‘Sleepaway Camp’s’ legacy as a queer horror classic goes way deeper than its short shorts and bare midriffs
Sleepaway Camp marks its 40th anniversary this November.But, seeing that it’s currently the hot, hazy days of August, there’s perhaps no better time to revisit this seminal work of summer-camp cinema, one with a particularly thorny legacy among queer horror fans.*Spoilers ahead for Sleepaway Camp.*Back in the early ’80s, we were in the “Golden Age” of slashers after the breakthrough successes of films like Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Black Christmas in the ’70s gave way to future franchise-starters like Halloween and Friday The 13th.The latter film—wherein a mysterious assailant gruesomely murders teens at Camp Crystal Lake—set a clear precedent for 1983’s Sleepaway Camp, but this was no carbon copy.
First-time writer-director Robert Hiltzik had some big ideas for his gore-fest that made it truly unique among the slasher genre, resulting in one of the most shocking twist endings in horror movie history.Right out of the gate, Sleepaway Camp differentiates itself with a family boating trip where we see two young siblings enjoying a day on the lake with their father and his boyfriend.
That’s right: Gay male partners with a family! In a horror movie! In the early ’80s! It was truly unprecedented, and just our first taste of how queerness factors into and informs the movie.But the sunny summer bliss doesn’t last long when a boating incident claims the lives of the men and one of the young siblings.
Cut to eight years later, surviving child Angela has been living with her eccentric aunt and cousin Ricky, and the two teens having just arrived at Camp Arawak for the summer.Like many other slashers, the film gives us time to get acclimated with the camp setting, introducing audiences to plenty of other campers and counselors—all.
