VHS Summer Camp – an 80s-style summer camp slasher now streaming on Amazon Prime

Sponsored Feature: High Five Across Time Pictures

VHS Summer Camp is a new summer camp slasher written and directed by James Pinard.

Trailer here:

A group of teens hired to clean up a summer camp stumbles upon a cursed VHS tape that reveals their grisly fates before they occur. What begins as an ordinary clean-up turns into a fight for survival as the line blurs between what’s on tape and what’s real. Combining supernatural mystery, slasher tension, and heartfelt teen drama, VHS Summer Camp is a chilling love letter to ’80s horror films. 

A Q&A with Director James Pinard

Welcome, James! Thanks for joining us to discuss your upcoming slasher film VHS Summer Camp. What drew you to the concept of a cursed VHS tape as the central horror element in VHS Summer Camp, and how did you develop it into a full-fledged story?*

Well that’s actually a longer story but the genesis of the cursed VHS tape came from a horror short film I made, and it  grew from there into VHS Summer Camp. The idea is that since VHS tapes can record in the present, then why can’t they also record into the future? I mean the future becomes the present at some point right? And also what if the event in question was tied to a dark energy? So that’s where it came from and all of this will be explored more in the other films in the VHS Universe.

*Learn more about the making of VHS Summer Camp here.

The idea is that since VHS tapes can record in the present, then why can’t they also record into the future?

Did any classic summer slashers influence your approach to crafting VHS Summer Camp?

Oh yes, absolutely, all the films from the 80’s, like Friday the 13^th and Evil Dead just to name a couple and VHS Summer Camp incorporates the slasher and supernatural elements from both films, along with others. I think we all miss films like that, or at least I do. They appealed to something in our psyche. Once you see the film, you will see the influences from each, along with my own twists, such as the VHS tape.

The film has a distinct 1980s horror aesthetic. What were some of the challenges and highlights of bringing this retro vibe to life on screen?

Well, the physical aspects of making a film set in the 80’s such as the look and wardrobe and the settings can be a challenge, since you have to make sure it all looks and feels right. But more than that I set out to re-create the aesthetic of that time and the vibe of the way films were made back then so you can feel as if you’re actually watching a film that was made in the 80’s. So, we went with very practical FX, which can be hard to pull off at times, but I believe we did.

How did you develop the characters and their relationships to make their fates feel impactful?

The characters in VHS Summer Camp have developed over time. For instance, the teen drama and the relationship triangle between Evan, Carrie and Sara. I wanted it to be more than just a slasher film. I also wanted the characters to have a backstory that gave the feeling that their fates were tied to the camp and that somehow they were all drawn there for a reason. I think that will resonate with the audience.

I wanted the characters to have a backstory that gave the feeling that their fates were tied to the camp and that somehow they were all drawn there for a reason.

The summer camp setting is a classic horror trope. What makes VHS Summer Camp stand out?

I believe the characters, first and foremost, as well as their backstories that tie into the storyline, will separate it. I also think the teen drama at the center of it. It has something for everybody.

From a horror film standpoint, I believe the way the VHS tapes are used in the film and the way they reveal the future help it stand out. The VHS Universe has its own lore that the audience will discover when they watch, and this is only the first film in the franchise.

Any fun BTS stories to share?

Oh yes, we had our challenges for sure while filming. One of our filming locations was at a cabin out in the middle of nowhere, and there was a dirt road with no lights about a mile long that led to the cabin and when you drove up it at night, it was like being in a horror film in and of itself. We all joked about that road.

Also when we were filming the bonfire scenes, there was a cat off in the woods who wouldn’t stop meowing and we had to try and work around. We later discovered the cat had been missing and was coming back home. Also, later in the shoot that night there was dog that belonged to the owner who ran onto our set and jumped over the bonfire while we were filming so there were some funny moments as well.

Can you tell us more about the lore of the VHS Universe? This is the first installment in a series of films, I hear. Any hints about what’s in store in future installments?

Absolutely, there will be more films that will explore other ways in which a VHS tape can be used in a supernatural way and not to give too much away but all of those stories will be explored in VHS College Days, where the survivors will go back to school to battle a new evil. There will also be a holiday film titled VHS Christmas that is part of the universe as well, so the lore of the VHS Universe is just growing and will continue to grow.

What do you hope audiences take away from their experience watching VHS Summer Camp?

My hope is that this film will remind them of a time when horror films could be fun as well as scary and suspenseful. A time when practical FX were used, that made it feel all the more real. A more innocent time when we enjoyed films with characters that were more human and stories that resonated with us as well as scared us to death. I hope you all enjoy the film as much as we enjoyed making it and I hope it reminds you of the way films were made in the past.

Stream VHS Summer Camp here:

Amazon Prime

B Stream 

For more information on VHS Summer Camp, visit their IMDb and Instagram.

To keep up with director James Pinard, visit his IMDb and Instagram.

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