Welcome to the Attic! Grab some marshmallows… we’re going camping…
 

The 1983 cult classic slasher, Sleepaway Camp, is now available on a two-disc Blu Ray/DVD combo edition in anamorphic widescreen. This is the first Blu Ray release of this film, and is being brought to you by the Scream Factory.

Synopsis (don’t worry, this is a spoiler-free zone. And ruining this ending would be a crime):
After surviving a boating accident that killed her father and brother, Angela (played by Felissa Rose) is then sent to live with her bizarre Aunt Martha and cousin Ricky. Martha sends them away to camp one summer, and shy Angela struggles to fit in with the rambunctious, vivacious teenagers. After everyone arrives odd things start to happen, and people begin to disappear. Despite the many activities they’re participating in (some not on the brochure, wink, wink), the camp-goers and counselors grow alarmed as they begin to notice people going missing. The bodies pile up in more gruesome ways than the next, but each is committed in the killer’s POV and leaves the viewer just as clueless as the teenagers. So who’s the killer? The shocking conclusion that earned Sleepaway Camp a prime spot in the cult classic category will leave you stunned.

The Scream Factory website states that the 84 minute Blu Ray will come with the below special features:

– New 2K scan of the original camera negative
– New Commentary with actors Felissa Rose (“Angela”) and Jonathan Tiersten (“Ricky”)
– New Commentary with writer/director Robert Hiltzik, moderated by SleepawayCampMovies.com webmaster Jeff Hayes
– Original Audio Commentary with writer/director Robert Hiltzik and star Felissa Rose
– The Legacy of Sleepaway Camp – A 45-minute retrospective/making-of the film which has new interviews with Robert Hiltzik, Felissa Rose, Jonathan Tiersten, Paul DeAngelo (“Ronnie”), Karen Fields (“Judy”), Desiree Gould (“Aunt Martha”), Frank Saladino (“Gene”) and make-up FX artist Ed French.
– Judy – a short film by Jeff Hayes starring Karen Fields
– Princess – A Music Video by Jonathan Tiersten
– Camp Arawak Scrapbook – still gallery
– Theatrical Trailer & TV Spots

It has also been reported that this will include some small scenes that were missing from a previous Anchor Bay release. Surprisingly, they were dropped in the first place, as Anchor Bay is usually great with giving releases a top-notch effort. Although, I do adore my Sleepaway Camp: Survival Kit from them. These five scenes were included in the older uncut Legacy Entertainment release, but reportedly only amount to just under :30 seconds. You won’t notice it unless you’ve seen the Anchor Bay release a million times, but the inclusion of them is nice nonetheless. And one includes a snake crawling out of a dead guy’s mouth, neato!

This film is one of my horror favorites in terms of the “so bad, it’s good” category. I absolutely love this movie. It doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not, and it doesn’t apologize for being cheesy. Frankly, this movie didn’t need much of anything else, because it builds until you can cut the tension (cheese flavored) with a knife. Seriously, the climax leads into one of my favorite endings I have ever seen. Ever. It slapped me across the face. My jaw dropped, and hung open for what felt like eternity as I stared in disbelief at the credits scrolling by. It was so shocking and unnerving it honestly freaked the hell out of me, and this movie as a whole isn’t even scary.

So if you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend just picking it up without reading into the story further. Go into this as blind as possible. It’s no Psycho (1960) or Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), but that ending comes out of nowhere like a mack truck and completely makes up for every bit of cheesy dialogue and cherry-flavored syrup blood. The less you know about this movie going into it the better. If nothing else, it’s a great date movie. Just enough of a horror flick to get the cuddle factor up.
 

Stay scared,
Dark Princess