SYNOPSIS
After being caught pranking the school band, Matt Stifler (Tad Hilgenbrink) is forced to spend the summer at Band Camp where he decides to secretly film the other campers and counselors to impress his older brother Steve. He falls for band member Elyse (Arielle Kebbel) and ends up trying to change his mischievous ways.
CRITIQUE
At first glance American Pie Presents: Band Camp seems merely like a cheap ploy to capitalize on the success of American Pie franchise. I had my reservations about this straight-to-DVD title but was pleasantly surprised at the end. The movie is entertaining, though not very funny. The funniest scene is when Matt kicks his rival Brandon Vandecamp (Matt Barr) in his genitals for a second time. Tad Hilgenbrink emulates all of Steve Stifler’s mannerisms effectively, to the point where you might believe he is truly his younger brother.
This movie should appeal mostly to young adults, while film critics would probably have a field day with it. The average red-blooded male will enjoy the gratuitous nudity presented throughout the movie. Most viewers could have predicted Matt and Elyse ultimately falling for each other, but having Elyse’s team lose the competition in the end was a nice surprise and deviation from the predictable notion of them prevailing in the end. The movie could be considered a “one and done” viewing experience but might entertain you for 95 minutes if you fit the right demographic.
THE VIDEO
Band Camp is presented in a nice 1.85:1 anamorphic video. English, Spanish and French subtitles accompany the movie.
THE AUDIO
A very fitting audio presentation that includes the usual 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround experience.
THE EXTRAS
Outtakes: A lot of profanity here.
Deleted Scenes: Nothing noteworthy, many scenes furthering the relationship between Chloe and Ernie.
Band Camp Dirty Diary: A decent behind the scenes look at the filming of the movie. Tad in real life appears to be much like the Matt Stifler character he portrays.
Poolside With Band Camp Girls: A misleading title as this is just a Q&A session.
Band Camp’s Dirty Secrets: Two band camp girls give a tour of the sets.
Rover Cam Uncut: Cheesy and again misleading, I don’t believe there was any nudity, hence no need for “uncut” in the title.
Band Camp Girls: The Music Video: Set to Sir-Mix-A-Lot’s “I like Big Butts,” this is pretty interesting…
Unrated Love Lessons With Ginger Lynn: Mainly just Ginger demonstrating sex with fruits and vegetables.
FINAL THOUGHT
Though not as good as its predecessors, Band Camp is worth checking out as a rental if you’re a fan of the series.
