386: Hell of a Summer (2025)

SPEAKER_01 0:04

I wanted to go first, but also I don't have an erection, so I don't know if I should.

SPEAKER_04 0:08

Oh my. I don't know that any of us do.

SPEAKER_01 0:15

Greetings and salutations, and welcome to Hacker Slash. If you're joining us again, welcome back. I don't think I know you, dude. If this is your first time listening, welcome to the party. We are a horror movie review podcast dedicated to telling you whether a movie is a hack.

SPEAKER_03 0:29

A total joke, a waste of time, or a splash. Totally killer, pun intended.

SPEAKER_01 0:34

We believe horror is for everyone, and at such we're rate in these movies with the perspective we've gained from our varying walks of life and the flavors of fear we fancy most. My name is Chris, I'm your friendly neighborhood slasher enthusiast. This week I'm joined by the Superfly Space Guy Mac.

SPEAKER_05 0:46

Hey, simple use plastics for the real killers.

SPEAKER_01 0:49

The classic horror connoisseur Sean.

SPEAKER_05 0:51

Too much tongue.

SPEAKER_01 0:52

And the paranormal paramour, Binx. And you're like 40 fucking five and you still go to summer camp. This week we're back in theaters to check out a Summer Camp Slasher distributed by Neon.

SPEAKER_03 1:02

And if you support the show, you'll also get to hear our B side at the end of this episode where we get into Summer Camp and our own slasher version coming to life.

SPEAKER_01 1:10

In 2019, Finn Wolfhard and Billy Brick, who met on the set of Ghostbusters Afterlife, discovered a shared love of horror, humor, and the new ambition of writing a film. What started as a passion project eventually became a co-written and co-directed debut for the duo, backed by 30 West and produced with support from Aggregate Films. The film was shot over 19 days in Ontario and cast with a focus on fresh, undiscovered talent. And the story, well, that takes place at Camp Pineway, where a group of counselors spend the night before opening day getting everything ready for the incoming kids. But as darkness settles in, someone else is already at camp, and the countdown to survival begins. This week we're talking about hell of a summer. What were you all expecting going into this?

SPEAKER_05 1:53

I think I expect a lot from Neon's movies. They just have some absolutely artful, modern quality films. So this either was gonna be absolutely wacky and artsy and mental or just executed damn well. That's what I thought as soon as this trailer came on the screen.

SPEAKER_00 2:09

Yeah, you see, I didn't even realize that it was distributed by Neon until I saw it in theaters. So I'll be honest, I actually didn't expect it to be that great, but was hoping that it would be at least entertaining. I didn't know much of it, truthfully, other than, of course, Finn Wolfhard, because I'm obsessed with Stranger Things as we know, that he was co-directing it and wrote it, and it being set in Summer Camp. I do remember that. It had Fred Hetchinger, I think is his name. I've seen so many of his things, a couple movies actually recently that he's been in, like Thelma, Gladiator 2, so a couple stuff. We definitely recognized him, but other than that, I didn't remember much from the trailer if it had been on while I was at the movie theater. Figured it'd be campy, silly, you know, something that I was really, really hoping would re-energize me because I went into that theater today pretty tired. And I thought, well, this'll be fun, good time, and it'll wake me back up.

SPEAKER_03 3:04

I'm right there with you. I honestly didn't remember anything about this movie going into it. I don't know why. I like drew a blank when I was like, hell of a summer, hell of a summer. I'm like on my way to the theater. I know I've seen the trailer probably multiple times, but I couldn't tell you anything about it. And I read the extremely short synopsis on IMDB on my way to the theater, and the snippets I think were starting to come back to me vaguely, but I guess I was really just expecting some generic sleepaway camp Friday the 13th type shit.

SPEAKER_01 3:36

Yeah, I remember seeing the trailer in theaters earlier this year, and I hadn't heard anything about it before then. But what was really exciting was learning that this movie has been pretty much out there since 2023. It had a festival debut, and then Neon finally got the deal done to distribute it. But I remember seeing the trailer and thinking, oh shit, that's gonna be so fun. Because I remember there were several moments in there that felt like they were just great punctuation of comedy, as opposed to it being just overtly ridiculous the entire time. It felt like something, at least it appeared to be, that would balance a really good blend of violence slasher fun, but also modern comedy. Let me tell you, I fucking love summer cam movies, and this one, even from the second that we really get into it, it immediately clicked with me. I felt like realistically, the tone was pretty consistent from start to finish. I felt like a lot of it's like endearing, lighthearted, and fun without dragging its feet. So I felt like it was in good hands the whole time.

SPEAKER_00 4:42

Yeah, that I can sense because you bring up a good point. Tonally, I think it was consistent. I never felt like it was ramped up or excessive because you bring up such a good point also about the comedy. I didn't realize that it had been really out there in the world to an extent since 2023. And my thought was that I was gonna get something in the same vein of Y2K in a way, but maybe not as obnoxious. And look, I I stayed awake the whole time, which is a lot more than I expected. You know, this movie had a lot working against it because I was tired as fuck. But I will say, although consistent in pacing and tone, the third act kind of felt like, all right, we're we're dragging along a little bit. So I found myself like laying down, getting cozy in my reclining chair at the AMC, you know. Nothing like really felt like I was stressed or I was excited or really bought into it. I didn't feel as energized as I needed the film to energize me, right? So not the kills, not any of like the reveals or the characters, but there's definitely charm that I will give it. There's some charm, there's some good moments that I thought were meant to be funny, and there's certainly some great lines that are quotable, but I just didn't seem to like feel much of any emotion throughout the movie. I didn't feel like it was very funny. I didn't feel like I was very stressed, very scared, nothing that really just like broke any particular threshold of a genre or subgenre.

SPEAKER_03 6:16

Yeah, I think this movie had a lot of ups and downs. I felt like some of the comedy did shine through and I was laughing in some moments. I did have a good amount of moments in this film where I was genuinely laughing, something made me chuckle, whatever it was. But in other areas, it didn't feel the same. So there was a lot of ups and downs. Not everything was perfect. I felt myself almost wanting more out of certain elements of the film, and overall wanted to feel like I don't know if it's the right word, but like a bit more commitment to the slasher genre. I wanted just to see a little bit more interesting.

SPEAKER_05 6:50

I've read somewhere in the past that with each generation, kids get smarter than the generation before them, and there's like multiple factors that can apparently affect this. The current generation that's out there in their 20s, before I guess they're not the current gen anymore, the teenagers are. However, all these kids are, they're really smart and they have a unique sense of humor. It's not one that we may always connect with. And so when I see this trailer and I see who's attached and I see who the directors and writers are gonna be, it's worrying a little bit because I'm like, am I going to find it funny? Am I going to enjoy it? Or am I just going to be so out of date and out of touch with everything that I can't even get the most out of it? And I have to say, thankfully, that was not the case here. It does aid you a little bit. It makes you question these teens' motives, but it plays out, I think, like a movie made by the youth for the youth, but without the older generation necessarily in the way. Because I think teens act and talk to each other a certain way when adults are not in the room. And that's what this felt like while watching it was they're letting their dark senses of humor out. They are letting this overly informed, overly educated kind of background into the picture and being silly with each other. And so there's situations that should be taken very seriously that they're just not going to because that's how dark and twisted their reality is these days. And so their sense of humor is developed for that. And so I have to give a lot of credit because I didn't I didn't feel necessarily outdated because of that. It felt more like I can I can tell that obviously what they're saying is funny, what they're doing is funny. It makes me feel old because, oh, don't do that, don't do that stupid thing or say that stupid thing. But in reality, it's like, no, these guys have their wits about them, this and the entire movie from a production and writing standpoint.

