20 reviews
I am a fan of the whole series of movies, but this movie had a different feel to it. I would say it was more like the on the buses holiday movie but obviously more naughty. If you are a fan of the carry on series of movies or have seen the adventures of, series of movies then I would recommend seeing this movie and the others too.
The last of the four Confessions films is about Timmy and Sid running a holiday camp, basically a summer camp for the whole family. If you've seen any or all of the previous films in this series, you'll get just what you expect: General silliness, dumb gags and nudity at the drop of a hat. There was a British show called Hi-De-Hi which was also set in a holiday camp, but that show had polish and well developed characters, while this film is just an excuse for sexual antics. That in and of itself is not bad, but the film doesn't try very hard to be anything but a sex comedy. I'm sure the film maker wasn't looking to make a masterpiece but I just found this so-so at best. Mostly for lovers of the sex comedy genre and for anyone who feels nostalgic about the film.
- crossbow0106
- May 21, 2011
- Permalink
I saw this film in 1977, aged 21, stoned, sitting up the back of the Odeon High Street Kensington, with some friends, smoking. And we laughed. We laughed a lot actually. Seeing it on DVD, in my lounge at home, aged 52, on a cold Friday night, by myself - well, surprise, surprise, it wasn't funny anymore. Not only is it of it's time but also of it's place in history. It's cheap, written without much imagination, with no real laughs and with some (by 2008 standards) cringe inducing racism and sexism. But for all that, like Carry On and Doctor films, it is remarkably easy to watch and has a fascinating British charm all of it's own. I suppose the appeal, at it's basic level - is simple. It says that even if you're ignorant, thick and ugly, you only have to smile and sexy women will fall all over you, even to the extent of lining up, five at a time, to hide in your wardrobe. If only real life were like that.
"Timmy Lea" (Robin Askwith) and his philandering brother-in-law (Anthony Booth) from "Confessions of a Window Cleaner" (and two other "Confessions" movies I haven't seen) are working together once again, this time running a holiday camp called "Camp Funfrall". Their jobs are on the line, however, when the camp gets a new uptight owner. The brother-in-law tries to redeem them by sponsoring a beauty contest for the unusually large amount of nubile lovelies that patronize the camp, but his efforts are jeopardized by Timmy's customary habit of falling into various madcap sexual situations, which always seems to result in him running naked around the camp (to the point where he is dubbed "the Camp Streaker"). And to make matters even worse, Timmy's goofy parents and sister also show up to add to the zaniness.
Compared to "Confessions of a Window Cleaner" this British sex comedy has a little less emphasis on sex and a little more on comedy. Unfortunately, the comedy isn't nearly as funny as in the earlier entry, mostly because Timmy's hilarious parents don't have nearly as large of role. The lovely Linda Hayden (who played his fiancée in the first movie) returns as a different character, a French co-worker. Hayden's French accent is none-too-convincing, but she's never clad more than scantily, and often not at all. The same is true of the other women at the camp, including a black girl (to whom Timmy makes some very politically incorrect comments that nevertheless don't dissuade her from going to bed with him), an older married woman (Penny Meredith), and two giggly teenage friends (Carol Ellis and Sue Upton) . As usual, however, Askwith himself spends more time in the buff than any of the women. (I sometimes suspect that this series, with pretty-boy, Mick Jagger-lookalike Askwith, was aimed more at a 70's British version of a "bi-curious" audience as opposed to an entirely straight one).
If you liked the first movie (like I kind of did), this is not as good, but it's not necessarily bad. If you didn't like the first one though, you'll probably find this one even worse.
