History

The film, written & directed by Robert Hiltzik, produced by Jerry Silva, and starring Felissa Rose, is played theatrically in New York and selected regions. Media Home Entertainment releases it to home video, where it does decently during the height of the 80s slasher wave.

Silva forms Double Helix Films and signs Sleepaway Camp to a multi-sequel deal. Hiltzik pens a draft, entitled Sleepaway Camp II: Alan.

Two darkly humorous back-to-back sequels are shot in Atlanta, Georgia, both written by Fritz Gordon, directed by Michael A. Simpson, and starring Pamela Springsteen. The first of the two, Unhappy Campers premieres theatrically at American Film Market before heading to video via Nelson Entertainment where it becomes a video store staple.

The second sequel releases. The blood quotient suffers losses due to heavy MPAA-censoring, but Simpson’s directing provides a more subdued, somber affair. Simpson returns the following year with Double Helix Films’ comedy Fast Food, also starring Springsteen.

Double Helix Films, now headed by Hard Rock Zombies director Krishna Shah, pushes ahead with a forth entry, subtitled The Survivor. Written by Thomas Clohessy and produced by Jim Markovic, a small cast and crew including Carrie Chambers assemble in New Jersey to begin shooting. The production is not fully financed and the scenes end up spiced into a 60 minute anthology flashback chapter for behind-the-scenes promotional use.

Australian John Klyza announces the formation of a website centering on the abandoned franchise. He is quickly joined by American Jeff Hayes. Sleepaway Camp: The Website begins uncovering answers to nagging mysteries and making contact with cast members. Attempts are made by the webmasters to prompt a new sequel, notably when Troma briefly, erroneously, announced acquiring rights.

Sleepaway Camp is released on DVD for the first time by Anchor Bay Entertainment, along with both widescreen and full-frame editions on VHS. Hayes locates Robert Hiltzik & Felissa Rose in time to record audio commentary for the disc and the director makes formal plans for a Return to Sleepaway Camp.

Like twin Baker brothers, Sleepaway Camp: The Website divides into two. Hayes runs Sleepawaycampmovies.com the official home to the 1983 original & forthcoming Return, Klyza forms Sleepawaycampfilms.com the official home of the Double Helix Films sequels.

For the first time, Sleepaway Camp part 2 & 3 are on DVD in remastered form. Michael Simpson & writer Fritz Gordon reunite for special features including audio commentaries moderated by Klyza, who flies to Los Angeles. Anchor Bay’s Sleepaway Camp Survival Kit is instantly popular, knocking Pulp Fiction off the release charts and generating controversy due to to its banned “Red Cross” cover artwork. Versions sold at Best Buy include an extra disc featured unearthed Sleepaway Camp IV Production Footage.

Return to Sleepaway Camp commences and completes shooting under returning writer/director Robert Hiltzik’s steady hand and co-produced by Hayes. Paul DeAngelo and Jonathan Tiersten return from the original with a brand new cast of campers and counsellors. The question of Felissa Rose & Angela’s presence is kept a closely guarded secret.

Michael A. Simpson teams up with author Fred Willard to pen a new sequel screenplay. Speculative in nature, the script offers a startlingly different take on the Angela mythos. The script receives favourable notes from potential financiers but otherwise remains on paper. Klyza illustrates storyboards for fans so that the story is not left a complete mystery. Another possible sequel, Stage Fright is later co-written between Simpson & Klyza.

After a 5 year wait due to digital FX and other logistics, Return to Sleepaway Camp is released direct to DVD by Magnolia Pictures, facilitated by hard-working producer Tom Van Dell. The movie receives a rave review from Ain’t It Cool News.

After spending several years supervising editing and additional story material to the 1992 assembly cut, Klyza arranges Sleepaway Camp IV: The Survivor‘s official DVD release 20 years after the shoot. The uncommon sequel receives a one-night-only theatrical release in Nebraska.

Deadline Hollywood announces that Jeff Katz, producer of Freddy vs Jason, has optioned Sleepaway Camp for a reboot. Several scripts by different writers are commissioned, with one take being a direct sequel to the first film and featuring a heavy supernatural theme. The option eventually expires and the project doesn’t materialize.

Shout Factory release the original Sleepaway Camp for the first time on blu-ray, in its original theatrical uncut format for the first time since the 80s. It contains a brand new retrospective documentary from Justin Beahm’s Reverend Entertainment.

Michael Simpson and cast members participate in all-new interviews for these ultimate remastered releases from Shout. Klyza provides the never-before-seen uncut workprint of Sleepaway Camp 3 to the copious extras, plus produces an all-new short film interpretation of Sleepaway Camp 2‘s scripted ending featuring the death of Molly.

Sleepaway Camp 2 & 3 play theatrically on 35mm film at Quintin Tarantino’s New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles, as part of his Summer Camp Slash-A-Thon. The sequels start popping up as theatrical screenings across America after this, including revival drive-ins.

The two are released on brand-new VHS versions by Klyza, featuring new cover art and a host of after-film extras. Part 2 features a newly-produced short movie intro just for this edition while Part 3 is a newly-edited blended uncut edition in its most complete form ever seen.

Sleepaway Camp: Making the Movie and Reigniting the Campfire by Jeff Hayes is released by 1984 Publishing.