Cheerleader Camp (1988)

When it comes to slashers, the tail end of the 80s almost became a caricature of itself, but that doesn't make these movies any less fun. Anchor Bay discs were pure gold to horror fans, and Cheerleader Camp is one of those titles I was perfectly happy blind-buying because of this.

Who doesn't like cheerleaders? Who doesn't like camp slashers? Who wouldn't want to watch these two glorious things mingle? The ladies here are fine as fuck and the vibes are just right.

Betsy Russell plays our lead cheerleader, who right off the bat is kinda crazy. She has weird dreams and she's insecure, but only the screenwriters would know why. For those who don't know, Betsy was in a Saw sequel or three playing Jigsaw's wife, and this here is where she got her horror start. This lady is super hot I wish she would have gotten naked in this movie.

Of course, the other ladies are plenty hot too, and they do get naked. There's a fair amount of titties here, but we have other great things to elevate this into a more memorable film, such as George Buck Flower in a more prominent role than he'd usually been given, as well as a fun-loving fat guy (Travis McKenna) who's pretty damn awesome in his own right. If he isn't spying on our girls, someone else is, because this movie is all about voyeurism.

Some of the kills are kinda lame, but there's no shortage of blood and guts. I say they're lame because they're off-screen kills or they don't show the actual stabbing sometimes, but other kills make up for it.

The film is a whodunnit, so our killer doesn't have a costume or mask or specific weapon, but it isn't a big deal considering how much fun the movie is. There's plenty of leeway throughout for shennanigans, which oddly enough remains even after several bodies are found.

People getting killed at camp? Call the sheriff, but don't think too much on it. We're still going to have our cheerleading competition if it kills us! And funny enough, our primary group of cheerleaders are pretty shitty at what they do, but who fucking cares? It ain't about being the best of the bunch. It's about killing the whole bunch so you're the best by default.

A few years later, Betsy Russell would return to a different cheerleader camp in "Camp Fear" 1991, which uses the same cover art from 'Bodycount' and even has Buck Flower back as 'wino'. It was written as a sequel, so I'd love to check that one out.

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