Compared to "Confessions of a Window Cleaner" this British sex comedy has a little less emphasis on sex and a little more on comedy. Unfortunately, the comedy isn't nearly as funny as in the earlier entry, mostly because Timmy's hilarious parents don't have nearly as large of role. The lovely Linda Hayden (who played his fiancée in the first movie) returns as a different character, a French co-worker. Hayden's French accent is none-too-convincing, but she's never clad more than scantily, and often not at all. The same is true of the other women at the camp, including a black girl (to whom Timmy makes some very politically incorrect comments that nevertheless don't dissuade her from going to bed with him), an older married woman (Penny Meredith), and two giggly teenage friends (Carol Ellis and Sue Upton) . As usual, however, Askwith himself spends more time in the buff than any of the women. (I sometimes suspect that this series, with pretty-boy, Mick Jagger-lookalike Askwith, was aimed more at a 70's British version of a "bi-curious" audience as opposed to an entirely straight one).
If you liked the first movie (like I kind of did), this is not as good, but it's not necessarily bad. If you didn't like the first one though, you'll probably find this one even worse.
Due to age I missed out on the UK 1970's sex comedy boom, so have been watching movies from this genre as they make themselves available on TV. Because these aren't exactly the kind of things you would pay money to watch or go out your way to see at the cinema. As if cinemas would play this kind of thing, seeing as they are now all staffed by woke feminists in 1950's tea dresses and ironic NHS glasses. Unlike the Carry On Series, the Confessions series is less family friendly due to its content, so it doesn't get as much love. The narrative is also much more streamlined as the Confessions series basically follows the protagonist in his job role as numerous nubile women decide they want to have sex with him now and for no apparent reason. And there are plenty of opportunities as this is a holiday camp. The humour is generally around nudity in public and the fear of being caught having sex from others. There is little crude language and the sex scenes are tame compared to what can be seen on the average teenagers phone. Is it ironic that these movies did and still do have feminists frothing at the mouth, when 40 years of feminist intervention have lead to even more extreme content being normalised by the public? This is definitely a UK time capsule movie and shows a more innocent time, regardless of the "that didn't age well" comments from the virtue signallers who are looking at far worse stuff.
- torrascotia
- Sep 29, 2024
- Permalink
I admit a certain affection for the CONFESSIONS... series of '70s sex comedy, which perfectly captured working class attitudes during that decade, much as the later CARRY ONs did. CONFESSIONS OF A WINDOW CLEANER and CONFESSIONS OF A DRIVING INSTRUCTOR are my favourites, with Askwith's professions lending themselves perfectly to a series of episodic shenanigans.
The last of the quartet is CONFESSIONS FROM A HOLIDAY CAMP, and it really is a last-ditch attempt to wring more money out of audiences. This time around, Askwith and Booth end up working at a dodgy sub-Butlins type place, where girls parade around in the bikinis a lot and end up getting into saucy encounters with a permanently befuddled Askwith.
There are some funny moments here - like the bit with Askwith in the swimming pool - but a lot of it is cringeworthy rather than amusing and the slapstick scenes are very childish. Lance Percival's portrayal of a gay guy is really awful, as are Askwith's off-colour jokes at the expense of a black woman. It's a pity the script is so poor, because there's some top totty here in the form of Liz Fraser and Penny Meredith, but they would have been better served in one of the other, better, instalments.
The last of the quartet is CONFESSIONS FROM A HOLIDAY CAMP, and it really is a last-ditch attempt to wring more money out of audiences. This time around, Askwith and Booth end up working at a dodgy sub-Butlins type place, where girls parade around in the bikinis a lot and end up getting into saucy encounters with a permanently befuddled Askwith.
There are some funny moments here - like the bit with Askwith in the swimming pool - but a lot of it is cringeworthy rather than amusing and the slapstick scenes are very childish. Lance Percival's portrayal of a gay guy is really awful, as are Askwith's off-colour jokes at the expense of a black woman. It's a pity the script is so poor, because there's some top totty here in the form of Liz Fraser and Penny Meredith, but they would have been better served in one of the other, better, instalments.
