 Thanks for checking out this movie review video. So this is for the 1983 film a sleepaway camp Which this is a notorious film because of the ending. This is one that when people see it for the first time I hope the ending hasn't already been Spoiled but there's also a situation where nowadays this film becomes a little bit problematic for a bunch of people because of the way it presents the end and I you know I'm gonna talk about it because this is a spoiler review because it's from 1983 But I just kind of want to lead this off by saying I'll talk about the the the big ending that is kind well I say is kind of controversial right now But for some people it's not for other people it is and I think that for me personally if this is a film that's made now Exactly like it is it's problematic and it's an issue and I don't think anyone should make a film like this now That said I enjoy watching the film and I enjoy it for what it is And I don't think it's problematic to still have the movie around Nowadays and you need with any film really you need to think about what the social climate was at the time You need to know what was going on in the world at that point So I think that more than anything this film actually serves to kind of Remind people about how far things have really come with you know gender and stuff like that and how you know Way back then in 1983 there was a lot more ignorance. There was a lot less understanding and You know much like with a lot of things over time. There's more research put in the things. There's more information that comes out There's more Openness to the new ideas and new facts about what everything is in this in this situation Gender and how gender is you know can very much be fluid So I'll talk more about this types of stuff But I just kind of wanted to throw out my feeling about the film initially just so you know where I'm coming from with it So basically I think like to kind of recap if this exact film is made nowadays. It's a problem I don't think that should happen, but since it was done way back then where for lack of better terminology people didn't know any better You just have to keep that in mind because people make mistakes people do stupid things And then hopefully they move on and grow and learn from it So I'll just say that much, but anyway, so let's talk about sleepaway camp Written and directed by Robert Hiltzik He also directed and wrote return to sleepaway camp, which he was working on for a while And it actually didn't even end up getting done until 2008. He started working on it way before that So I don't know a ton of what was going on with that, but yeah, plenty of problems with that Eventually came out in 2008 though So there are basically like two other films in the series that I don't know if I'm to be able to get my hands on So I'm gonna review this one obviously I'm gonna do two and three because all those are on shutter the shutter streaming service when I'm doing this review now I don't know if I'm be able to get my hands on the other two But I'll talk a little bit about them. So the the return to sleepaway camp is one of them I can't find I can't find it in the easy to find places, but I'll keep looking So Felicito Rose is the big name from this one She plays Angela the main character in this obviously now She was a pretty much a nobody until much later on in her life when she Really embraced the role of Angela because of how much people started to really voice how much they really liked sleepaway camp So she really embraced the horror community as a whole and she's become very very popular Because of that because going to conventions so much because of being so enthusiastic about you know her roots like where she came from like how she got famous and People in the horror community respond very well to people who you know Accepted that about being a part of the horror community and having a horror past So yeah, this film actually had a three hundred fifty thousand dollar budget and ended up making 11 million that is a huge cash cow. That's great This was filmed in Argyle, New York at Camp Algonquin Well formerly camp Algonquin it's not anymore and I don't think it was at the time that they filmed there either And actually this was the camp that Hiltzik actually attended when he was a kid So I thought that was kind of an interesting thing So I would assume that while he was shooting things there He was having all sorts of interesting memories Just like when I watch this film I have memories because there's a lot of stuff that reminds me about when I went to camp when I was a kid Because I did I went to summer camp all the time when I was a kid So there are a lot of things that ring true in this film to true life Such as the bullying that goes on the pranks that go on The counselors who are always trying to get in each other's pants. I remember seeing a lot of that as a kid This stuff is yeah The film there's a lot of staple stuff in the films because it's true. That was the way things were It was filmed in five weeks now the interesting thing about this is that they storyboarded the film ahead of time And then after the first day of shooting they were already behind on schedule So they just scrapped all the storyboards and they just kind of went for it So it may be part of the reason that the film is not really like Super great, you know, it could have been a lot more structured and a better story Executed film had they you know not gotten behind and been able to actually follow the storyboards But I mean I still think it's wildly entertaining It