I saw this movie late at night on a free-to-air channel, and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. Being a horror movie fan, I often watch these sort of midnight movies during the school holidays. More often than not, the horror movies shown during this time are usually big lamers. 'Campfire Tales' certainly does not fit into that category.
Campfire Tales is basically an anthology of short stories based loosely on well-known urban legends. They are pieced together with a setting involving teenagers telling these stories around a campfire. This campfire setting has a mysterious plot in itself. However, this particular story is weak and confusing, obviously used predominantly to set up the other spooky tales.
There are three tales in this movie (four if you count 'The Hook' at the beginning), all of which are truly spooky and well-made. I especially enjoyed the third tale ('The Locket') involving a guy whose motorbike breaks down in front of a mysterious household. This particular story works well in really freaking you out with sudden flashbacks of the house's history. In addition to this, the ending of the tale will completely shock you! The first tale ('The Honeymoon') was also very creepy, though the second tale ('People can lick too') was somewhat lacking.
Being a horror movie veteran, I don't usually get freaked out. This film certainly did that job well! What I particularly liked about this movie is the fact that it's split up into three shorts. This means the movie won't plod through an hour or so of character development and setting establishment before the real bloodshed begins. That makes 'Campfire Tales' perfect for sleepovers, parties, etc.
Campfire Tales is a creepy, crisp horror movie that will make your heart stop more than once. It's certainly better than the crap you'll often find in the cinemas these days (Blair Witch 2, Urban Legends: Final Cut...bleah!). Find a copy and watch it...if you dare!