- Leofwine_draca
- Feb 22, 2016
- Permalink
This is the worst of the confessions of series. Robin Askwith shoud stop making these movies and start making new and better movies. Its a joke of a movie and i laughed all the way through, not because it was funny, because it just sucked so much. 1/10
If you like this try: Any other confessions of series
If you like this try: Any other confessions of series
- Rhythmbandit
- Oct 5, 2001
- Permalink
Back in 1977 I informed my equally horny schoolmates that I was going to bus from our small town to the Big City of Christchurch to see a 'Confessions' movie. When I got back, I couldn't even remember what the women looked like to describe to the guys. That is because the movie was about as funny and/or arousing as afternoon tea with your maiden auntie. Your elderly, extremely unattractive maiden auntie, that is. The 'Confessions' movies were never top-of-the-line entertainment, but this (thankfully) final entry in the notoriously cheap, nasty smut-smeared franchise manages to be genuinely appalling, even when compared to the others. It was actually boring to me as a fourteen-year-old, and with so many naked bodies on screen, that took some doing. Nowadays 'Holiday Camp' makes a far better sociological artifact than it does a cinematic experience, and then only if you're prepared to plumb the depths.
- wadechurton
- Apr 23, 2011
- Permalink
Confessions From a Holiday Camp, the fourth and final film to star Robin Askwith as working class lothario Timmy Lea, fails spectacularly as a comedy, the unsophisticated script resorting to embarrassing racist remarks, crass homophobic jokes, and childish slapstick in a desperate attempt to illicit giggles from its audience.
'So, if it's not all that funny, then why have you rated it so highly?' I hear you ask. The answer: the endless quality British crumpet, of course. The plot, which sees Timmy organising a beauty contest at Camp Funfrall, allows for plenty of bare breasts, some shapely female derrieres, and more bush than Hampton Court Maze. Not only does the lovely Linda Hayden, star of the first Confessions film, return to play foxy French holiday host Brigitte, but we also get sexy brunette Caroline Ellis as yummy Brummie Gladys, Kim Hardy as the camp's tasty announcer, Nicola Blackman as Blackbird, the camp's curvacous Caribbean queen (and, sadly, the brunt of the racist jokes), and busty Janet Edis as a horny MILF.
Unfortunately, there's also rather a lot of Robin Askwith's hairy ass on display, but you can't win 'em all I suppose.
'So, if it's not all that funny, then why have you rated it so highly?' I hear you ask. The answer: the endless quality British crumpet, of course. The plot, which sees Timmy organising a beauty contest at Camp Funfrall, allows for plenty of bare breasts, some shapely female derrieres, and more bush than Hampton Court Maze. Not only does the lovely Linda Hayden, star of the first Confessions film, return to play foxy French holiday host Brigitte, but we also get sexy brunette Caroline Ellis as yummy Brummie Gladys, Kim Hardy as the camp's tasty announcer, Nicola Blackman as Blackbird, the camp's curvacous Caribbean queen (and, sadly, the brunt of the racist jokes), and busty Janet Edis as a horny MILF.
Unfortunately, there's also rather a lot of Robin Askwith's hairy ass on display, but you can't win 'em all I suppose.
- BA_Harrison
- Jan 16, 2011
- Permalink
This film really was pretty awful; some of the characters made me cringe! very poor acting, directing, etc., Could learn a thing or two from the 'Carry on' films. It was no better than any of the other 'Confessions'films; I only watched it to the end to read the credits - there were some well known faces; what happened to the little boy actor, I wonder. Was his name Robert Booth? I noticed that the Railway station had 'Hayling' on it; perhaps it was Hayling Island? Does anyone know which camp it was filmed at? I used to go to Coronation and Sunshine on the Island; those were the days! I wonder if PM watched his father-in-law! The likeness is quite uncanny. Yuk!!!
