Revenge Of The Slashers: Angela Baker

“If she were any quieter, she’d be dead!”

She might be sweet on the surface, but Angela Baker is a big ol’ bag of messed up under the skin! 1983’s Sleepaway Camp introduced the world to Angela and thanks to the brilliant performance of Felissa Rose as Angela, the character has been a part of slasher culture ever since. It should be noted that the “twist ending” of the original film will be spoiled in this post, so please stop reading now if you haven’t seen the original Sleepaway Camp.

After witnessing the traumatic death of her father and “brother” in a boating accident, Angela has become silent, barely speaking to anyone that she comes into contact with. She is raised by her Aunt Martha with her cousin, Ricky, who is constantly protecting Angela from bullies. When Angela and Ricky go to Camp Arawak for the summer, her bullies end up being murdered one by one.

Angela is revealed to be the murderer in the film’s iconic ending which shows the world that Angela is actually her brother, Peter, who survived the boating accident and has been raised as a girl by her Aunt Martha. Angela brutally murders her bullies and decapitates a boy that falls for her. She uses anything she can get her hands on in order to murder her victims. From traditional weapons like knives to more painful devices such as boiling water, Angela can make anything lethal. Along with the shocking reveal at the end of the film, one of Angela’s kills involving a curling iron has gone down in slasher history as one of the most disturbing kills on the big screen.

Angela was portrayed by Felissa Rose in the original Sleepaway Camp film. Pamela Springsteen took over the role in the first and second sequels. Carrie Chambers played the character in Sleepaway Camp IV: The Survivor. Rose would return to the role in 2008’s Return To Sleepaway Camp. Despite the popularity of the first two sequels and a general appreciation for Springsteen’s performance in those films, Felissa Rose has always been considered the best Angela Baker.

The character’s gender-bending background and the fact that her father was a gay man in the early 80s has often made the original film a target for both praise and criticism from the LGBTQIA+ community. It was a pretty bold move in the early 80s to show two gay men in a loving relationship on the screen. In almost all other cases at the time, such a relationship would be played for laughs. This relationship, as well as the shocking conclusion to the film, have made the film a talking point for how homosexuality is portrayed on the big screen.

Angela Baker was a real trailblazer in her day. Are you a fan of the character like me? Lemme know in the comments section. As always, thanks for checking out my post!