is kind of one of those movies where I think it's kind of in a little bit in the realm of like so bad It's good type film, especially with the acting we can all admit the acting is not good at all Anywhere in the film really But nowadays that's what adds fun to a lot of these older films or at least for me personally The other thing is these New York accents are phenomenal. I think New York accents are kind of funny I actually think accents in general are funny I'm sure to a lot of people I have an accent but to me I don't have an accent But when I hear other accents, it's just kind of funny, especially when they're like really exaggerated type accents like that So yeah Hiltzik sold the rights to a sleepaway camp actually in the late 80s And then that's when we got this two sequels You got unhappy campers sleep away camp to unhappy campers in 1988 and then you got sleep away camp three teenage wasteland in 1989 so those were done by Michael Simpson Who supposedly actually even wrote a script for another one of the sequels that he intended to call sleepaway camp Berserk now? That didn't come to fruition. I'm assuming that means it's probably not gonna come to fruition still because this film has been kind of Repopularized for a while now, so I would assume that if if that one was ever gonna get back off the ground It would already be in the works and it's not so in the early 1990s a portion of another film sleep away camp for the Survivor was filmed and then abandoned and then in 2002 the footage that was actually filmed of it was put together In a box set that was released of sweet sleep away camps by anchor bay So that film they actually took what was actually filmed of it And then they cut pieces from the other sleep sleep like sorry sleep away camp films And basically created a full film out of it now you have to have that box set basically in order to watch that film So I have not seen that film I would like to one day although I'm assuming it's probably not so hot because when you're Repurposing scenes from other films. I just find that that sucks I just don't enjoy that and then there's a Documentary that's I don't think it's out at the moment, but it's it's close Angela the official sleep away camp documentary I believe that's being finished at the moment and the executive producer of it is Felissa Rose now I remember seeing like it was either Kickstarter and Indiegogo for this and I really thought about donating to it But I ended up not in the end but you know, I don't know if How Available it's gonna become if it'll be one of those things where it kind of only becomes available to the people who kick-started it or what but we'll see So getting in the actual events of the film and overall stuff about the film They hit you immediately with dread filled music in this film where they're kind of they're showing the camp and at the same time That they're showing the camp there and it's empty. It's totally empty when they're showing it with this dread music behind it Giving the idea that there's something terrible. There's something sinister, which obviously there is but at the same time they're then playing audio of Kids playing yelling at each other the camp counselors all that stuff. So it gives this idea It's actually a cool way to open it It gives this idea that this was recently in use people, you know We're just here doing camp things and having a good time But it's empty for some reason now and you're gonna find out. What is that reason? Why some because something terrible happened, which is signaled obviously by the music? So I do think it's a really cool way to introduce everything so they then go back to that flashback situation where it's the The gay couple John and I don't think I don't think his his partner is even named in this So John and his partner and then the two kids which one of them ends up being Angela who I think was originally called Peter yeah, Peter and The thing about that scene is there's some problems with this scene The the people who died John and the other kid the girl There's no blood so like how are we supposed to know that they really died? Like I guess we just assumed that they died later, but they don't show that there's any blood So how did they die is a question? I know they got run over by it So I would assume it's in insinuated that the blade that the motor blade did it But there's no blood the other thing is the girl who's driving the boat has Plenty of time to steer it away from them based on how they shoot it and the guy also had plenty of time to take it And steer it away from them. So it's just it's a ridiculous scene and it kind of feeds into the hole like it's so bad It's good type situation that I was talking about with this film The actress playing Ricky's mom is Unbelievably awful in this film, but that's another part of the charm of it now but it actually ends up kind of working too because It confuses the audience member at least the first time around watching it It confuses the audience member of is she just so terrible at acting or is she a whack job as a Character in the film and what you find out is she is a whack job But it's also terrible acting basically. So part of that terrible acting actually, you know Obfuscates the fact that she's a nut So it makes the end of the film actually more impactful when you find out that she was forcing Peter to live as Angela all this time It's crazy They do hammer home Angela being a girl very early in the film Which they kind of have to do in order to get the payoff They're looking for at the end of the film They