Episode 3: Sleepaway Camp (1983)

Welcome back, campers! Hope you’ve practiced your tuck-in, because it’s time to revisit everyone’s favorite chick with a dick!

As I’m sure any hardcore gorehound would agree, Sleepaway Camp has been a cult classic and slasher essential for more than 30 years. So, I wanted to do something special for this commentary track. Or at least the presentation of it.

A few years back, I bought a really nifty (yes, I just said “nifty”) Camp Arawak shirt online and had this awesome idea to snap a photo of myself wearing it for this post.

And that’s not all.

I’d planned on donning a backpack, an overstuffed duffel bag within my clenched fist, to play off like I was on my way to camp. Even planned on standing in front of the stairs (a la Ricky and Angela) and including something cheesy as hell, like “Just gave Aunt Martha a good-bye kiss and now I’m on my way to Camp Arawak!” in the text.



One little snag, though. My standard issue camp shirt is nowhere to be found. I’ve spent the past week turning my house upside down, but can’t find it anywhere. As one can imagine, I’m more than a little disappointed and dismayed. But that’s all water under the bridge, as I always say. Water under the bridge.

The show will go on!

In this commentary, I go into detail about my first experiences with the film, as well as the difficult time I had tracking down a copy after the original Media VHS had gone out of print. I really enjoyed taking this trip down memory lane and hope you guys will enjoy this fanboy’s experiences with one of the best slasher films of its era.

One very important thing I feel I must mention (even though it’s clearly stated in the actual commentary): I used the original Anchor Bay DVD edition as a source, despite its trims and cuts. It was a decision I definitely wrestled with and though it would’ve appeased more than a few fans to listen to the track while watching Scream Factory’s awesome new and uncut Blu ray, I thought I might be limiting my listening audience, since this edition has only been out for a few months and the first Anchor Bay release was fifteen years ago. So, I figured many, many more people would have had time to pick this one up.

Well, what are you waiting for?! Grab your shorty shorts, massive cowboy hat, and remember to only pack the essentials! We’re going back to Camp Awawak!