tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post4688656661807183596..comments2024-02-10T01:22:29.316-08:00Comments on Hugo Stiglitz Makes Movies: Summer of Slash: Sleepaway Camp (AKA Nightmare Vacation)Kevin J. Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-7373456494436094442010-06-10T22:46:49.152-07:002010-06-10T22:46:49.152-07:00Well, I don't think I'm reading too much i...Well, I don't think I'm reading too much into the film's script, which is the best part of the movie and the primary reason it remains an important entry in the slasher subgenre. Yes, we're all in agreement that the direction here is beyond awful, but compared to other slashers I think the film, warts and all, remains effective and more memorable than some of its contemporaries. It's definitely a notch above the countless <i>Friday the 13th</i>, <i>Halloween</i>, and <i>Nightmare on Elm Street</i> sequels. <br /><br />And oh man that capture the flag game along with the softball game is just pure 80's gold.Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-43261287736595585742010-06-10T22:30:25.162-07:002010-06-10T22:30:25.162-07:00OK, so after watching, I have to go along with Mik...OK, so after watching, I have to go along with Mike here -- I think you are reading too much into things here. There is a bit of an attempt to add some depth to the script and the ending is a bit of a shocker, but that's about all I'll give it.<br /><br />But really this movie does have it all -- atomic situps, stupid pranks, skinny dipping, dances, "wicked dumps", the overacting camp director, pedophiles, capture the flag, that hilarious opening death scene and a mom straight out of a John Waters film, tons of padding, awesome outfits, great New Yawk accents, and Meg, spelled M-E-G.Troy Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14843741571724231174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-42689052958444482192010-06-10T15:08:16.264-07:002010-06-10T15:08:16.264-07:00Troy:
I love all the generic college half-shirts ...Troy:<br /><br />I love all the generic college half-shirts that littered these 80's horror movies (Go Gators! from <i>Welcome to Spring Break</i> still sits at the forefront of my mind). Oh, and I've seen parts of Part 3 (or maybe it was 2...who knows) on MGM HD. Sooooo bad.Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-61631930686727614152010-06-09T16:25:32.722-07:002010-06-09T16:25:32.722-07:00I saw that this is on Youtube, so I'm going to...I saw that this is on Youtube, so I'm going to go watch it again for the first time since college. I remember being shocked by the ending at the time, to the point that it made me stop laughing at a lot of the rest of the movie. The intro scene to the film is fan-tas-tic horror cheese.<br /><br />To this day I still remember the pedophile cook and his death scene that seemed to go on for about 30 minutes of him screaming as he boils to death. Hilarious.<br /><br />Oh, and can we please bring back cropped mesh shirts for men. That was a fine time in fashion history.<br /><br />Oh, and if you need a good laugh, watch parts 2 and 3 -- they are some of the worst horror films ever made, but kind of funny (and they star Bruce Springsteen's sister).Troy Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14843741571724231174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-80584600339640204582010-06-08T18:35:03.407-07:002010-06-08T18:35:03.407-07:00Has anyone yet checked out the fourth film which i...Has anyone yet checked out the fourth film which is the one where the original director comes back and pretends the second and third didn't happen? I have it kicking around somewhere but haven't watched it yet. Also amusing to know that a fifth one is in the works and apperently has Alexis Bledel in it.The Taxi Driverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04352371911592068643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-10958533670718006652010-06-08T11:52:30.912-07:002010-06-08T11:52:30.912-07:00Hey I was one of those horny immature teens doing ...Hey I was one of those horny immature teens doing more harm then good and I...<br /><br />Nope, that's a pretty apt description actually.Bryce Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17040954580033470664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-347349539949288152010-06-08T09:20:14.106-07:002010-06-08T09:20:14.106-07:00J.D.:
Sounds like we're on the same page here...J.D.:<br /><br />Sounds like we're on the same page here. I caught bits of Part 3 on MGM HD last month...wow. Now THAT was some awful filmmaking, and just shows how far the slasher had devolved at that point.Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-2774288240609892942010-06-08T06:46:47.565-07:002010-06-08T06:46:47.565-07:00The ending to this film definitely makes it memora...The ending to this film definitely makes it memorable and I'm willing to give the rest of the film's flaws a pass as a result. CAMP 2 and 3 are pretty amusing in a cheesy, shlocky way.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164105442273577128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-69518170005408269882010-06-07T20:45:19.550-07:002010-06-07T20:45:19.550-07:00Mike:
I thought I mentioned how bad the acting an...Mike:<br /><br />I thought I mentioned how bad the acting and directing was here, but I didn't want to linger on it because that seemed a lot easier than trying to approach the film seriously. The baseball scene is excruciating, you're right too about the personalities and the acting of some of the counselors. That being said, in the context of the slasher film <i>Sleepaway Camp</i> has a premise that is head and shoulders above its contemporaries. The ending is so effective that it paints the entire film in a new light. Sure, it's atrocious and just downright stupid in some parts (the blocking of certain death scenes is utterly inane), but man...that ending. <br /><br />It's important to keep everything in the perspective of how these films hold up compared to other horror movies. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie despite its moments of filmmaking incompetence.<br /><br />Thanks as always for the visit and the comment, Mike!Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-44555247052117874462010-06-07T20:27:25.249-07:002010-06-07T20:27:25.249-07:00I'm honestly baffled that you put this much se...I'm honestly baffled that you put this much serious time and effort into this film, which is the kind of thing that's made to put on after 5 or 6 drinks so you can laugh your way to the end. Man, I appreciate the thought you put into this and sure, the ending is something else but this movie is bad, bad, bad. The opening when the father dies has me laughing every time just because of the stupid reaction shot of the guy on shore, the fashion is ridiculious and despite the fact that none of the characters do stupid things they are all pretty stupid and unlikable in terms of personalities and this thing is made so badly. The game of baseball is about as cinematically exciting as something very unexciting.<br /><br />I think what you read into the movie is possibly true, but it's not in a movie that is made in any way, with any kind of skill that make it the least bit redeamable.The Taxi Driverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04352371911592068643noreply@blogger.com