Sleepaway Camp 2: Unhappy Campers (1988)

   

Produced & Directed by: Michael A. Simpson

Written by:
Fritz Gordon

Starring:

Pamela Springsteen .... Angela Baker
Renee Estevez .... Molly Nagel
Tony Higgins .... Sean Whitmore
Valerie Hartman .... Ally Burgess
Terry Hobbs .... Rob Darrinco
Kendall Bean .... Demi
Brian Patrick Clarke .... T.C.
Benji Wilhoite .... Anthony
Walter Franks III .... Judd
Julie Murphy .... Lea
Walter Gotell .... Uncle John
Susan Marie Snyder .... Mare

Release Date:
Direct-to-Video: November 16, 1988

 

Rating:

 

Angela Baker (Pamela Springsteen) has been released from the nuthouse with an operation and other types of treatments and is camp counsellor at a nearby camp known as Camp Rolling Hills after being responsible for killing many people at a nearby camp 6 years beforehand. She keeps her last name a secret to the campers nowadays even if some were aware of what had happened.
The camp owner Uncle John (Walter Gottell) awarded her as counsellor of the week. Yet no one seems to like her and finds her a little strange except for a shy girl Molly (Renee Estevez) whom she's romantically linked to the most popular boy Sean Whitmore (Tony Higgins) who's dad is a cop and arrested Angela during that time period.
However, when the girls at the camp misbehave at the camp she slaughters them secretly one by one and tells the rest that they were sent home as her idea on weeding out the bad from the good seems to get out of hand.
Two boys Judd (Walter Franks III) and Anthony (Benji Wilhoite) tries to scare Angela one night in which she does them in too in which their camp counsellor T.C. (Brian Patrick Clarke) starts to wonder when they are missing as well as making some of the other campers a little scared thinking what happened at that nearby camp is happening to this campground.

 

