Bloody Murder (2000 Video) User Reviews

Bloody Murder alright...for viewers

[djderka · 2/10 · 22 November 2012]

I usually try and I mean try and write a fair review of low budget horror movies, because of production issues, talent available and script writing.

But this movie is just AWFUL.

Even 4x fast forward doesn't help the viewer.

Let's make a stew...awful tiresome script, some pretty bland actors and actresses, (friends maybe of director), the most boring direction ever seen in mo pix history...look up bland white bread direction.. the reference is Bloody Murder. See what happens when you make cheap video products available to the general public...

Plot: Early adults go to summer camp, a killer lurks around, Sheriff comes late to help..minimal action scenes, no nudity, no cleavage, no tight shorts or skirts..hmmmm.

This must be one of those 'let's make a movie this weekend' type of deals.

Some think this movie is a spoof. HINT: A spoof has to be funny. See Scary Movie (all of them). This movie had no chuckles, no terror, and no interest in seeing the plot advance forward.

A waste of digital pixels or film if that was used. You know this was shot in a weekend and then a pizza/beer party afterwards.

Was this a calling card for the director? A calling card to work in a pizza joint. Check out any youtube video, it will be more entertaining.

I thought it was bad, in hindsight...

[Zombified_660 · 4/10 · 13 April 2005]

It's not half as bad as I thought it was. Though don't think that's a hearty recommendation...I just saw The Pool and suddenly thought far better of this. Bloody Murder is dumb teenage hokum. It's pretty harmless and enjoyable in it's own way, but it's not going to freak you out or shock you in any way unless you're watching it underage or something.

If you're looking for dumb slasher fodder, this is all well and good. Teenagers turn up at a camp, hang out, play dumb games and flirt a little, then get killed off one by one by a psychotic nutter in a hockey mask. Sound familiar? Yeah, I thought so. For all intents and purposes this is a low certificate teenage version of Friday the 13th III, so much so that the movie makers are lucky Sean Cunningham et al have a sense of humour about people who are 'influenced' by their work otherwise they'd probably be getting sued right about now.

You could fall asleep halfway through this movie, wake up at the end and still not really miss anything, it's that simple. You'd miss a few killings, but they're not exactly horrific anyway. One of my favourites involved a Lawn Dart and a dodgeball, but that's toward the end anyhow. I'm told Bloody Murder 2 (known as Halloween Camp in my native England) ups the ante a bit, and does away with the somewhat pathetic lack of scariness (best example is a chase scene shot in broad daylight at a snails pace, removing any adrenaline entirely), but the jury's out until I get a chance to watch it.

Despite Bloody Murder being firmly lacklustre, the movie makers and cast obviously had a blast making this, and it gives the movie a definite sense of fun lacking from most bigger movies, so it's enjoyable to watch. But as a horror movie it's a failure. Not a resounding failure, but a failure nonetheless.

Cheesy (at times bad) eighties style fun.

[thescabboy · 4/10 · 30 September 2006]

It's really hard to classify movies like Bloody Murder. Obviously, this movie has it's fair share of core fans- me being one of them.

The movie is devoid of good writing, and a good story, but being a fan of independent horror (I mean really low budget productions) I think the movie was really well put together considering the budget and what actors they had.

Again, this movie reminds me of some of the low budget movies we got back in the eighties. It has a really authentic camp slasher feel, with a really well thought out plot twist- albeit badly executed. It's really hard to get over the pathetic "killer" Trevor Moorhouse who's built more like a 15 year old chess player, than a linebacker (ala Kane Hodder).

The name Trevor Moorhouse was said more times in 30 minutes than I have ever heard any killer's name said in any horror movie period. That was pretty annoying and unnecessary. Later, after people start dying the teens at the camp share their theories who the killer really is, which was really fun because anyone could have been the killer.

Once the audience is directed to believe someone is indeed the killer, we later learn isn't the killer- it's the head counselor who is'also Nelson Hammond. (oops)

The movie had a lot to offer, but lacked a lot. Everything the movie lacked, it seemed like they made up for in Bloody Murder 2, which I also liked a lot. Again, this movie isn't meant for people who are looking for a scare or a good movie. It's fun, it's cheesy, and it has a really nice camp location.

It's really hard to rater this because it's more like a Friday The 13th fan film than a legitimate release. But I give it 4/10 stars.