SPEAKER_01 8:33

I think that's what makes this refreshing in a way. Because this is a movie about teenagers that is largely written by two teenagers, or at least where they were in their lives when their friendship began. They're in their early 20s now, but they started working on this movie pretty soon after meeting. And that takes you from at least Finn Wolfard being 16 at the time that they met up until his early 20s now. There's a lot of youth there. And I actually have a couple links in the show notes to some interviews that they did. And one of which he's talking about where people often stumble when writing teens in movies, instead of just treating them as full-figured people and not just alienating them as a separate generation. So that was a really interesting take. But I found that a lot of the comedy in this movie, at least for me, hit pretty universally. There wasn't anything in there that I felt was like, oh shit, wow, okay, I bet my niece and nephews would really love this, but I don't get it. I think there was some of that comedy maybe in bodies, bodies, bodies. And I think to your point, Bing so you mentioned Y2K. There's so much funny in Y2K that some other generations won't get because it relies to some extent in some moments on its audience being its target demographic, right? But I think this one does a pretty good job of just being fucking funny, not hilarious, not Tucker and Dale versus Evil, not ooh, Officer Weave had a doozy of a day level of funny. But enough that there was plenty of laughs in my theater when I went to go see this earlier in the week. And it was a crime, honestly, that the theater audience wasn't bigger. But I think something that disappoints me is actually pretty aligned with what you were mentioning, Binx. The third act doesn't really energize you. And I think it's because it wasn't wildly shocking. It builds up in a way that I think you can just anticipate and appreciate and respect, but it does leave this taste in my mouth of could it have been a little bit different and would it have been better? I don't know that answer. That is an entire pathway that we'd have to like really sit down and explore. I think this movie has a lot of charm for making the choices it did, but there is this avenue where I was like, mmm, I was kind of hoping for this. I was hoping for for it to subvert my expectations in a way.

SPEAKER_05 10:52

It's interesting you mentioned that you can kind of figure this movie out fairly early on, and it follows through all the way to the end, like you've mentioned. But to me, that wasn't necessarily a horrible thing because I think this genre has certain outcomes. It has certain reveals. The slasher, the camp slasher genre specifically. And what was nice here is they said, okay, like we can get a little close to that, but we're gonna do a more modern version of it. The entire conceit is kind of a joke as well, which added to the comedy. I'll also agree that they had some pretty good comedy in here. It's interesting that they didn't necessarily blend it all together. It wasn't all a big camp fest, but they had those moments of serious slasher, and then they had the other 70% of the film, which was these teens being jerks and that being funny to us. So it was it was still a good mixture.

SPEAKER_03 11:43

Yeah, I think one thing that surprised me about this film was the fact that it was fully entertaining. Even with its flaws, I still felt entertained throughout the whole film. I think no matter what disappointments I had and what things I wanted to pick apart, I was still somehow invested in the story for some reason. And I just I never really felt bored while watching the movie. Some parts felt like maybe dragging on, like you both said in the third act, but overall I felt pretty invested. I think probably due in part to like the nice short and sweet runtime, right? I think it's like an hour and 30 something minutes or something like that. And so I don't know, it kept me entertained, but I think what really disappointed me the most was honestly it's maybe a toss-up actually between I think our lead character Jason or the gore and the kills in this movie. I think it's one of those two that was really a toss-up of my biggest disappointment with this film, and I can't wait to get into it.

SPEAKER_01 12:41

Oh, yeah. See, this is a little bit of what I was alluding to, and I can't wait to unpack that in the spoiler zone. But let me tell you, I mentioned earlier that this movie is funny, and there's a very specific moment of funny that I want to compare it to. I'm not gonna spoil the movie for you, but this movie manages to land its comedy in the exact way I want from a horror comedy slasher without it being a parody. Like this had the appropriate amount of it because for me, the jokes never undercut this story, doesn't like dig out and really undermine what it's trying to do. It just punctuates it, it accents it, it compliments it. And it reminded me of laughing at a moment in Sleepaway Camp where one of the older campers says to one of the main characters, eat shit and die. And then one of the other characters says, Eat shit and live, Bill. And that one was just a moment that fucking killed me watching Sleepaway Camp. And that spirit of entertainment really carried itself through this movie.

SPEAKER_00 13:46

But that's interesting because that's where I can see what you're saying, but that's where I would say I felt disappointed that the comedy, although just the right amount, didn't really hit the mark in terms of execution right down to the finish line. And and maybe after hearing you guys talking about it, maybe what it is is the acting. Because although I love that they intentionally wanted to cast people that maybe just haven't been in a lot of projects, you know what I mean? Up and coming talent type deal. Fred Hedginger obviously is not that because he's been in everything under the sun. But everybody else, you know, for the most part, at least I'm not very familiar with the other work if they are in other things. Maybe it's that though, because I felt like the lines were there and I sensed that it was just the right amount of comedy. It didn't give too much younger generation. It felt like it could transcend generations universally funny. The lines and the quips were really, really good. But was it the comedic timing? Was it the execution? I don't know what it was, but it's like, damn, I like that line, but why didn't I laugh? Like, why didn't I feel like not even a chuckle? It sucks. And I think that if I were to read it on paper, I'd have a good time and I'd laugh because I know that it's funny, but I just didn't get behind the emotion of it. And maybe it has to do with the writing in general, in terms of the character development, that I didn't really buy into some of the chemistry so that the lines and the del like the delivery of the lines were more effective too, because we've got a couple like, you know, jabs here and there left and right. Some of it works, some of it doesn't. But in that example, right? I know I haven't seen Sleepaway Camp, but I would imagine that the chemistry and the characters have developed so much so in the film that when that line is delivered, you get a laugh and you feel like hell yeah, you know? Again, that's an assumption. And there's like moments of that in this film that just didn't really feel that way for me because I just didn't care and I didn't buy into it.

SPEAKER_01 15:44

So it's LOL funny, not laughing, crying, emoji funny, not LM. Exactly. It's not LMFAO.

SPEAKER_03 15:51

No, for sure, just L O L for sure.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

It's literally an LOL with the most stoic face as you're typing it.

SPEAKER_01 15:58

Okay, but I did literally L O L in this movie. I actually laughed out loud in the theater.

SPEAKER_03 16:03

I had a couple chuckles. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:05

No, I love it. I love it. There are, listen, friends, there are definitely some lines here that I enjoyed thoroughly in terms of like written that is fantastic. Some that I wish I could have written, like kept up with it, right? So because I wanted to actually use it as my favorite quote and I just couldn't get it right. So I'm like, if I can't get it right, I'm not gonna say it, you know, wrong. But some moments that I can't wait to share in the spoiler zone, but the delivery just wasn't there. And to your point, Sean, the other disappointment that I have is that this movie is not in the least frightening. And I'm not even sure there are jump scares in this one, actually. Right? Okay. Good. Thank you for clarifying that for me. And I and just in case, friends, if you're like listening to this and you know you want to dip your toes in the water and you are a little scaredy cat, don't like. I know that a lot of people tell me that they look to me for that because you guys are like stone walls of fear, like nothing penetrates that wall. But I didn't even jump, not even squirm in my seat, not once. So I'm thinking to myself, damn, was there even a jump scare? It's a scare. And if there was, listen, it's a horror comedy.

SPEAKER_03 17:13

It went right over my head.

SPEAKER_01 17:14

It's a horror comedy.

SPEAKER_03 17:16

It is a horror comedy. So you you're like, well, is it gonna be scary? Most of the time, it's not obviously scary or as scary as you would get if you're just like straight into the horror genre. But you're right. There were like literally no even attempts at jump scares really in this movie. The movie I don't even think really delivered much on any tension or suspense very well. It kind of danced around it, but never really committed to that. Every time you see the killer, the killer is just slowly emerging onto the screen. Like you're not even getting anything where it would even be remotely scary.

SPEAKER_01 17:50

So, again, horror comedy. It's the kind of movie that you want to watch when you're with someone who can't handle the real tough stuff, but you still want to show them some violence and you want to have a good time and have your cup filled. That's where I think this lands. But I would argue that moments of slow emerging can be impactful. A la, 1978, John Carpenter's Halloween, Michael Myers with the we all know the dimmer squitch moment where she backs up into the corner, his mask appears. There's a moment similar to that. And again, it's more about the cinematic quality of this movie. Like this moment is just fucking gorgeous. So if you're a seasoned horror fan, it's not gonna do shit for you. But I do think it has the potential to do something for someone who is particularly vulnerable.

