Sleepaway Camp - Didn't See This Ending Coming

For this blog entry, I have to give credit to the Double Feature Podcast. Whenever I see a new episode queued up into my I-Tunes account, I'm always surprised how their tastes align with mine. The hosts (Eric and Michael) are either covering films I've just watched or movies I plan on viewing. Double Feature has a reoccurring event called Killapalooza, where the crew screens all the movies in a horror franchise. Past Killapalooza's have covered Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hellraiser, and even the Amityville Horror flicks. One of their latest installments was on Sleepaway Camp.

Having never heard of this franchise, I decided to listen to the episode, ready for any spoilers until Eric and Michael announced: Do not listen to this episode until you have at least seen the first Sleepaway Camp. So I decided to take their advice, and wow, was I actually surprised!

Sleepaway Camp is a 1983 Slasher film directed by Robert Hiltzik. The premise is simple, kids at Camp Arawak are brutally murdered one by one. These deaths include:

• The head chef doused with boiling water (this guy deserved it, he was a pedophile)
• A camper drowned in a capsized canoe
• A camper stung to death by bees in a bathroom stall
• A camp counselor stabbed in the shower
• A camper raped with a curling iron (this was the "Mean Girl" of the camp)
• Three elementary campers mutilated by a hatchet
• The camp commissioner shot in the neck with an arrow

The film focuses on one particular camper, Angela (played by Felissa Rose). Angela is extremely shy, making herself a target for bullying and is constantly rescued by her likable cousin Ricky. As the murders progress throughout the film, all signs lead to Angela being the murderer. So as I'm watching this film, I'm asking, do the Double Feature guys really think a female murderer is really such a shocker?!?! But I shouldn't question Eric and Michael as the final shot totally took me by surprise! Angela is a boy!!!!

That final frame was so horrific between the music, noise, and image! After reflecting on the film, all the clues were there, but I just didn't see them coming. As we find out, poor Angela was "masculinely" repressed by Ricky's mother and was raised as a girl. So no wonder she became a serial killer and didn't like to be felt up by boys...

I'm not sure if I'll ever watch any of the Sleepaway Camp films other than the chance to see footage of teenage girls running for their lives in slasher tradition (and possibly Felissa Rose). But that's one of the great benefits of listening to Double Feature's Killapalooza's so you don't have to suffer through horrible sequels.

So on Death List Five, Sleepaway Camp ranks #3.

Trick 'r Treat - This Should be the Next Horror Franchise!

For a time of fireworks and barbecue, I guess it's an odd time to watch a movie about costumes and candy. But when you're craving for something in the realm of horror, it's okay to splurge on a movie even if it's not the right holiday season. Luckily I had the perfect movie sitting in my Netflix Queue for the last couple of months: Trick 'r Treat

Written and directed by Michael Dougherty, Trick 'r Treat (2009) is an anthology of 4 short stories taking place in a single town one Halloween night:

1. The Principal: Is this man a father figure or a child serial killer?
2. The School Bus Massacre: Local legend says a group of troubled children drowned on a school bus. But what happens when some kids try to pull a prank based on this old wise tale?
3. Surprise Party: Sometimes girls just wanna have fun...
4. Meet Sam: A grumpy old man with a haunted past gets visited by an evil Trick or Treater...

For me, the most disturbing tale was The Principal starring Dylan Baker. However, if you took any one of these stories and separated them from each other, they would make great episodes for Tales from the Crypt. Each story presents a frightening plot resulting in a twisted ending. For instance, in Surprise Party (featuring True Blood's Anna Paquin), this story appears to be the murdering exploits of some beautiful girls looking to party. But once we see the princess costumes come off, you no longer fear for the girls, but worry about the males who are tied and lit up under the Full Moon sky...

So yes, Trick 'r Treat presents some fun single stories. However, taking storytelling one step further, this anthology is presented in Pulp Fiction style. Characters that we see in one story are seen in the background of another. And to give the viewer re-watch value, each sequence is like a jig saw puzzle put together in a non-linear fashion. For example, this movie begins where the story ends. The movie opens with a small vignette featuring a husband and wife being terrorized (staring Dollhouse's Tahmoh Penikett) and ends with them being stalked by Sam...

So who is Sam? He is the living embodiment of Halloween who upholds it's traditions. Dressed up like a cute sack boy from Little Big Planet, this force of terror is armed with razor blade chocolate bars and serrated lollipops. As another link between each story, he comes out of the background and into the foreground in the fourth tale. We root for this character as he becomes the slasher we are jonesing to see. As we associate Jigsaw with the Saw movies, we'll associate Sam with Trick 'r Treat.

Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. As recommended by one of my favorite podcasts, Double Feature (http://doublefeatureshow.com/), this would be an awesome franchise for horror films since it has the perfect formula: You can tell 4 different witty tales and link them together using Sam. Between merchandise and comics printed through Wildstorm (and written by the awesome Marc Andreyko), I'm surprised Warner Brothers hasn't already banked out on some Direct-to-DVD's. But until they wise up, just as I have It's a Wonderful Life on December 25th, at least I found a new movie to satisfy my holiday craving on October 31st.

So on Death List Five, Trick 'r Treat ranks #4.