Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers is absolutely not a very good movie but in fairness, I don’t think the filmmakers or cast thought they were making high horror art. The performances are mostly throwaways though Pamela Springsteen does make for an effective psycho, I suppose. Personally I didn’t care that much for this movie, and wasn’t that fond of the first one outside of the now well-known “twist”, but horror fanatics might treasure this sequel.
Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers
(1988)
REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall
Genre(s): Horror
Shout Factory | R – 80 min. – $29.93 | June 9, 2015
 |
MOVIE INFO: Directed by: Michael A. Simpson Writer(s): Fritz Gordon (written by) Cast: Pamela Springsteen, Renee Estevez, Brian Patrick Clarke, Walter Gotell DISC INFO: Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 1.0) |
** Click Here to Purchase Sleepaway Camp II on Blu-ray from Amazon.com **
THE MOVIE
Plot Outline:
Welcome to Camp Rolling Hills! Meet your camp counselor Angela Baker! She’s the kind of counselor who enjoys camp songs, nature walks, board games and…murder.
Five years after the horrific slaughter at Camp Arawak, Angela (PAMELA SPRINGSTEEN) has created a new position for herself as a counselor at Camp Rolling Hills. Angels is about to teach “bad campers” a brutal lesson in survival when they are sliced, stabbed, drilled… and much worse.
Quick Hit Review:
The original Sleepaway Camp was anything but a classic and only well known for its “shocking” twist ending, without it it’d just be another forgettable 1980s slasher. That said, it’s also entertaining for the genre. And like anything, be it the 80s or today, any modicum of success means a sequel and four years later Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers was released and it’s a piece of crap even by slasher standards. The acting is poor but the special effects weren’t at all half bad, that said this is only for core fans of horror, or completists, perhaps it’s worth a viewing otherwise its best left in the grave of 1980s obscurity.
SPECIAL FEATURES – 4.0/5
This release comes with a slip cover with artwork by Nathan Thomas Milliner. The interior cover is reversible with the original poster art. Inside is a standard DVD Copy.
Audio Commentary with Director Michael A. Simpson and Screenwriter Fritz Gordon
A Tale of Two Sequels: Part One (28:06; HD) is a well done retrospective featurette and includes new interviews with Director Michael A. Simpson, Actress Amy Fields (Jodi Schote), Director of Photography Bill Mills, Editor John David Allen and others including a fan of the series. Also has some nice behind-the-scenes footage.
Abandoned: The Filming Locations of Sleepaway Camp II & III (15:28; HD) – Adam Woo takes viewers on a tour of the abandoned camp, now overgrown with foliage, where both Sleepaway Camp movies were filmed.
Behind the Scenes Footage (13:21; HD) is some raw footage with audio commentary by Director Simpson narrating.
Home Video Trailer (2:24; HD)
Whatever Happened to Molly? Short Film (0:50; HD) is a short made by a Sleepaway Camp fan to show what might have happened to the Molly character.
Still Gallery
VIDEO – 3.25/5
Sleepaway Camp II arrives on Blu-ray through Shout’s Scream Factory line presented in the film’s original 1.78 widescreen aspect ratio and given a 1080p high-definition transfer. Unlike its predecessor, this is a basic transfer so no major work was done and it’s apparent. There are several instances of dust marks, scratches and other flaws. However, I found the detail levels to be relatively sharp and colors, albeit not brilliantly bright, are well balanced. When you consider this was a cheap 1980s horror sequel, I doubt this could be much better or worth the extra expense with such a niche audience.
AUDIO – 3.0/5
The DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track isn’t anything noteworthy but, as such the case gets the job done. Dialogue levels are decent enough though at times it does top out in some instances but on balance is as good as it would get for a movie like this. Ambient noises are kept to a minimum while the music, like dialogue, isn’t terribly balanced yet sounds good enough.
OVERALL – 3.0/5
Overall, Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers is absolutely not a very good movie but in fairness, I don’t think the filmmakers or cast thought they were making high horror art. The performances are mostly throwaways though Pamela Springsteen does make for an effective psycho, I suppose. Personally I didn’t care that much for this movie, and wasn’t that fond of the first one outside of the now well-known “twist”, but horror fanatics might treasure this sequel.
The 2-disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray once again offers a fair amount of special features to peruse while the audio and video, although nothing phenomenal, are decent enough and almost certainly an upgrade over any of the DVD editions.
Published: 06/06/2015
Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.