Review of Sleepaway Camp (1983) by Alex P — 08 Dec 2012

Slasher films came and went so rapidly in the early '80's that most of them were forgotten in weeks, but "Sleepaway Camp" is one that has endured with quite the cult following. All of that stems from a shocking twist at the end, and admittedly that works and works big. Not only is it a legitimate surprise that I didn't see coming, it's logical within the context of the film and the final shot is shocking and startling.

It also begs the question, "Why did the rest of this have to be so dumb and ordinary?" Frankly, it's more "Meatballs" than "Friday the 13th", with a bunch of pedophiles presiding over the worst camp in the history of camping. The kids run rampant and have no discernible supervision as they curse, berate and attack each other with little to no consequences. There seems to be little regard for their safety and well being. At least you can say it's comical.

I think the version I saw was heavily edited, since the killings themselves are mostly off-screen, but you do get to see the aftermath. Judging from that, the special effects are generally better than the norm here. You have to wonder why they didn't place a little more effort into the first half. This will always be remembered for the "Crying Game" ending, and many people heaped praise on it for that again.

But that ending, as good as it is, can't make the rest of "Sleepaway Camp" bearable. It's a tired and ridiculous horror film with terrible acting and a nagging sense of deja vu.