“CAMP WEDDING” is hitting digital platforms on August 20th from writer/director Greg Emetaz. The story centers on a bride-to-be that is planning to have the perfect summer camp wedding. The only problem is the location has a dark, violent past. And with a lot of clean-up needed to create her perfect vision, the bridal party doesn’t feel as enthusiastic about taking on the task. Soon after arriving some of them begin to turn missing, but nothing will stop this bride from getting the wedding of her dreams. Now I feel a horror/comedy when done right is an enjoyable escape into two oddly paired genres when done properly. There is something about being a little frightened while also being comically amused that I find appealing, so naturally with this premise I was intrigued.
This is a small-budget indie horror film and expectations do need to be tampered. It isn’t perfect, but it does bring enough charming elements to the table. I felt it did create a fun atmosphere for a campy horror movie that borders on parody. The camp locations provide more than enough dark and creepy backdrops for the story and the return to a summer camp setting just creates a wave of nostalgia inside the genre. This story explores the human dependency on technology with much of the progression coming from onscreen text messages that were nicely crafted. It was subtle but visually appealing and for the assumed budget these effects, as well as the lighting, and sound-design, all came across as much more polished and fitting for a larger scale film.
The personality in the movie is where the energy truly comes from. Not all the humor works admittedly. But for the run-time I felt enough of it did, and with the odd timing of certain lines, and the frequently comedic set-up’s the humor lands with the intended eccentric charisma. The performances were fun and brimming with all the horror charm one would expect. Sure, there were some moments of overacting and a few scenes where the timing wasn’t perfect, but to me it didn’t hinder the overall entertainment too much. There was a constant effort and the delivery of the at times wildly inflated genre tropes from the cast did have me engaged in what was happening. The chemistry between the characters was solid enough to sell their relationship dynamics and the story was surprisingly unpredictable.
It may not be the textbook slasher film, and it way be much different than the traditional wedding comedy. But “Camp Wedding” does find itself a nice place in between. It’s zany and over-the-top without question, but that was its intention. It takes itself seriously, at not taking itself seriously, and if you have a fondness for the horror/comedy sub-genre then there is some fun to be had here. However, if you like things a little more grounded, with vibrant personalities that may be more down-to-earth, then the comically grim adventure this one provides could potentially be hit-and-miss.
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https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/camp-wedding/id1473292716
Camp Wedding (2019) Shark Party Media
