TR reviews the "Sleepaway Camp" Trilogy

[Lick Ness Monster]

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.

****

[Non Banjoble Tokens]

I hated this movie.

[Spyke the Pacers Fan]

I used to have a friend that did an excellent impression of the girl (boy?) at the end of the movie.

[sunwukong]

Apr 24, 2008 1:52:04 GMT -5 Spyke the Pacers Fan said:

I used to have a friend that did an excellent impression of the girl (boy?) at the end of the movie.

He growled while hovering nakedly over a dead body?

[Spyke the Pacers Fan]

Apr 24, 2008 2:34:52 GMT -5 @sunwukong said:

Apr 24, 2008 1:52:04 GMT -5 Spyke the Pacers Fan said:

I used to have a friend that did an excellent impression of the girl (boy?) at the end of the movie.

He growled while hovering nakedly over a dead body?

He was (thankfully) clothed while performing the impression.

[macdaddysquid]

There is actually a fourth that was never released but can be obtained by purchasing the box set

[sunwukong]

Apr 24, 2008 2:37:55 GMT -5 Spyke the Pacers Fan said:

Apr 24, 2008 2:34:52 GMT -5 @sunwukong said:

He growled while hovering nakedly over a dead body?

He was (thankfully) clothed while performing the impression.

Did a guy in short shorts and knee high tube socks scream "Angela is a boy!" in a loud but not all that shocked fashion while he did it?

I love Sleepaway Camp. The first time I saw it I was expecting another formulaic slasher, and instead I got a movie that was really about incest, homosexuality, and gender identity. With lots of murder thrown in.

[Captain Wonderful]

Apr 24, 2008 2:38:02 GMT -5 macdaddysquid said:

There is actually a fourth that was never released but can be obtained by purchasing the box set

If by "fourth," you mean "ten minutes of production footage of someone running through the woods."

[Welfare Willis]

Apr 24, 2008 2:46:34 GMT -5 Captain Wonderful said:

Apr 24, 2008 2:38:02 GMT -5 macdaddysquid said:

There is actually a fourth that was never released but can be obtained by purchasing the box set

If by "fourth," you mean "ten minutes of production footage of someone running through the woods."

And the fourth disc was only included with sets sold at Best Buy.

Nice choice of movies to review TR. I don't have a lot of Argento's films, but I may be able to set up reviews for some foreign films.

[Baixo Astral]

First movie - asinine, but good in parts... excellent ending. Love the mad aunt.

Second movie - Dumb, and tried to get around it's shortcomings by being comedic and silly.

Third Movie - Have it on DVR, will watch and (probably) hate it soon

[Welfare Willis]

Apr 24, 2008 2:41:19 GMT -5 @sunwukong said:

Apr 24, 2008 2:37:55 GMT -5 Spyke the Pacers Fan said:

He was (thankfully) clothed while performing the impression.

Did a guy in short shorts and knee high tube socks scream "Angela is a boy!" in a loud but not all that shocked fashion while he did it?

I love Sleepaway Camp. The first time I saw it I was expecting another formulaic slasher, and instead I got a movie that was really about incest, homosexuality, and gender identity. With lots of murder thrown in.

Yes, this movie may be tied with Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2 as one of the gayest ( using the word in a positive way) films ever.

[BoilerRoomBrawler]

80's slasher movies suffer not only from cheesiness, but also from this:

tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SeinfeldIsUnfunny

I wasn't too wholly impressed with Sleepaway Camp, but it does annoy the hell out of me when people like remakes more than the originals, with the exception of remakes that actually are good, which is rare.

[Lick Ness Monster]

Apr 24, 2008 2:41:19 GMT -5 @sunwukong said:

Apr 24, 2008 2:37:55 GMT -5 Spyke the Pacers Fan said:

He was (thankfully) clothed while performing the impression.

I love Sleepaway Camp. The first time I saw it I was expecting another formulaic slasher, and instead I got a movie that was really about incest, homosexuality, and gender identity. With lots of murder thrown in.

Same here. I rented it just expecting another good, rollicking entertaining slasher film - and was genuinely surprised by how deep and psychological it was.

You know, for everybody repudiating this movie as cheesy, I have to say - would you have preferred this movie to have A-grade caliber actors and Martin Scorsese directing? This is one of those movies that is just so much better unpolished and raw.