Blood 4/10 TnA .5/10 Location 8/10 Story 5/10 Directing 5/10 Acting 4/10

And so on.

Bloody Murder

[Toronto85 · 5/10 · 22 February 2011]

Bloody Murder is pretty much a straight forward rip off of the Friday the 13th movies. It takes place at a camp where the counsellors get knocked off one by one. The mask the killer uses is a hockey mask similar to Jason's. There is even an old man warning the teenagers of horrible things to come. Bloody Murder isn't all that good, but I enjoyed it as one of those "so bad it's good" slasher movies. The acting isn't very good except for the comic relief character of Tobe played by Patrick Cavanaugh. He did a great job as the funny guy who never seems to get the girl.

This is pretty much a hack and slash horror film without the excessive blood and gore. There are a few "neat" kills without much brutality. Interesting that the lead actress (Jessica Morris) hated the film and put it down. I thought she was a big reason for the film not being any better. Her portrayal of the main girl in the scary movie wasn't very well done. Surprising to me because I caught her in an episode of One Life to Live and thought she did much better in that. Maybe daytime is her thing.

Overall, fans of the genre might like it for it's cheesiness and for being a blatant rip off of the Friday films. There was a sequel made and from what I've read, it's a bit better.

5/10

Bloody murder? Bloody Hell, more like!

[DeVip · 30 April 2002]

Before people keep using throw-away comments like "THIS IS THE WORST MOVIE I'VE EVER SEEN" on film reviews, they should try sitting through garbage like this. I've seen some utter incomprehensible, no-redeeming-quality trash in my time (sigh), and Bloody Murder adds to the pile. It isn't the worst movie i've ever seen (but then, like I said...), hoewever, this is bad. Very bad. Bad acting, direction, editing, continuity, FX, script, music, imagination, everything-in-the-world. Aaaargh! Watching this film was like being flayed ...and then having needles scraped across my bones. Watching this film was like being paid a visit by the dentist from the marathon man ...and then being thrown a well-done steak to chew on. Watching this film was like being born without skin ...and having to bathe painfully every morning in lemon juice. You get my point?

Avoid!

[gila_film · 1/10 · 21 April 2003]

Bloody Murder is definetely a so-called slasher movie. This movie is accurately below-average that makes it so underrated. There's no gore, scare, decent twist or blood. Just do the routine without the spirit of the slasher it self. Even the killer is not original, sort-of combination of Jason and Leatherface (The Chainsaw!).

I'm mad with any person who made this piece of s**t. They're so money hungry but lack of skill or soul this genre needs. Everybody, avoid this!

1/10

Lame!!

[EricVierthaler92 · 1/10 · 8 July 2009]

Just a lame Friday the 13th rip off. I mean come on look at it. It's a killer wearing a hockey mask where have I seen that before? Oh yeah from Friday the 13th do we look stupid! Plus it also rips off Halloween with the jump suit the killer wears and not just those 2 movies it also rips off The Texas Chainsaw Massacre cause the killer uses a chainsaw. So that shows you how lame this movie really is because it rips off 3 horror classics. And Friday the 13th ripped off Halloween so Friday the 13th ain't original either. This movie sucked the hard one. I mean come on we have had ENOUGH rip offs of Friday the 13th, Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, etc. Its funny to see after 20 years after the horror classics were made that they are still ripping them off! Wow! And the ending of this movie made no sense at all! Like when you find out who the killer is! The killer's name even sounds cheesy. Trevor Moorehouse! Wow! Bloody Murder=horrible peace of crap movie

You won't scream "BLOODY MURDER!" You'll scream "I WANT MY MONEY BACK!"

[Zantara Xenophobe · 1/10 · 26 September 2000]

NOTE: This review contains a bunch of spoilers after the first paragraph.

There are many people that would claim that no original slasher movie can be made. These people insist that every slasher movie from 1980 to the present is a rip-off of "Halloween" and "Friday the 13th." (Note that I do not believe the "Friday the 13th" series is a "Halloween" rip-off) I typically don't think that way, but believe that, while those movies may have been an influence, it doesn't mean that each slasher movie can't bring original material to the screen. Look at such good slasher films as "Dr. Giggles" and "Popcorn" for example. And many slasher movies do provide new things, but still remain bad, like "The Majorettes" and the terrible "Nail Gun Massacre." But no movie has ever done the evil deeds that "Bloody Murder" has committed. It is by far the most blatant, bold-faced rip-off of "Friday the 13th" that has ever been made.