hammer at home and you know, she says my little girl She got they talk girl girl girl girl girl a lot about Angela It could just hammer it into your head and you know, they had to It is insane in this film how over the top these the the cook pedophiles are because there's two of them When the kids are showing up like the conversation going on the disgusting ogling going on and When that happens in the film, you know, they're gonna die or at least you You know that one of them is gonna get it. I assume that they would both end up getting it but only the one guy does and Yeah, so The comment of calling the kids baldies too, it's just that extra little push over the line that you're just like So gross so disgusting So going to his death scene, I don't think they actually make boiling pots that large I really think that was something just made for the scene that said it is creative. It is inventive, but the actual mechanics of that not so accurate, but but it's It's funny It serves the purpose Notice that they use a grown man's hands for Angeles kills It makes no sense, but it actually serves to throw the audience off from thinking the angel I actually did it and maybe thinking more that it was like Ricky But when you're really paying attention, you don't even really think it's Ricky because the hands are so big And his hands don't look like that at all So they literally use like a grown man's hands in this and you're if you're actually paying attention You would think that it's actually not Angela and not Ricky either But I think they were supposed to be I think they were doing it to kind of make you think that it was Ricky Because even later on like the head of the camp thinks it's Ricky as well And that's why he beats the hell out of them. That's another crazy scene and that character himself is another scene so the scene with the With the pervert getting scalded by the way Unbelievably drawn out with his reaction to being scalded which you know that would be an Appropriate response that would happen in real life But within the context of the film like they just let him just yell and yell and yell too long I understand that they wanted to show you like that the practical effects look good because they did and all the practical effects in this Look pretty good. I mean, they're conservatively done like there's not a lot But they're well done for what is there so You know, I just thought it was if he can't it becomes Comedic like how long he's yelling for which you know like I said now It makes that more endearing for the film because that's what someone like me is looking for One of my favorite parts of the film is when the one guy says to Ricky each shit and die Ricky And he says in response each shit and live bill. That is one of the best exchanges. I've ever heard. I Love that retort. It's it's amazing. I'm gonna use that in real life When you watch this the first time you really run wonder what the deal with Angela is She's beyond awkward and the fact that Ricky is so overly protective of her is Another thing that kind of just like and I think how overly protective he is is another thing That's supposed to kind of feed into you thinking that Ricky's killing people Because he's like over-the-top protective and if anyone's gonna be mean to her anyone's gonna bully her then they're gonna get taken out So just saying I like how the head of the camp just stands there with this cigar Watching a bunch of kids fight it at the dance Literally just standing there observing it now He also doesn't even seem concerned when people start dying the kids and his counselors who you know kind of our kids as well Like he's not even concerned about people dying. He's not even concerned about people's safety What he is concerned about is oh man, they're gonna shut down the camp And this kind of goes to like an overall theme. I think it was kind of unintended though But there's an overall theme of you can't trust the adults in this And until you know, maybe you can trust the police when they show up at the end But you know, they're not really characters or they just show up in the end So there is this just feeling of that there aren't any good Adult humans in the film and these kids are on their own to fend for themselves and no one's gonna come and save them No one's gonna protect them So it adds this additional level of danger and peril to the film that I think actually works All the camp horror staples are here Crazy hormones drugs pranks and mean kids and yes, those things are true to real life or at least back when I went to camp Which was in the 90s not in the 80s. So like a decade off Such a nice touch of the snake coming out of the mouth when they find the drowned guys body First of all looks good that death with the mouth a gape and then the snake just slithering out is in awesome Awesome touch to it looks so good and it's impressive And that's the other thing is the kills are interesting in the film You kind of are always on the edge of your seat like what's the next kill gonna be like because they're pretty inventive They're cool. They do a good job with you know, keeping it fresh When Paul first kisses Angela, you see the conflict in Phyllis is acting So that was a good moment of acting on her part She's not sure if she wants to be with a guy or not at that point Now eventually she kind of makes that choice that she really does and then she goes back on that which leads to You know what happens in the end of the film, but there there are good moments that are very That that show the discomfort that show the conflict