Chuck Connors

Charlie Stratton

Adam Carl

Tom Fridley

Melissa Reeves

Stuart Rogers

Harold Pruett

Shawn McLemore

Samantha Newark

Nancy Calabrese

Michael Cramer

Rick Fitts

Doug Toby

Shirley Mitchell

Chris Hubbell

Scott Curtis

Jennifer McGrath

Bradley Lieberman

Bert L. Dragin

Penelope Spheeris

William Butler

Robert Crow

Andy Howard

Barry Franenberg

Jennifer Pray

Christa Reusch

Roger Corman

Perri Sorel

Gary Chase

Don Burgess

Richard N. McGuire

Ted Neeley

Michael Spence

Thriller

Drama

Horror

Summer Camp Nightmare

Concorde-New Horizons

Butterfly Productions

Crow Productions

United States of America

**_When the kids revolt at a summer camp in SoCal_**

Based on William Butler’s 1961 novel “The Butterfly Revolution,” this debuted at a film festival in Milan in October, 1986 before having a limited theatrical release 6-7 months later in the USA, then swiftly going to video. It’s a ‘B’ youth thriller from the mid-80’s that combines the milieu of “Meatballs” with the sociopolitical spirit of “Lord of the Flies.” While not a slasher, it’s sometimes reminiscent of flicks like “Sleepaway Camp” and the later “Memorial Valley Massacre,” not to mention "State Park,” aka "Heavy Metal Summer."

This ranks with the least ’em. Chuck Connors is the only big-name actor in the role of the overly strict camp director. The youths are no-names who more-or-less rise to the challenge, but I never bought the uprising as believable. It’s not so much the actor who plays the leader, but rather the writing. The script needed tweaked to make the happenings buyable. Still, there’s enough entertainment here if you’re in the mood for an 80s’ flick similar to those above.

The summer camp becomes a microcosm of any revolution, which is interesting. You need a radical leader to rally the oppressed masses, the lunkhead underlings who follow orders (and abuse their power), a propaganda director, and so forth. Those who object become ‘traitors’ to the cause and are ostracized.

On the feminine front, Melissa Reeves as Heather is easy on the eyes, as are Nancy Calabrese (Trixie) 
Samantha Newark (Debbie). 

It runs almost 1 hour, 30 minutes, and was shot at a JCC camp in Malibu. The rope bridge scenes were filmed at another camp down the road.

GRADE: B-/C+

English