Sleepaway Camp - Tranny Horror!

Sleepaway Camp
1983
Dir: Robert Hiltzick
Starring: Felissa Rose, Paul DeAngelo

SPOILER ALERT: This Review Contains Spoilers - If you haven't seen the film, do not read this review unless you choose to do so.

Synopsis from IMDB:
Slightly disturbed and painfully shy Angela Baker is sent away to summer camp with her cousin. Not long after Angela's arrival, things start to go horribly wrong for anyone with sinister or less than honorable intentions.

This is probably the first and maybe one of the only Horror films I've ever seen with any sort of Transgender theme to it. Maybe that's a good thing. This is likely to be a longish review compared to some because of the nature of the film. I have a lot of mixed feelings when it comes to this movie, because I'm a student of film, but obviously, at the same time, I have a transgender perspective, which is what this blog and these film reviews are about.

Sleepaway camp came about in 1983, during the height of the 80's Slasher Films period. Bob Clark's Black Christmas and Friday the 13th paved the way and opened the door for slasher films, leading to such Slasher Gems as "My Bloody Valentine," "Slumber Party Massacre," "Sleepaway Camp" and a host of imitators -- Often times all cribbing similar themes or settings of Camps, Holidays, Slumber Parties, or School Functions like Dances.

For being a cheap slasher movie made in the 80's, there's a -lot- of subtext in this film, that you might miss if you don't pay attention.

The opening of the film begins at a lake in 1975. Angela and Peter are brother and sister, out in a boat with their father John. Also nearby on shore is John's gay lover Lenny. The boat overturns, and another boat pulling a water skier runs over the family, killing John and Peter (presumably.) Angela is then sent to live with her crazy aunt Dr. Martha Thomas. However, in reality, Angela died in the boating accident and Peter is sent to live with Dr. Thomas. Dr. Thomas, in her craziness, has decided that since she already has her own biological son, that she doesn't need another, and that it makes more sense to have a son -and- a daughter.

At the end of the movie, after the "big reveal" that Angela has *GASP* A PENIS! You see a flashback scene of "Angela's" arrival at Dr. Thomas' home after the accident with a crazy monologue that explains it all:

Aunt Martha: "You're going to enjoy living with us so much, yes I know you are! As a welcome home present, I bought you such wonderful new clothes. I just hope that Richard doesn't get jealous that I didn't get him anything. Oh, but then, he is such a dear. I'm sure that he wont mind. You see, I've always wanted a little girl. But of course, when my husband left... Oh, well, that's only water under the bridges, I always say. Water under the bridge! But it certainly will be a nice little surprise when Richard comes home to find a little girl in the house. Yes, I've always dreamed of a little girl just like you. I mean, we already have a boy, so another one simply would not do. Oh, no, absolutely not! A little girl would be so much nicer. Don't you think so, Angela? Angela, such a lovely name... Why, I believe it means angel. Why, yes, I'm sure it does. I know you're going to like that name, won't you Peter?"

Okay, so to get into the meat of the movie. Ricky and Angela go to camp. The campers and the counselors are assholes. They treat Angela horribly for being withdrawn and shy, and a good number of the boys also make sexual advances towards her. As this occurs, people who torment Angela begin dying. Although the filmmaker obviously was trying to make the viewers suspect Ricky who is shown to be very protective of Angela at camp, it's still formulaic enough to realize very early on that it is indeed Angela performing the "vengeance kills."

Some folks I know, including transgender folks have stated that this movie does not offend them because it seems empowering to trans folks. "Watch out for the scary tranny! If you treat her bad she'll kill you!" In some ways, I can understand the viewpoint that it might be empowering. But in the end, putting myself in the perspective of when this film was made, what the film was meant to be, the purpose of the main character's final reveal, and so on, actually upsets me quite a bit.

This film was not made to be empowering. It was to cash in on the Slasher craze, and the main character's gender issues were an exploitative gimmick to draw audiences. The final reveal, which is a still shot (reportedly they used a male actor and pasted Felissa Rose's headshot over it) is of Angela standing with a severed head in one hand and a knife in the other, fully nude, genitalia exposed.

This was the "big shock" meant to draw audiences. It was a huge word-of-mouth draw in the vein of "OMG You have to see this!" The film implies that Angela was mentally affected by seeing her father in bed with his male lover, which is another way homosexuality and GLBT topics were exploited in this film. Angela is not a "true" transgendered character in the sense that she realized she was female; it was thrust upon her by her demented aunt, forced to live in that gender role, and quite obviously, the situations in the film revolving around Angela's views of sexuality and gender are obviously a conflict to her. In the first film, every indication is made that she doesn't -want- to be female, that she doesn't -want- to be with males romantically, and she's withdrawn socially likely because of this.

Because of this, I cannot endorse this film. However, as a film critic and film student, the film is made competently enough considering the time and the budget, the acting and effects are what you'd expect out of an 80's slasher film, and it is a good example of what it is: a cheesy 80's slasher film. However, I don't like what I feel are the exploitative LGBT elements used in this film, because in my mind, that's exactly what they are: exploitation used to sell tickets.

That being said, I also have to say that if you're interested in LGBT topics in film and the use of gender, see this film, at least once. Maybe rent it or Netflix it, so you have context to think about/discuss.

Sabrina's Rating: 5/10 for being a competent example of the 80's slasher genre