Pamela Springsteen, sister of Bruce and now a still photographer, does a great job of playing an older version of Angela, a version that has undergone the necessary amount of therapy to be allowed to be a counselor at a camp, a camp that is only 65 miles from the one at which Angela completed her handiwork in the first film. Yes, that’s right, this is a silly horror film, but, like the first film, for a silly horror film it works nicely. Pamela Springsteen is great as the insane Angela who despite belting out a lovely song about how fun camp can be and despite her overwhelmingly chipper nature is quite obviously disturbed. Angela is not pleased to know that some of the campers at Camp Rolling Hills are engaging in such things as sex. From the first film, we have learned things about Angela that I will not reveal here as some readers may not have yet seen the first film. Angela is more than a throwaway slasher film character with no personality. As played in the first film by Felissa Rose and in the second film by Pamela Springsteen, Angela is brought to life and is an interesting character to watch. As far as a connection of the character from the first to the second film, it works quite well. I could believe that the Angela from the second film was the same person as the Angela from the first film. This is a notable achievement as, if the character in the second film had seemed distant from that of the first film, it would have taken away quite a bit from the dramatic and suspenseful tension. Yes, I just wrote “dramatic and suspenseful tension” in regards to this film. I’m not changing it. “Sleepaway Camp 2” makes an attempt to incorporate a sense of humor to the proceedings and succeeds occasionally in that regard. My guess is that “Sleepaway Camp 2” is funnier than “Meatballs Part 3,” but I have not seen that entry in the “Meatballs” saga. If you have been lucky enough to see “Meatballs 4,” you may have been pleased to find that it stars Jack Nance, the lead actor from David Lynch’s “Eraserhead” and Sarah “Ursa” Douglas, but it also starred Corey Feldman. No film can be perfect. In the same way, kind of, “Sleepaway Camp 2” is not perfect. Luckily, Corey Feldman is not in it, but it does get very close to reaching slasher movie perfection, which is a different kind of perfection from regular film perfection. You always know what to expect in a slasher film. There will be deaths, mayhem, 27 year old actors playing teenagers having sex, blood, and, if you are lucky, some pretty bad music.
If a slasher film offers something extra, then, in my mind it is better than average. The performance of Pamela Springsteen as Angela and most of the performances of the supporting cast rises above what one may expect from low-budget slasher movie acting. Even though we know Angela is several cashews shy of a full can, I enjoyed every time she was on camera. I usually find it difficult to navigate my way through a conversation that includes my attempt to defend slasher films of the 1980’s. I am a fan of several of these films including “Final Exam,” “Silent Scream,” “Halloween 2 and 3,” “The Pit,” “The Unseen,” and the aforementioned “Sleepaway Camp.” At the same time, I would be perfectly willing to engage you in a conversation about the films of Pier Paolo Pasolini, Woody Allen, Werner Herzog, and Stanley Kubrick. My love of movies is not limited to one or two genres, but just about all genres. I’m not a big fan of the rom-com, but I do not discount the idea that, over the years, there have been some good ones made, such as the wonderful, “The Goodbye Girl,” “When Harry Met Sally,” and “Groundhog Day.” Like it’s predecessor, “Sleepaway Camp 2” was very good for what it sets out to accomplish. It’s not Fellini or Bergman, but it kept me entertained. I think that accepting what you are heading into is important in whether or not one will enjoy a film. If you expect a slasher film from the 80’s to be more than a slasher film from the 80’s, you will likely be disappointed and offended by the kills in the film. If your mindset is such that you know what you are getting yourself into and you end up getting more for your time than a fill in the blank script, you have won. I feel my time with Angela in “Sleepaway Camp 2” was successful and I am looking forward to watching the third film in the series, though, I do not know if lightning can strike twice or if the campfire will burn out……..so…….. Director Simpson mentions in the commentary track for the film that he would not have had any interest in this project if it had been a straight-forward horror film. The humor in the script by Fritz Gordon compelled him to have more of an interest in taking on the directing reigns. Like “Friday the 13th Part 6,” “Sleepaway Camp 2” very much benefits from attempts to include gags throughout the film, not all of which work, but enough do to keep the film from becoming a groanfest. The humor in the film allows it not to take itself too seriously and revel in the otherworldly silliness that these kinds of films inhabit. Slasher films are just as “out there” as science fiction films or fantasy films. Yeah, I know. They involve death and gore, but no film is perfect. One either accepts the nature of horror films or does not. There is not much way around that fact. As someone who enjoys a good horror/slasher film from time to time, I can endorse the above average “Sleepaway Camp 2” as a film that tries hard and most of the time succeeds in being entertaining thanks mostly to it’s strong performances and brisk pacing.
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