Product Description

An extremely talented young cast shines in this "energetic musical romp" (Los Angeles Times) about a drama camp where the outcasts of today hone their skills to become the stars of tomorrow! Packed with romance laughs and "genuine show stopping musical numbers" (The Washington Post) Camp is "a blast of exuberant fun" (Rolling Stone)!Every summer talented kids with big voices and even bigger dreams flock to Camp Ovation. But this year a sexy new guy Vlad is not only stealing the show... he's stealing the heart of every girl he encounters. And as the biggest day of camp approaches the young performers must overcome backstabbing unrequited love and Vlad's unpredictable libido to pull off the greatest show of their lives!System Requirements: Running Time 110 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: MUSICALS/MUSICALS Rating: PG-13 UPC: 027616901255 Manufacturer No: 1005889

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6769 in DVD
• Brand: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
• Released on: 2004-02-24
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: AC-3, Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 110 minutes

Amazon.com
Charming and frequently hilarious, IFC Films' Camp is like Fame for the musical-theater set. It's set at Camp Ovation, a summer retreat for budding actors and singers who chant Stephen Sondheim's "Losing My Mind" on their bus rather than "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall." Into this environment comes a--gasp!--straight male, Vlad (Daniel Letterle), who turns upside down the lives of wallflower Ellen (Joanna Chilcoat), cross-dressing Michael (Robin DeJesus), and instructor Bert Hanley (Don Dixon), a frustrated one-hit-wonder composer. Camp was written and directed by Todd Graff, himself a Broadway veteran, based on his experiences at New York's musical camp Stagedoor Manor (which was attended by Natalie Portman and Robert Downey Jr., among others). The characters are a bit thin and the plot somewhat predictable, but the musical numbers are a lot of fun--older tunes are mixed with originals by Stephen Trask (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Michael Gore (Fame), and Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime, Seussical the Musical)--and fans of musicals will love the many inside jokes, especially those relating to Sondheim. --David Horiuchi

From The New Yorker
A coming-of-age story about a group of Sondheim-loving teens at a performing-arts camp. The writer-director Todd Graff's frothy opening sequence promises a lighthearted ride, but the film soon bogs down in self-help blather. Still, the actors give the low-budget musical numbers a humble allure. There's not a Ruben or a Clay in sight. -Bruce Diones
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

CAMP
I saw this movie on cable and just had to get a copy for myself. Its awesome. Summer camp for the nerdy thesbians, but these kids have talent!!! I love the medley of broadway tunes they sing, and the story is cute and funny as well. None of the actors are well known, but for this story I like it better that way.

Great Fun, Super-Talented Teens and Outstanding Songs
I understand why some reviewers of this winning movie find it a little angsty and melodramatic - because it is. But for those who remember adolescence, everything is angsty and melodramatic - it's a time of operatic emotions and overblown reactions. It's a time when you think that no one has ever loved as you have, when tripping over your feet in the lunchroom is an embarrassment that surpasses that being arrested for prostitution, and a single zit on your forehead makes you want to take to bed for a week.

In Camp, Todd Graff captures those emotions perfectly. The actor are up to the task, with Robin de Jesus giving an Oscar-worthy performance as the drag-loving Michael. I'm serious. Compare his gutsy, accomplished performance with the tentative underacting of Jaye Davidson in The Crying Game, and I think you'll agree that it was de Jesus who should have walking the red carpet with his acceptance speech folded in the pocket of his tuxedo - or his evening gown.

But all the kids are terrific performers. So much talent! Why aren't these young people on American Idol?

Camp takes place in a special summer camp where it's the straight boys who are in the minority - much like the drama club of my high school back in the 80's. The songs are great, and by the closing number - the joyfully performed "For the Want of Nail," you'll be on your feet and filling out the application for next year's camp season.

Scott Sherman, author, First You Fall: A Kevin Connor Mystery

silly and predictible
Silly, predictable, and over-the-top, this film tries too hard in all the wrong places. It should've focused on a better script and hired more talented actors (although the actors are pretty good singers, their acting abilities are questionable at best). It might pass for a made-for-TV film, but nothing more than that.