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In the earlier 1980's, the credit "Special Make-Up Effects by Tom Savini" was an envied credential. Having earned a marked reputation with his work on such previous features as Martin, Dawn Of The Dead and Friday the 13th, Savini's work in splatter cinema spoke for itself. And since he had already committed to Harvey Weinstein's 1981 production of The Burning, he declined Steve Miner's offer to helm the effects unit on Friday the 13th, Part II the same year.
This is a movie shot on a spuds-and-burger budget, to be sure. But it remains nonetheless a stark example of early 80's horror fare at its absolute premium. The acting is atrocious. Many key scenes are poorly lit. The otherwise-commendable music (by keyboardist Rick Wakeman from the rock group Yes) is misused. And Savini's effects are heavily edited, presumably because the MPAA ratings board wanted to "crack down" on gory violence, especially after the backlash of a certain summer-camp film released the year before. Meanwhile, Tony Maylam's directing is first-class.
During the prologue of The Burning, a group of beleagured employees of a Canadian summer camp plan a revenge-prank for the camp's caretaker, a cruel man named Cropsy (Lou David). An accident occurs during the prank, and Cropsy is burned alive in his bungalow, barely surviving the incident. Five years later, the disfigured Cropsy is released from the hospital burn ward and heads back towards the camp where it all started.
Meanwhile, another summer camp has set up operations on the same lake. And after a few days and nights of predictable tomfoolery, the headmaster decides that a teambuilding canoe trip for some of the counselors is in order. Hence, a group of counselors paddle there way several miles from the home camp to a distant shore....just where you-know-who is waiting.
Cropsy is not only vicious, but he's also patient. He has a certain beef to settle with one counselor, and that counselor is all-to-aware of his debt when the time comes. There's a spectacular massacre upon a make-raft upon which some would-be survivors sail, when the going gets rough--Cropsy just makes it rougher! Here, some of Savini's best effects were trimmed, and the final result is a deliriously-paced sequence of manic bloodletting and improbability.
There are some early performances by Holly Hunter, Fisher Stevens and George Costanza (whoops, I mean Jason Alexander) as counselors. And there's an ominous coda to the proceedings. It doesn't even invite a sequel, which is kind of unusual for an 80's slasher film. One of these days, some Urban Legend fanboy is liable to write one, but we can always keep our fingers crossed and pray, can't we?
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