Directd by Michael A. Simpson
Starring Pamela Springsteen, Renee Estevez, Susan Marie Snyder, Valerie Hartman, Tony Higgins, Walter Gotell and Brian Patrick Clarke
Ah, Sleepaway Camp II. Almost a decade ago when I started to get serious about collecting horror movies, the "Survival Kit" box set that contains the the first three movies in this legendary series were some of the flicks that got the most airplay in my DVD player, and for good reason. Are they good? Well, not really. But they're all absolutely unforgettable, for various reasons. The first movie (which I reviewed way back in the day when I still did the International Horror Registry thing) still has the most gut-wrenching ending I've seen in any horror movie, and when the time came around for Sleepaway Camp to get the sequel treatment, I can't say that they did anything other than completely surprise the few theatergoers who took this in before it became a video store staple.
I don't know much about Michael A. Simpson, the guy who took the helm for this and the next movie in the series (that started filming almost immediately after this one wrapped, IIRC). Suffice to say, he's got an amazing sense of humor. You know, folks, even with the knowledge that the ending of the original movie makes it one of the weirdest, most batshit insane movies of all time...believe me, this one tops it. It's the only movie in the history of the world where Bruce Springstee's real-life sister plays a transgender serial killer who kills two campers dressed up as slasher movie villains. If that's not a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is.
Here be spoilers. In the shocking climax to the original film, we find out that Angela Baker - the shy, sweet, very Final Girl-y camper who dealt with bullies and first love throughout the 80-minute-or-so running time - was really a he. And when I say a he, I mean about one step away from being a freakin' werewolf making guttural savage noises and holding a decapitated boy's head in her hands. It's one of those things that isn't effective when you explain it, but trust me, it took audiences (and me) for a big-time loop. This flick picks up several years down the line, as we learn that the story of Angela Baker is now a campfire scary story, that she had a sex change operation while in therapy and is now potentially on the loose. Three guesses as to who the new counselor is at this movie's glorious '80s slasher movie summer camp setting.
Accoring to the ever-accurate Wikipedia, Simpson actually did ask Felissa Rose to reprise the role of Angela here, but she was off going to school or doing something much less important than slasher sequels. So, we get Pamela Springsteen in the key role of Angela here, and while this movie is in ways just as big of a train wreck as the original, it's also got these weird redeeming qualities that still make it plenty watchable. And yeah, Springsteen is one of those qualities. She kinda reminds me of Rory Calhoun as Farmer Vincent in Motel Hell here, in that she's just so likable and nutty while at the same time clearly criminally insane, since the flick gives us our first murder sequence roughly five minutes in and never really looks back.
It doesn't take long for the movie to turn into an unintentional laugh riot, for better or worse. The original movie had this quality as well, and it all has to do with the characters. We've got a pair of peeping tom young campers who take pictures of nude girls and sell them off to the highest bidder, we've got the clueless camp runner Uncle John (Walter Gotell), and we've got the amazing mulleted cool guy counselor played by soap actor Brian Patrick Clarke. All of these guys provide some nice moments that make this movie a decent time to watch with a few friends on the couch.
It's also got a fairly interesting little main plot, as we actually do get a Final Girl of sorts in Molly (Renee Estevez, sister of EMILIO and Charlie Sheen) and getting a nice little teenage romance subplot as she and friendly cop's son Sean go through the gauntlet of teenage love. Along the way, there's also a very interesting little monkey wrench in the form of slutty camp queen Ally (Valerie Hartman, who owns this role) who will remind you of the bitchy Judy from the original movie in how she provides a foil to Molly. Yeah, it's a pretty paint-by-numbers plot. In execution, it actually comes across moderately well. But unlike the first flick, which was all about subtext and creep factor, this one is about the kill scenes and body count, and fortunately that's one aspect of Sleepaway Camp II that works really well.
The gist of it is this: this movie...has meta humor. Now, meta humor is one of my least favorite horror tropes of recent years, as it seems like modern horror directors have gotten so hung up on being cute and funny that they forget horror movies are supposed to be creepy and scary. This time around, Angela views herself as some kind of moral guardian who punishes the various campers for the usual slasher movie drugs and sex transgressions. Now, this stuff isn't as clever as Simpson thinks it is, but the way that Springsteen performs these scenes - usually with a big happy smile on her face - makes this movie the cinematic equivalent of an Ultimate Warrior promo. Yeah, it's insane. But you can't take your eyes off of it. It also helps that some of the scenes are legit cringe-inducing, so if you're a fan of acid deaths and plenty of red stuff, look no further.
So, does the movie work? Yeah, more or less. It's not scary in the least bit, but I don't think Simpson was trying to do that here, anyway. It's entertaining when it needs to be, funny in decent doses, and even has a nice little teen story that frames the whole thing together. Or something. Nobody ever said I was a professional critic here. But for a micro-budgeted, mostly direct-to-video sequel, you could certainly do a lot worse than what we got here. Oh, and it's got one truly hilarious moment late in the game when the jock counselor is burnt to a crisp only for his mullet to remain on the blackened skeleton. Great stuff.
*** out of ****. You've really got to be a big fan of slasher flicks to appreciate this one, but if you like these movies, this one should be alright. Give it a shot.
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