Director: Michael A. Simpson
Written by: Fritz Gordon and Robert Hiltzik
Starring: Pamela Springsteen, Renée Estevez, Tony Higgins, Sean Whitmore, Valerie Hartman, Brian Patrick Clarke, Walter Gotell, Susan Marie Snyder, Terry Hobbs
Taglines: “When you go camping just take the essentials”
STORY
Years after the original film, Angela is little more than a legend used to scare kids around the campfire. Unfortunately for the kids at Camp Rolling Hills, their new councillor happens to be Angela. She’s not only real but as ready to kill as ever.
SYNOPSIS
Actually my favourite of the original Sleepaway Camp films (I still haven’t seen the apparently disappointing Return To Sleepaway Camp), this sequel takes a turn away from the serious tone of the original. Now that the action isn’t being played for suspense (the killer’s identity is obvious, of course), director Simpson chooses instead to play the action mostly for knowing laughs.
It’s an approach that mostly works. The film has a good time playing with the usual conventions, playing up the more puritanical motivations often associated with the genre. Anyone who gets naked (and they do, there’s a lot of nudity, topless at least!), stoned or just doesn’t act politely enough is soon dispatched in various ways.
Springsteen (yep, Bruce’s sister) does a good job as Angela, ranging from far too “good” in some scenes with a ’50s-ish sweetness, to psycho killer in the next. There’s plenty of nice little nods to her character, such as a scene where she decides to off one girl and spends her time trying out various possible murder implements.
The victims themselves are mostly a decent bunch as well. There’s a few stereotypes such as the stoner girls and the bitchy slut, but there’s mostly people who you don’t want to see die, but the light comedic tone ensures you won’t mind when they do. The stand out is probably Renee Estevez (sister of Emilio and Charlie Sheen) as well as camp councillor T.C. (whose mullet should probably have had a separate credit!).
For such a lighthearted film, the murder scenes are actually quite brutal, ranging from the requisite stabbings to decapitations, battery acid and even a latrine drowning. The gore’s decent if not overplayed, and the climax featuring a room full of victims is a little cliched by this point but played very well.
All in all, this is an excellent little movie, benefitting from coming so far at the end of the slasher cycle, it can afford to have a bit more fun with the well-worn cliches of the genre. Shot back-to-back with the 3rd film and targeted at the video market, it’s not going to win any awards for originality but it’s very enjoyable. If you need an example of the film’s sense of humour, there’s a scene referenced in most of the advertising, where kids dress as Freddy and Jason to try to scare Angela, but there’s soon dispatched by her… dressed as Leatherface, complete with chainsaw!
Rating: 