SPEAKER_05 18:37

I could see that. I think it hit a level of fear, a level of terror that I expected from it. Because let's be honest, do you expect to be frightened by Sleepaway Camp or by honestly Friday the 13th? Let alone something more modern. I think you know that this particular genre is not meant for that. Even Scream, I don't think most people really find scary. Another movie that this one heavily relates to. It's set in this horror film universe, but I don't think that necessarily means that you have to expect any frights from it. Were there moments that they could have put in jump scares? Sure, of course, they could have. I'm kind of glad that they did it because I think it makes it more in touch with its roots by kind of not doing that. You know, I mentioned just a couple movies right there that this feels like, but it also feels like some more modern stuff as well. I think we talked about this before we started recording, but bodies, bodies, bodies has a very similar vibe. And there's something here that definitely feels related to a lot of different properties, which makes sense. These guys have watched all the stuff that we've been talking about, and so that's going to impact their creative process.

SPEAKER_01 19:41

It's interesting though, looking at the things that can influence because this movie is really successful in my eyes as homage, and it's not gonna break the mold, but I think what this movie does best is the way it builds up its characters. Not saying that they're crazy arcs or anything like that, but this is the first summer cat movie I've seen in a long time where I actually like every single character, even if I dislike them. Like there's something really wholesome about the way these people are built up in the moments that they have before all the mayhem begins. I think this movie is a love letter in some ways to slashers and horror, but it has a level of self-awareness where it still tries to play itself straight. And so, listen, yes, I mentioned it, it's more homage than just straight up reinvention, but that's fucking okay. Sometimes we just need a fun little turn to brain off movie and just enjoy the ride.

SPEAKER_00 20:38

I would agree with you in terms of although I'm not necessarily the biggest fan of all the characters and how they're written, it's certainly not because I think any of them are annoying to that nature. I don't even think we get like the overtly pain in the ass, I can't even stand them on screen type character, actually. Everyone's like decent. Yeah, there's gonna be a couple of like, all right, personalities, okay? You get the tropes, we've been there, we've seen them, you know, it's almost necessary when you get a slasher, but it's nothing obnoxious. And I would rather have that than constantly have that one character you can't stand, can't wait to kill. It changes it up, you know. That's at least refreshing. I'll give them the flowers for that.

SPEAKER_03 21:21

Yeah, I mean, I think it did a good job building up a good amount of characters. Nothing wrong with that, but I feel like it doesn't feel super original, right? It's heavily influenced by some of the bigger slasher films in the genre. We know that it's playing heavily into some of the typical tropes that you would see in a movie like this. So it's definitely something that you've seen before. The story is semi-predictable, it feels a little bit regurgitated, different characters, maybe, but story-wise.

SPEAKER_05 21:51

I think this makes me think of South Park, and this is gonna sound really strange, but Matt Stone and Trey Barker, who make South Park, have a rule. When they're writing, it's the but and therefore rule, and basically you lay out the beats of your story, the things that are gonna happen, right? If in between them you can use the words oh and then specifically. So if you can say A happens and then B happens and then C happens, it's boring, right? And so if you can replace those words with but or therefore, so A happens, but B happens, therefore, C happens, it gets much more interesting because the events are kind of building and reacting to each other. And I think this movie for the most part here is kind of able to do that, like have a story that doesn't feel boring in the story itself, except for when we get towards kind of the third act. And that's when it becomes a bit more and then. But for the rest of the film, it didn't hit me in that way. It hit me as like they're thinking creatively, we're finding fun ways to go from A to B to C. And it wasn't until we get to the resolution that it feels like, okay, we have to resolve this, so you know, this is what that's gonna look like.

SPEAKER_01 22:59

Yeah, it's interesting you bring that up and you think about the way things build up here. There are two characters who I would say one has a bit of an arc, the other one does not, and they remain pretty consistent throughout the movie. But I think beyond that, and what we get on paper, I think there's a lot in this movie that is emotionally and narratively turned. I just don't know if I think if it's if I think it should have been a little bit different. You know what I mean? Like the ending here makes sense, and I get it, but also I find myself with this what if? And that's not a feeling that I always want walking out of a movie. But listen, I wouldn't be mad if this movie stayed a one and done. I think it wraps itself up, it's conclusive, I'd be okay with that. But what it did do successfully was make me want to see more from this duo. I want to see Wolf Hard and Brick make more together because it feels special. And if this is their first thing right out the gates together, imagine how much better they're gonna be together.

SPEAKER_00 24:01

Well, I think that it's very clear that their collaboration with each other throughout the years and acting is so special, and that chemistry definitely transcends into this film. You can see the chemistry between the two of them and the characters that they play in the movie, and obviously then witnessing their work. And although I know I've critiqued their writing pretty bad so far, I would say that it's right there though. Like this may not be my jam, but I would say that I am definitely interested to see where this goes in a few years' time. Finn Wolfhart in particular, I know I'm insanely biased. I have like 17 Funko Pops of him right next to me. But like he is an extremely talented young adult. Okay. He's been making music, he's been writing, directing short films. Like he this is this is his jam. So I know that it's like festering. And I don't know too much about Billy Brick, but I would only imagine the same. And there's potential, and I think like we need to invest in like young talent. The ending, although wasn't as uh exciting as I needed it to be, and like the overall third act felt a little bit of a lull. I saw a lot of potential, and that's all I need. I need to see potential so that I can feel like, all right, the next couple works that they do, like, all right, maybe this will shape up to be better. I'd love to see a gorier horror film. I'd love to see, you know, maybe even like a thriller, like a murrur mystery thriller type deal, something that's real good. But until then, this is what we got.

SPEAKER_01 25:34

You're starting to sound like me with all that potential. The potential with all that potential?

SPEAKER_00 25:38

Yeah, maybe. Leave it to a Stranger Things cast member for it to be the reason why.

SPEAKER_01 25:43

That's all it took.

SPEAKER_03 25:44

But you know, whether there's potential or not, whether they may go on to make better movies or not, the ending is what we're talking about, this movie, and this movie's ending was just okay. It was just okay. There's nothing special about it. The reveal is fine, the motives feel a little bit strange, it's never really explained super well. Maybe that one went over my head, whatever. I think the ending reminds me of a certain horror film, but it didn't land the same, and maybe it's trying to be like a parody of that motive, but I don't know that it landed in the way that maybe it was intended to.

SPEAKER_01 26:17

Well, I can't wait to see how all these mixed signals translate to our ratings. But before we get there, Sean, how would you describe the gore score?

SPEAKER_03 26:24

Man, I really wish there was more gore in this movie. I really do. I really wish there was more because there are moments in this film where the gore is really cool, it's really fun, and I'm here for it. But unfortunately, they decided to be a little bit too tasteful with the overall amount of gore in this movie because there was so little of it. And I get that this is supposed to be a campy horror comedy and less of a graphic horror, like hardcore slasher film, but damn, I really felt chump bitched with this one. Like I really wanted to see a little bit more, and so this one is getting a low gore score, but the small amount of gory moments we do get are kind of great.

SPEAKER_01 27:05

And what about the animal report? We are all good this summer for the animals. Well, let's go ahead and get into our ratings then. Hell of a summer now showing in theaters. Was it a hack or a slash?

SPEAKER_05 27:15

Look, I'm down for a good old-fashioned slasher, right? I've mentioned this before. I'm kind of like Chris in that regard, but these modern slashers we've been seeing the last few years, some of them are really good. And I think Hell of a Summer falls into that group. Each of the good ones recently has, I think, four things. Something old, like an off-use setting. Here we're in a summer camp full of horny, rebellious teens. Something new, like the fun hip twist or conceit based on the current zeitgeist. These hip young kids are fighting off cringe. They're recording tutorials for TikTok. They're being overtly and overly supportive of marginalized groups and food sensitivities, and it's definitely giving 2025. They also have something borrowed, like the killer's MO or Wardrobe Choices. And this one we've got a classic Stab Stab Killer in a black robe and goofy emotionless mask. And of course, something blue, something just a bit imperfect, something keeping it from hitting absolute greatness. Hell of a summer's a little too on the nose, a little too easy to figure out, and a little too cringe in all of its writing that's trying to point out the cringe. So I think overall, this movie delivers and has earned a place as a solid slasher. So it is a slash.

