Leofwine_draca SLEEPAWAY CAMP II is one of those no-budget made-on-the-quick slasher movies that exist solely to cash in on the '80s boom in serial killer flicks. It's also one of the films at the lower end of the scale, offering a dearth of originality in a genre that was already starved of invention by the early '80s; somehow the slasher flicks made in the latter half of the decade just seemed to be even cheesier and less scary than before. SLEEPAWAY CAMP II plods through a routine script in which a bunch of horny teenagers at a camp are bumped off one by one by a crazed murderer using increasingly bizarre methods. It's not a particularly well made film, with production values equal to the worst of the Friday the 13th sequels and the dull, repetitive nature of the film will have many viewers snoozing off.Pamela Springsteen, sister of Bruce, plays the killer, taking over from the actress in the original production. Springsteen is pretty annoying, making lots of unfunny wisecracks as she bumps off her victims, and she only really impresses in the last twenty minutes or so when we find out just how crazy she really is. The rest of the cast is populated by bimbos happy to whip off their tops in their 15 minutes of fame, so expect a ton of gratuitous nudity throughout the film. The only characters I really liked were Brian Patrick Clarke's hilarious mulleted jock and Uncle John, who is played by a down on his luck Walter Gotell, better known for his turns in classier fare like THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL and the Roger Moore/James Bond flicks. Renee Estevez, daughter of Martin Sheen, plays the virginal heroine but her character is utterly boring.As is the case with most of these cheesy slasher flicks, the only real fun to be had is derived from the ludicrous death scenes. Here, there's some imagination in the killings, which include death by battery acid, guitar string, chainsaw, and decapitation, but all the murders are so poorly staged that there's no fun to be had from the rubbery gore effects that we briefly see. Otherwise, the film strives for the gross-out effect in a couple of moments, like the girl confronted with her sister's fried skeleton or the poor victim shoved into the toilet. The only other moment of interest is some early self-referencing – years before SCREAM – in which a couple of characters dress up as Freddy and Jason.

Bryan Kluger 'Sleepaway Camp' easily became one of the biggest cult horror classics back in 1983, mostly for it's truly shocking twist of an ending. That ending is still talked about today and might be responsible for some of the horror movie twists we see today. The first film played into the big foray of slasher teen horror films of the late 70s and early 80s. It did almost nothing to separate itself from the group of that particular horror genre with the exception of the ending and the high amount of unintentional comedy.That being said, the first 'Sleepaway Camp' movie was your basic straight-forward slasher picture, fake mustache and all. Five years down the road with the talk and somewhat success of the first film, the studio wanted to make a sequel. They left the original director and writer alone and instead got two newcomers, who really haven't done much since then, however they acquired the siblings of a few famous people to be in the sequel, which is called 'Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers'.The second installment works on a few levels, mostly in that it doesn't take itself seriously whatsoever and knows exactly what kind of movie it is. In fact, it parodies the first film, as well some of the horror movie monster classics, including, 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre', 'Friday the 13th', and 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'. Even the poster and front cover of this movie has the main star carrying around the Freddy Krueger glove and the Jason Vorhees hockey mask. Another reason this sequel is so much fun and not quite that scary is it really only shows one kill after the next. It's not necessarily a bad thing either when you have a collection of idiot characters that you hope meets their grisly demise the instant you meet them.That's where our famous and likable anti-heroine comes into play, Angela from the first film. We are at another camp a couple of years past the events of the first film where Angela (played by Bruce Springsteen's sister Pamela Springsteen) is an actual camp counselor. The campers this year are heard and seen telling the gruesome stories of the murders that happened at another camp a few years ago, which is when Angela starts to dispose of these teenage campers who always seem to be want to get frisky with one another.No matter if it's part of a tree, a fire, or a chainsaw, Angela can easily take out a camper or two without breaking a sweat. One of the main campers we follow is Molly (Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen's sister Renee Estevez), who actually likes Angela, but is trying to figure out why her fellow campers have gone missing or are being sent home, according to Angela for bad behavior. That's the basic plot for the sequel, which is actually quite fun. The deaths are hilarious and gruesome, and the one-liners are spot on.The big shocking reveal from the first film is touched up on here in more detail, but who really cares, right? Angela is Angela, the murdering and smiling beast she is no matter what, and that's what makes 'Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers' a solid sequel.

