Thursday, September 19, 2013

"OH MY GOD... SHE'S A BOY!"



By Harry Watson


A quote from the 1983 film Sleepaway Camp, the movie with an ending so shocking that it can't even be seen on TV or Video on Demand. Sleepaway Camp stars Felissa Rose as Angela Baker, the shy awkward girl who everyone picks on at camp. Little do the kids of Camp Arawak know, Angela harbors a very dark secret and a they will feel her wrath.
        You might think "Hey, what's so special about Sleepaway Camp?  Isn't it like every other camp horror movie?" Yes and no. Sleepaway Camp all though at first sets itself up as sort of a Friday the 13th/ Carrie knock off. It would appear that the movie is too predictable, shy girl picked on, mean kids knocked off one by one. Oh I wonder who the killer is. As the movie progresses though we start to find out more and more about Angela's past which makes growing up as Jason Voorhees or Carrie White sound fun. 
       Aside from Angela, there is Karen Fields taking on the role of Judy, the camps mean girl. Judy is so mean that you kind of want to reach through the screen and pull her down to the floor. During one scene she antagonizes Angela, mocking her for not showering with the other girls, even going as far as to question Angela's sexuality. "I bet you're a real carpenters dream" says Judy. She continues on her rant only to be be slapped by Sue, the nice girl counselor. Later on Judy even tries to drown Angela, at least Carrie only had tampons thrown at her. 
        As the plot thickens everyone wonders who the killer could be and why the camp is still open. 
Actually there could be many killers in this movie, we only are shown Angela holding a severed head, but there isn't necessarily any evidence to point to other killings. It could be her cousin Ricky who threatens to kill everyone who messes with Angela. The killer could be a nerdy boy named Mozart who gets bullied so badly, that he pulls out a knife on someone. It could even be Judy just because we hate her. There are so many open ends in the movie that after watching the movie again it really makes you think afterwards. 
      Sleepaway Camp is one of the few horror movies that doesn't explain everything to you, except maybe the huge plot twist ending where we see Angela's junk, but other than that it also makes for some good scares. We even see Judy get a curling iron shoved up a very uncomfortable area (don't worry we only see a shadow of whats happening, this isn't Fifty Shades of Grey) Sleepaway Camp is perfect for every horror fanatic who think's they have seen it all. Just don't don't expect the sequels starring Bruce Springsteens sister as Angela, they are pretty funny but also awful as hell

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