Sleepaway Camp (1983; 2022 revisit)

 I went to summer camp in 1990 and it wasn't quite as hostile or combative as you see in this camp slasher, haha. Anyway, the guys are immature jerks with filthy mouths, the girls roll their eyes at them and try to stomach their antics, and a few like Judy, counselor Meg, and Billy who are so detestable as bullies just looking for chances to bring grief to those like Angela and Ricky, cousins raised by Ricky's wacky mom. Felissa has that deadeye stare that only softens when Paul shows kindness to Angela. Hilzik loves to fix his camera on faces, especially snarling mean expressions or screaming horror.

That creepy Mel with his plaid shorts and knee-high socks and bitchy Meg all sweet on him brings the yikes while Meg and Judy's consistent harassment, this sick bliss in tormenting her just for kicks, brings the appropriate disgust. My daughter was raging, just despising Judy and Meg, 🤣

Mel just breaking because he thinks Ricky caused all the problems and what he does to him is almost as disturbing to me as what happens to the kids on the wilderness trip and Paul. Today I totally get why the twist could be seen as highly questionable. If anything, it does bring conversations and that's at least something. But to me the twist isn't why I watch this every year. It just brings back that summer camp feel as does the comedies of its era, like Meatballs. Collett, as Paul, does remind me of Makepiece from Meatballs.

The worst part of the film besides the sleeping bag child ax murder crime scene is the pedo cook who gets exactly what he deserves, the scumbag.

Kudos to this film for giving us the archery kill Friday the 13th (1980) didn't. That was clearly Ricky in a wig, though, when appearing in the door of the cabin as Judy tends to her hair before the infamous off screen curling iron *insert*. I wonder if that was the initial plan. For Ricky to be the killer.