SPEAKER_00 28:23

So I'll be quick with this one. I think that this film definitely has its moments and certainly some great one-liners, but ultimately it just didn't give enough of that umph to stand out and be entirely entertaining. I was looking for a silly slasher at the very least, and I'm afraid that it was just like too safe and generic. The stakes never really felt very high. The writing didn't really allow for me to care about enough of the characters to care about what happened to them, with the exception of maybe two of them. And I was looking for like thrills and at least get that from the kills themselves and the gore, but we barely got that. And that's an understatement. So ultimately, I felt like there was just so much left to be desired this summer. So this one is an unfortunate hack for me.

SPEAKER_03 29:13

All right, I was really curious how this was gonna go because I was waiting one to see if Chris was gonna go first this time, which she didn't. I'm almost positive she's gonna slash this film. I didn't know which way Binx was gonna go, so I was gonna wait and see if I can throw the curveball, but I think Binx and I are aligned because I wanna like this movie. I wanna like it because I think it is mildly entertaining. I do think it is. It has all the ingredients to make a fun horror comedy that sets its sights on paying homage to the slasher genre, but I feel like it falls into this level of mediocrity, and the film I think kind of suffers a lot from it. I think it actually feels like this movie was made less for horror fans like us and more for themselves, as I can see that they all probably had a really good time making this movie. Like that's what it felt like. But I think that's also the problem. Like, this shouldn't feel like just a bunch of friends fooling around making a movie for fun, right? But that's kind of what it felt like. And some of the supporting characters kind of shine through and they had their moments, but when one of your lead characters' performances is so strange that you don't know whether you're supposed to laugh, be unnerved, or both. I don't know what that says about the film. I think the fact that we didn't get to see a lot of action on screen feels like a big miss for a movie depicting a sleepaway summer camp slasher. I think ultimately I feel like this movie is mostly trying to be a total joke and wasting its already short runtime. So I think for me it's a hack because the only slash in this movie is the budget for on-screen gore.

SPEAKER_01 30:47

Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. Listen, I just want to say this movie looks way too good and is actually too funny to be associated with mediocrity. Mediocrity is a heavy word to saddle this movie with. There's a lot of mediocrity out there. I think we have seen some mediocrity this year, but not this one. Listen, not every horror movie is gonna be made for every horror fan. And I think even generationally, this one is going to be bigger for different people. But this movie is still technically sound and I think proficient. I think this movie strikes the perfect tone for what it's trying to be. It's a slasher that doesn't take itself too seriously. I think it still respects the genre. I think the kills vary in intensity, and albeit I wish we had more of it, to your cred to your point. But the heart of this film is in the right place. It feels like a movie, and this is just my interpretation, but made by people who love horror, also for people who love horror. And those people may be different from us and have different experiences. This could be a younger group making horror movies for their friends who also love horror movies who aren't as exposed to the rest of it. And that's okay. This is a great entry point for someone who's new to slashers. This is a really good one because it has enough smart referential moments to satisfy longtime fans. And maybe not to the extent that the old guard wants, right? I wish we had more sleep away camp references and Friday the 13th references. You could have really jammed that shit in there, and I would have been happy as hell. This movie isn't groundbreaking, but it's still confident, it's stylish, it looks fucking great, and it's genuinely fun. Like this movie made me smile and filled my cup with some joy. And sometimes that's more than enough. So it's absolutely a slash for me, without hesitation. And with that hell of a summer, now showing in theaters has earned two hacks and two slashes. Now, clearly we are a house divided on this one, so we need your take. You can find a link in our show notes where you can join the conversation. If you haven't seen me yet, go check it out, then join us in the spoiler zone, where we're gonna break down that third act and dive deep into those characters.

SPEAKER_03 33:14

Are you bored of basic beach getaways? Are you tired of living through yet another emotionally repressed summer? Looking for a totally killer summer? Well, come on down to Camp Hackerslash, where bloody good memories are made. At Camp Hackerslash, we believe in bonding over bonfires, blood curdling screams, and cardio. Because if the killer doesn't get you, the uphill canoe portage will. Our camp is built on at least three different ancient burial grounds, co-managed by moody teams with absolutely no background checks. And of course, there's that suspiciously overqualified janitor. At Camp Hackerslash, we offer lakeside lounging with an ever-present sense of lurking dread. We also offer archery courses for sport or survival. And of course, the camp favorite, s'mores and screams night, where the marshmallows are toasty and the screams may or may not be one of your fellow campers. Remember, at Camp Hacker Slash, your emotionally unavailable situation ship can't toast you if a masked killer does first. So what are you waiting for? Skip the beach and sign up to come to Camp Hacker Slash, where the Wi-Fi is dead. So is the guy from Cabin B. Camp Hacker Slash. It's where the fun never dies, but you might. And those campfire stories might just end up being about you.

SPEAKER_01 34:47

Welcome back, folks. You're now entering the spoiler zone for hell of a summer, which has earned two hacks and two sloshes. Now we clearly have a lot to unpack here, but before we get into the specifics of our ratings, let's go through those kills.

SPEAKER_03 35:00

Well, even though the gore is low, there are eight official kills in this movie. Now that number might sound surprising because you don't really get to see much of the action either. Hell, one of them, I think they start and never finish. You don't even get the satisfaction of going back to any of it at any point. But let's get into them anyways. Which one of these campy camp counselors kills really pitched your tent?

SPEAKER_01 35:24

You know, what a hell of a fucking way to say that. Whoa. I wanted to go first, but also I don't have an erection, so I don't know if I should.

SPEAKER_04 35:34

Oh my. I don't know that any of us do. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 35:37

But speaking of erect, I want to go for the very first kill. Because A, the guy who plays John, I have seen before in the Mindy project. I was a fan of him. He was fine, but he also has a very distinct look, and I was wondering why I couldn't find his name credited in IMDB. That was kind of disrespectful. However, this was a tone setter. You really had the promise of some brutal fucking pain when you see his guitar just rammed into his fucking mouth.

SPEAKER_03 36:06

It was brutal. I wish we got to see just a tad bit more of that, linger it a little bit, but that was such a great visual. I loved it.

SPEAKER_01 36:13

Okay, nowhere near as iconic by any means, but the sudden way that we see it, and we know how incredibly violent that was, it reminded me in a very weird way of the opening kill of It Folllows. Just a quick snapshot. We don't linger on it very long. It's just enough to be like, fuck, and then boom, you move on.

SPEAKER_03 36:31

Well, that's what this film I think does really well, is it gives you like a few of those moments that because maybe because we're just not getting a lot of them, it gives you these little quick snippets of like the real action, and it feels a little bit maybe a tad bit more intense in that exact moment.

SPEAKER_05 36:49

There's something I love about the kills in this movie, though, and that's the matching of the method of kill to the character or character flaw in many cases. And so I think John's kill is a great example where he gets impaled with that guitar neck, right? Where he was just playing the guitar and they were having fun with him being annoying, tuning the crap out of it for a good minute, you know, as we open the film. And I think a lot of the kills you can map out easily. What even the fake one, even the staged kill with Demi is perfect because she's being fake. That was a great little matchup. Miley's, I think, is also kind of a good representation of that, where her head is cut off and placed into the fridge, and she is so very vegan and loves to tell us about it. And so now she's the meat in the fridge instead of the beef.

SPEAKER_01 37:39

You know what though? Here's what I love about this. In most movies, you were about dying a virgin, but she did get to die a vegan.

SPEAKER_03 37:46

She got to die a vegan, thankfully. I did love also as she was like about to get killed, she's like, It's beyond meat. Feeling guilty, you know, feeling guilty.