Michael_Elliott Sleepaway Camp 2 (1988)*** (out of 4) A reformed and "rebuilt" Angela (Pamela Springsteen) finds herself being a councilor at a summer camp where she hopes to bond with all her kids but that isn't so easy. While she gets along with the good girl (Renee Estevez) she butts heads with anyone who she doesn't considering pure including the slut of the camp (Valerie Hartman).SLEEPAWAY CAMP was a good slasher from the early 80s that managed to have one of the greatest plot twists in cinema history. No matter what you thought of the film's quality there was no denying that the ending packed quite a punch so when a sequel was announced many horror fans couldn't wait to see what they did with it. Instead of just trying to deliver pure slasher fare, the filmmakers decided to add some comedy and self homage because there's no doubt that this thing isn't meant to be taken too serious. While there are some gory deaths scattered throughout the picture, it's clear that this was just meant to be light entertainment.For the most part this film succeeds for a number of reasons but the biggest is the fact that it doesn't take itself serious. I really liked the lighter tone of the picture and the fact that you're actually rooting for the killer is a nice touch. After all, who doesn't like Angela here? Even when she gets fired for killing so many people, you still feel bad for her and go against those who let her go. Of course, a lot of credit has to go to Springsteen who is certainly fun and entertaining here. She really does pull off that good girl quality and makes for a villain you love. Both Estevez and Hartman are also very good in their supporting roles and the rest of the cast members are fun as well.The film really does have a great straight-to-video feel to it and it manages to be funny and charming at the same time. There's some great humor scattered throughout including a rather outrageous AIDS joke. The death scenes have some blood scattered around them but for the most part they're more creative than anything else including a toilet sequence, which is hard to top. SLEEPAWAY CAMP 2 isn't a masterpiece and it's certainly not Oscar-worthy but it's still a good little gem that continues to charm over twenty-years after it was made.

Mr_Ectoplasma Angela Baker is back in "Sleepaway Camp II," but this time with a sex change, and a hunger for killing immoral teens at the summer camp in which she works. Among her arsenal of hunting tools are knives, fire, a chainsaw, guitar strings, and battery acid!While the original "Sleepaway Camp" was a B-movie through and through, it maintained a level of seriousness and a sophisticated tension throughout; it's a remarkably dark slasher film, thematically and visually. "Sleepaway Camp II," on the other hand, trades in Robert Hiltzik's macabre chops for cult director Michael Simpson's self-referential slasher schlock. "Sleepaway Camp II" is a completely uninhibited and shameless sequel that derails the seriousness in the first film, opting for straightforward gags and black comedy. The film does not really have a plot so to speak; there is no twist either, which, for being the offspring of a film that made its name because of these things, is kind of surprising. It is really just a platform for Angela to butcher teenagers in a ridiculous number of different ways. There are gore effects o'plenty, and many of them are quite good; some of them quite silly. It's not a film that can be taken seriously by any stretch of the imagination, but because of that, it is a rare piece of entertainment that is aware of its utter implausibility and yet completely engaged with it. Pamela Springsteen goofs along through her role and is often hilarious but never frightening, and the supporting cast is well above the cut.As a sequel, "Sleepaway Camp II" is out there, but as a self-aware spoof of films like "Friday the 13th," it's really quite amusing. There is no intellectually stimulating material here, but it's a good way to goof off for an hour and a half. That said, it pales in comparison to the substance of the original film, with its twisted plot and ruthless conclusion. The biggest highlight here? Stabbed in the back and drowned in a leech infested porta-potty. How low can you go? 6/10.