In the beginning I didn't like the first Sleepaway Camp movie. If you don't understand read my reviews on the first film before it really grew on me. I was nervous to rent this one since the first one was twisted and disturbing with alot of dysfunctional values. Yet, I wanted to especially looking at the front cover on a camper carrying a sack that involves a chainsaw, Freddy Krueger glove and a Jason mask. I rented it with a bud and got into it. The campfire scene looked dark and cheesy like but that's what made it so fun to watch. It seemed like a totally different chemistry compared to the first film but yet a girl camper named Phoebe was telling a ture ghost story about the camp nearby and what happened there which was exciting to watch and I knew this one was definetely following the first film. It's just the surroundings and atmophere was completely different but again when you watch Friday the 13th sequels during the late 80's you spot this too but it does base after the rest of them. This film was very much like that but this was during the era when alot of films were using Freddy Krueger type jokes while doing in their victims using plenty of dark comedy with it's horror and of course this film poked fun at many of those kinds of horror flicks.
Then we spot Angela telling Phoebe to return to her cabin. Before I knew who the actress was that played her, I was thinking to myself nope... This wasn't the same actress who played Angela in the original film as she looked totally different but hey, that's okay. I was thinking to myself Angela isn't quiet or shy anymore. Also, I was thinking to myself that Phoebe is dead meat and boy does she ever get slayed in which I found this moment to be the best killing ever in the deep dark woods. Then the opening credits happen which looked totally awesome and I thought to myself that this would be perfect to watch on a Halloween night.
Then we have Angela having a nice conversation with the camp owner Uncle John which seemed to be a different type of twist as Angela is finally having conversations with people instead of saying completely nothing and trying to get along.
There's also two perverted children taking pictures in a window of a girls cabin which seemed to be necessary at a summer camp since we have seen some similar moments in other camp films. There's also a mean girl at the camp named Ally who pretends to be nice to a guy she likes named Sean who is the son of the cop who arrested Angela from Camp Arawak in which you kinda wonder if he will fall for her but he seems to fall for the new shy girl camper Molly who has a nice innocent attitude and trying to accept everyone by who they are. After all we always have people like that too. Of course there's a dorkey kid named Rob who falls for Ally and I'm thinking to myself what a moron! Yet we've seen someone like that named Paul in the first film. However, Paul had a bit more brains compared to this kid.
Then there's two dugged up sisters which seems to work well for the film since we've seen those types in a Friday the 13th sequel and I loved the scene when Angela barbecued one to death and is about to do in the next one. I was thinking to myself that Angela has gotten worst over the years since her days at Camp Arawak.
She is also great at acting bitchy whenever kids are trying to have fun and not obeying the rules. You think to yourself as to why Molly would accept Angela when no one else does. Well again Molly was the most easy going one who is very open minded. There is a scene between the two of them as Angela shows this I'm not so bad type of personality when Milly asks for advice in something. Plus I love a moment when Molly says she can get shy sometimes and Angela tells her she was shy once and wouldn't talk to anyone but now no one can get her to shut up. I loved this moment showing that she has changed and is more sociable. She mentions her Aunt Martha but yet doesn't talk about her cousin Ricky as if he never existed. I always wondered whatever happened to this nasty tempered kid. Yet Angela kept alot of secrets since she was having a new identity since the others were aware by what happened at the nearby camp.
There were also moments with Angela trying to be nice but the kids have a negative attitude and I thought to myself that this wasn't a good idea at all as Angela could snap and do them in too.
There was a really lame moment with two kids Judd and Anthony dressing themselves as Freddy and Jason to try and scare Angela but she beats them to it dressed as Leatherface and doing them both in. Yet the moment looked cool too with the murders in the deep dark woods like the rest of the murders that happened at night.
Yet there's a moment with Ally showing Molly her true colours in which you knew she was pretending to like her in order to get to Sean and just being nasty to her which is a real look at a mean teen towards a nice one as I thought to myself that this bitch is going to get what's coming to her big time and she gets the grossest killing of them all. You will see what I mean when you watch the film. It was hard to watch this moment as you wonder if she really deserved this. But yet it's very imaginitive on having nasty thoughts on your worst enemies thinking on doing this to them too for wasting their lives on being such an ass.
But then it's more creepy when Molly finds out that her cabin is empty with just her and Angela in which supposedly they were all sent home. It does leave a chill down your spine.
What's more cool is Angela's nightmare sequences while singing "The Happy Camper Song" in slow motion with a blue screen while all these kids were getting killed especially Phoebe discussing about her at Camp Arawak. This was well written in making the whole story truly spooky.
I love it when T.C. tells Angela off since Judd and Anthony never showed up wondering if they were dead which was impressive wondering if he will really find out on what he will find out later on.
But yet there's a really gross moment with Molly and Sean discovering where the dead bodies were hidden which seemed to borrow heavily from Friday the 13th Part 2 but yet it looked perfect when Sean discovers who Angela is and telling he she was the one who killed those people at Camp Arawak which was impressively written in since Angela describes what had happened to her after all those years. I got a kick out of that scene and it was very influential to anyone who would do a sequel to put that in.
However, there's not a nice ending in which makes this story quite pointless.
Bottom line is the film can be a fun one to watch but yet it drags alot and the story almost seems far fetched compared to the original in which Fritz Gordon seemed to take away the chemistry from Robert Hiltzik's work. There's no mysterious killings since we all know who it is this time and no twists or shocking moments other than mentioned with the dead bodies and Ally's murder too. Basically this Angela character was molded into a Freddy Krueger type of killer which doesn't really work at all but there's better killings in this one than in the original.
It's definetely one of those cheesy 80's horror films like the rest that went to the video store during this time period plus there's many characters names like Sean and Phoebe from Fast Times at Ridgemont High since it's a joke to the lead actress who started out in that film as well as two little kids named Charlie and Emilio since the second lead actress who was part of the family was in it too. Otherwise, this film may disappoint the hard core fans of the original flick.

