It wouldn’t be summer without a good slasher flick, but a slasher reality series? OK, I’ll bite! Killer Camp is the new CW Network hit and an import from Britain’s popular ITV2 Channel. The show finds unsuspecting campers secluded in an enormous log cabin in the woods as they’re picked off one by one by Handyman Bruce, who is mysteriously and secretly controlled by another camper. Cast-mates compete for prize money and immunity, all while hoping they’re not the next victim to die in a grizzly, bizarre fashion. Fox in Friday the 13th Part 3, Luke Kirby in Halloween: Resurrection, and numerous others throughout horror history – every good slasher needs its bad boy based on looks alone. Sam Avery is Killer Camp’s supposed “problem-child,” but behind the tattoos and facial hair is a man who is charming, loyal and wise. An immediate standout, if you ask me, so it’s my pleasure to have a chat with Sam about his participation in the reality series.
“We were told the name of the show was ‘Summer Camp,’ a few things would entail activities and games, and then our imaginations ran wild with what we thought it would be,” Sam says in regards to the major twist that happens almost as soon as the first episode rolls. The cast-mates were originally told it was just a normal competition series, until the story was flipped into something much more sinister. “I honestly had no idea it would be Killer Camp until the moment we were told on camera. I do like to watch scary movies every so often, but I have to be mentally prepared. Psycho, The Silence of the Lambs, A Nightmare on Elm Street, IT, The Exorcist – all of them gave me plenty of nightmares when I was a young lad.” Imagine Sam’s surprise when he learned that he would be living a scary movie for the next few weeks!
“There wasn’t an awful lot of downtime as filming days were sometimes 12+ hours long and hectic,” Sam says about living his life on camera. “We crammed in so much while we were there. In the evenings, when we finished filming, we would usually sit around, have a couple of drinks and actually get to know each other a bit. We weren’t allowed to chat about the show or any game-play [unless cameras were rolling]. It was a welcomed break whenever we could rest our minds for a bit.” And his favorite memory from his time on the show? “It’s hard to pinpoint a specific moment, but I’d probably say it was when we first arrived and were getting to know each other while filming the opening scene on the school bus.” Considering the fact that days later people would start dying, via beheading or statue penis through the eye, it was good they had a small amount of time to become friendly.
In the same vein as MTV’s “Jersey Shore,” Sam adds, “We still talk! We have a group chat where we chat occasionally, but not as much these days. I still personally message a couple of them more often, especially Jacques when he posts something that makes me laugh.”
Reviews for “Killer Camp” have been mixed since it debuted on America television two weeks ago. Fans and critics are calling it too campy and accusing it of being scripted, however, I adore it since I’m a reality television junkie. To those complaining about the show, Mr. Avery says, “Just enjoy the show for what it is. There’s inflatable duck fights, hilarious scare cams, ridiculous deaths and a cheesy 80’s playlist to go with it. Don’t watch [Killer Camp] and expect a best-selling horror movie. Expect a cheesy bit of TV! I bet a lot of people who think they have it sussed will be proven wrong!”
“To be honest, life hasn’t changed much at all since filming the show,” Sam says. Killer Camp was first broadcast in The UK in 2019 before debuting across the pond eight months later. He adds, “There was a fairly small increase of followers on my social media accounts during and shortly after the show aired; many of whom kept me busy answering questions for a short while. Since then, everything is pretty much just as it was before.”
And would he ever do media gigs in the future? He says, “I have no specific plans to do so, but would welcome any future opportunities.”
Thanks for taking the time to chat with me, Sam!
Killer Camp airs on The CW Thursday nights at 8:00PM. Episodes are currently available to stream on demand.
Follow Sam Avery on Instagram and Twitter.
