To many, summer camp is full of fun times and fond memories. It is a way to escape life and just relax for a few weeks. To horror fans, it is a world of murder and carnage. In 1980, Friday The 13th changed the way horror fans saw summer camp and spawned a sub-genre to further cement these feelings. One of those that was inspired by the first chapter in the Voorhees saga, was Sleepaway Camp.
This film should have become lost with the countless other F13 clones that were released around that time, but instead, it became a cult classic that, to many, surpasses the original Friday The 13th. The debate on which chiller is the best is still had today, with little signs of stopping.
Friday The 13th: The Backstory
One leg up Friday The 13th has on Sleepaway Camp is the backstory. The story of a young boy named Jason who drowns is known far and wide in the horror community. Equally as known, is how the boy's mother sought revenge on anyone who dared to reopen Camp Crystal Lake, finally resorting to killing counselors one by one in the film.
Fans of the series know the story doesn't end with Mrs. Voorhees' rampage, but the start of the mayhem is the exact kind of story told around campfires, which seems to be the entire point.
Sleepaway Camp: The Kids Are Actual Kids
With the specific laws regarding underage kids and filming, often time movies use actors 18 and older to portray children. With Sleepaway Camp, the kids are played by actual kids ranging from 13 to 17. This not only adds a sense of believability but also adds to the horror of seeing real kids seemingly in danger.
The horror classic The Exorcist also did this, as Regan was actually played by actual 14-year-old Linda Blair. In a world full of twenty-somethings playing teens, seeing real kids is a breath of fresh air to horror fans.
Friday The 13th: Creative Deaths
One thing the Friday films would be known for is the creative ways the characters are removed from the plot. The first film is no exception. Featuring effects from Tom Savini, the deaths in the film are top-notch and a perfect sign of the kills that would later come in the series.
One of the best in not only the film but in the series is the death of Kevin Bacon. This scene is the groundwork in what would later be a staple of the franchise. While Sleepaway Camp has some memorable deaths, most fans agree it doesn't hold a candle to Friday The 13th.
Sleepaway Camp: Familiar Summer Camp Feel
Sleepaway Camp takes place while the camp is actually open, meaning it feels closer to the feeling of being at summer camp. Friday The 13th revolves around a group of counselors preparing the camp to be opened, which doesn't resonate with as many viewers.
From nightly shenanigans in the bunks to the various games and activities, most of the things fans have come to love about summer camp are here, which makes it feel more real. This feeling makes the murders all the more shocking, as it feels it can happen to the viewers as well as the characters on screen.
Friday The 13th: Memorable Characters
Love them or hate them, one viewing of Friday The 13th and fans will remember the characters. Many of the characters are stereotypes but aren't one-note like most of the characters in later films. The characters in the movie are far from the best the genre has to offer, but for a movie that was originally nothing more than a Halloween rip-off, they could have been a lot worse.
The movie tries to make the audience know the characters, making their fates all the most tragic. The Friday The 13th franchise has no shortage of likable characters, and many fan favorites come from the first chapter.
Sleepaway Camp: Great Child Actors
While many of the adult characters are either okay, to downright terrible actors, the child actors mostly turn in believable performances. The main characters all seem like kids viewers may have actually known at some point or another.
From the vulgar language to the complete misunderstanding of the opposite sex, most fans have known a Ricky or a Paul at some point in their youth. Felissa Rose portrays the shy and quiet girl so perfectly, fans will swear the camera crew recorded their own friends. These believable and mostly likable characters make the killings all the more difficult to watch, as it means these performances will no longer be enjoyed. Many films even today can take notes from these child actors.
Friday The 13th: Music Score
While perhaps not as iconic as the Halloween theme, Friday The 13th still has some memorable music cues from composer Harry Manfredini. Manfredini decided to only play music when the killer was on screen or near, to clue the audience in that something was wrong.
From the exhilarating opening titles to the deceivingly calm music played during the infamous shock ending, Friday The 13th has a leg up on Sleepaway Camp in the music department. The most iconic music cue that carried over to the other films and became horror legend, is the classic, "Ki-Ki-Ki-Ma-Ma-Ma" which was actually Harry's own voice.
Sleepaway Camp: Characters Receiving Their Comeuppance
While the characters in Friday The 13th may not be morally innocent, they seem to be harmless teens in the wrong place at the wrong time. Most of the victims in Sleepaway Camp, however, more than deserved what was coming to them. The victims in this film are usually rude and creepy and are intentionally written to make the audience despise them.
As tragic as some of the deaths are, many of the characters' demises cause the viewers to cheer in agreement. It is one thing to cheer on an iconic killer like Jason, but it is another sense of joy entirely to see some twisted justice served.
Friday The 13th: The Legacy Of The Film
While Sleepaway Camp has several sequels under its belt, it has nothing on the impact Friday The 13th had on the genre and on films in general. What was originally cheap cash-in on Halloween, quickly became the gold standard of horror films and gave birth to arguably the most iconic horror legend of all time.
Halloween certainly spawned its imitators, but Friday The 13th jumpstarted the summer horror craze and still remains one of the best slasher films of all time. While not introduced for two more films, most people will have a hard time seeing a hockey mask and not thinking of the unlucky date, and any horror fan who doesn't hear the name Jason and think of Mr. Voorhees is just lying to themselves.
Sleepaway Camp: The Ending
While the twist at the end of Friday The 13th is well known, it stands no chance against the final minutes of Sleepaway Camp. 'Iconic' hardly does the scene justice, as it completely changes the entire film and sends chills down the spine of even veteran horror hounds.
The scene is creepy almost by accident, using unnerving music to drive the point home. Anyone who has seen the film knows the specific shot that makes this nightmarish sequence absolutely horrifying. There is little that can be said about the scene without giving it away, but any lover of horror who hasn't seen the movie owes it to themselves to do so. Even if the movie itself isn't their cup of tea, the ending should more than make up for it.