The movie opens annoyingly, with a man being killed by a man wielding a chainsaw, wearing a jump-suit and a hockey mask. But it is only a story being told by a teen to other teens as they head to the camp they will be working at over the summer. Yes, a group of teenagers at a summer camp with a hazy past. They explain that there is a local legend with no credence to it: some killer named Trevor Moorehouse roams the woods. Well, after some really bad introductions, we realize that none of the characters have any real personality traits whatsoever. Two of the counselors aren't even given names until the movie has been on for quite some time. Occasionally, some of the counselors are bumped off by someone wearing the jump-suit and hockey mask. There really isn't much more to say about the plot itself, since we all know how "Friday the 13th" goes. And speaking of which, let's see some of the ripped-off elements other than the fact that the killer is dressed similar to Jason in the Friday sequels and that there is a character named Jason that one counselor suspects is the killer because of his name. There is also a strange old man warning the main character about danger; the bodies disappear without a trace, and the dumb cast can't figure out what is wrong; and of course the killings themselves, which all are exact imitations from "Friday the 13th."

Trying to figure out who the killer is should be fun, but it is just painful here. You know that every time someone accuses someone else of being the killer, that it is not the accused. The police especially are stupid:

Sheriff: (holding up the imprint of a boot) Does Jason have a shoe that matches this print?

Julie: Well, yeah he does but....

Sheriff: Well, that's it. Jason Hathaway's our boy.

What? Was there an insignia on the bottom that said "Jason Hathaway's property?" There are some stupid police authorities out there, but police authorities typically are not THAT stupid; most are very intelligent. Why must our intelligence be insulted with such a character? Basically, by process of elimination, you can limit it down to a few suspects. I admit my main guess was wrong and secondary guess was correct, but that was mainly because the movie cheated. I can't say what it is without giving away too much, but it has to do with why the killer is killing, which is got to be the most implausible thing about the film. In addition to that there are character inconsistencies, people jumping from location to location in a way which is physically impossible, especially when they change their clothes in the process, and a downright terrible ending. My advice to anyone stupid enough to see this movie would be to give yourself extra time to watch it. You'll need it for the numerous times you have to stop the movie to beat your head against the wall. If you need proof of that, come look at the dent in mine. Zantara's score: 1 out of 10.

Bloodless Murder

[BroadswordCallinDannyBoy · 1/10 · 28 August 2007]

A young group of camp counselors gathers to prepare a summer camp for youngsters. Little do they know that in these woods there is a killer who was wronged long ago. A killer who wants revenge. A killer who wears a hockey mask. A killer who name is Jason Voor... I mean, Trevor Moorehouse.

This film needs two words to describe it perfectly: shameless and incompetent. Shameless in that is rips off "Friday the 13th" so obviously and it doesn't even try to cover its tracks, but actually goes on as a serious slasher film. The first killing is virtually a direct lift from "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Incompotent in that it doesn't even offer in the least what fans of the genre want and enjoy. For a film called "Bloody Murder" even if it is a shameless ripoff, you'd expect gore to accompany the deaths, right? Some kinky sex and nudity, right? Then all the cheesy dialog and generally predictable story would be forgivable, since the film would give what it promises. But that doesn't happen.

It doesn't happen in the least. No gore, no nudity, and some of the most lame horror movie murders you can set your eyes on. The obviously unrehearsed acting tops it all off for a truly forgettable (and possibly regrettable) film viewing. Just re-watch "Friday the 13th." --- 1/10

Rated R for violence. Ages 13+.

A stupid "homage" for nobody

[cgearheart · 1/10 · 17 April 2019]

This inept movie is the cinematic equivalent of a bag of rocks. The plot is the exact same as Friday the 13th but much dumber. The film in no way tries to redeem itself from its terrible acting, ridiculous characters, and predictable plot. There's no extreme violence, no excessive nudity, and no stupid humor. Just plain bad acting and low budget camera work for this severely mind numbing pile of excrement.

F

You'll be screaming bloody murder

[movieman_kev · 1/10 · 3 July 2012]

Years ago, reviewing Bloody Murder 2, I counted my lucky stars that I didn't have to sit through the first one, it seems luck only lasts so far before the chickens come home to roost as my TiVo apparently thought it funny to record this off Encore Suspense....

