Director's Note
 "I don't want to achieve immortality through
my work; I want to achieve immortality through not dying." -
Woody Allen
Spoken like a true camper!
When James Hendsbee, the British Columbia
webmaster (Sleepaway Camp Lives), first contacted me more than
two years ago to ask if I’d do an interview for his site about the
making of Sleepaway Camp 2: Unhappy Campers and Sleepaway Camp 3: Teenage
Wasteland, I was more than a little surprised to discover that these movies
from the golden age of slasher horror had developed a devoted following.
Since then, I’ve received emails
from webmasters and fans stretching from Europe to Asia who want to discuss
Angela’s exploits. They all speak with great passion about the popular
cult franchise and often seem to know more about the movies and how they
were made than I do.
I’m often asked the question: What
do I think the attraction of these films is?
The short answer is I don’t have
a clue.
What I do know is that movies are made
for the people who enjoy them and I’m grateful that a new generation
of fans has discovered Unhappy Campers and Teenage Wasteland and will
now be able to view them on DVD.
Anchor Bay and Crest National did an excellent
job authoring the DVDs. I worked closely with them to make sure all the
extras that fans have clamoured for would be on these releases and they
are. Numerous bonus features are included, many of which are available
to campers for the first time. The new low-con prints that were transferred
to digital beta now allow you to bask in every frame of Angela’s
off-beat adventures.
Creating the world’s first transsexual
psychopath, a crucial step away from the somber, Psycho-esque cross-dressing
narrative of the first tale, was the brainchild of writer Fritz Gordon,
as was the pop-culture humor that infuses the sequels. Taking up the challenge
of creating this unique character, Pamela Springsteen brought a pitch
perfect take to the character of Angela, effortlessly blending the dark
humor and morbid action.
The talented cast and crew had great fun
making these two movies and it’s my hope that you’ll have
as much enjoyment watching them.
So pack your bag and don’t forget
your flashlight. It’s time to go to camp!
Michael A. Simpson
May 2002
|