- sylvia-cox
- Apr 17, 2006
- Permalink
- ShadeGrenade
- Jun 23, 2006
- Permalink
This is the most saucy out of the four "Confessions". You get from this one, just what you get from the others, only it's funnier and more raunchy. Again walking hazzard, Askwith and his brother in law have a new venture, working at a holiday camp, a real dive but it does have it's perks. Whoever thought there'd be an underground cafe, where through the windows you can see the underground of the family pool, and that's not all, as there's a familiar streaker roaming about, and as a Confession's fan, you don't have to be an Einstein to figure out who. And again the family pay a visit, including the bigoted Grandad, who I find a hoot. He gets pie eyed and mistakes one of those long funeral cars, carrying a coffin, as their ride to the camp, the bereaved family, with them. The grandad tries to cheer the family with sing song. There's a great raunchy scene near the end with Askwith up to his neck again in, you know, cleavage, etc, inside the ghost train building, where the family decide to take a ride. How this ends with Askwith, is just another reason I love these films. He makes up with some hotties, one a busty Brazilian who really wants to win this beauty contest, and you don't want to be at the receiving end, if she loses, as you're liable to be wearing custard pie on your face. The pie fight that erupts, so reminded me of Pacific Banana, where also in that, there was a gay guy. What's funny here, this famous pianist in the movie just keeps on playing through this fight, while below this mischievous kid, is sawing at the legs of the piano. Askwith shares some nude pool too, him and Booth again having close calls with their boss and other staff, their careers in the balance. One of them, a lanky gay guy who's onto them, has his worst fear, coming true, when a score of hotties jump him, where they may of just turned him straight. That is the tastiest and more entertaining of the four, with so many other scenes I'd love to mention. This was the last of the series which in my opinion, ended on the perfect note.
- PeterMitchell-506-564364
- Jan 21, 2013
- Permalink
I didn't really know how many stars to give this - I gave it two because there probably are even worse things to watch than this. It's totally unfunny and unentertaining. As a comment on the then prevailing morals it might have some value, but it's so smutty and predictable that it's hard to take seriously. The Carry On films did this sort of thing so much better because the sexual innuendo was implied and often entertaining (with the exception of the last two Carry On films). In this film everything is so explicit, that together with an awful script, its just embarrassing for anybody (other than those seeking visual titillation) to watch.
- simondeeley12
- Dec 31, 2022
- Permalink
To begin and end a film with a song by The Wurzles promises a grisly experience, and the film promptly lives down to the expectations it raises. It's so short of inspiration that all the makers can think of for a conclusion (SLIGHT SPOILER COMING:) is a custard pie fight.
It's tempting to say that the last gasp of the "Confessions' series represented British cinema at it's absolute nadir; but take it from me I've seen much worse.
Shot for a princely 220,000 quid, permitted the luxury of a six week shoot instead of the usual five since it was shot at Hayling Island in Hampshire when it was out of season, and Boy does it show.
Played as in 'Carry On Camping' under almost continuously leaden skies, the script consists of a relentless stream of brainless double entendres and unfunny malaprops, we're submitted to the embarrassment of Lance Perceval as a mincing entertainments officer, and it's all done with a visual style that reminds you just how inventive The Benny Hill Show could be.
The inevitable accusations of sexism are fairly easily countered as in the Benny Hill Show the men are caricatured far more cruelly than the women. It strains credibility that an ugly little little troll like Robin Askwith could be such a hit with the ladies, but that part, alas, I'm reliably informed was quite true.
It's tempting to say that the last gasp of the "Confessions' series represented British cinema at it's absolute nadir; but take it from me I've seen much worse.
Shot for a princely 220,000 quid, permitted the luxury of a six week shoot instead of the usual five since it was shot at Hayling Island in Hampshire when it was out of season, and Boy does it show.
Played as in 'Carry On Camping' under almost continuously leaden skies, the script consists of a relentless stream of brainless double entendres and unfunny malaprops, we're submitted to the embarrassment of Lance Perceval as a mincing entertainments officer, and it's all done with a visual style that reminds you just how inventive The Benny Hill Show could be.
The inevitable accusations of sexism are fairly easily countered as in the Benny Hill Show the men are caricatured far more cruelly than the women. It strains credibility that an ugly little little troll like Robin Askwith could be such a hit with the ladies, but that part, alas, I'm reliably informed was quite true.