The acting in the film is quite good in which lead actress Pamela Springsteen (Angela Baker) plays a perfect psychotic killer in the film with her black humor while doing in her vicitms as she really gets into it and really knew on how to act aggressive and strange too. She also knew on how to act outgoing and nice in certain scene's of the film. She was quite a talent for this role and not because she's the sister of the Boss either. I enjoyed some her performances in other shows that were better made but I'd have to say that this was her best performance ever. She was very high strung which was great and knew on how to act brutal whenever she killed someone. Does a great job by swinging a log with all her might. Does well on replying afterwards on her first kill for not obeying her in which she really gets into this with a good demented attitude. A nice moment on her walking near the doorway of the girls cabin as well as blowing her whistle to let everyone know when breakfast starts in which this moment looked highly energised. A good approach by her towards an onscreen unhappy camper by trying to act nice and understanding towards her which looked very natural. An impressive moment with her getting sharp towards some onscreen campers whom were goofing around and telling them all about being reported to Uncle John in which this looked good as someone who was acting strict as well as her storming up towardsone of her fellow actors and demanding him to leave with big wide eyes and an angry expression. This looked quite powerfully performed. Shows off a nautral moment when giving someone advice when asked and making out she isn't such a bad person as she really studied this scene incredibly well. Perfect outgoing moment when she is dressed up after wearing a mask surprising her onscreen campers at a bonfire. She was impressive with her blocking when she tries to find objects to kill her next victim in a cabin. Shows good energy after waking up from a nightmare. Of course she replaced Felissa Rose with this role since she was going to school but this character seems alot different compared to Angela as a quiet child in which I don't think Miss Rose could've pulled this part like she did.
Renee Estevez
(Molly Magel) was a part of the Estevez/Sheen parody and I think this was her first role in a film as she was involved with alot of afterschool specials beforehand. She seemed to do the trick as the shy young teenager who has an inncocent appeal to her role but acted outgoing too. She does the trick with this character knowing on how to act soft spoken. She really knew on how to act emotional at times too as well as acting innocent. She studied this part quite nicely. A nice shocked expression on her spotting all of the beds empty realising everyone is gone.
Tony Higgins
(Sean Whitmore) plays the son of the cop who arrested Angela in her childhood days and you can tell her sure studied this role inside out. He really had that nice guy next door type of appeal and brings out alot of great spunk, energy and enthusiasm into his role. I could see him getting more work in which he did but he was a local Georgian in which this was where the movie was shot since there's very little opportunities for locals there. I do say hats off to him in which I found him to be the best actor in the film and a perfect key role to the horror plot too. There's a great moment with him sitting at the campfire talking about what happened to the killer afterwards in which this looked strongly done by him and can be well remembered for his performance in this scene. A great shocked reaction after he enters the abandoned cabin and what he spots then does well by getting sick. His best performance was near the end after discovering on who the killer is which was a classic performance with his strong speaking and aggressions too.
V
alerie Hartman (Alley Burgess) played a perfect typical two faced snob in the film along with her beautiful looks and sleazy behavior too. She definetely reminds you as one of those sarcastic types in school who will seems to be outgoing but if she doesn't get her way that she's very two faced. A good moment with her walking towards a table in the cafeteria and acting sarcastic with looked natural as a typical stuck up teenage girl along with associating with everyone else which seemed well done. A nice nasty reaction on her getting mean towards her fellow actress which looked realistic on a mean girl showing her hatred. Does a terrific performance towards the end of her role after being stabbed reacting to the pain as well as her screaming, whining and choked out words in which she made this look truly disturbing and hard to watch. She really brought this role to life and it's a shame that she didn't carry on much of an acting career since she seemed to have that showbiz type of appeal to her.
Terry Hobbs
(Rob) really knew on how to potray his role as a naive dimwitted teen in the flick. He was good at portraying someone harmless but yet his character makes you wanna hate him cause he acts like a total flake. All in all he brought this character to life with what he had to do.
Kendall Bean
(Demi) brought on a great charm to her role as another camper who has the nice girl behavior and shows a good intelligensce to her part of the film. She really stood out well in her role and really got into her role big time. She does well with her gagging after being strangled showing a nice intensity.
Brian Patrick Clarke
(T.C.) portrayed a great open minded easy going camp counsellor for the boys in which we all knew him in his TV shows like Merle in Eight is Enough but still came across nicely as an actor in a low budget horror film like this one with his sarcastic but outgoing behavior. He brings out some great enthusiam and energy to his part. A good moment with him trying to have a discussion with his fellow actress as if it looked like that he was hitting on her which looked impressive. Plus he was great by acting stern when he needed to. There is a nice aggressive reaction by telling his fellow actress off about not finding a couple of campers of his with a good angered expression on his. All in all he came across as someone who is likeable.
Julie Murphy
(Lea) was so so in her role as someone who likes to fink on others in which she knew on how to act annoying by doing this but yet her characteristics were questionable. However, she wasn't one of the main cast members so it was hard to tell her talents too well. But she can still be well remembered for all she did in the film.
Walter Gotell
(Uncle John) brought on an all around nice guy charm as the camp owner in the film with his elderly kindness along with having a fairly passiveness to his part of the film. But yet he sometimes tries to show off different accents which sometimes throws you off while watching him. He still portrays some good characterisitcs regardless sunce he was a veteran actor.
Susan Marie Snyder
(Mare) certainly knew on how to act like a party animal and showing off in front of the others. She seemed to really get into her part like the rest of the cast members as someone who is a follower. She shows a good outgoing behavior too in which she proves worthy on doing other stuff than in daytime soaps. Does well sobbing and feeling humiliated near the end of her performance which looked impressive.

