The Burning (1981)

Director:

Tony Maylam

Writers:

Harvey Weinstein (story) and
Tony Maylam (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

8 May 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Gather Around the Campfire to Die!

Plot:

A former summer camp caretaker, horribly burned from a prank gone wrong, lurks around an upstate New York summer camp bent on killing the teenagers responsible for his disfigurement.

Plot Keywords:

Summer Camp | Burned | Prank | Hospital | Revenge

Cast

Brian Matthews	...	Todd
Leah Ayres	...	Michelle
Brian Backer	...	Alfred
Larry Joshua	...	Glazer
Jason Alexander	...	Dave
Ned Eisenberg	...	Eddy
Carrick Glenn	...	Sally
Carolyn Houlihan	...	Karen
Fisher Stevens	...	Woodstock
Lou David	...	Cropsy
Shelley Bruce	...	Tiger
Sarah Chodoff	...	Barbara
Bonnie Deroski	...	Marnie
Holly Hunter	...	Sophie
Kevi Kendall	...	Diane
J.R. McKechnie	...	Fish
George Parry	...	Alan
Ame Segull	...	Rhoda
Jeff De Hart	...	Supervisor
Bruce Kluger	...	Rod
Keith Mandell	...	Young Todd
Jerry McGee	...	Intern
Mansoor Najeeullah	...	Orderly (as Mansoor Najee-ullah)
Willie Reale	...	Paul
John Roach	...	Snoop
K.C. Townsend	...	Hooker
John Tripp	...	Camp Counselor
James Van Verth	...	Jamie
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert O'Neill	...	Camper (uncredited)

Directed by
Tony Maylam

Writing credits
Harvey Weinstein		(story) and
Tony Maylam		(story) and
Brad Grey		(story)
Peter Lawrence		screenplay
Bob Weinstein		screenplay

Produced by
Michael Cohl	....	executive producer
André Djaoui	....	executive producer (as Andre Djaoui)
Dany Ubaud	....	associate producer
Jean Ubaud	....	executive producer
Harvey Weinstein	....	producer

Original Music by
Rick Wakeman

Cinematography by
Harvey Harrison

Film Editing by
Jack Sholder

Casting by
Joy Todd

Art Direction by
Peter Politanoff

Makeup Department
Suzen Poshek	....	hair stylist
Suzen Poshek	....	makeup artist
Tom Savini	....	special makeup effects

Production Management
Corky Burger	....	executive in charge of production
Drummond Challis	....	production supervisor
Robin Grey	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Magdalen M.T. Brick	....	second assistant director
Carl Clifford	....	first assistant director

Art Department
James R. Bilz	....	assistant property master (as Jim Bilz)
Joseph Falzone	....	set construction
Dennis Hoerter	....	set construction
Suza Maher	....	art assistant
Stephen Miller	....	property master (as Steve Miller)
Joseph Rebisz	....	set construction
Garth Truckenbrod	....	set construction
John Wolf	....	set construction

Sound Department
Anthony J. Ciccolini III	....	supervising sound editor
Janet Conn	....	assistant sound editor
Jack Cooley	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ernie Davidson	....	assistant sound editor
Thomas A. Gulino	....	sound editor (as Thomas Gulino)
Wendy Hedin	....	apprentice sound editor
Neil L. Kaufman	....	sound editor
Gary Rich	....	sound mixer
Fred Rosenberg	....	assistant sound editor (as Fredric D. Rosenberg)
Larry Scharf	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Darryl Ferrucci	....	assistant special makeup effects

Stunts
Reid Rondell	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Rick Broat	....	electrician
Jim Canatta	....	first assistant camera (as Jim Cannata)
Frederic Feldbauer	....	dolly grip
Raffaello Ferucci	....	gaffer
David J. Frederick	....	second assistant camera (as Dave Frederick)
Chris Misiano	....	key grip (as Christopher Misiano)
Norman O'Halloran	....	generator operator
Ed Poplawski	....	best boy
John Rusac	....	still photographer
Eric Van Haren Noman	....	camera operator
Richard Wernig	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Mary Casilio	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rick Holtz	....	wardrobe assistant
Marcia Patten	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Maggie Constantinidis	....	post-production assistant
Farrel Levy	....	assistant editor (as Farrel Duffy)
Robert Newman	....	post-production assistant
Gail Showalter	....	associate editor
Bob Weinstein	....	editorial consultant

Music Department
Alan Brewer	....	composer: additional music (as Alan Brawer)
Alan Brewer	....	music soundtrack producer (as Alan Brawer)
Alan Brewer	....	musical director (as Alan Brawer)
Kevin Kelly	....	music recording engineer
Anna Pepper	....	composer: additional music
Rick Wakeman	....	music soundtrack producer

Transportation Department
Sammy Divincenzo	....	transportation
Jim Switzgable	....	transportation

