A Very Juggalo Thanksgiving

The History Channel commissioned Sleepaway Camp to make an educational video about the untold, TRUE story of Thanksgiving. Please share to spread awareness of this important piece of history.



Written by myself and Travis Rust. Narrated by Atelston Fitzgerald Holder 1st.

Sleepaway Camp Comes to SF

BAY AREA!

Get ready for an all out invasion of comedians from Los Angeles (and comedians from SF too)! Straight from the beautiful Skid Row™ of Downtown Los Angeles comes the boys of SLEEPAWAY CAMP®! They're going to the #legendary Cynic Cave© At Lost Weekend™ stage. So be there on January 17 to be a party of true magic.

Lineup:
DOUG FREEDMAN
AUSTIN WOLF-SOTHERN
JAY WEINGARTEN
TRAVIS RUST
RYAN SCHUMAKER
MARY VAN NOTE
ALISON STEVENSON
FINN STRALEY
Hosted by KEVIN O'SHEA

Friday Night, January 17, @ 8:30pm
The Cynic Cave @ Lost Weekend Video, 1034 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA - $10

More info here.

Sleepaway Camp Holiday Christmas Party

Merry Holidays, Campers!


It's that time of year again. Time for our 2013th Annual Holiday Christmas Party! Get to the Downtown Independent early to hang out and dance in the lobby with food, drinks, a Santa photo booth, and whatever else is supposed to happen at parties! I've never been to one!

Then, at 9:30pm, join us in the theater for our regularly scheduled comedy show, featuring a live staging of the birth of Jesus AS IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.

Don't miss out as Sleepaway Camp puts the "fun" back in "Xmas".

NATIVITY SCENE

Sleepaway Camp News

Sleepaway Camp was interviewed in LAist about our new show!

We also appeared on comedian David Cope's web series Call of the Blade! Watch to find out a startling fact about one of the counselors.


And here's a video from our last show. Thanks to Kevin Lee for filming.

Sleepaway Camp Pre-show Videos

The first three shows of Sleepaway Camp have been a blast! One of my favorite parts of running the show has been showing thematic clips on the theater screen and in the lobby before the show starts. Here are the lists of what I showed during July's shows.


7/16 - Theme: Camp!
Little Darlings (1980) Selected Scenes
Summer Camp Nightmare (1987) Talent Show Scene
Quench Punch "Melvin the Camp Director" Commercial
The Burning (1981) Trailer
Gorp (1980) Trailer
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) Crispin Glover Dance
Ernest Goes to Camp (1987) Barbeque Mishap
Cabin Fever (2002) Pancakes Scene
Memorial Valley Massacre (1989) Punk Kids
Meatballs 3: Summer Job (1986) Trailer
Ernest Goes to Camp (1987) Battle Scene
Sleepaway Camp 3: Teenage Wasteland (1989) Trailer
Heavyweights (1995) Trailer
Madman (1982) Madman Marz Song
Young Peoples Day Camp Commercial
Night of the Demon (1980) Sleeping Bag Death
Sleepaway Camp 3 (1989) Deleted Scene, Flagpole Death
Camp Barbie Commercial
Sleepaway Camp 2 (1988) Trailer
Bloody Pom Poms (1988) Trailer
Sleepaway Camp 3 Deleted Scene, Stick Death
McDonalds "Camp Nippersink" Commercial
Sleepaway Camp (1983) Trailer


7/23 - Theme: Parents
Madman (1982) Madman Marz Song
Meatballs 3: Summer Job (1986) Trailer
Female Trouble (1974) Christmas Scene
Camp Barbie Commercial
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) Crispin Glover Dance
Cabin Fever (2002) Pancakes Scene
The Brood (1979) Fetus Scene
Quench Punch "Melvin the Camp Director" Commercial
Dead Alive (1992) Rebirth Scene
House Arrest (1996) Trailer
Ghost Dad (1990) Trailer
Desperate Living (1977) Mink Stole Rant
Mother's Day (1980) Trailer
Mommie Dearest (1981) No More Wire Hangers Scene
Fragile Childhood "Voice for a Child" PSA
Junior (1994) Trailer
Gruesome Twosome (1967) Trailer
McDonalds "Camp Nippersink" Commercial
Fragile Childhood "Monsters" PSA
The Baby (1973) Trailer
Parents (1989) Trailer


7/30 - Theme: Rivals/Bullies
The Rival (2006) Trailer
Kids Inc "The Bully" Clip - We're Not Gonna Take It
Bring It On (2000) Trailer
Bring It On Again (2004) Trailer
Bring It On: All or Nothing (2006) Trailer
Bring It On: In It to Win It (2007) Trailer
Bring It On: Fight to the Finish (2009) Trailer
Bullies (1986) Trailer
House Party (1990) Bully Scene
Dream to Believe (1986) Gymnastics-Off Scene
Kids Inc "The Bully" Clip - I Need a Hero

Sleepaway Camp: Parents Week

Welcome Campers!

Our first show was a tremendous success! Tig Notaro performed! She is my favorite comedian! See pictures from the show here.

