Camp

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

Movie Details

Cast: Daniel Letterle, Joanna Chilcoat, Don Dixon (II)
MPAA Rating: PG-13

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DVD Features:

• Color
• Widescreen

International rating:

Europe: 12A

DVD International release dates:
North America: Feb 24, 04