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Sleepaway Camp

Sleepaway Camp

List Price: $19.98
Your Price: $17.98
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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: This movie is not worth being a cult classic!
Review: Okay, I don't mind that I watched it once, because there's a lot of expletives used by kids that actually look like teens (for once), which is surprising and hence funny. No real shock value in the murder scenes. They're all photographed and edited in that hasty, what-exactly-is-going-on? kind of way. And the ending is ludicrous. I mean, it's obvious who the killer is from square one, but what is with the animal-like growling sound? I mean, come on! It precedes 'Boogie Nights' with male full frontal, but that isn't enough to make this film - exceedingly bad, and in bad taste, even for 80's exploitation - worthy of watching again.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Another CUT horror film
Review: My one star rating is for this DVD, not the film itself, which is actually a classic 80s slasher that deserved a far better fate for its digital release. When Anchor Bay re-issued SLEEPAWAY CAMP, fans immediately noticed several cuts compared to the old 80s VHS from Media Home Entertainment. Missing were a number of shots containing gore and nudity. Anchor Bay's response was to plead ignorance. They honestly didn't realize they had inadvertently released a cut version. Frankly, if you believe Anchor Bay's claims, then I have some swamp land in Florida that might interest you. Of course, proponents of this DVD are dismissing these cuts as minor because they only amount to about 10 seconds of screen time. The fact is, the horror genre has always been given the short end of the stick when it comes to censorship and the MPAA. The difference now is that horror fans seem perfectly willing to accept such censorship, which is an alarming trend that does not bode well for future horror releases. So if you don't mind a little censorship, go right ahead and purchase this disk. Personally, I'll pass until Anchor Bay gets it right. In the meantime, I'll be hanging on to my old, worn out Media tape.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: The good old camp slasher movie strikes again!!
Review: I had actually seen the second movie Unhappy campers before watching this so I kinda guessed what the story would be. This movie has a great storyline and some bizzare deaths. I found the flashback scenes involving Angela and her aunt were a little weird but laughable. Its a typical layout - summer camp + teens + killer = shocking ending, but hey thats a good old slasher at work!! Watch this movie, its fun and the ending is a shocker!!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Sleepaway Camp- a thoroughly disturbing movie
Review: Sleepaway Camp is a great movie- somewhat good acting, great special effects, and a decent story line. And I can't begin to tell you about the shock ending! But in a way, it is very unoriginal, except for the homosexual aspect of the story, and is very much like Friday the 13th. What makes this movie special? It gave me a nightmare.

I don't scare easy, and I wasn't scared when I watched the movie, but the murders are the disturbing thing about it. I had a horrible nightmare about one of the murders in particular- one that appears at the very end- and I can't shake it off my mind. That's exactly what makes this movie disturbing.

A few of the murders are very original, and I love cheesy movies such as this, so this makes the perfect horror film for me. And I would watch it again. The thing that makes me give this film 4 stars was the nightmare. Every time I watch this, I cannot get over it. But don't get me wrong-- it is a very good slasher film, with very little blood- except in some parts.

The storyline is about two cousins, Ricky and Angela, who are sent to a summer camp named Camp Arawak by their crazy Aunt Martha. Angela is a shy girl, and Ricky tries to make her feel welcome, and protects her when the other kids make fun of her, but it doesn't help. Ricky's best friend Paul starts to feel a certain affection to Angela, and they soon become somewhat of an item-- despite her shyness.

Everything is fine for a time, but then people begin to die. The camp's manager, Mel, hides the murders from the campers to protect the camp's reputation. But still, people begin to die in even more horrible way, and no one knows who the killer is. And the funny thing is, the murders revolve around people who have hurt either Angela or Ricky in someway. Mel thinks it is Ricky, and sets out to prove himself right.

It's mostly the critics that hate it, and the ones who love it are the fans-- this film has begun a little cult following in it's own right. I'm kind of in between; it's a very good movie- there are better ones- but I don't think there was anything they could have done to have made it better. Remember, this is 1983, so it's going to be at least a little cheesy.

