Official Synopsis:
“Welcome to Camp New Horizons, where an autumn retreat brings together a group of obnoxious rich kids and surly city thugs for an “experiment in sharing.” Under new management, this is the ideal setting for notorious psychopath Angela Baker (Pamela Springsteen, Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers) to join the camp and do what she does best – eliminating “immoral” teenagers with everything from a knife to a lawnmower. Michael J. Pollard (House of 1000 Corpses, Bonnie & Clyde), Tracy Griffith (Fear City, The First Power) and Jill Terashita (Night of the Demons) co-star in this third installment of the cult series.”
We’re back with another installment of Angela vs. Fun in Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland. All jokes aside, Sleepaway Camp III does have a few redeeming qualities to it that make it more enjoyable than the second film.
We pick up a year after the second film. New management has taken over Camp Rolling Rock and changed it to New Horizons in hopes to mask the horrors that took place the summer before. Itching to get back to the great outdoors, Angela Baker steals the identity of a troubled teen to join the new camp, which welcomes teens from all backgrounds. Another new addition to the counselor staff is Officer Barney Whitmore (Cliff Brand), the father of Sean, one of Angela’s previous victims. Angela doesn’t waste any time in dispensing justice to immoral teens and counselors alike.
One improvement over the second film was the depiction of the teenagers. If Angela has such high and twisted standards of morality, she shouldn’t falter from those standards and kill innocent kids as she did in the second one. In the third her rules are much more defined, not a free-for-all in which being a good-hearted person doesn’t save you. Here it is more thought out, following the rules of the trilogy and the genre.
We also get to see a deeper side of Angela that was not explored in the previous film. Told through a flashback to the previous summer, Angela recalls a memory, embellished to the point she is the center of attention. Confessing her hardships in life, this glimpse into her character really adds to the story and for a moment evokes an emotional response.
The addition of Officer Barney Whitmore also added an entirely new dimension to the film. This made for a unique and interesting addition to the story, which added some good tension and anticipation for the unavoidable confrontation. Unfortunately when the pivotal moment finally arrived it fell flat. With so much potential, they haplessly throw the resolution up in the air and gave it no real thought to an interesting conclusion.
Another downside to this film is the inability to find unique ways to work around budget restraints. Instead, the film teases you with a prelude to a horrific and brutal scene then cuts away before the outcome to avoid showing something that might contribute to the horror aspect of the film.
Video
Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland is presented in 1080p 1.78:1. The quality is an improvement over the second film, but still has particular sequences that suffer from grain. Colors are well saturated and accurate, more so during daylight scenes rather than night.
Audio
The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio Mono. While this isn’t a film that needs to utilize the full array of surrounds, the audio track works well, with no noticeable issues.
Special Features
Audio Commentary with Director Michael A. Simpson and Screenwriter Fritz Gordon
Behind the Scenes Footage
A Tale of Two Sequels – Part Two
Trailer
News Promo
Deleted “Gore” Footage
Short Film: Tony Lives!
Still Gallery
Although an improvement over the second, Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland still fails to achieve what the first one did. Fans of the series will definitely be happy of the treatment these lesser known sequels were given by Scream Factory.
