PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Back in 1987 you could rent VHS tapes anywhere (and I do mean anywhere). My mom and I were at a local gas station that rented movies and as we were trying to decide what to rent for the night, we saw a movie called Sleepaway Camp and we thought that it looked awesome just going by the video cover itself. We read the synopsis on the back, and both of us were beyond intrigued and knew that we had to watch it. Unfortunately, it was rented out that night, so we had to pick something else.
For weeks we tried to rent it, but it was always rented out by someone else. One Friday night I went to hang out at the little arcade in town and while I was there my mom managed to finally rent it and watch it (sadly, without me). She told me she watched it that night when she picked me up from the arcade and on the way home, she told me that she didn’t really like it and even went so far as to spoil the big twist at the end. Regardless, I watched it later that night and despite what my mom thought about it, I absolutely loved it. I watched it again the next day before we had to return it to the store and loved it even more the second time around.
Since that fateful day I have watched it countless times and it gets better every single time.
So why is Sleepaway Camp not only my favorite horror movie but also my overall favorite movie of all time in general? There are a lot of reasons. For one, I love the plot. It’s about a set of cousins – Angela and Ricky – going to camp for the summer. After they get there, a mysterious killer starts knocking off the other campers and camp staff members, and it’s up to you to figure out who is behind the grisly murders.
Is it Angela, the shy, semi-mute girl that all the other campers love to bully? Is it her protective, hot-headed (and foul mouthed) cousin, Ricky, who always comes to her rescue? Could it be the creepy camp cook or Mel-the camp director-who apparently has some anger issues and isn’t the most mentally stable guy in the world?
Part of the reason I love this movie so much is because you must figure out who the killer is, and it’s a lot of fun trying to deduce their identity.
Did I mention that the movie has a lot of fun and creative death scenes? The killer takes out their victims in a variety of different ways, and all of them are quite awesome and unique. We get death via beehive, a brutal stabbing, little kids getting chopped to pieces (off screen), and the most infamous death scene that involves a curling iron. I had a total blast watching the killer go to work and I think that any viewers out there that are into fun and different death scenes will agree.
I also love the big twist at the end (even though my mom ruined it for me before I saw it). It is quite amazing, and I don’t think that most people will see it coming. For its time, it is quite shocking and was something that hadn’t quite been done before. I would rank it up there with the big reveal from Psycho as it is that amazing and brilliant. Plus, that last scene is just chilling and stays with you long after the end credits have started to roll.
I have loved Sleepaway Camp from the very first moment I watched it and love the sequels as well (even the much-hated Return to Sleepaway Camp that honestly gets more hate than it deserves). In addition to just being a fun movie in general with some cool death scenes and a great plot it has a wonderful cast that includes Felissa Rose (The Omicron Killer, read our interview here) as Angela and Jonathan Tiersten (The Perfect House) as her cousin Ricky. This movie will always hold a special place in my heart and just makes me feel good in general, and I have seen it more times than I can remember but it never gets old.
If you haven’t seen it do yourself a huge favor and check it out as soon as possible. You definitely will not be disappointed. Sleepaway Camp is currently available to rent and own on digital platforms and is streaming free on Tubi, ROKU Channel, PlutoTV, and Crackle!
