TR reviews the "Sleepaway Camp" Trilogy

SLEEPAWAY CAMP
1983
Director: Robert Hiltzik

You know, before I get started on this particular round of TR reviews, I have to share a little story. I work with a girl who considers herself a horror fan; when I asked her what her favorite horror movies were, she said she really liked "Stay Alive," "The Hills Have Eyes," and "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre." To which I responded, of course, "yeah, those last two movies are pretty good, but the originals are way better." The response? "Those were remakes? Were they black and white?"
And I can't tell you how much that disheartened me - not so much because I consider myself a hardcore horror fan. Because I'm really not - I'll watch horror over any other genre, but I've never seen any of the real, heavy-headed epics of the genre - the films of Dario Argento or Lucio Fulci, for example. But, man, not knowing about the original TCM? Dude, that's tough to take.
Another story from my work life - about a month ago, I borrowed the movie that I'm reviewing right now to another work friend. And she hated it, saying that it was "cheesy" and that the acting "sucked."
The point I'm getting to, people, is that you either get horror - particularly '80s horror - and appreciate just how much this particular genre and time period of films put forth a genuine effort to entertain an audience - or you don't get it. I love movies that are entertaining, and movies whose only motive is to be entertaining. I absolutely loathe preachy political polemic films - some will disagree, I'm sure, and you're more than welcome to, but I have always found soapbox movies insanely boring. My all-time favorite movie is "Kingpin" - definitely not a horror flick, but to me, there is no more entertaining film. It's funnier than hell, you laugh your ass off - but the movie is about so much more than that. Rather than harping away on some CNN or FOX talking point, it's about human redemption and the power of friendship at its heart - and that's why it works. It makes you FEEL something.
"Sleepaway Camp" is a movie that absolutely tears your heart out - on so many different levels. In stark contrast to the other horror movies of the time that featured camp counselors getting hacked to bitty bits, this film features the kids themselves - with the characters being no older than 14 - as both the victims and the eventual killer. And it features the single most gut-wrenching, shocking climax to a movie that I've ever seen.
As the story begins, Peter and Angela Baker - along with their father - are frolicking in a lake. Some irresponsible teenagers out for a boating jaunt accidentally kill Peter and the father, leaving little Angela to stay with her aunt. We flash forward a few years, as Angela (Felissa Rose, in what I consider to be a landmark performance), now 14, is leaving for summer camp for the first time along with her cousin Ricky (Jonathan Tiersten).
Few movies understand the tumult and inner turmoil of the teenage years better than this. Shy Angela immediately attracts the attention of the camp's resident popular/cheerleader types, lead by Judy (Karen Fields). She is also the object of fancy of one of the male campers, and the two of them share a rather sweet teenage romance. We watch kids be kids for the duration of the movie - first loves, socials, camp rituals, you name it. Oh, and she is also the target of a pedophile cook - who is the first to die.
Throughout this film, everyone who is mean to Angela meets a decidedly nasty end. And for sure, this movie has some creative kills. There's a horny teenage boy being stung to death by bees, a drowning, a shower slicing, etc.
And while everybody and their dog talks about this film's ending, I actually feel that this movie's middle passages are where it is the strongest. While it's true that this is a low-budget horror film - and thus, aren't able to attract Charlton Heston-caliber actors - these people gave it their damndest. Jonathan Tiersten plays an excellent tough young kid, looking out for his little cousin. Karen Fields is "Mean Girls" long before Tina Fey put her unholy pen to paper - quite simply, this character, as played by Fields, is conveyed in such a dislikable manner that, as this movie sparks toward Judy's death scene, we the audience have virtually become the killer. And Felissa Rose is absolutely riveting as Angela - Rose is able to reach through the screen and captivate, as we (or at least I) relate to a movie character like one of our direct relatives.
Then, of course, there's the ending. While I'm sure it will be spoiled in one of the posts in this thread, nonetheless, this movie passes the great movie test: it gets BETTER with repeat viewings. Once we know the secret of this flick, almost every scene in the movie takes on a distinctly different meaning, as we consider the psychology and motivations for many of the characters in this film. An absolutely perfect ending - emotionally satisfying, utterly horrifying, and, once again, it triggers a powerful emotional response.
Robert Hiltzik, in his debut as a writer/director, is utterly successful in his ability to mislead, as well as his ability to examine the psychology and sociology of teenage living. He wrote a screenplay that gives us a veritable roller coaster ride of emotions, from love (we love Angela) to hate (Judy) to utter revulsion (the ending).
One more thing - my friend whom I borrowed this movie to was right - this movie is a little cheesy. GLORIOUSLY so, as Hiltzik also understands that to be entertaining, we must be allowed a few laughs. The sheriff's worst fake mustache in the history of cinema still makes me laugh to the point of tears every time.

****