LogFAQs > #979821917

29. Sleepaway Camp (1983 / 314 points)
Directed / Written by: Robert Hiltzik
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Why Its Significant - Sleepaway Camp's infamous ending is undeniably a watershed moment for the horror genre. This twist, whether you consider it problematic in its portrayal of gender identity or a transgressive game-changer, undoubtedly left audiences speechless either way. While this is the biggest part of the film's enduring legacy, the awkward dialogue, strange pacing, and often nonsensical scenes makes it stand-out just as much, capping off one of the most gonzo slashers of the 80s that ends up being far removed from the Jasons & Freddys of the decade. Sleepaway Camp received four sequels, a spoof movie, short-film spin-off, and potentially has one or several other sequels / spin-offs in development.

Jcgamer107- 10
Fortybelowsummer - 14
Karo - 19
Seginustemple - 21
Inviso - 22
Evilordexdeath - 27
Lightning - 27
Mythiot - 27
Bitto - 29
Plasmabeam - 29
Snake - 29
Johnbobb - 30
Rockus - 30

Jcgamer107 - 7/10

Fortybelowsummer - Stop me if youve heard this one: kids go to camp in the 80s and start getting picked off one by one by a deranged killer. Yes, its been accused of being too derivative, but its pretty obvious that Sleepaway Camp has far more going for it than just being a rip-off of Friday the 13th. It is its own entity and actually better in many ways. The practical effects are outstanding, from the guys skin blistering up, to the mouth snake, to the neck arrow. The characters are fleshed out and generally more than just fodder for the killers blade (or bees). Most importantly its a real commentary on bullying and forced gender identity. I dont see it as transphobic, but it has provoked conversation. Yes a lot of the production aspects are pretty poor quality, but I think it stands out from other shallow slashers. Finally, the ending is absolutely legendary and one of the most shocking and terrifying moments in all of horror. When I first saw this I didnt expect much, but its become a personal favorite, and I dont hesitate to recommend it to horror fans that may have missed it.

Karo - So there's a bunch of deaths at a summer camp which for some reason hasnt been shut down despite the owner being a psychopath, the cook being a child molester, and many egregious safety violations in almost every aspect of camp life.

I then endured an hour and a half of these brats just so I could find out that the person that was quite obviously the killer was in fact, indeed the killer. Oh, and the girl has a penis! (also expected)

I really hate how the reveal is framed and how the movie wants me to feel horrified or disgusted at the revelation like its attack of the killer crossdressers or something, and the tiresome anyone who is different is a monster that is to be feared tripe. I suppose you could make the argument that it decently portrays the harm done when a child is forced into a gender they don't identify with, though I guarantee that was absolutely not the fucking intent of the producers of this.

There is probably more to unpack on this issue, but this movie is neither good or remarkable enough to be worth any more of my time. It is certainly something, and I didn't like it.

Seginustemple - Wow, I've never seen a movie pull off a last-second hail mary like that. 99% of the runtime is so-bad-it's-good territory, then the last 1% is jaw-droppingly great. Totally creeped me out and had me re-evaluating a lot of what came earlier. I still think the one guy should have been able to escape the beehive kill, that was too funny. He had so much time to get away!

Inviso - First things first, I all but guarantee at least two write-ups on this list will be critical about how problematic the plot isand its FUCKING problematic. Not only does the movie disparage gay people (by showing a completely normal and loving gay relationship with the implication that its psychologically damaging), but it very much disparages trans people by randomly having Angela turn out to be Peter the whole time, just making her emotionally damaged and traumatized due to her lunatic of an aunt. And this revelation comes as Angela, who has been viewed as a girl the entire movie, has stripped down and is covered in the blood of a boy she tricked into loving her, with her dick out. This movie is fucking problematic.

That aside, as a genderfluid queer person myself, I understand that this is a product of its time, and that aspect of the movie doesnt completely tank it in my eyes. If anything, my biggest problem with the movie is how it does not feel like the producers or the writers had enough content to fill a feature-length movie. There are SO many scenes of mundane camp activities, and while a bunch of them are set-up for kills or reasons as to why kills happen, you still have a bunch of socials and parties and capture the flag games, and camping trips, and it eats up SO much time over the course of the movie. Plus, there are so many repetitive scenes of Judy being a bitch to Angela, Meg egging her on, and then someone breaks up the confrontation. Or Paul flirting awkwardly with Angela while shes socially awkward herself. Or just general repeated shots of Angela interacting with someoneby which I mean the camera gives a close-up of her dead-eyed stare.

That being said, the framework of the plot really works. Now granted, going into the movie, I knew the twist ending. But the movie does a good job of really painting all of Angelas victims as assholes (well, aside from the little kids, who are just little shits, more than anything else). Hell, her first victims introductory scene is him creeping on little girls while his co-workers laugh about it. So, this winds up being one of those movies where its fun to watch assholes get whats coming to them. Plus, there was a point after the third kill (fifth if you count the opening sequence) where I started to get annoyed that the camp was still holding activities after two deaths and one attempted murderbut thats the point where the movie really speeds up. Eight of Angelas eleven murders are in that last sequence, and I appreciate the ramping up in that regard, because it really helps with suspending disbelief.

Final shoutout though: so many characters in this movie are irredeemable, largely to justify them getting killed. But I just want to shoutout Ronnie and Susie as the only camp counselors who seem like genuinely good and helpful people throughout the entire film. Theyre the only people who seem to care about the kids well-beings enough to want to actively prevent Angela from getting bullied, and having those good characters are helps to at least ground the film and keep it from feeling TOO over-the-top in terms of having a camp completely populated by shitheads.