within Angela of trying to figure out You know, how should I be feeling? What should I be doing and I think that's a large portion of why she Chooses for the most part to not even interact with anyone because she's so kind of like stuck inside herself that she just she doesn't have the comfort level to even interact with someone because she doesn't even have confidence herself and With anyone really you need confidence to feel confident enough to like really interact with other people Even though Ricky is the biggest hero in the film He does participate in bullying another kid and the interesting thing to point out about this is that that kid pulls a Knife on him and tells him he's gonna kill him now I think this is kind of in there to kind of be a a little hint that People being bullied in this film can become violent to kind of give you the hint that it actually is Angela Doing the killing In a roundabout way, but it is also very interesting that like Ricky's a hero He's he's the first one to be there to come to Angela's aid yet. He is also bullying He's going and bullying other people so he's not purely good. He's actually Terrible. He's only looking out for his well sister at that point Even though he I think he still just refers to her as cousin, but I mean they live there. So basically like sister If you notice Judy says Angela is queer at one point Which is actually another one of those kind of subtle hints that's thrown in there that you know These are the subtle hints you you definitely don't pick up on the first time around But you you should or well, I don't say should you could on the second time around The stabbing through the shower curtain that kill is actually a really disappointing terrible kill Until one little detail happens and that's the moving downward of the knife Because you know what's going on without it actually being shown and it's very effective because you're just like oh Man, it's just going all the way down the back And then you see the aftermath of that later and it looks good because practical effects were pretty good for this But it's a good moment of where you feel like you you can't Show it because it would be too expensive or too hard to to pull off, but you can effectively Hint at it and that is a good moment where they are able to do that It becomes funny how often people in this were about to get killed say things like oh, it's you or not you You know or even the head of the camp which was my favorite where he's like you it can't be you and it's just like You just have this feeling that like when it hits the the umpteenth time that someone's doing this You're like just say the name say the name someone would say the name by this point But it just adds to the funniness How much they focus on Angela's face at the end of this film is also something that's funny That's one of the things in this film They have a lot of moments where they focus on something for way too long so then it starts making it comical in a sense Obviously Felicia's face Did I get it right? Probably not but anyway, obviously her face has become a very iconic portion of the film That you know you can you can take a snippet of that and not spoil the film for anyone But it would indicate to people who have seen it Ah, yes the scene and that is like the big scene that everyone talks about so Yeah, although when they have the further back shot you can tell it's a mask on the guy the naked guy's body So and on Joe Bob Joe Bob breaks it done it for the last drive in and when he talked about it He had said that they had actually just like found some random guy some random like teen some 18 year old or 20-something year old and Paid him and gave him booze to just put on the mask and do it for a day And he's not credited like no one knows who this person is Nowadays and I'm assuming that person would not come forward and be like hey, I was the person I would honestly if it was me, but I don't know teacher So Some overall thoughts at the end and I said I was gonna get to kind of breaking down some of the problematic aspects of the film nowadays But first ultimately, I think the movie is really about bullying and how you never know who's messing with Who and you never know if who you're messing with is going to do something back what they're capable of I mean at the core. That's the fear that this film plays on is that if you push so hard on someone Will they retaliate and in this one of the people the person that Ricky is is pushing Does try to retaliate, but he isn't successful and he doesn't have the drive to take it further But then Angela is successful and there's a lot of things that they indicate in the film that kind of roll into that They kind of make it seem like she's mentally unstable, which becomes problematic Like I'm like I was talking about because it makes this kind of proc by proxy Assumption that if someone is unsure of what their gender should be or they're trying to figure out what their gender should be Then they have a tendency they they could snap and become violent and kill people and that's a problem because that's a bad Thing to throw out there, but like I said, you know when this film was made people didn't have a whole lot of information on stuff like this So what's problematic about this film is how Angela becomes a killer because of her gender confusion now I say gender confusion because it really is gender confusion for Angela in this because of the fact that she is being forced To live as a girl even though she's a boy and we know that because we see the scene Where the aunt is