Valerie Hartman exposes her breats during many scene's of this film as she is bare breasted while waking up in the morning in a cabin as well as still topless while waiting to take a shower. There's also a moment where she takes off her bra inside the washroom of the girl's cabin while she tries to get secduced. During an outside scene she is barebreasted while fornicating with a guy next to a log and she really gets into it big time.
Susan Marie Snyder
flashes her breasts by pulling up her shirt during the first morning scene in the cabin as well as doing it again while goofing off in the boys cabin.

The most violent film of the Sleepaway series:
Phoebe's head is bloodily bashed by a large piece of wood and then her tongue is cut off.
Some blood is splattered on Angela a few times when she kills someone.
Anthony's throat is bloodily slit open by a razor from a glove.
Judd's leg is cut by a chainsaw.
Ally's back is stabbed.
Some grueosme looking corpses are revealed in a closed down cabin.
T.C.'s face is splattered by battery acid.
Sean's head is chopped off but it's very quick. His decapitated head is set in a broken TV.
Charlie and Emilio's bodies are deranged looking next to a barb wire near a window of a cabin.
Uncle John's hands are cut off in his desk with a cut open throat. Rob's face looked mangled while being hung in this same cabin.

The music sounds dark and creepy with some bonging and metal screeching sounds during the very beginning as well as high screechy synthesizer music in between scene's with Angela watching her next victim. There's also some string prickly sounds too during a scene where the dead bodies are first revealed which also sounds interesting. Basically this music sounds similar to something you'd hear in a Friday the 13th sequel during the late 80's era all composed by James Oliviero. Yet maost of this scoring was used in his composing on the trashy dark comedy Funland.

There's great bitching heavy metal songtracks which totally suits a cheesy slasher film like this one:
During the opening credits we hear a stompin' tune by Anvil with "Straight Between the Eyes" as there's terrific heavy fast kicking guitar riffs like you'd almost hear in a Metallica song and was perfect for this moment too while we watch the opening credits in red letters flash on the screen.
There's also a wild part type song by Hurricane with "The Girl Are Out Tonight" which is used in two scene's as one of them is used when the guys come into the girls cabin and goof around which seems to suit this scene. Then there's another moment with a campfire scene when the girls are listening to the song on a ghetto blaster. All in all this song was awesome to listen to on the movie.
We briefly also hear a song by the Dead Milkmen with
"Instant Club Hit (You'll Dance to Anything)" by hearing some good fast dancing type of drum beats and techno sounds during another moment of the campfire scene which works and is a nice change of music scores too.
There's a terrific heavy metal guitar riff with "Outta Control" by John Altyn who is a local and it was just written for the movie in a scene where one of the boys named Anthony tries to scare Angela dressing himself up as Freddy Krueger and then used in a scene in the girls' cabin with Rob trying to seduce Ally. It was a shame the song isn't released since it sounds like a perfect 80's song for a horror film but yet Altyn's singing sounded a bit cheesy. The guitar riffs almost reminded me of Merciful Fate's metal track "Witches Dance"
Then there's a terrific sad ballad of "Desperate to Survive" by Obsession for the closing credits in which we hear some wailing vocals as well as some good stompin guitar licks which sounds perfect for the ending of the song. It couldn't get any better listening to this while the credits slowly roll up.
All of the songs were blended in perfectly for a teenage slasher flick and would please any slasher fans that enjoys 80's cheesy flicks.

Phoebe: I know a true story... about a camp 60 miles from here... Camp Arawak!
Charlie:
Yeah I heard about that and a bunch of people got killed!
Sean Whitmore:
Shut up!

Phoebe: It turns out the killer was the shy 14 year old girl that everybody picked on. Only this girl, she wasn't really a girl. She was really a he. His aunt had been dressing him up like a girl ever since he was four years old. They found him naked on the beach holding the chopped off head of another camper. About 60 kids were killed and the camp had to be closed down.

Ally: What are you staring at? Haven't you ever seen a pair of boobs before?
Demi: Leave her alone, Ally, I mean she's only looking at that long black hair growing out of your left nipple.

Angela: Nice girls don't have to show it off.

Uncle John: I used to brag that every good kid in New York came here, but now I have trouble filling half the cabins with god knows who. Whatever happened to the good kids in the world?
Angela: Don't say that Uncle John. There's still lots of good kids. We just have to weed out the bad.

(Charlie whistles to Ally) Ally: Get a life! ... Here ya go, Lea. It'll keep your tits growing. Maybe you'll quit looking at mine.
Lea: You're not supposed to give food away, I'm telling Ally.

