The Monster of Camp Sunshine & Honeymoon of Terror Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

The Monster of Camp Sunshine & Honeymoon of Terror Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 15, 2022

The world of nudie-cuties is highlighted in 1964’s “The Monster of Camp Sunshine” (full title: “The Monster of Camp Sunshine or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Nature”), which provides the thinnest of plots to help reach its creative goal: the display of naked bodies. Added to the mix is a subplot concerning the eponymous threat, which introduces a horror element to a picture that’s largely about getting female characters out of their clothes. It’s a strange combo of easygoing nudism and madman terror, but that very oddness is what makes “The Monster of Camp Sunshine” a passably compelling sit, offering elements of the unexpected as a more pronounced mission of titillation is pursued.

Claire (Deborah Spra) is a fashion model living in New York City with her roommate, Marta (Sally Parfait). Claire is free with her body, but she’s confronted by an offer to pose topless for a men’s magazine. Marta has it much worse, working at a hospital, tending to the care of lab rats for secret chemical experimentation. When a special serum leaks in the lab, the mess is cleaned up and the toxic substance is tossed into a river, finding its way to Camp Sunshine, a nudist getaway. When Marta and Claire elect to spend a birthday at the camp, they encounter danger in the form of Hugo, a caretaker exposed to the serum, which turns him into a violent beast.

There’s not a whole lot of story involved in “The Monster of Camp Sunshine,” but blips of drama and shock arrive to keep things interesting. The idea here to watch Claire and Marta change clothes as much as possible, which evolves into full-out nudism when they arrive at Camp Sunshine. Long stretches of screen time are devoted to watching the ladies sunbathe, fly a kite, frolic in local waters, and smoke (which challenges the “health” aspects of nudism), playing up the real reason the film was produced. However, the endeavor weirdly pays some attention to a plot, exploring the ecological ruin of the serum and the B-movie frightmare of Hugo’s exposure to the toxic stuff.

The Monster of Camp Sunshine & Honeymoon of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.38:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "The Monster of Camp Sunshine" is sourced from a 2K scan of the original camera negative. The results are impressive, pulling a great deal of detail out of the feature, which mostly deals with surveying bodies in motion. Some urban tours retain excellent depth, showcasing New York City as it was, and camp footage maintains clarity. Delineation is precise. Grain is fine and film-like. Source is in good condition, with some points of damage.

The Monster of Camp Sunshine & Honeymoon of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 1.0 DTS-HD MA mix presents a satisfactory appreciation for dubbing efforts, as the movie was filmed without sound. Dialogue exchanges are clear and inherently artificial. Music is equally appreciable without precision, but jazzy moods support the feature's limited creative intent.

The Monster of Camp Sunshine & Honeymoon of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Bonus Movie: "Honeymoon of Terror" (61:18, 1.0 DTS-HD MA) is a 1961 movie (titled "Ecstasy on Lover's Island" on the print) that's barely a movie, following the activities of newlyweds who visit Las Vegas for their honeymoon. They catch shows, gamble, and sleep in a motel room. The next day, they go camping, visiting an island that's home to a serial rapist. They run, hide, and fight their way to safety. While this seems like a nudie-cutie offering, "Honeymoon of Terror" is more of a thriller…during the last ten minutes of the endeavor. The rest is real-time activity and, hilariously, includes a daydream sequence that repeats all the real-time activity.

• Bonus Movie: "All Men are Apes" (65:53, 1.0 DTS-HD MA) is a 1965 offering, sourced from a S-VHS master.

• And an assortment of "Nudie-Horror Trailers" (19:33) are included.

The Monster of Camp Sunshine & Honeymoon of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Monster of Camp Sunshine" gets amusingly nuts in its final act, turning into an action movie that incorporates footage from World War II. Those sitting down for a peaceful visit to the world of nudism are offered a bit more screen activity than expected, and while the production is a no-budget endeavor tasked with photographing bare breasts, there are flashes of creative thinking in play (including a Terry Gilliam-esque main title sequence) to make the viewing experience quite enjoyable.