Ryan's Sleepaway Camp Tribute

by Ryan Burgos


Ryan with his beloved SLEEPAWAY Trilogy

I am now 14 years old and I still remember the night I saw one of my pricelessly favorite horror movies: SLEEPAWAY CAMP. I was in fifth grade at the time and had a job at a thrift shop getting 5 bucks each weekend. I stopped buying candy since there was a video store that just opened up and I had to rent a certain video. I remember looking it up in my video movie guide and it said "This bloody and disgusting film is one that will make you appreciate the fast forward feature on your vcr." Well that sounded like a dare to me- so I rented that along with THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.

TRIVIA: SLEEPAWAY CAMP once played as a double bill with the TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE at a NY Drive-In during the 80's.

I saw TCM many of times before so I figured that I would watch it first to prepare me for SLEEPAWAY CAMP. After I poped out the first video I got ready to make my own personal history-I put on SLEEPAWAY CAMP. I figured out everyone who hated Angela died. But (of course) I had NO IDEA what happened before the end. I LOVED it! I watched it AGAIN. The next time I went to the video store I didn't rent SLEEPAWAY CAMP, I rented another film I never saw before- SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT. I kept it too long without knowing for over a two week period and ranked up a $30 fine because the guy there wouldn't believe that my father rented it and is out on a business trip and couldn't return it. That fine stayed with me for over two months. During those two months I wanted to see SLEEPAWAY CAMP again badly. I told my grandmother about the fine and told her not to tell my mother because I was going to pay it off, but of course it leaked out and my mother got VERY mad. She paid it that night and I was able to rent...SLEEPAWAY CAMP! It was like seeing an old friend. After on and off viewings of the film I got that happy news that all video lovers love to hear- THE VIDEO STORE WAS CLOSING AND ALL MOVIES ARE $9.95. I don't need to tell you that I worked for my grandmother until I fainted then grabbed my pay and ran as fast as I could to the video store. (I would never run THAT fast again!) and bought it. Now, I have two copies of the first and one copy of the rest.