Sleepaway Camp: Making the Movie and Reigniting the Campfire

Sleepaway Camp is a 1983 horror film that was initially disregarded by film reviewers but has since gained a cult following. This definitive compendium includes interviews with the cast and crew, production and memorabilia images, and takes you backstage to reunions, retro screenings, and convention events. The film's unique blend of horror, tongue-in-cheek comedy, sexuality, and gender roles has resonated with 80s film buffs, global horror fans, and the LGBT community.

Format: Hardback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 07 December 2023
Publisher: 1984 Publishing

In 1983, Robert Hiltzik's Sleepaway Camp was met with a mixed reception from film critics. Variety described it as a "tired version of teen-oriented horror film formulas," while The Philadelphia Enquirer found it more thrilling than horrifying. The Cincinnati Post deemed it "more horrible than horrifying." However, fans saw something unique in the film. They appreciated its blend of horror, tongue-in-cheek comedy, sexuality, and gender roles, as well as its shocking ending.

Over four decades since its release, Sleepaway Camp has gained a renewed interest and discussion among fans. Longtime official Sleepaway Camp webmaster, writer, and filmmaker Jeff Hayes takes us behind the scenes, revealing the development and making of the film, its immediate aftermath, and the more than four decades of fandom since its release. This comprehensive Sleepaway Camp compendium includes interviews with many of the cast and crew, more than 75 production and memorabilia images, and takes you backstage to reunions, retro screenings, and convention events that have brought fans together and reignited interest in this beloved horror tale.

Two sequels later, along with Hiltzik's retcon film Return to Sleepaway Camp, Sleepaway Camp continues to resonate with 80s film buffs, global horror fans, and the LGBT community. These fans appreciate their horror films with a twist, a unique blend of genres that Sleepaway Camp exemplifies.

Welcome to Sleepaway Camp! Meet you at the waterfront, after the social.

Weight: 614g
Dimension: 236 x 158 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781948221283