- richardchatten
- Dec 31, 2022
- Permalink
sorry, haven't seen it but I doubt I will just because of the content and the prior reviews. But just tracking down a comment on youtube ... Caroline Ellis was "Joy" on the Bugaloos kids TV show, very popular in US early morning Saturday shows in the 70's... she was cute then ... guess she was tired of looking like she was only going to act in parts for the kiddie shows ... supposedly she has full nudity in this film, front and back, according to another. Kind of like Jessica Biel when she did that stupid photo shoot to get out of her contract on Seventh Heaven - but she got a good publicist that was able to keep it from ruining her career ... But that is probably STILL not worth a reason to rent this movie. Sorry about that. LOL.
- rugratz2222
- May 3, 2009
- Permalink
I recently viewed the UK comedy 🇬🇧 Confessions from a Holiday Camp (1977) on Tubi. The plot revolves around Tim Lea, now employed at a classic European summer camp, responsible for recruiting talent for an upcoming beauty pageant. His recruitment might go too far, risking the girls' withdrawal from the event over jealousy. Can Tim salvage the situation and successfully carry out the mission?
Directed by Norman Cohen (Burning Rubber), the film features Robin Askwith (Bless this House), Anthony Booth (Corruption), Bill Maynard (Oddball Hall), Linda Hayden (Taste the Blood of Dracula), and Sheila White (Oliver!).
This cheesy UK comedy leans heavily on excuses for splash nudity, full nudity, and numerous shots of naked butts. While a few scenes, like the pool sequence, offer some entertainment, the film often feels like a sequel to Meatballs with a focus solely on the ladies. Even the narration falls into the realm of average.
In conclusion, Confessions from a Holiday Camp boasts appealing ladies but lacks in the comedy department. I would rate it a 4.5-5/10 and recommend it only with the appropriate expectations.
Directed by Norman Cohen (Burning Rubber), the film features Robin Askwith (Bless this House), Anthony Booth (Corruption), Bill Maynard (Oddball Hall), Linda Hayden (Taste the Blood of Dracula), and Sheila White (Oliver!).
This cheesy UK comedy leans heavily on excuses for splash nudity, full nudity, and numerous shots of naked butts. While a few scenes, like the pool sequence, offer some entertainment, the film often feels like a sequel to Meatballs with a focus solely on the ladies. Even the narration falls into the realm of average.
In conclusion, Confessions from a Holiday Camp boasts appealing ladies but lacks in the comedy department. I would rate it a 4.5-5/10 and recommend it only with the appropriate expectations.
- kevin_robbins
- Mar 5, 2024
- Permalink
- jboothmillard
- Aug 4, 2023
- Permalink
This is a wonderful film and it deserves full marks and I'll tell you why.
In the early moments there is a blonde girl in a blue bikini who is smearing what appears to be Vaseline onto Anthony Booth's chest. In the cast list she is noted as Julia Bond, but I know better (not that I'm going to give her real name here, of course). That young woman is a childhood friend of my wife's and, in 1974, we shared a flat with her and her then husband. She made a couple of other films, but I think this was the highest profile one. So a big "Hi!" to her if she happens to read this!
There are some excellent British actors of the time in this film - Sheila White (Here we go round the Mulberry Bush, I Claudius), John Junkin (A Hard Day's Night) and it's a bit depressing to think that they had to rely on sniggering nonsense like this to pay their mortgages.
In the early moments there is a blonde girl in a blue bikini who is smearing what appears to be Vaseline onto Anthony Booth's chest. In the cast list she is noted as Julia Bond, but I know better (not that I'm going to give her real name here, of course). That young woman is a childhood friend of my wife's and, in 1974, we shared a flat with her and her then husband. She made a couple of other films, but I think this was the highest profile one. So a big "Hi!" to her if she happens to read this!
There are some excellent British actors of the time in this film - Sheila White (Here we go round the Mulberry Bush, I Claudius), John Junkin (A Hard Day's Night) and it's a bit depressing to think that they had to rely on sniggering nonsense like this to pay their mortgages.
I liked the others but this is truly unfunny.the only scene worth watching is two old guys talking a good fight while keeping away from each other.This is more soft porn than comedy.it lacks big names in the cast this time round.The jokes are just not funny.1 out of 10
- filmbuff1970
- May 23, 2002
- Permalink