Review of Stage Fright (2014) by Thomas W — 29 Aug 2014

Ten years after her Broadway star mother was stabbed to death in her dressing room after a production of The Haunting of the Opera, Camilla Swanson (Allie MacDonald - House at the End of the Street) finds herself serving breakfast, lunch and dinner to some bratty attendees of her father's (Meat Loaf - Fight Club) performing arts camp.

Camilla dreams of being a famous star like her mother and manages to score herself a prominent role in the camp's summer production which generates some buzz among the camp attendees but also makes Camilla a target of criticism and resentment from a few who'd rather she stay in the kitchen and off the stage.

The movie is full of drama camp prima donnas, queen bees who want-to-be stars, closet cases and several other gay-as-in-happy boys, sexist and womanizing directors, nerds, musical geeks, petty princesses and every other kind of stereotypical character one can imagine attending a month-long summer session hosted by a Meat Loaf clone.

I give the filmmakers credit for trying to attempt such an unconventional hybrid of a film but everything about it is poor! The lyrics of the musical numbers are pitiful and painful (the film is clearly attempting the "spoof" angle) while most of the cast comes across as rejected tryouts from a low-budget horror movie.

Stage Fright begins with a bit of promise but once its only shining star (Driver) fades from view it forgets its frights are supposed to be fun and by taking itself too seriously the audience gets (fake) staged fright instead.