This is not even a rip-off from "Friday the 13th"; it's almost an exact clone! Most 80's slashers at least try to bring some change in setting, the killer's background or continuity, but Maylem's film doesn't. Period! The plot features the exact same group of teenagers during summer camp. Just as it was the case in "Friday the 13th", the teens play stupid pranks, take canoe-trips (guided by banjo-music stolen from "Deliverance") and tell spooky campfire stories. The killer, Cropsy what's in a name shows strange resemblance to Jason Vorhees as he also is the dude everyone always picked on. So, this movie shamelessly steals all the elements that made F13 so popular. So what? If you manage to find a fully uncut version, you'll be exposed to some of the most repulsive and nauseating slaughtering ever shot! The Burning is gore to the max and that's exactly what makes it exceptional in its field. They really don't make 'em as bloody as this anymore. The nowadays horror directors should take a good look at movies like "The Burning" in order to find out how to really disgust and shock the viewers. The infamous raft sequence explicitly shows the massacre of five young teens, not leaving much to the imagination. Maestro Tom Savini's make-up effects provided this movie with a well-deserved spot in the notorious video-nasties list! As far as redundant teen-slashers go, this is a must see!
Review of The Burning
