Sleepaway Camp - A Cult Classic
Sleepaway Camp is considered a cult classic and has a crazy fan base from what I understand. Honestly I don’t see the hype but, it is enjoyable if you like slasher films. I do recommend that all slasher fans see this movie. IMDB has this as a cult classic and it has decent rating from them too. You can read about Sleepaway Camp on IMDB here and some more reviews here. So, on to my opinion of this camp slasher movie.
Jason Voorhees Copycat Killer
Sleepaway Camp is clearly a piggyback off Friday the 13th and follows the formula closely with some exceptions. The title alone gives this away. It takes place at a wilderness camp just like Friday the 13th except in this movie other kids are the primary targets and not so much the counselors. Another clear copy of Jason’s movies are the scenes that feature only the killer’s hand moving towards someone. This keeps their identity hidden until the plot reveals them. There is also a deranged mother in this story which we all know was the case of Jason Voorhees. I’m sure there’s more similarities if you want to look closely but these are enough for my purpose.
The Ending of Sleepaway Camp
Overall, this movie has a lot of filler in it. The pace is consistent but slow. The opening of the movie is a little unclear as to what happens and why it’s significant. Also, there is a lot of focus on the strange mother and really, this is all that you get. She is strange. I didn’t mind watching this movie for the second time to blog on it but, it’s not really my favorite. There are some cool things about it though that do make it stand out.
It’s the ending of this movie that is the big ticket. Once you get to the last few minutes, you have a good idea of what’s coming. They did a great job hiding this though. The first time I watched this one, I had no idea and it really caught me off guard. It wasn’t Saw but, the same super surprise out of nowhere. I think another thing about this movie is the scream of Felissa Rose and her noticeably huge mouth. I went to a convention once where she was and spoke to her in passing. She was on her way to the restroom. At the time, I had no knowledge of Sleepaway Camp. Her mouth is noticeably large though. I don’t mean this offensively at all. If you read this Felissa, I am in no way trashing you. A big mouth also makes for a great scream.
Some Things Didn't Make Sense
Most of the kills in Sleepaway Camp are ridiculous and completely unbelievable. I get it, most all of them are in slasher movies from this era. Let’s face it though, if someone chops you with a machete, you die. If someone rips your head off, you die. The fatalities in Sleepaway Camp involve a child drowning a bigger kid by themselves, bees killing someone to the point where they look like acid was poured on them, a kid punching someone and knocking them unconscious, and even a curling iron being used to kill someone. The gore is over the top on most of this stuff too.
Another point on this one that I can’t follow is the language. I have said enough curse words in my life to make Samuel L. Jackson jealous, well maybe not that many. Anyway, the kids cursed like crazy in this movie. I never went to summer camp, but I don’t remember kids using language like this when I was the age of the kids in the movie. Perhaps it’s a selling point? I don’t know. I didn’t really see any need in it. I don’t know why I look for accuracy so heavily in movies like this. I know they are going to be far from truthful.
Some Artistic Inspiration
Some things I did like, besides the ending, was the scenery. There were a lot of very art inspiring scenes in this movie. For instance, there is a one with a dock house and several towels hanging on it. The colors were very muted, and it would have made for a great painting idea. Vintage clothing in Sleepaway Camp is good too. Converse All Star t shirts and a lot of vintage adidas are present. I always enjoy seeing retro clothing styles.
What Are Your Thoughts on Sleepaway Camp?
Sleepaway Camp is not my favorite, and I will likely not watch again. I do recommend it to slasher film fans though. It does hold a place in the genre. There’s enough fandom out there for it to fall into the cult classic genre so, you need to see it if you like slashers. See what you think about it. If there are any super fans reading this blog, let me know what it is about Sleepaway Camp that you like. What am I missing? What is the hype for you? Let me know in the comments.
Also, I would love it if you liked this blog and would follow me on social media. You can find links to all my social media, my art, my photography, and more here.