SPEAKER_00 37:56

Yeah, again, great lines. And that some were like, Okay, God, I get it. Like, I get the bit, I get the bit.

SPEAKER_01 38:04

Okay, Binks. Which zodiac sign hates Scorpios?

SPEAKER_00 38:08

I thought about that when she said that because I, of course, wrote that whole exchange down. I want to say that she's a Pisces because, again, caring and such, but that feels right. Water signs that are very extremes on the emotional spectrum typically don't get along very well with each other. Typically. So I'm I'm pinning her as a Pisces. But yeah, that was also great. Her kill was great. But I would agree with you guys where it's like the tone setting was fantastic. I was like, oh shit, they're they're doing it. And then we don't really see much of it again. We don't see a lot of like on-screen kills until my goth girl gets got where she's basically thanks, she's like, Finally, finally what a psychopath. I love her. I love that moment so much. Yeah, no, no, no. She's silly, but like I wanted a lot of it on screen, you know? I know. And I will say that the reveal for Demi being the killer or whatever, like I when I thought that she had died, I didn't even anticipate that reveal until after a bit later where I was like, all right, well, the options don't seem to be very sound here. I liked the cut back and forth as he's hacking on the wood and you just see the splatter again. I was like, all right, well, although I'm not seeing this on screen, I think that that's a nice little touch. So I'll forgive him for it. But to some extent, it's like, all right, but then the next kill I want to see it, and then we don't. And then the next kill we I want to see it, we don't. So it's like that anticipation.

SPEAKER_03 39:36

It would have been good if like that was a specific moment where it showed you the splatter, you know it's gory, but then obviously it's the staged kill.

SPEAKER_00 39:44

Of course. So so it makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 39:46

Yeah, I think what they did was try to set up the fact that you don't see it to not make it incredibly obvious that she's in on it. Because the second that I saw it and we weren't seeing her body, I was like, all right, well, here we go. She's a killer. Right.

SPEAKER_00 40:02

Well, and then I I suppose like options in terms of characters and the scream of it all is like, well, there's only so many people that it could actually be in truth, because the owners obviously we do see them get got, and that's a hard one to try to roll back from. I loved Ezra's kill because I if I were to pick a character, I would say that Ezra is probably the funniest one. I thought that even his intro as a character was actually pretty good. So he's one of the characters I was like, all right, I like this kid. The drama, no pun intended, but pun intended, kinda, of him like just on stage, like with his movements. I was like, what is this weird kid doing? And then for him to get got on stage again, it's like a full circle moment. So Mac, you're so right. It's like every kill is kind of like that full circle, like it makes sense to that character and tells a bit more about who they are. But Ezra's was like finally like the gore that I had anticipated from the beginning. I'm finally seeing it.

SPEAKER_01 41:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:06

I think outside a guitar playing John's kill with the fucking guitar through the mouth, right? Ezra's is definitely visually one of the cooler kills because you do get to see his leg getting snapped. You do get to see the axe in the head, it lingers there for a snippet. You get to see that, and that was a moment that was really great.

SPEAKER_01 41:25

I know that we didn't get to see as much as I would have loved. But Ari's kill, knowing that he was tied up in a chair and not only gonna just be stabbed, but to be stabbed with peanut butter.

SPEAKER_03 41:36

I loved it.

SPEAKER_01 41:37

Fucking hilarious. And obviously, you can see he has like some kind of anaphylactic shock, and you can see a little bit of that on his body after. But wow, for as annoying as he was, I would have loved to have seen him squirm a little bit more.

SPEAKER_03 41:48

Yeah. I loved the concept of that kill. I just wanted to see like, is he gonna play with him? Like, is he dipping that knife in the peanut butter and then just like lightly poking him just to get it like into his system?

SPEAKER_01 41:59

Just gonna spread it on him.

SPEAKER_03 42:01

Spread that would be a good campy horror comedy moment. You got the knife, it's going at him, and the next thing you know, he's just lathering it on the dude's face. You know what I mean? Like, this is the shit that we're here for, you know?

SPEAKER_00 42:12

Yeah, that would be the silly nature of it all. But I will say that that was pretty creative in terms of how fucked up that is. The die by peanut allergy is really messed up. And look, I know Ari is maybe the least likable of the whole bunch because he's a little bit obnoxious for sure, a little film bro, and of course, the Ari Aster, like haha, got it. But the line that he gives with the 26% reveal, he just says 26%. And so then him dying by being a butter, I was like, Oh, there you go, kiddo.

SPEAKER_01 42:45

And he's still saying 26%.

SPEAKER_00 42:47

And he's still saying 26%.

SPEAKER_03 42:49

It's so funny.

SPEAKER_05 42:51

I do love that it didn't go hard in the gore, though. This movie was made for me. It was.

SPEAKER_03 42:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 42:56

Because there's still kills, but I don't have to look at unnecessary gore. No one's getting cut in half with a hacksaw, yeah, which is awesome.

SPEAKER_03 43:02

They're definitely not. We didn't get to see that. I think outside of John and Ezra's kills, Kathy's is probably a good third in maybe visuals, but maybe, I don't know, maybe possibly in the top two for overall kills because it's just the way that that kill was set up. You gotta love the way that kill was set up and just the montage of her getting to the car, and then you think you're seeing that she's is realizing that maybe something is in the back seat, but it's really not that. She's just she's just dead. You know what I mean? Because the knife went in. So that was a pretty cool kill.

SPEAKER_01 43:37

That was a great kill, and actually, I want to go back to just that whole opening scene because we got the tone set not only with the brutality of both of their deaths, but with how incredible this film looked from the get go. We had blue moonlight everywhere, it was gorgeous. We had the warmth of the campfire. This movie's color grading is fantastic, and the lighting. Also fucking fantastic. The way we pivot from warmth and cool tones back and forth, back and forth, even down to the characters and where they are. Stellar. These guys get it.

SPEAKER_05 44:13

They made use of shadows effectively as well. I mean, something that Sean mentioned was that slow reveal of the killer in the background. And there was a really good moment of that where it was complete darkness behind a character. We're looking at the blackness on screen, and then slowly the mask comes into frame. And I think that was just an amazing use of light and dark and color.

SPEAKER_01 44:33

100% because the light is filtering through blinds. So it's not just the Michael Myers moment, it's also just the reveal of just fragments of light hitting certain parts of the mask. It was so beautiful.

SPEAKER_05 44:47

But there is a single zoom in this movie that I think is like the shining example of what they were able to achieve and why I uh like it so much. And that's Bobby on the bike with that zoom, that 70 zoom right into his face. That felt so good to see. It would have been really amazing had they done more of those types of shots in the film. It really would have linked back to the past. Not that they should have overdone it or anything. This was kind of enough to give us a little taste of retro in a modern take of a BMX by going over a fire, which was great.

SPEAKER_03 45:20

Yeah, I think visually this movie is really great. We can definitely keep going down that road. But I'm an audio guy, so I will say like the choice of not only just like the sound in this movie, but also the soundtrack. Like the choice of songs that they put in this movie was, I think, really impressive. I loved hearing some of these cool, really like bluesy classic rock type jams that were happening in the movie. But I also loved the little slasher jingles that they were throwing in there as well that kind of added to the 80s vibe of that slasher genre. So I I gotta give it up for the sound.

SPEAKER_00 45:54

And I know that we talked a bit about how the comedy was universal, but for me, I thought that the costume design also didn't make it seem like it was exclusively present day.

SPEAKER_02 46:07

True.