But don't get me wrong, I'm mostly for the movie. While it won't satisfy gore hounds, it will be loved by horror film enthusiasts such as myself. I highly recommend it-- but beware of the shock ending, it will have your jaw dropping to the floor!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Chilling and Fun!
Review: This movie is fun to watch. The murders are very original. I liked Angela. She was good at always being quiet. I would recommend this film to anyone in the mood for a movie with a TWISTED ending. The ending to this film is one of the reasons why it's so great! Most of the characters are obnoxious, and your supposed to hate them! With or without a killer the situations at this camp are entertaining! See it, if you can find it! It's a cult classic!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Surprisingly Good
Review: Before I sat down to watch this flick,which one of the movie
guides called it 'a film that would make you appreciate the fast forward feature on your remote control',I prepared myself for a stinker. Boy,you really ought to ignore those critics. This film DOES entertain and one of the reasons is Jonathan Tiersten's performance (he played Angela's cousin). He is,by all means,the most natural actor here. But don't get me wrong - this film does have its flaws - like every time a scene ends,it fades to black,making you feel like you're watching a video game instead of a movie. As for the world-famous ending,I will fill you in on something - be forewarned because it's what you don't see that gets you through the night (and your meals). Personally,I didn't like the ending at all because it literally ruined the purpose of the 'happier times' in the film,it's like those times never existed. Overall this is definitely a unique [camping] flick compared to Friday the 13th (which spawned NUMEROUS useless sequels that keeps on getting worse and worse). Thank god this film only spawned two sequels so far. At least the fourth installment will feature Jonathan Tiersten.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Some originality lifts generic slasher film
Review: Eight years after a summer camp boating accident leaves a man dead, two of his kin - smartmouthed Ricky (Jonathan Tierston) and his introverted cousin Angela (Felissa Rose) return to Camp Arawak. The other campers (who have the worst attitudes since "The Bad News Bears") start to give Angela a hard time and Ricky swears vengeance. Soon after, the kids, the director, and the pedophile cook fall victim to a young killer. Despite the tepid story, slasher fans should be pleased by the grisly deaths and surprise ending. Film has cult following, although I'm not as sold on this movie as they are. Included is the theatrical trailer, and commentary with director Robert Hiltzik, star Felissa Rose, and Sleepaway Camp buff Jeff Hayes.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A Cult Classic Slasher Film with an Ending Unlike any Other
Review: At first glance, Sleepaway Camp appears to be just another entry from the glut of early 80's low budget slasher flicks. And in most respects, Sleepaway Camp fits the bill: borderline acting, poor production values, mostly stock one-dimensional teen characters, a summer camp setting, and a mysterious killer who never seems to make a mistake when dispatching unsuspecting victims in elaborate and gruesome methods.
Those points aside however, Sleepaway Camp is probably the most originally perverse slasher film ever. The whole unsettling framework of Sleepaway Camp is supported by themes of homosexuality, pedophilia, sexual identity issues, and the slaughtering of very young teenage, and in some cases, preteen victims.
Of course, one cannot evaluate Sleepaway Camp without mentioning the shocking twist ending, which has garnered the film a rabid cult following. In fact, along with a very nice performance from newcomer Felissa Rose and some truly quirky characters (Aunt Martha anyone ?!?), the ending of Sleepaway Camp is enough in itself to recommend at least one viewing for genre fans. The majority of Sleepaway Camp is painfully by the numbers, but the ending is quite surprising and more than a little disturbing. While I would never dream of giving away the surprise ending, I will leave with two points about it. First, even if you guess the identity of the killer beforehand, the impact of the ending won't be lessened a bit. And secondly, in spite of how crudely-staged the final scene is, you will never forget it!
DVD NOTES: Sleepaway Camp is being released through Anchor Bay Home Entertainment. As is the case with most Anchor Bay releases, the picture quality on Sleepaway Camp is simply incredible, with only a few minor notes of grain in one night scene and very brief lines in another scene. With rich colors and overall sharp detail, coupled with strong, clear audio, Sleepaway Camp's DVD presentation is amazing...especially considering the age and relative obscurity of this film.
It must be noted that the best available print secured by Anchor Bay for this DVD release was used without the knowledge of two minor edited scenes in that source print. The first exclusion is a brief shot of male skinnydippers. The second missing shot is a quick flash of the initial emergence of a watersnake slithering from a victim's mouth. Both cuts are inconsequential and the missing few seconds are a welcome trade-off for the great quality of the source print. Purists who insist on the most complete version will have to scour for the original Media version released back in 1984. The cheap Video Treasures edition release is identical to the Media version, except for the abscence of the opening dedication.
DVD EXTRAS: Widescreen and Full Screen presentations
Theatrical Trailer (Dated, short, but fun!)
Audio Commentary with Director Robert Hiltzik, Felissa Rose, and moderated by sleepawaycampmovies.com's Jeff Hayes (Not the most informative audio commentary by any stretch, but the enthusiasm between the three involved is sincere and nice!)
FINAL NOTE: If you are viewing Sleepaway Camp for the first time, DO NOT listen to the audio commentary until AFTER you have seen the entire movie itelf first, since the ending is given away through the commentary. On a similar note, if you are new to Sleepaway Camp and want to preserve the film's surprises, DO NOT watch the sequels beforehand, or visit ANY of the fansites until AFTER you have seen the film for yourself.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Sleepaway Camp will put you to sleep....
Review: "Sleepaway Camp" makes every film in the "Friday the 13th" series look like masterpieces. Why? Could it be that for a slasher film, it never builds any suspense? Could it be that you will have the ending tapped in the first 15 minutes (with such subtle comments as "Angela doesn't want to take a shower with everyone else! Why is that Angela?"). Could it be for a "slasher" film, there is very little "slashing" going on? Could it be the actors in this film are so bad, even their poorly written lines come across with no conviction? Could it be that not a single scenario in this mess is remotely believable? (Hmm, wonder if thats why its not scary?) We won't even discuss the utterly offensive and "unenlightened" premise of the so-called "surprise" ending.

As for the technical side of this DVD, the picture looks great. The mono soudntrack is just right. Unfortunately, the only extras are a trailer (which is more interesting than the movie) and some utterly useless and uninsightful commentary by the director and star. I found their giggly and silly goofing throughout the commentary a waste of time. They obviously hadn't seen this film in some time and were wondering what they could possibly say about the making of the film. This has one of the worst commentary tracks ever on a DVD.

If you are a real fan of the slasher genre, I highly recommend the incredibly scary "Madman" DVD or the oft-commented "Friday the 13th" DVDs.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Sleepaway Horror
Review: I love this movie when I was younger...It's suppose to be scary but it really isn't..Instead it's just funny, funny, funny,....They weren't up on howw to make blood look real back in the day so ..this movie really bitesin it's Gore...But the surprise ending is Great..Great Slumber Party Movie.


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