Director(s) – Vinnie Vineyard (The Hike, Wrestling with Ghosts) and Luke Walker (Vinnie’s Vantastic Rock N Roll Adventure, Haunted Graves)
Starring – Luke Walker, Brittany Brooks (WJHC AM, Showdown in Secret City), and Kandi Thompson (Taint My Ride, A Pokemon in the Maryland Wasteland)
Release Date – 2023
Rating – 3/5
Several weeks back I was asked to review a few films from director and actor Vinnie Vineyard. I was very unfamiliar with his work but the titles really caught my attention. I agreed and thought I would have a fun marathon with them all. I started my adventure with The Hike and quickly realized that the film was not for me.
I followed that up with the thriller WJHC AM. Both films had very interesting ideas but lost their way sometime during their run times. I was still excited to check out the remaining two films and quickly took the dive into Camp Smokey. I want to once again thank Vinnie for sending this over.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a man who has been living in the woods for some time with his stuffed teddy bear. He has been fight demons during these long years and gets what he needs by scavenging the bodies of the demons he slays. When he runs short on supplies he is forced to make trips closer to the cities which means more demons he is confronted with. However, as the film progresses we learn who the true monster is and why there is so many demons. **Spoiler Alert**
I went into Camp Smokey with an open mind like I did before and wiped my mind off the previous two films. I was expecting yet another movie that I wouldn’t care for but I was really surprised by this one. While I don’t see myself revisiting this one anytime soon I still enjoyed it especially if you compare it to The Hike and WJHC AM.
The acting in this one is solid but the overall film is a one man show with Luke Walker carrying the entire thing on his shoulders. His character is very likable and his narration and the interaction with the stuffed teddy makes the film what it is. The supporting cast is solid but they are not in the scene long enough to truly see what they are capable of. The story for this one is predictable and the twist has no impact but the build up is very entertaining especially if you are a fan of the film Frailty. The scenes are a bit repetitive but the narration and on screen presence from Walker makes it work.
Finally, the film has some blood and simple effects but that is the extent of it. While I wanted to enjoy some top notch kills and great practical effects, the film still works with what we have. Overall, Camp Smokey really surprised me. The story is a fun blend of Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Frailty and I’m all for it. I highly recommend checking this one out.
