Sleepaway Camp’s 40th anniversary celebrated with a “making of” book and soundtrack EP

2023 marks the 40th anniversary of the classic slasher Sleepaway Camp (watch it HERE), and 1984 Publishing has announced that they will be celebrating with the release of the “making of” book Sleepaway Camp: Making the Movie and Reigniting the Campfire, as well as a 4-song soundtrack EP! The street date for these releases is October 24th. Hardcover copies of the book can already be pre-ordered on Amazon – but if you want the EP, you’ll have to order directly from 1984 Publishing, and they’re not taking pre-orders just yet.

Written and directed by Robert Hiltzik, Sleepaway Camp has the following synopsis:

After a terrible boating accident killed her family, shy Angela Baker went to live with her eccentric Aunt Martha and her cousin Ricky. This summer, Martha decides to send them both to Camp Arawak, a place to enjoy the great outdoors. Shortly after their arrival, a series of bizarre and violent “accidents” begin to claim the lives of various campers. Has a dark secret returned from the camp’s past… or will an unspeakable horror end the summer season for all?

The film stars Felissa Rose, Mike Kellin, Jonathan Tiersten, Christopher Collet, Paul DeAngelo, Katherine Kamhi, Karen Fields, Desiree Gould, and Robert Earl Jones.

Sleepaway Camp: Making the Movie and Reigniting the Campfire has been written by Jeff Hayes, who runs the website ReturntoSleepawayCamp.com. A press release shared by Daily Dead says, “Hayes goes behind the scenes of the film like never before, revealing the development and making of the movie, its immediate aftermath, and the more than four decades of fandom since its release. This definitive Sleepaway Camp compendium includes interviews with much of the cast and crew (with many new exclusives), more than 75 production and memorabilia images (including unreleased behind-the-scenes stills), and takes you backstage to the reunions, retro screenings, and convention events that have united fans and reignited interest in this beloved horror tale.“

Hayes provided the following statement: “What a wild trip down memory lane it has been writing this book and recapping 40 years of Sleepaway Camp. I first watched the film on HBO in ’87 (age 11), and like many of you was wildly intrigued. Eventually I started the official website and tracked down the cast and crew in the early days of the internet, when the details behind the film were virtually unknown. The film subsequently became such a big part of my life. Decades later, I hope to give fans a much more detailed look at the making of this beloved slasher classic, and also what has happened since its ’83 debut on the silver screen.” 

As for the EP, “All songs are by Frankie Vinci from the late ’70s power pop band Fotomaker. Included on the EP is a never-before-released punk version of “Angela’s Theme (You’re Just What I’ve Been Looking For)” by Vinci, along with the original versions of “Angela’s Theme,” “Tonight You’re Mine,” and “Take a Chance.” The 12-inch gatefold vinyl edition will be available as a limited “Camp Arawak” blue/white split-colored variant, plus on “Full Frontal” pink vinyl and “Aunt Martha Reminder String” red vinyl.“

To grab the book and EP combo when it’s available (there will also be a book and CD combo), keep an eye on the 1984 Publishing website.

Are you a fan of Sleepaway Camp, and will you be reading Sleepaway Camp: Making the Movie and Reigniting the Campfire? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

I’m a big fan of the film, so this book sounds like a “must read” to me.