All Rise...

Don't let Judge Gordon Sullivan show you what he's hiding under his bunk.

Editor's Note

Our review of Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland, published September 4th, 2002, is also available.

The Charge

She's back to slash last year's record!

Opening Statement

Ray Bradbury once said "If you're not careful in tragedy, one extra rape, one extra incest, one extra murder and it's hoo-haw time all of a sudden." The same is true of horror and comedy—unless the scary is executed well, the excess can turn to laughs really quickly. Of course some films try to harness that tendency, yoking horror and comedy together to make the kills scarier and the laughs bigger. But it's rare to find a film where everything gels like that. Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland certainly isn't one of those films. And yet, it does a fine enough job blending the kills we expect from camp slashers with the laughs we expect from B-movie knowledge. It's not the classic that's the first Sleepaway Camp film, but it takes everything great about the second film and doubles down on it. Add in a solid Blu-ray and you've got a reason for fans to double-dip on this ridiculous sequel.

Facts of the Case

This time, Angela (Pamela Springsteen again) insinuates herself into a camp that's going after under-privileged kids, leading to a more diverse group of campers this time around as they mix with the more wealthy campers. But diverse or not, these teens get up to the same tricks that pissed Angela off in Sleepaway Camp II, leading to more mischief and murder.

The Evidence

There were a lot of campers in the first two Sleepaway Camp films, but they were a largely-undifferentiated mass of young people. Sleepaway Camp III ups the ante by mixing a group of stereotypically-underprivileged kids with a group of better-off campers. Practically, "underprivileged" means "racially diverse" so we get the token Asian woman, the black dude, and the hot Latin guy added to the usual mix of obnoxious white campers. With more people to transgress, we get more opportunities for Angela to learn something disappointing about the campers, and thus more opportunities for her to kill people.

The ante has been upped on the kills too. The film opens with Angela running down a counselor with a garbage truck (so she can take her place at the camp). She dumps the body in the back of the trash compactor, signaling exactly where this film is going to go. Another memorable scene involves a person buried to her neck and then menaced with a push-mower. Few reach anywhere near the heights of the outhouse scene in Sleepaway Camp II, but overall they're solid and inventive kills that are also pretty hilarious. We don't exactly root for Angela, but some of the kids probably deserve the offing they get in the film's terms.

The film also takes the wink-wink-nudge-nudge approach from the second film and kicks it up a notch here. These sequels couldn't hope to match the dark tone of the first film, so instead they swerve into knowing, genre-acknowledging territory. So the reporter who profiles the camp in the beginning of course snorts coke in her red convertible. Of course one of the white campers asks a non-white camper "are you in a gang?" And of course the guy running the camp is a bit of a perv who gets what he deserves. This is broad comedy that pokes fun at itself, especially when Angela accuses one camper of being a "fornicator." It's goofy for sure.

Goofy or not, the film has been lavished with care for this Collector's Edition. The 1.85:1/1080p AVC-encoded transfer is a definite upgrade from the previous DVD (though the box says it's at 1.78:1, I've got black bars at the top and bottom of the frame suggesting it's 1.85). The print is in better shape than Sleepaway Camp II, but the image is a bit grainier this time out. Detail is still pretty strong though, and grain is well-rendered, even when it's heavy. More of the film takes place in the daylight, so there is a lot more brightness and colors pop a bit more. Dark scenes feature decent black levels. The DTS-HD 2.0 track keeps dialogue clean and clear, but don't expect much directionality or anything.

Like its predecessor's Collector's Edition release, Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (Blu-ray) ports over the commentary from the previous DVD. It features the same trio from the second film, offering some trivia but mostly riffing on the film. It's not great, but it has moments of fun for fans. We also get the previously-available behind-the-scenes footage. New, however, is the second part of the "A Tale of Two Sequels" featurette that includes interviews with the crew discussing the film. There's also a work print of the film that features extra gore not included in the theatrical version. It's sadly sourced from VHS, but is perfectly watchable and sure to please fans of the film. If you just want to skip to the good stuff, the deleted gore has been excerpted from the work print so you can just watch the red stuff. A promo reel and stills gallery are also available. A DVD copy is included as well. Like the other sequel, this release comes in a clear keep-case that features original artwork on one side and newly-commissioned art on the reverse. The newly-commissioned art is repeated on the slipcover.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

Sleepaway Camp III demands a certain level patience from its viewers. You have to be aware of Angela's past exploits, want to see her visit her particular brand of justice on "naughty" campers, and be pretty familiar with the genre to get the most out of this film. And anyone looking for a sensitive portrait of transgender issues should of course look elsewhere.

Closing Statement

As the saying goes, in for a penny, in for a pound. If you made it through Sleepaway Camp II, there's no reason not to go for the third. If you already own the previous DVD, this is an occasion to upgrade, both for the excellent audiovisual upgrade, but also the new extras (like the workprint!). It's not a film for everyone, but Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland is goofy fun, for those who like their camp-slashers funny.

The Verdict

Not guilty.

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