Sleepaway Camp 3: Teenage Wasteland
The third installment to the Sleepaway Camp series starts off with a girl, Maria Nicastro (Rashina Kessler), getting ready to go to camp. As she's walking to the bus stop, a huge dump truck chases after her. Running for her life, she ends up in an alley with no place to hide. The truck then runs her over, and the driver, a girl, gets out to put Maria's body into the trash dispenser. As the girl is waiting on a sidewalk, a Camp New Horizons van pulls up. She gets in, as the camera pulls to the left, revealing a wall with the spray-painted message of "Angela is Back!"
Indeed, it's Angela Baker who's disguised herself as Maria to once again continue her bloodythirsty rampage through a helpless camp. This time, the previous camp Angela killed at, Camp Rolling Hills, has been re-opened under new management with the name, Camp New Horizons. Everyone knows of the camp's horrible past, so it's only a few who have been selected for an Autumn retreat, which emphasizes caring and sharing. One group of kids are from higher income families, while the other group is of underprivileged families.
The camp is headed by the inept management of wife and husband Herman (Michael J. Pollard) and Lily Miranda (Sandra Dorsey), who are helped out by Officer Barney Whitmore (Cliff Brand). Angela's instantly aware that the cop is the father of one of the campers she brutally murdered at the same camp, so she avoids him as much as possible, him not even knowing that it's her. Once again, barely anyone treats Angela with respect, which urges her to kill everyone at camp, until only two are left. Will Angela finally be stopped this time?
This one is very similar to Sleepaway Camp 2: Unhappy Campers, in that it has the same director, a similar plot, and it was shot back to back with the previous entry, both being released straight to video. Much of the gore was cut for an 'R' rating, which made all of the death scenes seem too choppy, thus making the film's time run at only 79 minutes. Despite this fact, there were enough stalkings, slashings, and one-liners to keep me content. Although, it would be nice to see an uncut version. Pamela Springsteen is back once again in the role of Angela, but most of the assembled characters can be pretty annoying at some times. All in all, recommended to any Sleepaway Camp fan.
