The Burning
Review by Peter Syslo

Another much talked about slasher from the 1980s is THE BURNING (1981). Like MADMAN, it rode the wave of the 1980s slasher craze but it seems to have its own identity, as well. Honestly, I didn’t like the film as much as MADMAN, but I did think that it had character and had all of the elements that I like about camp – based slashers. There are the classic elements of the summer camp experience but they were done in a different way, because this camp actually seems like a fun and inviting place. Camp Crystal Lake , in the FRIDAY THE 13th films, doesn’t seem like a good place for a kid and in the SLEEPAWAY CAMP movies, just forget i t. I pity any child who was sent to that camp! However, THE BURNING injected that fun camp atmosphere (much like MEATBALLS) into the story, which I think contrasted the Savini hyper-gore and the dark storyline well.

THE BURNING is directed by Tony Maylam and is written by Harvey Weinstein, Tony Maylam, and Brad Grey. The movie stars a few familiar faces, including: Brian Backer (Mark Ratner in FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH), Jason Alexander (George on “Seinfeld”), a young Holly Hunter (RAISING ARIZONA, etc.), Fisher Stevens (SHORT CIRCUIT, etc.), Brian Matthews, Leah Ayres, Larry Joshua, and Lou David as Cropsy - the killer. As a side note, the music is composed and performed by Rick Wakeman of Yes fame and as most know who watch the film, the legendary Tom Savini does the visual effects.

The movie is about a practical joke that goes wrong and comes back to haunt a generation of campers. It begins with a group of teenage boy who light candles in a skull and place it in the bunk of Cropsy, the drunken/mean camp groundskeeper. Cropsy wakes up, freaks out at the sight of the skull, knocks it over, and he is quickly engulfed in flames. As he runs out and jumps in the lake, the boys regret the joke (Cropsy suffered severe burns and was hospitalized for a time). Years later, some of the prankster boys return to the camp where this all took place and they confront their deeds, as campers are getting systematically mutilated.

THE BURNING is an enjoyable film, although you do feel somewhat sorry for poor Cropsy. The effects are top-notch, as expected, and the kills are very bloodily done with hedge shears (Cropsy’s trademark). There is the usual commotion among campers, where one is an outcast (Backer) and the usual sex crazed antics are present, which give some of that light-hearted contrast to the gore (the scene where the boys first see the girls in bathing suits is hilarious). The acting is actually pretty decent in this film, as in MADMAN; maybe it’s the time period, I don’t know, but I have a tough time sitting through teen-based movies of this past decade, without wanting to yell “shut up!” at the screen. Also, it is enjoyable to see familiar actors in these roles, it makes the movie “fun”, in a way.

The only real downside to the movie is that it kind of loses momentum in the middle, because the scenes of kids wandering through the woods trying to escape Cropsy get a little repetitive. I started to lose interest at that point but my attention refocused towards the end, which was worth it. MADMAN was able to pull itself out of tedium, but THE BURNING doesn’t have a whole lot of variation in atmosphere, setting, or characters which would break it up into discernable, memorable scenes. The effects/kills are memorable, but the rest of the scene gets a little lost. However, there are some instances of true surprise, which were unpredictable, and did break up a little bit of the monotony. For instance, the campers are on a raft and they find and abandoned canoe – as they paddle up to it, Cropsy jumps up out of it and kills them. I did n’t see that one coming; I thought they would just find a mutilated corpse.

Cutting to the chase: THE BURNING is a good slasher and it is entertaining, although it could have used more diversity in sets/atmosphere in the middle of the film. I think that it deserves a definite nod, because I have to say that it is a well-made film. Savini’s effects, “fun” performances, Wakeman’s score, Cropsy’s story, and the camp atmosphere in general make it an enjoyable time and, like MADMAN, I feel that this film is also overlooked in the hierarchy of horror. If you like the FRIDAY THE 13th films and the SLEEPAWAY CAMP movies, then you will probably like this one. It is very similar to the “camp-based” horror films in this style – swimming, bullying, nudity, gore, and disfigurement are all present and I think that it will quench the thirst for a good summer-time horror flick.