Other crew
Coleman Bagau	....	special business advisor
Donald Barry	....	security officer
Roger Bernhardt	....	guidance (as Dr. Roger Bernhardt)
Alan Brewer	....	assistant to producer (as Alan Brawer)
Paula Bryszki	....	production assistant
Mary Lou Burger	....	pre-production assistant
Sandy Burger	....	pre-production assistant
Keith Cavele	....	production associate
Jimmy Flynn	....	production assistant
Bill Focht	....	titles
Charles Fuller	....	security officer
Alvin Glick	....	legal counsel
Brad Grey	....	production consultant
Jill Gutterson	....	special researcher
Paul Horgan	....	security officer
Craig Kellas	....	production assistant
Mary Jane Nolan Kelly	....	production coordinator
Paul Lamanna	....	special business advisor
Harold Levin	....	special business advisor
Mark MacKenzie	....	production assistant
Randy Marks	....	special business advisor
Michael McCarthy	....	security officer
Frank McGuire	....	special business advisor
Charlie Meeker	....	legal counsel
David Moser	....	special business advisor
Larry Pierce	....	security officer
Sarah 'Bubby' Postol	....	weather control
Carlita Powell	....	production assistant
Jeanne Ptak	....	pre-production assistant
Tom Savini	....	horror sequence designer
William M. Scott	....	location auditor
Tim Shea	....	production assistant
Igor Sunara	....	production assistant
Joe Takats	....	medic (as Dr. Joe Takats)
Joe Takats	....	special business advisor
Michael Trimboli	....	legal counsel
Jean Ubaud	....	creative consultant
Irv Ungerman	....	special business advisor
Miriam Weinstein	....	pre-production assistant
Vickie Weinstein	....	script consultant
William Yuhnke	....	special business advisor
Benjamin Zinkin	....	legal counsel (as Ben Zinkin)

Production Companies

• Filmways Pictures
• The Cropsy Venture

Distributors

• Filmways Pictures (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• Ambassador Film Distributors (Canada)
• Cinefear (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Dragon Film Entertainment (DFE) (Germany) (DVD)
• F.J. Lucas (Brazil) (video)
• Filmways Australasian Distributors (Australia)
• HandMade Films (UK)
• Lanmart (Hong Kong) (VCD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Thorn EMI Video Australia (1985) (Australia) (VHS)
• Thorn EMI (video)
• United Film (????) (Finland) (video)
• Video Instant Picture Company (VIPCO) (UK) (DVD)
• Video Invest AB (????) (Sweden) (VHS)

Other Companies

• General Camera Corporation  equipment
• Lee Lighting America  lighting and location equipment
• Magno Sound  sound re-recording
• Omnigraphics  titles
• Optical House, The  optical effects
• Sound One Corporation  post-production facilities

Also Known As:

Cropsy (USA) (reissue title)

Runtime:

91 min | Australia:89 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:18 (re-rating: 1992) (cut) (re-rating:2002) (uncut) | UK:(Banned) (1984-1992) | UK:X (original rating: 1981) (cut) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Australia:R | France:-16 | Norway:(Banned) (video rating) | South Korea:18 | USA:R | West Germany:(Banned) | Iceland:(Banned) | Finland:K-18 (1990) (cut) | Finland:(Banned) (1985) | Finland:(Banned) (1984) | Finland:(Banned) (1983) (cut) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Buffalo, New York, USA

Company:

Filmways Pictures

Trivia:

Director Tony Maylam said there was so much dust in the copper mine where the films finale was shot that he was still coughing it up several weeks after completing the shoot.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Alfred is pinned to the wall, Cropsy has his hand around Alfred's throat. Later, when Cropsy is waving the flame at Todd, there is a shot with Cropsy's hand still around Alfred's throat.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Camp Counselor: They never found his body, but they say his spirit lives in the forest. This forest. A maniac, a thing no longer human. They say he lives on whatever he can catch. Eats them raw, alive maybe. And every year he picks on a summer camp and seeks his revenge for the terrible things those kids did to him. Every year he kills. Right now he's out there. Watching. Waiting. So don't look; he'll see you. Don't breathe; he'll hear you. Don't move; you're dead!

Movie Connections:

References Sensual Fire (1979)

Soundtrack:

DEVIL'S CREEK BREAKDOWN

Lots of fun for the dedicated slasher fan.

The big break into movie-making for future Miramax honchos Bob and Harvey Weinstein (in fact, this was the very first Miramax film), this has now emerged as one of my personal favorite slashers.

Fashioned around what I didn't know was a pretty popular round-the-campfire scary story of the "Cropsy maniac", the film takes that premise and builds from there. Cropsy (Lou David) is a hardcore alcoholic and physically abusive caretaker at a summer camp who ends up the victim of a fiery revenge. Burned so badly he turns into something of a freak, he returns to the area armed with a trusty set of garden shears, ready to give Jason Voorhees some stiff competition.

I must say, Tom Savini shines here. His gore is quite the gruesome treat; all the kills are savage, and the big highlight of the film - the mass murder of five kids on a raft - delivers the gory goods. It's very impressive to watch. The makeup on Cropsy is also great; the film-makers wait until almost the end of the film for the big reveal of his face, and I think it pays off.

On the whole, "The Burning" may follow a familiar pattern, and at its core is designed basically to cash in on the then-popular slasher craze, but it's a highly entertaining film of its type. The kids are actually pretty likable - no way do they deserve what they get. The roles may be kind of standard - nerdy outcast, bully, joker, etc., but the actors do alright.

Noteworthy for a small variety of familiar faces and future stars: Brian Backer, as the dorky Alfred, was of course Rat in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High", and Jason Alexander, Fisher Stevens, and Holly Hunter, years before their big successes, make their film debuts.

The film has decent music by Rick Wakeman of Yes, is slickly photographed by Harvey Harrison, and is edited by future film director Jack Sholder ("Alone in the Dark" (1982), "A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge", "The Hidden"). I particularly liked the films' little fades to red - that's quite appropriate here.

While ultimately it doesn't deliver a lot of real suspense or scares, it's still fun to watch. I recommend it to anyone who has yet to see it.

8/10