Confessions From a Holiday Camp Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Confessions From a Holiday Camp Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 1, 2024

Norman Cohen's "Confessions From a Holiday Camp" (1977) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary with star Robin Askwith; vintage trailers; Justin Cartwright's comedy "Rosie Dixon - Night Nurse"; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Some radio stations are different, darling.

The last of the four Confessions films is unquestionably the most flexible. It genuinely tries to create different situations that would make it appear wittier than its predecessors, meaning that it works hard to appear as effective as a conventional comedy. However, it does not tone down the sexy humor, which is a good thing but something that works against its goal, too. For this reason, it can appear quite uneven, or at least if one insists on comparing it to its predecessors.

This time, Timmy Lea (Robin Askwith) and his brother-in-law Sid Noggett (Anthony Booth) are running the Funfrall Holiday Camp, which is like the ultimate summer resort but without the summer sun. It is a bit like an improved British version of an Arabic harem, too -- there are too many beautiful and some not-so-beautiful women for Timmy and Sid to choose from while taking a break from their duties. Needless to say, initially, the two do a lot of breaks and very little work.

The good times end when the Funfrall Holiday Camp gets a new manager, Mr. Whitemonk (John Junkin), a former prison governor, who immediately declares his intention to restore order with sweeping changes, one of which would affect Timmy and Sid’s employment status. In a desperate attempt to preserve their jobs, Timmy and Sid convince Mr. Whitemonk to consider a different approach, and he agrees to let them organize a one-of-a-kind beauty contest.

In Confessions From a Holiday Camp the math does not work particularly well. There are a lot of developments, like Mr. Whitemonk’s quick decision to let Timmy and Sid prove that the Funfrall Holiday Camp needs them, or Mrs. Whitemonk (Liz Frazer) arriving and instantly identifying Timmy as her next sex toy, that just happen and everyone moves forward as if their rationality is perfectly fine. This makes Confessions From a Holiday Camp look choppy, like a collection of gags rather than a proper feature film.

The other and perhaps bigger problem is that many of these gags are incompatible, again creating the impression that various developments are completely random. For example, Timmy’s sexual adventures with several future female contestants are countered by conventional gags featuring a cheeky kid running wild all over the place. Both are funny but in different ways, so they do not overlap well.

The most effective material is with the naughty Timmy. He is very, very silly but naturally funny, so when the clothes begin coming off it is impossible not to laugh. For the most part, Sid is a decoration piece, and everything he does and says is instantly forgettable. (Admittedly, Timmy has always been the funnier of the two, but in the previous films Sid was given better lines to work with).

The ladies are wonderful and arguably the biggest reason Confessions From a Holiday Camp is as enjoyable as the previous films. Their positive energy creates a wonderful chemistry that a lot of material desperately needs not to look tasteless and bad. It is fair to state that Confessions From a Holiday Camp is the only film in which the ladies help Timmy look better and funnier.

Norman Cohen reunited with cinematographer Ken Hodges, who had assisted him on Confessions of a Driving Instructor. (Several years earlier, Hodges lensed Cliff Owen’s similarly themed comedy No Sex Please, We're British, whose innuendo and laughs are notably better).

Confessions From a Holiday Camp Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Confessions From a Holiday Camp arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

Confessions From a Holiday Camp is the best looking of the four films in the The Complete Confessions box set. Its visuals have the most consistent density levels and boast the best delineation, clarity, and depth. I am not implying that there is no room for improvements, but they would be small cosmetic improvements that will not make a dramatic difference. For example, I noticed a few white flecks and tiny blemishes, so the surface of the visuals could be healthier. Grain could have an even more attractive appearance, too. But all else is either very good or excellent already, including color reproduction and balance. There are no stability issues. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Confessions From a Holiday Camp Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

While viewing the film, I did not encounter any age-related or encoding anomalies to report in our review. All exchanges were very clear, sharp, and easy to follow. I did not notice any balance issues either, though in a couple of different sequences minor unevenness is easy to identify. However, this is unevenness that is part of the original sound design. (The most obvious examples are during the mayhem at the end of the film).

Confessions From a Holiday Camp Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - another exclusive new audio commentary with Robin Askwith, who again goes down memory lane and shares plenty of information about the production of Confessions From a Holiday Camp and its unique qualities and reception.

• Trailer One - presented here is a remastered original UK trailer for Confessions From a Holiday Camp. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Trailer Two - presented here is a remastered original U.S. trailer for Confessions From a Holiday Camp. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Image Gallery - presented here is a collection of original promotional materials for Confessions From a Holiday Camp.

• Rosie Dixon - Night Nurse (1978) - Justin Cartwright's comedy is presented with optional English SDH subtitles. LPCM 1.0. Upscaled. (88 min).

• Esta Charkham Saucy Ingredients - in this new program, casting director Esta Charkham discusses recalls her involvement with Rosie Dixon - Night Nurse. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• Book - a limited edition exclusive 120-page book with a new essay by Simon Sheridan, archival articles on producer Greg Smith, executive producer Michael Klinger, screenwriter and novelist Christopher Wood, director Norman Cohen, and actors Robin Askwith, Sheila White and Linda Hayden, archival production reports on Confessions of a Driving Instructor and Rosie Dixon – Night Nurse, and film credits.

Confessions From a Holiday Camp Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While some of the material in Confessions From a Holiday Camp could have been polished better, particularly in the first half, the laughs are more or less on par with those of the previous three films. If you have gone through the previous three films, you will want to see Confessions From a Holiday Camp too, and I think that you will enjoy it. It is included with the other films in this four-disc box set from Indicator/Powerhouse Films. If you decide to pick it up for your library, please keep in mind that it is Region-B "locked". HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.