Anyways this lame Friday the 13th clone has a group of insipid camp counselors being targeted by a hockey-masked maniac. This movie hits the trifecta in that it fails as a F13 rip-off, it fails as a spoof and it fails as a horror film in general. Also worst of all it commits the cardinal sin of ANY B-movie by having a nudity-free shower scene. This is simply unwatchable in every sense of the word

My Grade: F

Low Budget, Homage/Ripoff To camp slasher movies: Good Fun.

[mmc123 · 10/10 · 16 September 2000]

I rented Bloody Murder and I enjoyed it. Although it is an obvious rip off of Friday The 13th its a good one. It throws in a little of the Scream generation of horror as well. I Hope this becomes a direct to video franchise...it would atleast be better than Children of the Corn which cranked dry after part 2 or 3. If they play their cards right it could make a few great sequels with a franchise killer...

Good for hard core horror fans only

[allgood-2 · 6/10 · 3 November 2000]

Well you can tell by the cover of this movie that it's a Friday the 13th rip off, and ignore the chainsaw, there's only one killing with a chainsaw. It didn't have much blood and gore, and what blood was shown looked like red spray paint. Less than half of the characters were killed. This movie strongly resembles the form of the early 80's slasher, "He Knows You're Alone". It had the potential to be really good and it wasn't. If you're a hard core horror fan looking for a modern camp slasher, rent it, you may like it, but you'll probably be disapointed. 6 out of 10.

"How could he drive with a chainsaw for a left hand?" I didn't think it was that bad actually.

[poolandrews · 5/10 · 31 December 2005]

Bloody Murder starts on a dark night on a lonely backwoods road as a motorists car runs out of gas, he sets off on foot to find some but instead finds a hockey mask wearing chainsaw wielding psycho killer... Teenage camp counsellors Julie (Jessica Morris) her boyfriend Jason (Justin Martin), Dean (Michael Stone) his ex-girlfriend Whitney (Tracy Pacheco) plus a couple of extra friends Tobe (Patrick Cavanaugh) & Doug (William Winter) all arrive at 'Camp Placid Pines' to get things ready & prepare for when it opens. The boss Patrick (Peter Guillemette) introduces himself & Brad (David Smigelski) & Drew (Crytalle Ford) & the scene is set. That night Jason disappears, shortly after Whitney vanishes & then it's Brad's turn to go missing. Sheriff Williams (Michael Prohaska) thinks Jason is responsible, but is it merely a jealous boyfriend or are the legends that surround Camp Placid Pines about mass murderer Trevor Moorehouse & his homicidal lust for revenge true?

This made-for-video horror film was directed by Ralph Portillo & Bloody Murder is such a rip-off I'm surprised someone hasn't sued. The script by John R. Stevenson recycles just about everything the 80's slasher offered. For a start Bloody Murder rips-off Jason Voorhees from various Friday the 13th film as the killer here wears a hockey mask almost exactly the same. However I must say that Bloody Murder goes from being a standard slasher into trying to be a murder mystery & I personally thought the double twist ending worked quite well & probably deserves a better film in itself. Some of the clues & red-herrings stick out like a sore thumb but at least it tries to create an air of mystery which is more than most slashers did. The character's are as clichéd as the rest of the film, the female lead, the ex-boyfriend, the sensible adult, the practical joker & the bit part disposable character's who don't say or do much except get killed. Like Scream (1996) this features some of that self referential dialogue that, in this, sounds very forced & clunky. Bloody Murder moves along at a fair pace & there are far more boring slashers out there.

Director Portillo messes Bloody Murder up big time, why on Earth did he shoot all the already unambitious & limited murders & slasher scenes in broad daylight? Because of this decision the film has zero tension, scares or atmosphere & there is very little build up to any of the murders, they just sort of happen from nowhere. The gore was also a Major disappointment, a slit throat, a couple of arrows shot into people & that's really it. There is no nudity either & in fact the film tries it's hardest not to show any, there is a shower scene for instance when Portillo films entirely above the shoulders.

Technically Bloody Murder is OK but it was obviously shot on video which adds to the cheapness. The location used looks exactly like the camp from the original Friday the 13th (1980). The acting was generally bad but better than some of these low budget shot on video horrors.