SPEAKER_00 46:08

I mean, because aside from the cell phones, you know, like I felt like this really could have fit, and I don't want to be extreme and say anywhere, right? But I felt like the costume design was another great homage to the slashers. And I know, again, I haven't seen Sleep Away Camp, but like I thought of that, I thought of what that could be, I thought of just like a lot of other like coming-of-age drama films as well, not even in the horror genre that would be set in a summer camp. So I thought it felt right and is like another subtle way to put yourself in this sub-genre of horror through the clothing. But the second thing that I wanted to highlight in terms of production actually goes into my favorite scene, and it's the camera work. Specifically, my favorite scene is them partying in the water, like they're just gonna start having a good time. I thought that that little montage was so fun. They're fucking around in the lake, they're jumping, they're, you know, they're smoking, they're drinking, they're being ridiculous. Like, that's such a good tone setter for letting your guard down, being vulnerable. We're gonna have a good time this summer, and we have no idea what's about to unfold. But the way that they shot it was so great. It almost felt like I might maybe I'm using the wrong terminology, but like a Dutch angle from a low angle, like when they're jumping off the pier into the water, transitioning underwater, then going back up again. And it's like it's just felt like a cycle, like a loop that I was on of a good time. So I I thought it artistically was like really, really pretty to watch.

SPEAKER_01 47:43

I really love that because it's also such a staple of summer camp movies. You can't have the mayhem of summer camp without the joy and carelessness and the free spirit of summer camp. We even got that in the original Friday the 13th, even though, again, there's no children there. Sleepaway camp. I mean, literally, the whole fucking movie takes place because there's kids at a camp. But I absolutely love that mention, right? Guards are coming down, and I think that's just the fun bit. My favorite scene is actually the polar opposite of that, and it's when we've lost the guards being down, and then everybody's guard is right up and is up to the point where they're they have now turned on Jason because Ezra has given a dramatic retelling of who of where he presumes the killer was and who he presumes the killer was, but Jason gets tied up. He then throws out Noelle as a possible subject, and they all turn on him and say that she's a sweetheart, and then he so earnestly and so genuinely apologizes. Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. It's just fucking hilarious. It was a great moment of, in my opinion, the ensemble ensemble, to quote Binks.

SPEAKER_05 48:54

They did that really well in several places. I think when we were actually using the Ouija board, that was another moment where we got to see some personalities at play, and when they're all together, it's kind of fun to let them do their thing individually. It's interesting to see them just bouncing off of each other. The IDEK was just a stellar part of that entire scene. It was He doesn't even know. Oh my gosh. It was honestly kind of a perfect little moment. It felt very right for the film.

SPEAKER_01 49:20

Oh, that was so good. I completely forgot about Bobby screaming ghost as soon as he ran in the door.

SPEAKER_03 49:27

And then getting bear sprayed in the face. Or no, that was yeah, was that Bobby or Ezra?

SPEAKER_01 49:33

Ezra got bear sprayed in the face because Bobby screamed ghost.

SPEAKER_03 49:38

Dude, that whole moment was fucking hilarious. See how much fun it is to play with Ouija boards? Always a good time.

SPEAKER_01 49:44

Yeah, I got a Ouija board in my trunk. I just picked it back up. I'm ready to go.

SPEAKER_03 49:49

Who knows what kind of spirits we'll evoke? I think there's a lot of really great, hilarious moments throughout the movie that we're kind of highlighting here, right? Like we just talked about the Ouija board moment, the bear spray to the face. I think we could talk about that opening scene where I feel like that really set the tone for the film. I wish it kind of like kept going with that specific tone and we got to see like it unfold in that way. Maybe the suspense kind of played in that vein. I think maybe it would have been for me just a little bit more successful, but there's so many great moments. I think the moment that I want to highlight because I think it was a full circle moment, it was a moment that made me laugh, and it's the moment at the end when Jason is saving Bobby because it's a full circle moment from Jason getting upset that Bobby didn't know who the fuck he was, saying that he doesn't read the fucking brass sign at the bottom of the pictures, and then Bobby finally reading it as he's thinking he's dying or whatever, and then Jason breaking down the door to come save him and carry him out. Like, now you got the face to the name, he'll never forget Jason again. And it was just a hilarious but also great moment.

SPEAKER_00 51:02

To tack onto that a little bit too, because when he then is outside and he pulls the knife out, and it's a whole like moment of here, take this. He's like, That's a terrible idea. We need to put pressure on this, you shouldn't have taken that out. Like it's the drama, it's the drama.

SPEAKER_01 51:20

But then also the reveal that the cut is like two inches deep and he's gonna be fine, right?

SPEAKER_03 51:25

Right.

SPEAKER_01 51:25

That's the kind of shit I'm talking about. This is where this movie really turns it up in terms of it understands what it's trying to do, and it's pointing at all the tropes and cliches that we've seen in the past. I really enjoy that. And actually, I know Bobby's a little bit of a dick, but I actually really love Bobby as a character.

SPEAKER_03 51:43

Dude, Bobby for me was actually one of the best characters in the movie for sure. Like he I laughed the most with Bobby. I know he said some fucking stupid shit, and he was like such a bad cock block, but Bobby was fucking hilarious.

SPEAKER_01 51:59

Yeah, Bobby pausing us every fucking time, something was really tense, to then go back and say, Why would you say that?

SPEAKER_03 52:05

She's just getting hyped up, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 52:06

It was just fucking great.

SPEAKER_03 52:08

Yes, I loved how turned around at the BMX jumping the fire thing. Like, as he was thinking, Why am I doing this? He's almost psyching himself out, and then they start egging him on, and he uses that to get the fuck out. Great.

SPEAKER_00 52:19

You know what's funny is Bobby's character reminded me, and his delivery and his sense of humor, or like how it's written at least, reminded me a little bit of ironically, if we had combined Eddie and Richie from It Chapter One. Obviously, we know Finn Wolfheart plays Richie, so who would have thunk, right? Genius. But I feel like that's kind of what he was giving. Bobby was giving a little bit of that charm, that wit. It gave a little bit of how Richie and Eddie are written in It Chapter One. Especially at the very least, the actor that plays Eddie, like his comedic bits are incredible in any movie that he does. Like he has a wit about him that it reminded me a lot of Bobby at the very least. So I thought that that's why he was definitely charming. And I expected that actually from Finn Wolfhardt's character. I thought that Chris was gonna be like that in this movie, but he wasn't. He was like the nice guy and very like sweet, you know. But Bobby, down to the Puka Shells. When I saw that kid wearing the Puka Shells, I was like, oh fuck, this is a wrap.

SPEAKER_01 53:25

Fucking hilarious, and also being so self-conscious that maybe he wasn't seen as hot, and then also being so clear. I love oh my gosh, when Demi has them all film a video clip to pin everything on Jason, and he's like, Oh, yeah, I just want to know he was very clear, no reason whatsoever, just killing it random.

SPEAKER_03 53:45

Killing it random, fucking hilarious.

SPEAKER_01 53:48

I want to get into actually, Sean, your thoughts on Jason.

SPEAKER_03 53:51

Yeah, let's talk about it.

SPEAKER_01 53:53

Because my struggle here is Jason and Claire stood out in good ways, and she grew a bit. She was very cynical, very like fuck the world. Maybe she warms up a little bit, she goes back for him because clearly she has a thing there for him, and like in terms of like an endearment, and he's pretty static the whole time. He is as loyal at the end of the movie as he was in the beginning of the movie, and maybe he understands that he can not run the summer camp and that's his lesson learned, and just like maybe his growth is trying to fucking read the room and now have Claire interested in him. But I really wonder what this could have been like if they had just made Jason the killer. Like we spend this whole time following him, thinking he's just this earnest, goofy, fun-loving, wholesome person, and then he actually is the killer.

SPEAKER_03 54:46

Yeah. I mean, my initial gut instinct was like this dude should be the killer. Yeah. You know what I mean? But I also think they played heavy into him being like the red herring, so like I they almost wanted you to think that at first. But I feel like it wasn't the fact that they didn't choose him as the killer that didn't do it for me. It was the fact that he was just like way too fucking goofy to be like it almost felt like too much. And if that was the bit, it wasn't for me. It didn't sit right with me. Everything that he did, the way that he presented himself, the way that he acted, it just felt weird. Like I didn't know if it was on purpose. I didn't know if I should feel like I should be laughing or if I should feel uncomfortable, like it just felt strange. And so for me, I didn't jive with this character at all. And so if I'm not jiving with one of the main characters, it's a problem.

