Review: ‘The Campus’ is bad horror times five
Packing in zombies, masked killers, body horror, ghosts and the devil, “The Campus” isn’t just one bad horror movie, it’s five — but at least you’ll get your money’s worth.
“The Campus” begins by announcing the setting of its prologue: “Kalahari Desert, South America, 1991.” Never mind that the Kalahari is actually in southern Africa. Robert Wainwright (Robert C. Pullman) is seeking treasure, but he finds more than a jewel-topped scepter in the sands. He escapes the danger, but to do so he makes a deal with the devil that will haunt his family.
Fast-forward to present-day Glendale, Calif., when his estranged daughter Morgan (Rachel Amanda Bryant) returns home for his funeral. While there, she goes to his office to take some of his loot, but she accidentally unlocks the curse, which causes her to be the victim of a variety of supernatural killers.
She dies over and over again in writer-director J. Horton’s screenplay, which is both imaginative and incoherent. It’s Morgan who suffers the head injuries, but the viewer is the one confused by the nonsensical action.
This enthusiastically gory indie does feature some solid practical effects, particularly in the body-horror segment. Some of the shots from cinematographer Kacper Skowron make great use of light and color, and they capture the blood-soaked heroine well. Horton shows clear affection for the genre, but only the most indiscriminate horror fan could love this lumbering five-headed monster.
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‘The Campus’
Not rated
Running time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Playing: Arena Cinelounge Sunset, Hollywood
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