Return to Sleepaway Camp (2008)
Directed by: Robert Hiltzik
Written by: Robert Hiltzik
Released by: Magnolia Home Entertainment
"Hey Randy...your ass stinks!"
Robert Hiltzik returns to the director seat for the first time since his 1983 directorial debut ‘Sleepaway Camp’…and what better movie to make than a sequel to that film! When it comes to the ‘Sleepaway Camp’ series there seems to be 2 types of fans…Those who love the original film, but hate the sequels…and those who love the sequels, but hate the original. As for myself, I tend to fall into the first category. Now don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed ‘Unhappy Campers’ and ‘Teenage Wasteland’ that Michael A. Simpson brought us, however the original is far less campy and has one of the creepiest twist endings in cinematic history. So when I first heard that Hiltzik was directing ‘Return to Sleepaway Camp’ in 2003, I of course got quite excited about the possibilities, especially with the return of Felissa Rose as ‘Angela’.
Well the year 2003 came and went and the movie was never released…and then came 2004-2005-2006-2007… I’m not exactly sure what was holding up the film’s release date but it was to the point where I had given up hope that this film would ever come out. But then out of nowhere there was the announcement… Magnolia Home Entertainment would be releasing ‘Return to Sleepaway Camp’ on November 4th 2008! Finally, fans would get to see the return of Angela for the first time in almost 20 years!
If you’ve seen the other ‘Sleepaway Camp’ films, this movie is really no different. Kid’s goofing off at summer camp…kid’s getting killed at summer camp. The main story though revolves around an overweight bully by the name of Alan, who is constantly harassed and picked on by the “cool kids” at camp, even though one might argue that he’s deserving of it. It seems like with every person who picks on Alan, they end up getting knocked off in a rather gruesome fashion. Like in the original movie you’re left guessing who the killer is, which is part of the fun when it comes to watching any Slasher film really.
Upon its release in ‘08, the film got trashed by basically everyone. In fact I held off on seeing it until now just because I hadn’t heard one positive thing about the movie. However, now that I’ve seen ‘Return to Sleepaway Camp’ I have to say that I’m not exactly sure what everyone’s issue is. Sure it’s easily the worst ‘Sleepaway Camp’ film in the series, but to me it seemed to fit right in with the look and tone of the other films. Yes it's campy as hell, with some hilariously bad acting, but isn't that the point? No one goes into a 'Sleepaway Camp' film, expecting 'The Godfather' or at least I hope not...it's all about the low budget, cheese.
One of the only issues I really had with the movie is the absence of likable characters. Alan (played by Michael Gibney) is so annoying in the film that it almost makes it impossible for the viewer to sympathize with him, even though you're supposed to at times. In fact if he was the first one killed in the movie it would probably be cause for celebration really. Despite him being annoying though, based on some of the outrageous things he says throughout the movie you can't help but to laugh and have a good time with it.
Other than that though, I think this film really has a lot going for it. Fans of the original 'Sleepaway Camp' will certainly be happy to see many returning faces, including Paul DeAngelo (Ronnie), Jonathan Tiersten (Ricky) and as mentioned before Felissa Rose as Angela. 'Return to Sleepaway Camp' also has some spectacular death sequences, especially for a film with such a low budget. You'll see a guy's head get dipped in a deep fryer, a guy getting his penis ripped off as it's tied to the back of a moving Jeep, a kid getting a wooden stake pushed through his skull and all kinds of other sickening things. The movie also has great music and just an overall low budget 80's feel which I enjoyed.
I think if you're a fan of 'Sleepaway Camp' this film is definitely worth checking out. If you're more into mainstream cinema this probably isn't for you. Not a great movie, but it's no 'Haunted Boat', 'Werewolf In a Women's Prison' or the countless other b-movie garbage I've had to suffer through over the years.
3 out of 5 stars
Give it a chance.
Written by: Robert Hiltzik
Released by: Magnolia Home Entertainment
"Hey Randy...your ass stinks!"
Robert Hiltzik returns to the director seat for the first time since his 1983 directorial debut ‘Sleepaway Camp’…and what better movie to make than a sequel to that film! When it comes to the ‘Sleepaway Camp’ series there seems to be 2 types of fans…Those who love the original film, but hate the sequels…and those who love the sequels, but hate the original. As for myself, I tend to fall into the first category. Now don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed ‘Unhappy Campers’ and ‘Teenage Wasteland’ that Michael A. Simpson brought us, however the original is far less campy and has one of the creepiest twist endings in cinematic history. So when I first heard that Hiltzik was directing ‘Return to Sleepaway Camp’ in 2003, I of course got quite excited about the possibilities, especially with the return of Felissa Rose as ‘Angela’.
Well the year 2003 came and went and the movie was never released…and then came 2004-2005-2006-2007… I’m not exactly sure what was holding up the film’s release date but it was to the point where I had given up hope that this film would ever come out. But then out of nowhere there was the announcement… Magnolia Home Entertainment would be releasing ‘Return to Sleepaway Camp’ on November 4th 2008! Finally, fans would get to see the return of Angela for the first time in almost 20 years!
If you’ve seen the other ‘Sleepaway Camp’ films, this movie is really no different. Kid’s goofing off at summer camp…kid’s getting killed at summer camp. The main story though revolves around an overweight bully by the name of Alan, who is constantly harassed and picked on by the “cool kids” at camp, even though one might argue that he’s deserving of it. It seems like with every person who picks on Alan, they end up getting knocked off in a rather gruesome fashion. Like in the original movie you’re left guessing who the killer is, which is part of the fun when it comes to watching any Slasher film really.
Upon its release in ‘08, the film got trashed by basically everyone. In fact I held off on seeing it until now just because I hadn’t heard one positive thing about the movie. However, now that I’ve seen ‘Return to Sleepaway Camp’ I have to say that I’m not exactly sure what everyone’s issue is. Sure it’s easily the worst ‘Sleepaway Camp’ film in the series, but to me it seemed to fit right in with the look and tone of the other films. Yes it's campy as hell, with some hilariously bad acting, but isn't that the point? No one goes into a 'Sleepaway Camp' film, expecting 'The Godfather' or at least I hope not...it's all about the low budget, cheese.
One of the only issues I really had with the movie is the absence of likable characters. Alan (played by Michael Gibney) is so annoying in the film that it almost makes it impossible for the viewer to sympathize with him, even though you're supposed to at times. In fact if he was the first one killed in the movie it would probably be cause for celebration really. Despite him being annoying though, based on some of the outrageous things he says throughout the movie you can't help but to laugh and have a good time with it.
Other than that though, I think this film really has a lot going for it. Fans of the original 'Sleepaway Camp' will certainly be happy to see many returning faces, including Paul DeAngelo (Ronnie), Jonathan Tiersten (Ricky) and as mentioned before Felissa Rose as Angela. 'Return to Sleepaway Camp' also has some spectacular death sequences, especially for a film with such a low budget. You'll see a guy's head get dipped in a deep fryer, a guy getting his penis ripped off as it's tied to the back of a moving Jeep, a kid getting a wooden stake pushed through his skull and all kinds of other sickening things. The movie also has great music and just an overall low budget 80's feel which I enjoyed.
I think if you're a fan of 'Sleepaway Camp' this film is definitely worth checking out. If you're more into mainstream cinema this probably isn't for you. Not a great movie, but it's no 'Haunted Boat', 'Werewolf In a Women's Prison' or the countless other b-movie garbage I've had to suffer through over the years.
3 out of 5 stars
Give it a chance.
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