SPEAKER_05 55:39

So here's where I think they kind of messed up in that because typically you want your protagonists to be the lovable buffoon like Bobby. That's somebody that we we're gonna like latch on to. In this case, they made Jason the unlovable buffoon for most of the film. They spent so much time trying to show how cringe he was, which came across to me kind of wrong because it was like, oh, these guys are giving him a hard time, and he's playing it as very, like you said, he's very goofy, which is fine. But their reaction was like, ew, get away from me, you're so annoying. Like, not even gonna give him the time of day, but not in a dramatic way, just in the kind of like, this is someone who's gonna become, I don't know, like later on, like a big problem with violence. And so, yeah, you expect him, he's got to be the bad guy, but then no, that's too simple, they wouldn't just do that, which is good. But they needed to make him a little bit more a little bit more lovable. And I think his unsteadiness with his like decision to like go gung ho into this camp thing is what caused that. If he was completely bought in, if he was Ned Flanders with it uh all the way, I think it would have made him just like a that little bit more lovable.

SPEAKER_00 56:44

I'm so fascinated by this because at no point in time did I feel annoyed or entirely cringed out by Jason, and certainly ever think on this planet that he would be the killer, would be capable of being a killer. Like, I think that was my problem.

SPEAKER_03 57:06

It makes total sense.

SPEAKER_00 57:08

Well, well, hold on, hold on. What I what I mean by that is like I agree that if he had been the actual killer, I think I would have flown out of my seat and been shocked because that is one hell of a twist. But the fact that he was even like supposed to be a red herring or that they thought he was gonna be the killer was almost annoying to me because that literally makes zero sense, is impossible. And he's also as a viewer, like he is our main character basically, so that's a little tough to do a full-on switch up. I'm like, am I watching Scream 4 again, or what am I watching? It would have been very much that, which again would have had me out of my seat and onto basically the floor. Like I would have been shocked. But when the movie was going on and I'm like, all right, well, obviously, guys, it's not him. Well, obviously, who the killers were, I was like, Well, there's that. And then when they revealed that it was two of them, I was like, okay, that's pretty interesting. All right, definitely a scream move. But then that definitely means, all right, you know, if two plus two is four, it's gotta be these two people. So it takes the steam out, you know, like the wind out of the sails. I'm like, all right, I already figured it out. But I'm all for a version of this movie where he would have been the killer because it would have been great. But I definitely am surprised by your guys' Jason takes. I don't think he's that fucking annoying.

SPEAKER_02 58:28

Oh, no.

SPEAKER_01 58:29

So I don't see Jason as someone who is so cringe, he's unlovable. I still see him as lovable. He just strikes me as someone who cannot understand or read the social cues of those around him, and that is his situation. It's not that he is just so happy, go lucky, and things like that. It's just that I think he is genuinely oblivious to what they think and how they feel about him.

SPEAKER_05 58:55

Can I phrase it in terms of friends? Because this is definitely a Ross and Joey situation here that we have going on because Bobby's our Joey.

SPEAKER_03 59:03

I like the comparison.

SPEAKER_05 59:04

But Jason is definitely the Ross here.

SPEAKER_03 59:07

I like the comparison. But Jason also, it's not that he doesn't read social cues maybe in the moment sometimes, but he can read the fucking room. There's definitely moments in this film where he actively says he's not gonna be a part of something because nobody wants him there. So he definitely knows.

SPEAKER_01 59:24

Yeah, he learns and adapts, and you know, he's been going to the summer camp however many fucking years, right? But there's still some kind of block there where he doesn't completely get it. If he completely got it, this whole movie would have been very different. But he has an earnest and a genuine love for this camp and what he thinks the camp experience is. And I think that's what's cool about him. But I think there's another take here where let's say Jason is the accidental killer because when we have the reveal that it's a demi and Mike, one cool thing that could have like popped in my head in this moment was okay, well, here we go, do your point Binks, a screen move, two killers, sure. But it was also this element of what if it really was like the murder mystery thing and it was just a whole gag this entire time and everybody's in on it, or some of the folks are in on it, and then Jason accidentally kills people because he's not in on it because he was excluded from the group this whole time.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:25

Right, right. That would be fun.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:27

I don't know if you guys have seen a movie that we have referenced already in this episode. So I really don't want to say it, but Mac, I see that you're nodding your head, so you know what I what I'm talking about, but that is literally what happens in a movie that we have talked about already. Okay, so that would be hilarious, and I agree, and that would definitely match up with the comedy that's in the film. I also think that if we had switched up who our actual main character is, right? Like if our main characters were fully and completely devoted to Bobby and Chris, and maybe Jason is a side character, then that whole red herring part would have been more believable, then the accidental part of it all could have been a lot more compelling when it's revealed that they're the killers, etc. Like I think that would have been richer, but we don't get any of that. And so here we are, you know? But uh yeah, I think that Jason is fun, and I recognize that maybe I'm a little bit biased because I am a fan of the actor, and I think that he's really good at playing up like this what the hell's going on, like trying to be cheery and trying to be the lovable guy that doesn't quite seem to fit in. He's played that type of role a few times before, like in the White Lotus, etc. So I can see that, but I also want to talk a bit about Chris and Finn Wolf Hardigan, not to be biased, but he was such a funny, like interesting character because he plays a little bit opposite of what he's used to playing. The real nice guy, the typical, like, you know, best friend is a little bit of a, you know, nerd. And well, not that I guess we don't know that too much about Chris, right? But like the sense of like he's a charming, like good guy. He's doing gender studies. But the line that I wish I had written down completely that had me like really like, oh fuck. If I did laugh, it was in response to this, was when they're telling the story back and forth about how they hooked up and like this is all gave head or something like that. And she's like, no, no, he did. And then he gives the stats. I was like, wow, this is first of all, he's a you guys doing. He's an ally. I was cracking up. He's like, How's that for fair? I'm like, Whoa, okay, all right, feminist move here. I thought that was clever.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:55

I thought tell me you weren't also getting a little bit of Mike and Will energy from Stranger Things.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:00

Oh so let me, of course. And I do want to say though, this is a letter and a message that I hope gets to Finn Wolfhard. Why would you write a character named Mike in a movie that you are in, knowing that you are most famous for a role named Mike? Like every time I fucking heard Mike, I was thinking the camera was gonna show his face, and it wasn't. And I'm like, why? Of all the fucking names in the world, you wrote Mike Buddy. What?

SPEAKER_05 1:03:34

So it's interesting to me that you're a Chandler Bing fan because in the Friends analogy, that's definitely him. He's just a little bit less sarcastic. That's really what we have going on there. And this goes further, the analogy, and we we've got our Phoebe. You've got Noelle. She's 100% the Phoebe of this group. And her whole shtick was like very silly. I don't think they made it as silly as it could have been, though. Like it was treated pretty seriously, almost like, yeah, everyone respects that this is just who she is. And I'm like, in real life, come on.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:02

Yeah, no, they're they're down for it. You know how many girls say they're witchy now? I love that she was over there with her little witchy spooky book under the tree, taking a genuine interest when she thought someone else was interested in her interest, and then realizing, oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:15

I feel like one thing, obviously, not the characters of Demi and Mike, but I think the killer look, right? If we look at that for just a second, because I don't know how you guys felt about it. It was definitely very V for Vendetta. I loved it. It was very V for Vendetta. It was kind of it was okay. I I kind of went back and forth on it. I'm still kind of up in the air. And I'm not sure if I really truly loved the look of the character. Let me tell you why it loved it.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:43

It reminded me of Haunt.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:45

Yes, I was gonna say Damien wore it better.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:47

Yeah, I mean, Damien had a really fucking good look that entire movie, but I love a classic vintage retro Halloween mask. It's never gonna not look good to me.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:58

It just, I don't know. I wasn't getting Haunt as much as I was getting Viva Vendetta out of that fucking mask, man.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:03

I do like the double reveal when we see that there's two of them, and we kind of figured somebody here is responsible for this, and then the second person shows up. The immediate, like the story immediately into your brain. Boop, you already know what's what's happened and what's going to happen. Yeah. And I was still okay with it. Yeah. I think their look is fun. It's kind of a I don't know that it's played out, but it's one we've seen plenty of times before. Like that mask, of course, seems familiar. A long robe, obviously familiar. So that's okay though, because I think the rest of this movie like kind of plays on that. So when I saw the costume, I think we get a little bit of it in the trailer for it. I was fine. I was like, it fits in. If they had gone some completely left field way, that would have been weird. Do you want to hear the analogy further? Because I think, gosh, you can play it out to almost all these characters, just saying, I don't know, I'm not even a friends fan. And somehow it just went into my brain.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:51

Who's gonna be the guy that works at the coffee shop that was in love with Rachel?