Bloody Murder is basically a real slasher rip-off paying particular attention to the Friday the 13th franchise. I thought the mystery elements & the decent ending saved it from being a complete bomb but in the end the lack of gore or excitement kills the film. I can't really recommend it but I thought it was watchable, nothing more.

Gives a good impression of what Cinema would be like in the deepest fathoms of Hell...

[RareSlashersReviewed · 15 February 2004]

If someone asked you to name Friday the 13th's visual trademark, what would be your answer? My guess is that nine out of ten people would choose the hockey mask that adorns every cover from part three up until the most recent entry as the series' most memorable attribute. Freddy has his deadly glove and Jason has his mask, no doubt about it. Trust Ralph Portillo, - the director responsible for the incredibly awful Fever Lake and a few other equally bad direct to video schlocksters - to go as far as to shamelessly steal Mr. Voorhees' signature facet for this horrid third rate dupe of the franchise. In the UK, this was released as 'scream' bloody murder and it doesn't take a genius to work out what was behind the choice for that title does it. I wondered exactly how much barefaced flagging I would find craftily concealed within the runtime and was looking forward to playing 'spot the influence' if things got a little too tedious.

It opens with a couple's car breaking down on a secluded road through some woodland. After arguing with his girlfriend, the guy decides to leave the safety of the vehicle and head out on foot to try and hitch a ride and get some petrol. On his journey he bumps into a masked psycho with a chainsaw that very quickly offs the unfortunate fellow just out of view of the camera. Next up we meet a group of poorly dramatised counsellors that are on their way to Camp Placid Pines, so that they can prepare for the visiting children that will be arriving in the next couple of days. Placid pines is situated in an area that pays host to an often-touted legend concerning Trevor Moorehouse and his murderous antics towards campers. Soon enough an unseen killer begins slicing his way through the counsellors and carefully stashing the corpses so no one is any the wiser to his anti-social escapades. Is it Trevor back to add strength to his legend or perhaps one of the workers has something to get off their chest in an exceptionally violent manner? Put it this way we've been there before. Many a time.

Firstly I must make an apology for my economical write-up of this routine entry into the 'killer in the woods' plotline. There's very little to put into words about Bloody Murder, because basically if you've even seen one of the many other stabs at a 'campsite massacre' flick, you'll know exactly what to expect from this mediocre muddle. Yep, we're not trying to add anything new to the formula here; instead they just rehash the age-old platitudes without bothering to add anything remotely plausible or authentic. The cast at least manage one bit of exceptional acting, when about half way through they all sit round a large screen pretending to look engrossed as they watch Portillo's previous slasher throwaway, Fever Lake. Anyone who manages to fake interest by that supreme waste of shelf-space should certainly feel that they have given an award-worthy performance! But seriously, these guys are as moronic as you can imagine, especially Julie (Jessica Morris) who's flat and obnoxious character really started to grate as time rolled on. I kept hoping that she would be next to meet the blade of the psycho, but no such luck, we were stuck with her unconvincing warbling right up until the end.

Just like Scream and the flocks of imitators that have been released most recently, we're meant to be intrigued into guessing who it is that's actually killing everybody. Red herrings and dodgy suspects abound, but the brainless conclusion is barely worth a mention and you'll probably guess who's behind the hockey mask halfway through anyway. Perhaps the most horrible thing about Bloody Murder, even worse than the shameful scripting and sub-standard direction, is that it's incredibly yawn-some. Even watching it to take notes for this review was a painful experience that I won't hurry to repeat. There's no gore, suspense or momentum and the performances make Arnold Schwarzenegger look like Lee Strasberg! The only redeeming feature was the attractive scenery that was truly a beautiful backdrop and deserved tribute from something much better than this offending offal.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about Bloody Murder is that it was successful enough to spawn a sequel that was a damn site better than this. Quite why anyone thought it was necessary to follow up something this terrible is indeed questionable. What's the point in watching a fifth rate Friday the 13th, when you can go and get the original for exactly the same price? If you want a good description of torture, imagine being locked in a room having to watch this over and over without any chance of escape! A fate worse than death! Sadly this doesn't even manage to be unintentionally amusing, it's just despicable. Do your best to avoid this one.

