All Rise...

Judge Gordon Sullivan smells of campfire and dead fish.

Editor's Note

Our review of Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers, published September 4th, 2002, is also available.

The Charge

When you go camping, just take the essentials.

Opening Statement

The 1980s produced more than its share of horror franchises. Some were consistent, perhaps even too consistent (Friday the 13th), while others produced a few stand-outs among a sea of mediocrity (A Nightmare on Elm Street). None (that I know of), however, produced the spread that is the Sleepaway Camp films. The first one is an absolute classic of camp killing, able to stand up alongside any first-film franchise starter from the period, and that final reveal is one of the most haunting images in horror. Then there's a precipitous drop in quality for the next two films (and the less said about the fourth Return to Sleepaway Camp, the better). Though nowhere near the heights of the first film, Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers offers plenty of camp-slasher thrills on top of an excellent Blu-ray release.

Facts of the Case

Angela (Pamela Springsteen, Fast Time at Ridgemont High) has a new lease on life after the murderous consequences of Sleepaway Camp. Now she's all grown up and decides to be a summer camp counsellor. Things are going well until the campers start to do what campers do, and Angela can't control herself any more.

The Evidence

Without comparing it to the first film, Sleepaway Camp II is a fine camp slasher, with all the genre elements you'd expect. Two things, however, set the film apart from its ilk. The first is the killer—Angela's big reveal in the first film is a staggering revelation that upends the whole film. For Unhappy Campers we know she's the bad guy. It's less a mystery than it is a game of cat-and-mouse. We watch the campers misbehave (with all the pranks and nudity that implies) and then get to see how Angela dispatches them. Pamela Springsteen is perfectly cast as Angela. There's something prissy and disapproving about the character—she's the winking embodiment of the slasher's tendency to punish sexual transgressions by teens—and Springsteen plays the part to perfection. Just a glance from her would be enough to wither the ardor of a lot of teens, but Angela can back it up with a murderous desire.

The other thing that sets Unhappy Campers apart is the kills. This is a film that isn't afraid to get inventive. The overall film has a cheeky tone to it, a winking, knowing awareness of genre as evidenced by the original cover art featuring a young woman going to camp with Jason's mask and Freddy's glove on her pack. The kills maintain that level of engagement, going for gross and funny to realistic and disturbing. The death in the outhouse will stick with most viewers. Even stalwarts like murder-by-drill are executed with frequency and flair.

But chances are if you've read this far you already know the particular pleasures of Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers. Perhaps, like me, you owned the previous "Survival Kit" with all three films. Fans can upgrade with confidence. The 1.85:1/1080p AVC-encoded transfer here looks pretty great (the box says it's 1.78:1, but I have black bars at the top and bottom of my screen). The source is in good shape. A few speckles here and there, but overall undamaged. The transfer itself does a fine job with the material, keeping detail strong with nice grain. Even frequent darker scenes look grainy rather than noisy. In one scene, Angela confronts a pair of amorous campers who have taken over a bathroom in the evening. There's a shot of Angela from inside the room, through a screen door, and even under these difficult conditions the transfer looks good. Colors don't pop much, but that seems a result of film stocks and wardrobe rather than the transfer. Overall, this is a fantastic-looking version of the film, and only quibblers could ask for more. The films DTS-HD 2.0 stereo track keeps music and dialogue clear and well balanced. It's not much of a track by contemporary standards, but it's great for what it is.

Extras start with the commentary from the previous DVD featuring director Michael A. Simpson, writer Fritz Gordon, and John Klyza, the mastermind behind a Sleepaway Camp website moderating the discussion. It's a bit more subdued than the original track, but there is plenty of trivia dished out. Also ported over is the behind-the-scenes footage, around 13 minutes of material. Another featurette looks at the locations for Unhappy Campers (and the sequel, Teenage Wasteland, as they were shot back-to-back). There's also the first part of a two-part documentary on the making of the first two Sleepaway Camp sequels that features all new interviews with the participants (mainly the crew, sadly, with Pamela Springsteen's contributions missed the most). There's also some promo material, including a trailer and a still's gallery. A DVD copy of the film is also included.

The disc itself is housed in a clear keep-case. On one side of the cover is the original cover art that most VHS-era fans are familiar with (brunette—not Angel—with the Freddy glove and Jason mask), while the reverse is newly-commissioned cover artwork that features a cutely-rendered cartoon of Angel. This artwork is also reproduced on the slipcover the keep-case is nestled into.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

It was pretty good to revisit Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers, as my memory of the film had it down as much less satisfying than it is. Sure, on the back of the original, this one looks pretty silly. But that's the point. So anyone looking for the terrific pleasures of the first film will be sorely disappointed. This is much more a winking, goofy take on the genre, so adjust your expectations accordingly.

Closing Statement

Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (Blu-ray) Collector's Edition lives up to its name. The film is goofy fun with some inventive kills, aimed squarely at those with knowledge and affection for the camp-slasher genre. This release ups the ante by giving fans a pretty spectacular audiovisual upgrade and adding a few strong supplements to the package. It's not a film for everyone, but fans will likely want to upgrade.

The Verdict

Crazy, but not guilty.

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