Joe Camp Movies
A producer and director of commercials and industrial films, Camp wrote, produced and directed his first feature, the canine adventure tale Benji, in 1974. The film was a huge box-office hit, which Camp promoted and distributed himself. He went on to specialize in family fare, such as Hawmps andThe Double McGuffin, but his biggest successes were his "Benji" sequels: For the Love of Benji, Oh, Heavenly Dog!, and Benji the Hunted. ~ All Movie Guide- 1992
This video offers the viewer an inside look at canine film celebrity Benji, as he gets ready for his starring performances in such films as For the Love of Benji, Hawmps!, and Oh, Heavenly Dog! Benji's trainer works with him until he gets his part, his tricks, and his remarkable expressions down just right. Appearing with Benji are film stars Jane Seymour, Omar Sharif, and Chevy Chase. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
- 1983
This TV special was directed by long-time Benji entrepreneur Joe Camp. When Benji leads her human pals on a journey to the North Pole, loveable old Santa shows them how different cultures celebrate Christmas. And yes, they discuss the "True Meaning" of the Holiday. The video version of Benji's Very Own Christmas Story includes a documentary called The Phenomenon of Benji. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
In this routine slasher film, a young woman's twin sister shows up to ruin her birthday party, and mayhem results. Before her birthday party, Julia (Trish Everly) starts dreaming about a twin sister she has never seen or met -- meanwhile, Mary (Allison Biggers), the actual twin who is the subject of her dreams, has just escaped from an mental institution and is horribly disfigured. Mary is bent on vengeance, and after she escapes, a series of murders begins -- but is Mary really the killer? ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Trish Everly, Michael MacRae, (more)
- 1981
Benjimovies.com and Ventura Distribution present this comedic family adventure starring canine star Benji. Originally shown as an ABC television special, Benji at Marineland finds the heroic mutt enlisting the help of some underwater pals, including dolphins and barracudas. The program was directed by Joe Camp, who also helmed each of the Benji feature films. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
In this outing, Benji finds himself on the loose in Athens. An international spy (Ed Nelson) places a secret oil formula within the folds of Benji's paw, and before the poor dog knows what's happening, he's being pursued through the ancient metropolis by a daunting variety of villains. Fortunately, Benji is smarter than his pursuers, so a happy ending is never in doubt. Writer/director Joe Camp managed to keep the Benji franchise alive into the 1980s, even writing a book about his filmmaking adventures with the clever canine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patsy Garrett, Cynthia Smith, (more)
Joe Camp, the writer and director of Benji, tried his hand with another breed of animal in this comedy. A U.S. Cavalry unit in Texas is having a hard time dealing with horses who aren't acclimated to the hot, dry weather, so it becomes the subject of an experiment -- instead of horses, the cavalry men will be issued camels, with hapless Howard Clemmons (James Hampton) put in charge of training the soldiers to handle their new mounts. While no one is happy with the arrangement at first, in time the soldiers become quite fond of their camels, so they're quite upset when the experiment is declared a failure and they're ordered to let the camels go free. Hawmps! also starred Western stalwarts Slim Pickens, Denver Pyle, and Jack Elam; well-known animal trainer Frank Inn has a bit part as a cook. Hawmps! was originally released at 126 minutes, though it was soon trimmed to 113 minutes; the shorter version is the only one in circulation at this time.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Hampton, Christopher Connelly, (more)
An instant family classic, Benji is shot mostly from the a dog's-eye view , adding even more characterization to a title character well-played by canine veteran Higgins. Benji is an intelligent homeless mutt adopted by a loving family; when the kids are kidnapped, it's the little dog to the rescue in the best tradition of bigger doggie heroes like Rin Tin Tin and Lassie. Believe it or not, Higgins really acts; his captivating performance and the simple, straightforward telling of the story makes for all-around family fun. A sequel didn't fare as well, but the original Benji is still a furry favorite. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patsy Garrett, Allen Fiuzat, (more)
Directed by Joe Camp, Benji: Off the Leash! follows the plight of three underdogs: Benji, who is literally a dog; the funny but none-too-bright Sheldon; and Colby, a 14-year-old facing some real problems. The unlikely trio is brought together by the nefarious efforts of an ill-intentioned puppy breeder who wants to use Benji's mother in an irresponsible backyard puppy mill. The film serves as a prequel of sorts to the Benji franchise, and features Chris Kendrick, Nick Whitaker, Duane Stephens, Randall Newsome, and, of course, Benji the Dog. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Benji, Nick Whitaker, (more)
Any comedy should be suspect when the lead character, in this case Benjamin Browning, is played both by an actor (Chevy Chase) and a lovable dog (Benji). Private eye Browning is in London tracking down a sexual scandal in British political circles when he is murdered. His karma is canine in form and gets him rebirth as a dog. Fortunately for him, the dog's owner is Jackie Howard (Jane Seymour), a magazine reporter who does not realize that there is a rather lustful man inside her innocent pooch. Benji supplies the few moments of humor in this uneven film. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chevy Chase, Benji, (more)
Alfred Hitchcock fans need not be reminded that "The McGuffin" is Hitchcock's term for the gimmicks (missing papers, stolen gems, uranium deposits) that motivate the plots of his thrillers. This much is explained by narrator Orson Welles at the beginning of the family-oriented The Double McGuffin. Hitchcock in-jokes abound in this innocuous adventure yarn, which stars Ernest Borgnine as an international terrorist (it's that kind of film). A bunch of kids in a sleepy Southern town tumble to Borgnine's scheme to assassinate a foreign prime minister, but of course the authorities don't believe a word. The kids decide to take matters into their own hands, which includes staging their own kidnapping to arouse the attention of the police. The film comes to a noisy climax during a school assembly, where the targeted prime minister is a keynote speaker. Like Ernest Borgnine, co-stars George Kennedy and Elke Sommer play their scenes straight, allowing full scope to the Saturday-matinee antics of the younger actors. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ernest Borgnine, George Kennedy, (more)
Both Benji the dog and his trainer Frank Inn play themselves in Benji the Hunted. Accidentally separated from Inn early in the film, the loveable pooch is forced to fend for himself in the Pacific Northwest. He latches onto a litter of cougar cubs, protecting them from harm while he himself has been targetted for a quick demise by a voracious black timber wolf. Filmed in Oregon and Washington, Benji the Hunted is more of the same from writer/director Joe Camp, the man who brought you all those earlier Benji epics. Camp's tendency to direct his doggie star with more confidence than his human actors is very pronounced here; in fact, the film would have benefitted immensely by a complete lack of human characters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Benji, Red Steagall, (more)