Unbelievably Bad

[pizowell · 1/10 · 26 March 2001]

Wow! This flick was bad, REAL bad! It is pretty funny to watch and laugh at how bad it is, but then you realize what a waste it is. A total and complete rip of Friday the 13th flicks. The killer wears a hockey mask for God's sake! The guy on the box with the chain saw is in the flick for 2 minutes. The real killer is passing himself off as that guy. He's an urban legend or some crap. There's very little blood for a slash flick and the killer is anything but scary. Some skinny, clumsy little geek with a mask on. Apparently they couldn't afford lighting because all the stalkings and murders take place during the day. This is true crap people, STAY AWAY!

Unwatchable

[worldpieceprod · 1/10 · 19 April 2006]

Never see this film. It will disappoint you on all levels. I have never seen a worse attempt at anything I'm my life. Bloody Murder is now the bottom by which I judge all things. I challenge the universe itself to create anything on par with the Craptastic nature of this Turd. There has never been a worse film made in all eternity. This is the very worst it can get. Anyone remotely involved in creating this endless black hole of tripe should be hunted down and executed slowly. Words simply cannot express the level of shear insult this movie will leave on your very existence. Every last copy of Bloody Murder needs to be rounded up and thrown into the fires of Mount Doom. Only then will humanity have a chance.

A true relic of early-2000s direct-to-video trash

[drownsoda90 · 5/10 · 26 August 2022]

My original review for this film in 2004 excoriated it for its derivativeness and general poor quality, which cannot be unaccounted for when attempting to gather one's thoughts on this film. "Bloody Murder" is a bad movie that rips off the most iconic summer camp slashers ("Friday the 13th", "The Burning", "Sleepaway Camp") and throws in a chainsaw for some Leatherface flavor, as well as a pair of Michael Myers coveralls for good measure. The villain in the film goes so far as to don a hockey mask and go by the name Trevor Moorhouse, which has a familiar ring to it (Jason Voorhees, anyone?).

Rewatching this film years later, however, I have found it to be a mildly enjoyable example of the direct-to-video garbage that flooded video rental stores in the early 2000s, aping the superior '80s slashers and '90s revival films that came in its wake. I will not attempt to make a case for "Bloody Murder" being a good film, but I do feel that it, down to its hokey title, serves as a quintessential example of the bargain-barrel fare of its time.

The entire thing is riddled with silly scenarios, horrendous performances, and not so much as one truly gory death scene; in reality, the film plays like a television film of the "Lifetime Movie of the Week" variety, except instead of focusing on teenage pregnancy or other troubled youth, it follows a group of camp counselors being picked off ala "Ten Little Indians". The film has a lifelessness about it that is remarkable, and the tone throughout is veritably one-note. There aren't any thrills to be had here.

While everything I've just written would suggest that I loathe this film as much as I did when I first saw it back in 2004, I actually don't. I find it silly and amusing despite its dullness and lack of originality. There is almost a surreal quality to it borne of its sheer artlessness. As it plods along in a paint-by-numbers manner, it offers a number of bizarre sequences and a slipshod finale that does nothing remotely redemptive. Perhaps I enjoy it now in retrospect because there is a nostalgia factor at play--it reminds me of an era where independent filmmakers would even dare to make such carbon-copy drivel, and when unsuspecting consumers could fall for the gimmicky artwork and plot synopses splashed across the back. "Friday the 13th" it is not--but it is a strange exercise in cherry-picking the elements that made films like that one work so well, but with no connective tissue and virtually no original thought.

Despite its inexcusable plagiarism, cheap special effects, dull cinematography, and lifeless performances, "Bloody Murder" stands as a true relic of the glut of direct-to-video trash that drew in (and disappointed) countless genre fans in the early-2000s. It doesn't work as an homage, and it barely works as a slasher film, but it is no less an audacious attempt that I've grown to develop a soft spot for. 5/10.

Yikes...I'm going to go back to watching the sequal

[ewamccurdy · 2/10 · 17 September 2018]

About 5-6 years ago I discovered a horror movie at Family Video called Bloody Murder 2. Without Wonder about the first Bloody Murder I checked it out and watched it and loved it. But unfortunately...I just watched the first one and I must say it was very very disappointing. There is barely any horror. It's more like a YouTube video made by some dudes and chicks with nothing but time on their hands with bad acting, knives, and gallons of fake blood.

The special effects are special needs. Nothing is creative. They dialogue is remained over girl talk and boyfriend girlfriend drama and revengey teens.

The acting was utterly atrocious and completely annoying.

The 'kills" were lame and never really showed anything let alone how they were killed until you see them badly act when "acting" being stabbed or shot.

