"She’s a boy!" Those were the last words muttered by a shocked counselor right before a picture of a nude boy with a girl’s head was shown on the screen as it faded to green. Then, the credits started to roll.
The first time I saw "Sleepaway Camp", I, like Ronnie, was shocked at the ending. Actually, dumbfounded is more like it. I first came in contact with the movie when I was eleven years old at a sleepover, and the next day I couldn’t get it out of my head. That was years ago, and I’m still thinking about it! The movie isn’t just some low-budget horror movie you rent to laugh at. Maybe some people think of it that way at first, but after they see it, they honestly are shocked, or terrified. I was both, so one day I decided to see if anyone else felt the same way I did...
I found www.sleepawaycampmovies.com in summer of 2001 and was overjoyed that someone out there shared my love of the disturbing movie. I quickly found everything I only thought possible in a dream….Jeff Hayes, the webmaster, actually located cast members from the movie! I never thought I’d hear anything from the actors again, but thanks to Jeff Hayes, I now know what they’re up to! He’s done an excellent job of displaying "Sleepaway Camp" on the Net in the best light possible. I’m sure he makes anyone who hasn’t seen the movie damn well wish they had!
The thing I love best about the Website is the true love and hard work behind its creator, Jeff Hayes. He put so much time and effort into the site, you can tell he worked really hard on it. I love the pictures, the little-known-facts, and how he even re-united the cast members together at the SLEEPAWAY CAMP REUNION in April of 2001!
Why are people still preaching their love for "Sleepaway Camp", almost 20 years later? Well, people's reasons probably vary. But what I love about the movie and what makes it stand out from other horror movies (or any other type of movie in general) is the feeling you get from it. "Sleepaway" isn't a movie that will just get forgotten the minute you pop it out of your VCR, it's something that sticks to you, even if it's only for an hour, a day, a month, a year, or like me, a couple years! The movie makes you think, and hardly any movies do that at all. It lets you put the story together on your own, either before or after you've seen the conclusion. But even without the ending, the movie's scary, dark, and Ronnie's wardrobe is always something you can giggle at.
The movie may be old, the outfits may be laughable, and the camp setting may not be original, but after you watch "Sleepaway Camp" (which I'm sure all of you now will) you'll be a changed person!