This late-eighties slasher initially feels silly, but it eventually becomes more serious. The story involves high school students who travel to cheerleading camp in the secluded Sequoia National Forest, where they begin dying off one after another. The central question is the identity of the killer and whether anyone will survive. "Cheerleader Camp” (1988) combines cheerleading scenes with elements reminiscent of “Friday the 13th,” “The Burning” (1981), “Sleepaway Camp” (1983), and even "Body Count" (1986). I was initially resistant because it started with some goofy humor similar to “Friday the 13th Part III” (1982) and “Friday the 13th Part V” (1985), largely focused on a heavier character, the female camp director, and an Englund-like Handyman—though not quite as prominent. I assumed it would be purely comedic, but the humor is limited to those characters, and the movie shifts toward darkness in its second half. Surprisingly, despite being an 80’s slasher with some sexual humor, it tackles some significant themes. These include explorations of anxiety, competition, relationship abuse, alcoholism, deception, manipulation, and false statements. About halfway through, I realized that one of the male characters was Leif Garrett, a teen idol from the late seventies. He was 26 years old during filming playing a high school student, and he delivers an adequate performance. Lorie Griffin is memorable as Bonnie. Many will recognize her from “Teen Wolf” (1985). The female cast—also featuring Rebecca Ferratti (Theresa), Betsy Russell (Alison) and Vickie Benson (Miss Tipton)—is generally good, but the director seemed unsure of how to film women. If you enjoy 80’s slashers, this one is worth watching, though you need to accept its obvious flaws. The movie's length is 1 hour, 29 minutes and was filmed in Bakersfield and Sequoia National Forest, California, roughly an hour northeast of Bakersfield. GRADE: C+

Source on TMDB