Avoid this movie at all costs.

Straight to video ripoff of Friday the 13th

[doctorsmoothlove · 1/10 · 3 November 2020]

Many years ago, I saw the DVD for Bloody Murder and several other films in a Wal-Mart bargain bin. The cover art for the film features a killer in a plastic mask with eye holes wielding a chainsaw. Your guess as to whom is being ripped off? The story takes place on a campground. I'm a sucker for garbage so of course I bought it.

The actual film is less interesting that the cover. For most of its runtime, campers talk, set up the camp activities, make love, etc. It's really boring actually. There is very little story even for the villain, Trevor Moorehouse. He's just some crazy guy who escaped from prison. Yawn.

The main actress is competent enough but the lack of a script leaves the viewer with nothing. The scenery is typical of a movie like this. The lake where they filmed is beautiful. Too bad I couldn't get a good view form the compressed DVD from Lionsgate. With four other movies on it, the images suffers from compression artifacts.

Trevor Moorehouse is a disappointment. He doesn't get much screen time, lacks a weapon and fails to give off the impression of menace. He's just an actor in a Halloween mask holding whatever weapon is handy. This ends up being humorous because there is so little going on you can't help but laugh at how cheap the whole production is.

The title is the only clever part of the film. It refers to a game in which the camp counselors designate one of them to be the killer and find the other counselors. This sets up the first mostly bloodless murder. Seriously, this film could be featured on TV if the nudity was cut.

Twenty years later, Bloody Murder is a relic best left forgotten. I suppose if you must watch it, only do so if you find it on a free streaming service.

Bloody Murder

[HorrorFan1984 · 5/10 · 18 May 2020]

Someone is knocking off camp counsellors at Camp Placid Pines in this early 2000's ripoff of a few slasher flicks made years prior.

We first meet a group of 4 friends, including our obvious heroine and final girl named Julie. They're driving up to Camp Placid Pines, a place known for the legend of Trevor Moorehouse - an apparent hockey mask wearing serial killer responsible for missing teenagers over the years. Once at the camp, we get introduced to the manager Patrick and four other counsellors. One night at a campfire, the group decides to play a game called Bloody Murder. It's pretty much tag except the person caught has to scream out "Bloody Murder". We get some teen drama elements like one of the guys cheating on his girlfriend with his best friends girlfriend - all to build a suspect list of course.

Pretty soon, we start to see a few of them killed offscreen, but the police and the rest of the staff just assume they are missing. Julie starts investigating the past of the camp and discovers that there was an incident that took place there years prior when her father was a counsellor. Could the killings have to do with that, is it a jealous boyfriend who has lost his cool, or is Trevor Moorehouse really out there?

I enjoyed Bloody Murder for what it is - a Friday the 13th meets Scream knockoff. We get all of the typical characters for a slasher film. The sweet final girl, the jock, the geeky Randy from Scream type, the randoms added for bodycount purposes, etc. I enjoyed this movie for the actual story it told and the killer reveal. The idea of an incident that took place decades prior over a game of Bloody Murder is not the most unique, but was told very well.

Acting wise, we get no heavy hitters and pretty much unknown actors at the time who are in this one. Jessica Morris was an OK lead. I've seen her in One Life to Live and she pays the bad girl much better. A standout for me is the comic relief character Tobe played by Patrick Cavanaugh and Patrick played by Peter Guillemette. The script isn't the best, some of the dialogue doesn't make sense to the scene or to anything at times. But the actual story and stalking scenes make up for it. Don't expect a lot of gore though, outside of a couple stab scenes we get very little blood. The sequel more than makes up for that.

Overall, I'd recommend Bloody Murder to horror fans who enjoy the camp killing subgenre. It isn't that bad, one of the better attempts for a low budget slasher flick.

5/10

Murders Brain Cells

[blurnieghey · 1/10 · 9 August 2021]

Little blood, no gore, no nudity, no horror, no violence or anything else you can think of that would make a slasher flick tolerable. Just plain awful and, as much as you pray these annoying Dawson's Creek rejects get what's coming to them in some sort of nasty, sadistic manner, it never comes to fruition. What was the target audience for this piece of garbage? Twelve-year-old girls? Avoid this film like a venereal disease.

