NO CAMPER IS SAFE IN THIS SURPRISINGLY SMART SLASHER FILM
★★★★★ (A Must-See)
Director: Robert Hiltzik
1983
Even if you took away the shocking last seconds of Sleepaway Camp, it would still be a strong entry in the horror hall of fame. This movie has guts and no one is safe. Some victims inadvertently bring on their brutal fates (boiling, curling iron) while others happen upon the wrong person at the wrong time. My jaw dropped as young campers were slaughtered in their sleeping bags and youngsters were mowed over by speedboats, and the film actually opens with this lake accident, when a man and one of his kids are killed by a Camp Arawak boat driven by doofus counselors. The surviving child (Angela) is sent to Aunt Martha’s house to be raised as a sibling to cousin Ricky, who attends Camp Arawak every summer. This year, he’s taking Angela, and wouldn’t you know it, the bodies start to pile up and everyone wonders if this quiet girl—catatonic after witnessing her father’s death—has something to do with it.
Before the two tweens head out to the jinxed lake, we are treated with a surprising performance from a robot possibly built by John Waters. Dr. Aunt Martha (Desiree Gould, rest in peace), with her beret and penchant for talking to herself while malfunctioning, is something out of the Disney animatronics reject pile. Aunt Martha’s behavior reiterates a point the movie is trying to make: You’re at the mercy of the adult who is taking care of you. Despite her perkiness, she seems this close to losing it, but as she sends her kids off to their destination, they stare blankly at her as if it’s just another day in that household. I’m highlighting this moment so you don’t fast-forward through some of the best/worst acting in Sleepaway Camp, or maybe in any movie, ever. This scene puts the campiness in camp.
Shy kids don’t do well in large groups, so as you can imagine, Angela (Felissa Rose) is made miserable by Aquanet bullies whenever her more outgoing cousin isn’t there to save the day. Ricky (Jonathan Tiersten) is the kind of big brother anyone would want. When a slimeball tries to accost the newbie, Ricky swoops in; when main mean girl Judy (Karen Fields, hamming it up) sneers and tortures Angela, Ricky insults her. The boy is always one step behind to make sure his cousin is safe, giving Sleepaway Camp more leverage in the world of killer camper flicks. A comedy or horror film just doesn’t work well without heart, and Ricky and Angela are the heart of this story. The boy’s empathy is palpable. More feels are added when Angela finds possible love with Paul, an amiable kid who likes her despite her awkwardness. Of course, Judy, always waiting in the wings for a moment of vulnerability, does everything she can to ruin Angela’s chances with her new boyfriend. Meanwhile, those in charge— including owner Mel, an old pervert cavorting with young counselors—are trying to pretend recent deaths in cabins and canoes aren’t connected to a serial killer. But don’t get comfortable. Just when you think you have a good handle on the plot of Sleepaway Camp, the writer tosses you a hive of wasps.
The movie ends with the audience trying to connect the dots as the killer slaughters their way across Camp Arawak and beyond. The last shot of Sleepaway Camp is one of the most chilling in horror, and the reason you should not Google this film before watching. Even without this glorious, nightmare-inducing finale, the film has more creative kills and believable characters than Camp Crystal Lake. A psychotic mother out to avenge her son’s death and a man in a hockey mask are nothing compared to our villain, and the steps taken to create them. Unlike those cabin bunkmates you promised to stay in touch with, you’ll never forget Sleepaway Camp.
GENRES: LGBTQ+, Serial Killer, Teens in Peril
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