Review of Sleepaway Camp (1983) by Michael F — 20 Jan 2008

An iconic '80s slasher with all of the subgenre's cherished elements: the cliched campground setting, the far-fetched kills, and, of course, the Oscar-caliber performances. Kidding aside, there are some solid players here. Felissa Rose is endearing as the delicate and meek Angela. Karen Fields is perfect as the frenzied bitch Judy. And Desiree Gould is deliciously campy as the deranged Aunt Martha -- her overacting fits perfectly with the out-of-left-field queer subtext of the film.

Sleepaway Camp adds a few innovations to the mix, namely the unabashedly depraved inclusion of the child molester character ("Where I come from, we call 'em baldies!") and the shocking twist ending, which is the film's true feat. Of all the slasher films I have seen, Sleepaway Camp has the wildest, most fulfilling, and most original climax. It's truly unforgettable.