A group of young people in Colorado pick up Ben (Nicola Farron), a soldier returning home, and he invites them to stay at his parents' camp. Unfortunately his father, Robert (David Hess), isn't thrilled with this idea as the camp has been closed since a couple of murders over a decade ago. Convinced the killer was an "old Indian Shaman," Robert has placed deadly boobytraps throughout the woods. Worse, the Shaman -- or at least a masked killer -- is back, working his way through the cast with mostly knifes and an occasional ax. And Robert's wife Julia (Mimsy Farmer of Four Flies on Gray Velvet) is having an affair with an old boyfriend named Charlie, who happens to be the sheriff (Charles Napier). Will anyone survive the slaughter and just who is the maniac in charge?
Clearly influenced by Friday the 13th and other slasher flicks, Bodycount is actually an Italian film, but if you're hoping for a stylish giallo exercise and an intricate plot a la Dario Argento, look elsewhere. The film never picks up speed or tension but just plods along almost haphazardly. The acting is variable but generally efficient, and Hess, Farmer and Napier are clearly the professionals in the bunch. The movie is so underlit at times that it's hard to make out who's being killed in the nighttime sequences. The music includes a snappy rock theme but otherwise the score does little for the picture.
Verdict: A slasher flick you can miss. **.
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