A dangerous animal attacks people at a newly opened campground situated in the hills above Los Angeles during Memorial Day weekend. "Memorial Valley Massacre," released in 1988, is a film made on a small budget and occasionally referred to as “Son of Sleepaway Camp,” despite having no connection to that series. The movie combines elements reminiscent of "Don’t Go in the Woods," "Friday the 13th: Part 3," and "Berserker," but it's considerably better than "Don’t Go in the Woods" and perhaps even a little superior to “Berserker.” Erin O'Leary (as Wendy) and Lesa Lee (playing Cheryl) stand out among the female cast, as does Karen Russell (Emily), also known as Dusty Woods. William Smith, portraying a very masculine character, appears briefly at age 54 during filming. Cameron Mitchell has a limited role in the beginning, while the male lead is an unknown actor who performs well within his single part. The soundtrack occasionally feels out of place, and the exaggerated comedy involving three teenage campers doesn't quite work—it’s not particularly amusing and seems unnecessary. However, aside from those issues, the film successfully provides what fans of the genre are looking for as a lesser-known but respectable entry. The movie has a running time of 1 hour, 32 minutes, and was filmed at Gold Creek Center (Ranch) in Lake View Terrace, which is about twelve miles north of Hollywood, up in the mountains. GRADE: B-/C+

Source on TMDB