I thought it was Great

[The Creeper · 10/10 · 13 November 2001]

First of All, I am Sick and Tired of People Complaining of How Dumb they thought the movie was. Come on People. It was a Great Movie. It was Worth the $5.00 that it probably took to make it. Also, I like Mystery Movies, where you have to guess who the killer is. I hate movies like "Alien". Those stupid slasher movies. This one actually has Plot to it, unlike Hellraiser. The only "Stupid" Thing in the whole movie was the Wacky guy in the woods that they obviously stole from Friday the 13th. Also Reccommended: Slumber Party Massacre I-III, Sorority House Massacre I & II, The Friday the 13th Series, and All Three Scream Movies.

Here we go again! Another killer psycho-wearing a hockey mask-on the loose slasher flick!

[sol1218 · 6/10 · 12 October 2008]

**SPOILERS** Not that bad of a rip off of "Friday the 13th", with a little of "Halloween" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" thrown in for good measure. "Bloody Murder" has a bunch of teenage camp counselors at camp Placid Pines victimized, and murdered, by a masked nut-case running around in the woods with a chainsaw while dressed in-what looks like-car mechanic overalls.

You at first have the feeling that all this murder and carnage is only in the imagination of the people victimized by it. Even though a number of camp counselors are brutally murdered within the first half hour of the film it's done in such a hap hazard, and unconvincing, manner that the killings come across as it their part of some kind of dream sequence and not at all reality based.

We're also given clues to just who this masked killer, at the very beginning of the film, really is: The legendary Trevor Moorehouse. Moorehouse we're told is a deranged psycho who's been roaming the woods outside Camp Placid Pines for years slashing, with his chainsaw, anyone who got in his way. What Moorehouse's reasons are for doing all that is left very unclear in the movie. The closes I can come to understand Moorehouse's bizarre behavior is that somehow he was mistreated by the camps, Placid Pine, counselors and fellow campers when he was a young boy and is now taking his anger out on society!

Of all the characters in the film the one I found most interesting was that of the chubby and grossly out of shape local Sheriff Williams, Michael Prohaska. Williams who's been stationed in and around Camp Placid Pines since it came into existence seemed to be totally oblivious to what was going on around there now as well as over the years. Were told that during that span of time the masked psycho Trevor Moorehouse had murdered dozens of people. The Sheriff has such a bulging-looking like woman just about to give birth-stomach that's probably from the result of too many Big Mack's and Quarter Pounders-with cheese-that I waited-in vain- for him to finally tilt over and fall flat on his face! The fact that he didn't defied the very laws and long proved theories of Newtonian psychics!

The usual surprise, which was no surprise at all, and twist ending to the film was so predictable that in fact you would have been totally surprised if it didn't happen at all!

Is it okay if I kinda like this movie?

[thetheonly · 5/10 · 9 October 2019]

Now I would only recommend seeking this film out if you've seen just about every other slasher and you're a bit of a hardcore horror fan. Though I've seen this film twice and I walked away with a bit of an appreciation for what this film attempted. Now I'm going to skip a synopsis but get into what this film succeeds at and fails at. Now first the movie succeeds at going through every single horror trope but having fun with it. Now for most horror films a bunch of tropes and clichés would be bad but in this film it almost works and the reason being it is very purposeful in the respect of the creators wanted a bunch of tropes. Next I actually didn't mind a lot of the acting especially the killer, who despite his character's psyche not making the most sense really put in his all. Also some acting really sucks but it's kind of whatever. The film also makes frequent horror references which I found fun since I'm a bit of a horror nerd even though most of them were pretty shallow. The atmosphere and the tone are also a bit wonky but after a while you kind of get used to it. Now this movie does have one of the biggest fails a slasher can have, a lack of gore, literally there is hardly any blood, despite the special effects being acceptable for the time there is almost no blood. This film could've been pg-13 with how little bloodshed there is but there is also creative with a few of the kills but it makes you wonder what the director or effects guy was thinking. I also have to bring up how the killer is a bit of a rip off of Jason Voorhees which you can see from the box cover but that's not all he also uses the same weapon as Leatherface and finally has the same clothing as Michael Myers making me wonder if the killer saw a few too many horor movies, got confused and turned out a bit of a hacked together costume of everything. I like it and everytime I see the killer it makes me laugh thinking about that. But check it out if its free for you or you want to see something a bit strange its also free on amazon prime with subscription and I believe someone also uploaded it to YouTube.