. Sure, you've probably seen much worse if you're the type to watch every horror film you see on Netflix, but this movie is utterly forgettable, full of predictable twists, unimpressive special effects, stiffly delivered lines, and bad sets.The third segment of the film, "People can lick too", I find the most objectionable. It combines an old-as-time spooky story with a very 90s "fear of the internet" angle, wherein an internet stalker terrorizes a young girl who's home alone after posing as a girl her own age. This in and of itself isn't completely awful, if clichéd.What bothers me is that there are several scenes involving the very young actress wearing nothing but a towel, changing into new clothes, trying on her sister's sexy dress, etc. These are creepy and voyeuristic in the bad way, and don't add anything to the segment other than to make the viewer feel like a peeping tom. If they were at least from the POV of the stalker, one could excuse it as representing his twisted perspective on this vulnerable kid, but they're not. It's like the director was going through the motions of having the sexy lead female shower and undress, and forgot she was 12.The rest of the film is so forgettable that this gross voyeurism on a kid is the only thing I'll remember about my viewing experience in a few months, and that's certainly not something you should be able to say about a supposedly 5.9/10 film.

I expected absolutely nothing from this fairly unknown and low-budgeted 90's horror anthology when they aired it on TV. Let's face it…it looks bad, it sounds bad and it's pretty obvious right away that it hasn't got anything to offer that you haven't seen a thousand times before already. And yet, despite all these negative omens, "Campfire Tales" is a surprisingly effective and competently made movie that I'm sure will satisfy young horror fanatics as well as more experienced genre admirers. The formula is so incredibly simply but it feels refreshing and undoubtedly more efficient than the majority of late 90's horror garbage like, say, "Scream" or "I know what you did last Summer". It's also a lot better than the contemporary movie it resembles, namely "Urban Legends". Like the title implies, "Campfire Tales" features three (four, actually…or maybe five) little stories that we all know already since people have been using them to scare other people since decades. The cool black & white intro revolves on a young couple hanging out on lover's lane while the news bulletin repeatedly warns for an escaped lunatic with a hook for a hand. This story is just a little teaser, but it's atmospheric and it stars the ravishingly beautiful Amy Smart! After this, there's more time and effort put into the so-called wraparound story, as it features four youngsters as they crash their car on their way back from an Iron Maiden concert! Whist waiting for help, they attempt to spook each other out by telling urban legends around the campfire. The first segment is the weakest, but still enjoyable thanks to a fair amount of suspense and good acting. A couple of newlyweds traveling through the States in a motor home have a nightly encounter with monsters. Too bad we never get to know what kind of monsters because the story goes straight for the famous climax. The second segment features an old given, too, but it's shockingly up-to-date! An anonymous pervert stalks a little girl through Internet chat rooms and then goes to her house at night! The title is "People can lick too", so I guess you know already which urban legend this is. The final chapter is arguable the best and really bathes in an uncanny atmosphere. A young man meets the girl of his dreams; only he doesn't realize she's the mute spirit of a girl that got killed centuries ago. The wraparound story keeps an unexpected end-twist in store as well! And a pretty great one, I may add. Certainly worth a look!

Ironically this film was on ABC Family Channel last night, despite its R-rating for graphic violence, language and sexuality. I know it was on pretty late, but still...I watched it because I saw Ron Livingston's face and figured it couldn't be THAT bad...well, I was wrong, and now I've lost my faith in Livingston. He tries to do a northern accent and fails miserably. It sounds like a cross between Al Pacino in "Carlito's Way" and Sylvester Stallone in "Rocky." Honestly, it's that bad.This is supposed to be a collection of "modern twists" on classic urban legends...it's got it all: Livingston's segment is the one where the newlyweds are in the car that breaks down; the guy gets out and never comes back, then the woman starts to worry and...well...you know the rest.It's not particularly scary or well-acted. It's kind of entertaining because it's so bad - it reminded me of the similar collection entitled "Quicksilver Highway." If you liked that, you'll probably at least find some type of entertainment value here.

Definitely not only for urban legend aficionados, Campfire Tales is an often scary and always fun ride through several popular stories. It is also a film that exceeded the (low) expectations I had. A horror film I had never heard or read about, a straight-to-video release (granted, the latter often presents us with a pleasant surprise, but with horror films nowadays it can be all or nothing), a cast of mostly unknowns... well, I'll leave the math to you.The film proves to be an entertaining, suspenseful and overall very enjoyable experience. The four stories are well-paced and satisfying. The only one I felt was a little weaker was "The Locket", for the simple reason that it offers almost no explanation for its plot or the characters' actions; however, I still loved the tale, its atmosphere and ending. My favorite one was the third story, "People Can Lick Too" - the suspense in it is not only palpable, but also educational.I found Campfire Tales to be one of those horror gems one discovers by chance, and then goes on recommending it to everyone.7/10