And as the slew of horror remakes in recent years have proved, adding all the slickness, budget, and production values in the world just makes these movies crappy.

[DSR]

Thanks to Robot Chicken, I saw the ending to this movie before I ever actually saw the movie itself. Still though, watching RC's sketch, my mind basically went: "WHAT?! Any movie with an ending THIS f***ed up HAS to be in my collection." I bought it the first chance I got (and for only 5 bucks!). And while I found the death scenes a bit lacking (what can I say, Fulci and Mario Bava have spoiled me in that regard), the character interaction is about as close to genuine human interaction as you can get. And goddamn, Angela's psyche is messed up!

In short, a damn good horror flick. I give it a thumbs up.

[seano]

Apr 24, 2008 2:46:34 GMT -5 Captain Wonderful said:

Apr 24, 2008 2:38:02 GMT -5 macdaddysquid said:

There is actually a fourth that was never released but can be obtained by purchasing the box set

If by "fourth," you mean "ten minutes of production footage of someone running through the woods."

Blair Witch Project is included in this set?

[DSR]

Apr 24, 2008 15:23:20 GMT -5 @seano said:

Apr 24, 2008 2:46:34 GMT -5 Captain Wonderful said:

If by "fourth," you mean "ten minutes of production footage of someone running through the woods."

Blair Witch Project is included in this set?

If only Blair Witch was a mere 10 minutes long, I might've hated it less.

[Lick Ness Monster]

SLEEPAWAY CAMP II: UNHAPPY CAMPERS
1988
Director: Michael Simpson

This might be one of the best movies of all time with a budget of $1 million or less. While the writing and character interaction is not quite as sharp as the original, this is nonetheless quite an inventive little movie that managed to carve out its own place in the annals of the hallowed halls of '80s horror - and still boasts an impressive cult following today.
Brief plot synopsis (not that it matters in this film): Five years after the events of the original film, Angela Baker (now a post-operative sex change recipient) is the counselor at Camp Rolling Hills. And folks, that's relaly all the plot you need to know about this one.
This film is, essentially, a parody of '80s slasher flicks, running the gamut of everything from "Friday the 13th" to "Halloween". The camp is populated by every stereotypical character from this genre of films - you've got your slutty cheerleader, Ally (Valerie Hartman); the pure, virginal heroine, Molly (Renee Estevez); two stoner chicks, the token black character, etc. And while only five minutes pass in this film before Angela commits her first murder as a counselor, she's still just so damn nice and likable.
In the more character-driven world of the "Sleepaway Camp" films, Angela appears to have picked up the following attitude from her (almost surely) nonstop descent into abuse and neglect - that she is moral in the veritable camp of life, and those who are amoral deserve to die. And thus the murders in this film begin, as horny teens and dopey dudes meet their end left and right literally from the movie's first scene until the climax.
This plot device is quite ingenious, because it plys itself to parody perfectly - since Angela's motivation is to kill those who drink and screw, it also becomes a much more subversive and clever parody than "Scream" could ever hope to be - even more impressive since this happened ten years before "Scream"!
And this movie does have quite the tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. All of the characters are named after brat pack actors, the insistence on casting celebrity siblings in many key roles gives watchers endless opportunities to make fun of them (though they all do quite a decent job), and some of the deaths themselves are even funny.
On that note, Pamela Springsteen (and yes, her brother is Bruce) plays the older and wiser Angela in this film, and I'll just say that this performance is truly one-of-a-kind. In fact, I might go so far as to say she's one of the most menacing villains EVER - throughout most of the movie, her persona remains happy, optimistic and moralistic. She gives an almost Schwarzenegger-like quip after many of her murders ("Say no to drugs!" "Look! Shawn's on TV!", etc.), and dude...she's just so giddy while she's committing these unbelievably gory crimes. And this movie certainly delivers the goods when it comes to the red stuff - the drill death, the barbecue pit involving the two stoner chicks, etc. You know, any slasher film villain can silently kill horny teens with aplomb...but to do so with a big happy smile on your face and '50s-style-TV-mom theatrics? That takes a truly dangerous person, and Springsteen pulls it off to perfection.
While not quite as engaging as the first film, the teenage story is actually done quite well in this movie. Estevez plays a very likable virginal teen, and her story with nice guy Sean is nicely developed.
And now the bad - while the good in this movie far outweighs it, I feel that the final trimester of this movie is a big letdown after the first and second acts. After all of the very clever comedy and parody, the film essentially turns into a straight horror piece in its closing chapters, and in doing so loses a lot of the flavor of what made this movie so original.
It matters little - one of the most entertaining horror flicks I've ever seen, and one of the most hilarious first hours of any movie you'll EVER see.