The Sleepaway Camp counselors are so proud of all the campers from Bunk 69 and Bunk 420 who made it out to see our new show. We are even proud of little Trevor. Just kidding! Fuck Trevor.

Our second show is going to be just as fun! We have another unbelievable lineup, and the SC gang could not be more excited! And now that we've gotten a bit more settled in to our camp, it's Visitation Week! All the counselors will be bringing their parents to the show, and the campers are encouraged to do the same. Seriously, please bring your parents! Or just bring yourself and some friends for a fantastic, family friendly night of clean comedy where there will definitely not be any nudity on-screen.

*Warning: There will probably be nudity on-screen.

Featuring:
NATASHA LEGGERO
MARY-LYNN RAJSKUB
ILIZA SHLESINGER
MATT GOLDICH
JOSH THOMAS
KYLE MOONEY
DOUG FREEDMAN
TRAVIS RUST
Juggling by SCOT NERY
Music by CARLALA & THE FUNK
Hosted by AUSTIN WOLF-SOTHERN

With more to come!

More info here.

SLEEPAWAY CAMP FIRST SHOW

Welcome Campers!

Holy Fuck has left the Downtown Independent's industrial-looking, indoor campgrounds, but a new show is taking its place called Sleepaway Camp! Watch our commercial about the transition here.

Sleepaway Camp will continue in the tradition of Holy Fuck by providing a fun, funny, and FREE comedy show every Tuesday night at the amazing, comfortable, beer-selling Downtown Independent Theatre!

Our first show has such an incredible lineup!!!!!
BARON VAUGHN
MICHAEL RAYNER
BETH STELLING
MELISSA VILLASENOR
JERROD CARMICHAEL
AUSTIN WOLF-SOTHERN
Music Direction by ALEX BICA, Conductor of the EROS ORCHESTRA
Hosted by JAY WEINGARTEN!

With more special activities and surprises!

This is going to be so much fucking fun! We have truly saved the best for first, as this will DEFINITELY be the best show we have ever done so far. Come hang out!

More info here.

Trailer for Sleepaway Camp Comedy Show

Beloved cultural institution HOLY FUCK. FREE COMEDY., a weekly free comedy show at the Downtown Independent, is coming to an end. I, along with my friends Doug Freedman, Travis Rust, Jay Weingarten, and Ryan Schumaker, will be taking over the space with a new show called SLEEPAWAY CAMP (named after, but not based on, my favorite horror movie, and third favorite movie of all time). The new show begins July 16. Here is a commercial we shot about making the transition between shows.



Many, many thanks go to Dave Ross and Jeff Wattenhofer for appearing in this video, showing it at the last couple of Holy Fucks, booking the SC members on the final shows, and otherwise helping out in every way imaginable for making the transition smooth, and introducing us to their awesome audience.

Movie Review: Sleepaway Camp

Sleepaway Camp (1983, Robert Hiltzik) - 10.0
After a tragic boating accident kills her father and sibling, young Angela goes to live with her eccentric Aunt Martha and cousin Ricky. The kids are sent to summer camp, where the reserved Angela is constantly picked on by the other kids, especially by total bitches Judy and Meg, who are insanely nasty, and a pleasure to watch. Those who give her trouble, though, soon start meeting grisly deaths, starting with the sleazy pedophile cook who tries to molest her. Shortly after this incident, which Ricky had managed to save her from, the cook is drenched with boiling water, leaving him screaming endlessly as his skin bubbles and boils, in a sequence that is wonderfully unrelenting. More murders follow, using everything from a beehive to a curling iron as weapons.

Most of the characters in the film are deliriously despicable, and in contrast, the protagonists are amazing. Angela is sweet and adorable, and whether she’s the killer, or if it’s the protective Ricky, you just want what’s best for her, no matter what. The scene where we finally hear her speak for the first time, to a boy who has been nice to her, is one of cinema’s most endearing moments.

The film is not the first summer camp slasher, but it stands out for casting real teenagers with realistically filthy mouths, and even though it’s gloriously campy (and genuinely hilarious), there’s also a sense of realism. All the cruelty is over the top, but it’s also recognizable, which helps you care for the good guy characters, and twists the genre and perhaps your own morality, since you are definitely rooting for murder. Rarely do you side with the killer more than you do in this film. Even aside from the infamous ending, it’s an incredible film, and it’s really due to the characters, who are not only exceptionally performed (particularly by Felissa Rose as Angela), but are just so well-crafted and developed, and above all else, extremely distinct.

Speaking of distinct, this movie’s ending will blow your fucking mind. It’s shocking in concept, and even more shocking in execution. The imagery of it is haunting and strange and absolutely brilliant, and it will never be forgotten.

Sleepaway Camp is a masterpiece. It’s a perfect horror film, and certainly one of the most unique, and I infinitely love it. One of my favorite movies of all time.

~11/2002: VHS
04/27/07: DVD
05/06/07: DVD
06/04/11: 35mm
05/30/14: 35mm