Official Synopsis:
“Welcome to Camp Rolling Hills! Meet your camp counselor, Angela Baker! She’s the kind of counselor who enjoys camp songs, nature walks, board games and… murder.
Five years after the horrific slaughter at Camp Arawak, Angela (Pamela Springsteen, Fast Times at Ridgemont High) has created a new position for herself as a counselor at Camp Rolling Hills. Angela is about to teach “bad campers” a brutal lesson in survival when they are sliced, stabbed, drilled… and much worse. Renée Estevez (Heathers, Intruder) and Walter Gotell (The Spy Who Loved Me) co-star in this outrageous sequel to the original cult classic.”
Sleepaway Camp has become a cult classic over the years. The same cannot be said for the sequels, unfortunately, which take the series in an entirely new and strange direction.
The first and most vital thing you need to know about the sequels is that they are intended to be a blend of horror and comedy. If you think this would be obvious while watching Sleepaway Camp II, think again. There is a blandness to both comedic and horror aspects of the film, so the tone gets rather muddled in a mess of bad acting and poor delivery.
That being said, we are introduced to Angela Baker, who is now played by Pamela Springsteen. She is a counselor at Camp Rolling Hills, a place filled with debauchery, pranks, and all around fun. Angela, being the self appointed sheriff of the fun police is having none of it, and will murder anyone who does anything remotely resembling fun.
The plot is paper thin at best, though we are reminded of the connection to the first film by repeating an ‘urban legend’ of a camper masquerading as a girl who butchered her fellow campers years before. There are really no redeeming characters, or ones you want to root for except maybe one, Molly (Renée Estevez), who is played by Emilio and Charlie’s sister. The main problem I had with this film was the departure of the theme from the original: A traumatized, confused young child who is teased relentlessly who gets revenge on those who are bullying her. Despite the blood-filled result, that theme has a sort of endearing quality, one that people can actually relate to. In the second film, Angela goes from victim to nothing more than a murderous psychopath whose answer to the smallest indiscretion is a death that brings nothing unique or innovative to the genre.
Video
Sleepaway Camp II is presented in 1.78:1 1080p High Definition transfer. The quality of the transfer bounces around a bit throughout the film. The darker night scenes suffer from blurriness and contrast issues. The rest of the film looks a bit better, suffering from a little graininess.
Audio
The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio Mono. The soundtrack is rather lackluster, though there are no noticeable issues with the sound.
Special Features
As usual, Scream Factory puts together a solid list of special features. I would have been interested in hearing from Pamela Springsteen on her experience on the film, however, we get some interesting stories and information about the fim’s making.
Audio Commentary with Director Michael A. Simpson and Screenwriter Fritz Gordon
Behind-the-Scenes Footage with Audio Commentary by Director Michael A. Simpson
A Tale of Two Sequels – Part One: Back to Camp Featuring Interviews with Director Michael A. Simpson, Actress Amy Fields, Director of Photography Bill Mills and More
Video Promo Trailer
Still Gallery
A departure from the original film, the sequel offers little to further cult status of the original. Going into the film with this knowledge may enhance the viewing experience, as there are some over-the-top moments that garner a few chuckles. For fans of Sleepaway Camp, Scream Factory does this film justice and gives it a proper treatment.