*** 1/2

[erisi236]

"Is there any chips?"

"Why of course, theres a WHOLE BAG."

I don't know why but I find that little bit between crazy mom and son to be hilarious.

[Lick Ness Monster]

SLEEPAWAY CAMP III: TEENAGE WASTELAND
1989
Director: Michael Simpson

When I wrote the review for "Nightmare on Elm Street 2," I considered many things in the reasons why I initially didn't like it - while there are a smorgasboard of reasons, chief among them is that it just came out too damn soon after the previous installment. This movie has a lot of the feelings of a rushed horror sequel - unimaginative kills, a very retready concept, and occasional lapses into laughable uncohesion.
Nobody would confuse the "Camp" sequels as epic cinema. Indeed, the sequels to the phenomenal original film almost stand on their own, and even though this film falls short, they both stand as something truly, utterly unique in the annals of horror cinema - so even though I'm giving this one a negative review, you should still do yourself a favor and watch the entire thing.
First of all, this film is not quite the horror parody that the previous was. It continues the theme of casting a famous actress' sibling in a lead role (Tracey Griffith doing a fairly decent "good girl" routine, though nowhere near as good as Renee Estevez did in the previous film), and it also names characters in a pop-culture skewering manner - in this case, after "The Munsters" and "The Brady Bunch."
This movie has a pretty good concept - Angela isn't done with her extreme moral judgment classes, and after the events of the second film, she disguises herself as a teen at the reopened camp - now renamed Camp New Horizons. And this new bunch? It's an "experiment in sharing" set forth by the new owners - with one group being underprivileged youth and the other being snotty, upper-class kids.
This could have led to some truly interesting dialogue dynamics, reminiscent of the first film in terms of just how true it feels to real life. Instead, it's just all extremely stereotypical and hastily done - there's the rapper wannabe, the Asian gang member, the stuck-up cheerleader, etc., only since most of this was done in the previous film (albeit in a different form), it doesn't come across nearly as clever this time. And while one storyline in this film - that being Tony (the decent-hearted gang member from Los Angeles) and Griffith's characters' romance - is fairly interesting, the rest of it is mighty boring. Unlike the other two films, the scenes in this film that are about something other than Angela killing people don't hold my interest.
Even the death scenes are pedestrian - very uncreative kills. Remember the rushed sequel syndrome? It seems to be in full swing here, and the horror element is where it is the hardest hit. Seriously, how many people can Angela kill with a stick?
Having said all this, there is still one thing in this movie that absolutely works - Springsteen's performance as Angela. She's not quite as insane as the previous movie (where she seemed like a demonic Carol Brady), this flick's a little more introspective - including, actually, a rather hilarious flashback sequence to the second film involving her singing of "I'm a Happy Camper," complete with the Sally Field "You Like Me! You Really Like Me!" epilogue. Good stuff, and Springsteen certainly seems to get all of the quirks and complications of this character. Plus, you've got to hand it to any actor - related to The Boss or otherwise - who is actually willing to do a FREESTYLE RAP while in the midst of murdering a victim, holy christ.
"Sleepaway Camp III" was the last of the original trilogy, and the last of Michael Simpson's entry iinto the cult horror pantheon. While it's not as good as the second film (and certainly nowhere near the first), it is a reminder of one sad thing - they don't make movies like this anymore. These movies were truly one-of-a-kind.

**

[Captain Wonderful]

Apr 26, 2008 1:09:09 GMT -5 Lick Ness Monster said:

very uncreative kills

How is making someone snort Drano, shoving firecrackers up someone's nose, burying someone up to their head and running them over with a lawnmower, ripping someone's arms off with a Jeep, and raising someone up a flagpole only to drop them onto their head NOT creative?