Review of Sleepaway Camp (1983) by Chucho E. Q — 25 Aug 2008

One thing before writing this review: I hate camp. I really do. I don't think John Waters is campy, I think he's a genius. I hate camp because I don't believe in "so bad it's good" movies. I believe there are either GOOD or BAD movies, and that's it.

Another thing: I hate horror flicks. I really do. You know why? Because they're not scary. Not at all. I don't get scared easily. In the last 19 years, I've only been scared of "Stir of echoes" with Kevin Bacon, "The Grudge" with Sarah Michelle Gellar, "[rec]" (one of, if not the scariest films ever created by mankind) and "Sleepaway camp" with Felissa Rose.

Yes: I love this movie! Do you want to know why? Because it scared the fuckin crap out of me! It really did! I didn't want to see this movie because I thought it was pure crap (just as my dear friend Quinto Wallight, from Flixster, loves his movies: crappy and campy) but last night I had nothing else to do and I decided to see this movie, uploaded on YouTube. And even in a tiny screen on a website, while talking with some friends on the MSN Messenger, I was really scared.

Everything in this movie is amazing. There are a couple of campy performances (specially from the grown-ups, like the weird, drag-queen aunt and the hunky camp dude with tiny shorts and hairy chest) but the lead roles, specially the beautiful (yes, beautiful!) Felissa Rose give amazing performances. The tiny, shy Felissa is hypnotizing from start to finish and while the quality of the film may not be the greatest (it is, after all, a slasher film from the 80s, c'mon!) she always finds the way to shine.

But what's really awesome about "Sleepaway Camp" is not only its scary scenes, its undeveloped characters (excluding Felissa, of course) or its unintentional humor (c'mon! You gotta love how crack-whore-bitchy Karen Fields is!), it's more than that. There's some sort of special charm about it and the deaths really help: they are so original, so fresh, so wicked. And the best part is there's a reason for it! There's a theory surrounding the movie (specially nowadays that there's a super cult behind it) that tells us that MAYBE, and just MAYBE, the killer is not who we asume it is and who the ending tells us. But one thing's for sure: it's a kid. A child. And that's the reason why the murders are so crazy and psychotic: child's minds are so powerful, so brilliant, they can pull off some gimmicks like the ones we see on screen with such dexterity it's absolutely scary. Kids are mean, but not only mean: they're smart and mischievious. And that's why EVERYTHING you can possibly foresee or predict about "Sleepaway Camp" is, right until the very last credit rolls, complete bullshit. The movie stays with you and you keep on guessing and discovering new stuff with further viewings and research because you won't be able to keep your mind away from it.

The ending. I know everyone comments about it but it's not only shocking because of its "apparently-obvious-but-not-too-obvious" resolution and final shock and twist, but because of everything behind it, everything we can't see, everything surrounding the fact that... well, you'll know when you see it. And that last, very last frame... scary, huh?

Enjoy.