saying is telling her we already have a boy here. So you're a girl basically So it's it's not a choice that Angela is making so things would be different with this film if it wasn't a choice. So Yeah, but Let me read my other portion of that But one thing to keep in mind is that it was forced on her by her aunt So it's not really a statement on people who naturally question their gender and that's one of the biggest thing It's not people naturally question their gender. This is showing it's being forced on that individual now There is that problematic aspect of you know, the flashback of the gay couple and I'll talk about that in a second There is commentary on how having gay parents could cause gender confusion, which does not hold up nowadays This film serves as a reminder of how far society has come with understanding of personal sexuality and gender and that kind of goes back to what I was saying in the beginning of You know, if you make this exact film nowadays, I don't think that's at all a good idea Especially because we have a lot more information and that would be very very ill-informed And it would almost be like making the film to be antagonistic towards people who are gender fluid or you know Are individuals and that's kind of how I look at it is that what the reason I say personal sexuality and gender is because all those things are very personal to people That's kind of my my view on it because there's so many different iterations of how people view sexuality personal or otherwise And ways that you know people view their own gender too because those things are different so and in the end what is gender anyway gender gender is a I mean their stereotypes really it's we believe that men typically will act this way We believe that women will typically ask act this way and to be honest I fight against gender norms all the time personally just because I'm a more sensitive Male and I always have been you know I was born into a family of two sisters and my mother was mainly the one around my dad worked a lot so You know, I I was raised to be a very a much more sensitive person And I don't think that's a problem I think that's a good thing because we need more sensitive people in this world to be more empathetic So I've had a lot of struggles in my life with gender on a personal level because of you know People saying things to me like man up or you know You should act like this because you're a man or feel like this because you're a man or like this because you're a man And I don't conform to that the other thing is that just that underlying feeling of You'll be shamed if you say that you like this or you say that you Feel a certain way or you show emotion. That's another thing is that You know a lot of the times guys are frowned upon when they show raw emotion Especially things like crying or being upset about stuff. So, you know That's something that this film just kind of brought up to me when I was trying to look into it like that So sorry for that little diatribe, but hopefully it was you know useful for someone It was for me. It's good to kind of get that stuff off my chest But anyway regardless I enjoy watching sleepaway camp like I said in the beginning it's something I just look at as it's a time capsule things were different back then and There was more ignorance like we didn't know and that's what you need to keep in mind when you're watching films I know there are people who kind of say that you know there are certain films that shouldn't be watched anymore shouldn't be available anymore because you know Some of the things they had to say back then aren't good now. I don't feel that way I think it's still important to be able to look back and be able to see the mistakes So that we know how far we've come and we know that these mistakes were actually made Kind of sanitizing history in a way, especially with film. I don't think it's a good idea we can learn from this stuff and also you can have enjoyment in films like this as long as you're not Pushing these films and saying you should watch this film because the message of it is definitely what's important Now that's a problem if people are doing that, but I think most people are watching sleepaway camp because it's So bad it's good and that's how I feel so anyway How am I gonna rate this I'll rate this two ways like I do with these types of films on as like in the pantheon of all film being Seriously, how does this rate as a film? I'd give it two stars in that sense, but as being like a so good. It's bad type film I don't give it three and a half. It's pretty good. I thought about going for but no I think it's quite it's a three and a half now the things that get me up to a two on the actual like regular film thing The practical effects are quite good. The directing is solid very inventive with the kills actually and Yeah, it keeps you engaged. So and the music soundtrack is well done as well So anyway, thanks everyone for checking this out put any comments down here about sleepaway camp or any other stuff You want to talk about really but do me a quick favor hit that subscribe button Because it means a lot to me and a lot to my channel and it's literally like a second for you to do that But if you are gonna subscribe or you already have just make sure you hit the notification bell And that way you'll know anytime I'm putting up a review or also any time that I'm doing any live streaming But yeah, I will be doing the reviews for the next two sleepaway camps because they're on shutter So look forward to those and until next time keep it brutal