Something GOOD finally comes from New Jersey’s Springsteen family. While her brother was making music that I was born to run in the opposite direction from, Pamela Springsteen was giving one of the funniest, most memorable and charming performances of a psycho killer in horror movies. In this sequel to the off-the-wall classic, she takes on the role of Angela, who five years ago went on a killing spree at summer camp, snuffing out anyone she didn’t like, from snooty bitches to the sloppy old camp cook who was a little too interested in the parade of young girls. Now she’s out of the mental hospital with a clean bill of health and a certain medical procedure done (if you saw the first movie, you know what I’m talking about) that’s set her on the path to something that resembles peace of mind.
Angela has turned over a new leaf. She used to be painfully shy; now she’s an extroverted camp counselor who leads singalongs and loves to give advice. She used to be selfish; now she wants nothing more than to make her new summer camp a better place. She used to flirt with a boy; now she’s a self-proclaimed “proud virgin” who’s dedicated to all things wholesome. She doesn’t drink or flirt. Angela also has very strong opinions about how nice girls should behave.
Hey, the world is a mess and Angela is just trying to help out. She’s seen the light and she wants to help others do so, as well. I’d hire her, even with that pile of murders on her record.
And if sometimes she has to attack a girl with a power drill to teach her that she shouldn’t be flashing her boobs for fun and if every now and then she has barbecue a few fornicators alive, it’s all for the greater good. The way that Pamela Springsteen throws herself into the role even makes us root for her. For her performance, she seems to take Angela’s mission seriously. She thinks she’s the hero of the film. Her smiles are genuine. Her warm moments are real. Somewhere in there, her psychotic side makes perfect sense. I love everything that she does here.
It’s pretty much the best SLEEPAWAY CAMP sequel that we could have hoped for. It doesn’t top the original, but who’s expecting that? Like the original though, the secret weapon at work here is its oddball sense of humor (see the ridiculous outhouse drowning death). This stands out from the slasher pack. Let’s also take a moment to appreciate how in most of these movies, the nice girl who doesn’t sleep around is the protaganist who defeats the killer, but in this film she IS the killer!
TRIVIA NOTE: Renee Estevez, who plays the movie’s other nice girl (non-psycho division), also has famous siblings. She’s Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez’s sister.