USA | November 18th, 1983 | ★★★½
Sleepaway Camp is an American independent horror movie from filmmaker, Robert Hiltzik. Who wrote, directed, and produced the film. It introduces a very young Felissa Rose as Angela Baker. Alongside local actors Jonathan Tiersten, Karen Fields, and Christopher Collet. We even have a rare appearance from Robert Earl Jones, brother to James Earl Jones. And this movie marked the final film role for Mike Kellin as he would die of lung cancer in August of ‘83. It was released to US theaters on November 18th, 1983 and became a surprise hit.
Angela Baker and her cousin Ricky attend summer camp at Camp Arawak. Ricky had been coming for a while, but this was Angela's first time. Needless to say, it doesn't go very well. The camp is full of creeps, assholes and jerk-bags. And someone is running around trying to kill them all! This really doesn't help things for young Angela who just wants to be left alone.
Today we are looking at an iconic horror movie, Sleepaway Camp. A film that definitely made a mark and has an ending scene that will be burned into your memory for years to come. It's quintessential, in that it captures the time in style and fashion. It encompasses that summer camp feeling better than a lot of the other flicks in the same setting. Hell, it captures camp better than most Friday the 13th movies that are set at Camp Crystal Lake. This isn't afraid to go places other films fear to tread. It explores all sorts of themes from gender-roles to child molestation, while simultaneously injecting some entertaining camp comedy. The characters are all exaggerations with long strokes of realism. The dialogue can be hokey at some points but realistic at others. The fighting and bickering between campers is great. I’ve always felt that kids cursing really hit a stride during the mid-seventies through the eighties. And the language in this movie is on another level. I am all on-board for it.
Sleepaway Camp is an original and well-crafted slasher. Everyone that dies is very unlikeable and deserves what they get. The pedophile cook was my favorite. He's a real piece of shit that gets his comeuppance in such a satisfying fashion. And it's true that the ending is a finale that you will never forget. Believe that. Sleepaway Camp isn't going to be for everyone. It's going to be highly offensive to just about any parent or puritan. However, it has a lot of great qualities that make the film stand out far ahead of the competition. It fits into horror marathons perfectly and is a usual fixture during Halloween parties. And if you like this movie already then I would suggest Wet Hot American Summer and Friday the 13th. Both are classics from two different genres. Both fit around this movie perfectly.