SPEAKER_05 1:05:56

Uh Gunther?

SPEAKER_00 1:05:58

Yes, my vote is Azra.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:00

Also, we have a Rachel here and we have a Monica.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:02

Oh, that's true.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:04

Shannon is Monica, and of course, we have Claire as Rachel. Because that on again, off again with the goofiest kind of unlovable, you know, buffoon, it's there the whole time.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:14

I don't know, I'm still not buying Ross, but let me tell you what else I wasn't buying. I wasn't buying the deaths of Mike and Demi. And I wish if they were going to go harder with this reveal that they had done more work and put in more effort to make us have the actual potential of believing that they were dead. I would have loved to have believed that more. Because it if it wasn't already apparent with Demi and you don't actually see her die, it was even more so with Mike, who you just see get grabbed and then cut to the next scene.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:48

I think it goes further because my chief complaint here has to do with their motive. I think it was goofy when Scream did it, and it's extra goofy in this case, like doing it for the likes. I don't even know how you measure TikTok success, but it seemed just so heavily weighing on this cultural reference that wouldn't really cause this sort of action, I feel like, in real life. And I think they could have changed the motive to be a bit more realistic, and I would have bought into that more. When that was revealed to me, I was kind of like, that's just silly. That's a silly reason for any of this to happen. They could have done a little better.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:24

Well, I just think like at some point we gotta be thinking, how good is it to continue to write these killers as people that do these things for fame? Not to be that person on this pod and be serious and blah, blah, blah, listeners rolling their eyes. But I don't know. That was the thought that crossed my mind, truthfully. I was like, are we ever gonna maybe stop and think about how there's a lot of killers, like teenagers or young adults present day that have done some heinous shit like this in terms of like killing and violence, heavy violence for fame and such that it's like to quote Vero, you know, I come to this movie to have a good time and laugh, not to feel actual things and to think about real life, you know? So I was expecting, okay, well, these are the killers. What's their gripe with the summer camp? Like what's their issue? What's the motive? Oh, it was just to be famous and the boyfriend's just doing it because the girlfriend told them to or whatever, like, uh, been there, done that. Okay. It's called Scream 4.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:31

Yeah, it's a motive that worked in Scream, but I don't want to see anymore.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:37

Yeah. Like, let's this was the opportunity at the very least to do something even more original, knowing that the whole film is an homage to these slashers already, and that's you did a good job, successful, great. Like, this is the moment to be a little bit different and have your spin on it, and then you didn't. So there's a disappointment there for sure.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:55

Well, hey, kids are out here eating Tide Pods for fame, so seems fine for me.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:01

I mean, that's true. That is true.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:03

Weird time. At the end of the day, I think they're also just pointing at people would just be doing some dumb shit for social media.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:10

Yes, it is true. A lot of people will do a lot of things for fame, but I think the worst part for me for this movie is also, oddly enough, one of the better parts of the film because I think the best and worst part of this movie is really the kills, right? Like, I feel like the worst part is that we didn't get to see a lot of these kills in the way that we really wanted to. But the best part of this movie is some of the kills that we get, man. We get like when we think of John in the beginning with the guitar, when we think of Kathy in the car with the knife through the backseat headrest into the back of the head, right? We think of Ezra getting axed in the head. We think of somebody getting attacked with peanut butter on a knife and what that would have been like, right? Like we've got some great concepts here. We didn't get to see them all. And so it is the worst part for me in this movie.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:01

Now I'm with you there. And I think for me, the best part is honestly that this film is watchable. It's watchable. You can enjoy it. And the reason I say that is because I don't think that there's anything that really screams out to me and says this is incredible, more than what I've already shared. The Great One-Liners, you know, Bobby's a character, sure, all of that. But I think that the best part is that although it didn't impress me in the way that I hoped, I feel pretty confident that if I were to watch this again, maybe it'd inch a little bit closer into the slash territory. What I had hoped for this film is that it maybe hits the streaming platforms in a few months' time because support your local theaters, friends. However, when it does hit the streaming platforms, inevitably, that maybe has a little bit of an uptick, you know. I think that this is a great movie to just throw on. I was hella sleepy today, okay? And I know that I asked this film to go against something that is pretty tough to do. It was a tall order, all right? It was a tall order. However, throw it on, you know, like when you're relaxing at home, streaming, etc. Or, you know, you need a little pick-me-up and just to get away from the stresses of life, go to the movie theater, enjoy it. It's that kind of film. I don't think that this is supposed to be a work of art. The fact that it's a neon film might definitely just like sway you in a weird direction and make you surprise and expect something that it really isn't. It's a good, okay film. It's not bad, but I would certainly watch it again for sure.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:36

It's interesting you mentioned the theater because this is one of those movies. I've got a secret desire to have a little home theater set up where you have like really comfortable recliners and you have a projector and maybe not popcorn, but something healthy. I don't know, what can you chomp on? Blueberries, I don't know, some crap like that. But this is something that would feel right at home there, where you get to enjoy this in that comfortable environment. Because in the movie theater, I found myself, you know, more on edge from the theater than the movie, because you know, people come and they go at weird times in a movie and it freaks you out. Just saying, in in your house where you're comfy and you're casual and you have control over it, but you still get a little bit of that theater experience, this would truly shine. It's something that I would look forward to watching again.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:17

Yeah, I'm not sure. I don't think there's like a whole lot of benefit from watching this one again. It's not that it's like not an entertaining film. It's just not a memorable film for me. I think if it were to be streaming and somebody wanted to watch it to throw it on, I don't think it's something that I would stop at and be like, you know what? Like, I remember this. I'm gonna put this on again. I want to rewatch this. I think it's something that I would literally just scroll right by.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:43

Something you would tolerate in spite of its alleged mediocrity?

SPEAKER_03 1:12:47

If I had to.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:48

Listen, this movie is super re-watchable. And in fact, I think I already want to revisit it just to catch more of those one-liners because being you mentioned it, this movie is deeply quotable, and there are so many that are just flying out that I couldn't write all of them down. And there are also a few visual gags that I know I missed the first time around. But I think the great thing about this movie is that it has group watch energy. This is one of those that feels it could be a really fun time. I know I had a great experience watching it with someone else, and it's one of those where I think getting a good reaction from someone who maybe emotes a little bit more than you, like I would love watching this with Paris because Paris I think would have hilarious reactions to the bullshit that's happening on screen for better or worse, but it's the kind of energy that brings this movie up. It's also the kind of movie that I think on your second or third time watching would really hold up when you know where it's going and you can look a little bit deeper at it. Not for depth of the story, but just to see what else you missed or get some of the more subtle comedy in there. And I honestly think I'm gonna have this as like a go-to summer watch. I'm definitely gonna throw it on with a Friday the 13th marathon. I'm gonna put it on with the Sleepaway Camp movies, I'm gonna put it on with a burning. I cannot wait to get this in there because it's gonna be, I think, a comfort movie for me. But hey, I can see that not all of us here want to have that kind of comfort, but for now, there you have it, folks. Hell of a Summer has earned two hacks and two slashes. So sorry, Finn Wolf Hard. Well, we certainly had a robust discussion here, it doesn't end here by any means.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:30

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SPEAKER_00 1:14:48

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SPEAKER_01 1:14:58

See you next time, folks, and remember Fire Can't Burn a Dragon.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:02

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