[Talking about angela]
Judd: Hey Molly, how do you put up with that bitch?
Molly Nagle: She's not that bad.
Demi: Come on Molly, you have to amit, she's alittle bit weird.
Ally: Weird isn't the word for it. I think she's a dike.
[guys start laughing]
Ally: I'm totally serious.

Angela: Ooooh, I'm a happy camper, I love the summer sun. I love the trees and forest, I'm always having fun! Ooooh, I'm a happy camper, I love the clear blue sky, and with the grace of God, I'll camp until I die!

[the Shit sisters are mocking Angela's happy camper's song]
Brooke: Oh, I'm a happy camper, I love the clear blue sky, but only when I'm shitfaced, so everyone get high! Oh, I'm a happy camper, I love to drink and fuck, and if you pay me money, on my titties you can suck.

Ally: I'll get you my little pretty and your little dog too!

Angela: I'm giving you one last chance Mare, we're sleeping out tomorrow night just say your sorry.
Mare: Never, I would rather die first Angela.
Mare: [Angela reaches for something in the backseat] What are you looking for, a gun?
Angela: No, a drill.

Lea: You'd better not be playing with your food!
Judd and Anthony
: Yeah or you're gonna tell!

[as blindfolded campers stick their hands into boxes of various gross stuff]
T.C.: Gross! Slimy gopher guts!
Diane: Look out! Putrid wild elephant hearts!
Angela: Dead teenagers' brains!
Diane: Angela, what's really in there?
Angela: Dead teenagers' brains.

Judd: If this doesn't scare Angela nothing will!

Angela (After spotting the pics to be nude) Uncle John's gonna hear about this!
Emilio:
Was Angela's picture in there?
Charlie:
Yes
Emilio:
Shit!

T.C. (After looking at some nude pics taken in the girls' cabin) Nice tits!
Angela:
Laugh all you want but I never found pornography to be funny!

Judd: Asshole!!! You almost broke my machette!

Judd: [Angela knocks him down and prepares to bring a running chainsaw down upon him] No, don't.
Angela: [She brings the chainsaw down upon him] Sorry, but once I start a task, I always finish.

Ally (After spotting blood on Angela's Leatherface costume): Cute, but the blood looks like ketchup!

Ally: You don't have to pretend to be nice to me cause I know you hate me just as much as I hate you!
Molly:
I don't hate you.
Ally:
Knock it off with the goody goody bullshit! It may work on Sean Whitmore but it won't work on me... So has he screwed you yet?
Molly:
That's none of your business!
Ally:
I thought not. I should warn you he's a lousy lay. You two would be perfect together. Look just do me a favor and leave me alone! Don't forget to run to Angela and tell her about this. Maybe if I'm lucky the dike will send me home.

Molly Nagle: Where is Ally?
Angela: I dunno, probably fornicating.

Ally: [after sex] That was great, thanks a lot. That was fun.
Ally: Listen, you don't have AIDS or anything, do you?
Rob Darrinco: No!
Ally: Great! See ya!

[Angela lured Ally into a trap]
Ally:
Shit! Goddamn Molly!
Angela:
Goddamn Angela!
Ally:
What's your problem?
Angela:
You! And kids like you!
Ally:
Very funny
Angela: I didn't think you'll fall for it, you're dumber than I thought.
Ally: Well you're more fucked up than I thought.

Angela: [after stabbing Ally] Get up. Get up! Get in there. Get in the toilet!
[shoves Ally into outhouse]
Angela: What's down there?
Angela: Answer me!
Ally: Shit!
Angela: That's right one of your favorite words. Do you mind if I borrow it for a moment? You've been a shitty friend and a shitty camper. What else is down there? Answer me!
Ally: Piss!
Angela: You've pissed away your good looks and God-given talent your whole life and turned it into nothing but a cynical dirty mouth waste of flesh! What else is down there?
Ally: I dunno!
Angela: Well, then, I guess you're just going to have to climb in and find out.
Angela: Leeches, Ally! For a leech like you!
Angela: You should have been the first to go.

Angela (Before she strangles Demi with a guitar string) You know what? You talk too much!!!

Lea: Wait I didn't do anything!
Angela: You're gonna tell! (She repeatedly stabs Lea with her screaming) No more whining out of you!

Sean Whitmore: Angela... You're Angela Baker. The Angel of Death. You killed all those kids at Camp Arawack. I should have called you Peter.
Angela: My name is Angela Johnson. How do you know so much about me?
Sean Whitmore: My dad's a cop. He helped arrest you. Oh you should have heard him the day you got out.
Angela: That's too bad. Wait 'til he hears what's happened to you.

Angela: [leaving a cabin full of victims] Good night campers.