Review of Sleepaway Camp (1983) by Jane L — 23 Nov 2014

I saw SLEEPAWAY CAMP with friends on Halloween night, and let me tell you, this is the perfect occasion to watch such a film. The performances are laughably bad, with overacting adults, underacting children and bizarrely homoerotic vibes. The production values are obviously minute, as the sets are cheap and constrained. The writing is also hilariously inept--the dialogue is wooden, repetitive and filled with ridiculously delivered swear words. However, SLEEPAWAY CAMP is so, well, campy, that it's unintentionally humorous and entertaining. But is it scary?

As the movie progressed, I found myself pointing out plotholes and continuity errors instead of being scared. The murder scenes were all ridiculous and poorly staged, so those weren't particularly scary. This film is more disturbing than scary. I won't dare ruin one of the most outrageous plot twists of all time, but trust me, the implications are unsettling.

I recommend this movie just for the plot twist alone, as well as the comedically bad and inept moments. Give it a watch, but just expect a lot of shock and WTF factors at the end!