By Joe Puccio

Throughout the genre’s vast existence, horror films have often rewarded their rabid audience with astonishing, must-see, final scenes. From 1988’s disturbing Dutch thriller The Vanishing to 1999’s psychological masterpiece The Sixth Sense to 2007’s devastating big screen depiction of the Stephen King novella The Mist, the genre certainly has no dearth of shocking endings in its repertoire. But perhaps its most notorious one, courtesy of Robert Hiltzik’s wonderful 1983 cult classic Sleepaway Camp, is still referenced today during lively discussions among learned aficionados on cinema’s greatest twists.

“I knew immediately,” revealed Felissa Rose, during a recent conversation with Generation X Wire, referencing when she found out about the movie’s startling finale that has become embedded in filmgoers’ minds since its release 43 years ago. “Robert gave me the entire script, which I still have in my kitchen cabinet, when I auditioned for him and I read it from page one to the very end. And I remember thinking the ending was really cool, original, and different. It was definitely something we hadn’t seen before.”

Rose wasn’t even a teenager yet when she read for the lead as Angela Baker in Sleepaway Camp and was just 13 during its filming, which took place in the fall of 1982 in upstate New York. But despite being so young, the precocious ingénue was able to sense its intricacies. “Honestly, I probably didn’t understand all of the film’s social commentary in the moment, but I certainly understood its multiple layers,” she reflected. “It wasn’t just a slash and dice film. It had a lot more depth than that. But ultimately it was a fun, coming of age, film. It was very exciting.”

Its sensitive subject matter combined with Rose’s age meant that the novice actress would obviously require parental permission to participate in the project, something that likely could have been an obstacle for many children in show business – but not for Rose. “Robert and the other producers pulled my mother aside at the callback. They explained the nature of the film and what was expected of me,” she explained. “And, luckily, my parents were both so supportive and open minded. My dad, who was amazing, has since passed on and my mom is still my best friend to this day. They supported my dream and never made me feel like I couldn’t achieve it, even though being a child actor is a very difficult endeavor.”

With a budget of just $350,000, Sleepaway Camp managed to earn approximately $11 million at the box office, eventually spawning two sequels, Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers and Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland. One key ingredient was missing, however – Rose. “I was still young, about 17, when I read for Michael Simpson, who took over as director from Robert, on Unhappy Campers. And I just could not grasp the difference between the Angela who I portrayed and the Angela she had become,” Rose acknowledged. “I was basically auditioning for a different character, with all these jokes and maturity. And I was still an insecure teenager.”

As avid followers of the franchise are aware, Simpson cast Pamela Springsteen – sister of Bruce – as Angela in the next two installments, which, while still horror, featured prominent elements of black comedy. With a clear change in tone as well as new priorities for Rose, she believes that it all worked out the way it was meant to. “Just as they were deciding who to cast, I was accepted into NYU (New York University) and for me, it was a no brainer. I wanted to go to school,” she affirmed. “Pamela did 2 and 3 and I came back in 2008 with Robert for Return to Sleepaway Camp. I wouldn’t trade my four years at NYU, which were some of the greatest years of my life, for anything. Everything worked out perfectly.”

It should be noted that Rose is a huge fan of both Springsteen and the initial two sequels. “I loved Pamela’s performance and those two films. In fact, I have some friends and family who like them more than the original,” she admitted. “The kills in both of them were dynamite.”

In addition to her most recognized role, Rose has appeared in an array of renowned fright flicks including Terrifier 2, Victor Crowley, Stream, and The Forest Hills, which saw the legendary Shelley Duvall make her final film appearance. As a result, the talented performer has more than earned her status as a bona fide scream queen, a moniker that the Long Island-raised thespian embraces. “I’m honored and grateful. I find the term to be magnificent, magical, and just wonderful,” she beamed. “I work in this genre because my heart is fully immersed in not only making movies that I love and find entertaining, but also to make sure that we as a community are inclusive and take care of each other. And that’s what I find the horror community to be.”

As for the aforementioned The Forest Hills, working alongside and getting to know Duvall before her death in 2024, was one of Rose’s most cherished life experiences. “She was the most delightful woman you can imagine,” she insisted. “And here’s a funny story. I was so excited the night before I was going to meet her that I only got about two hours of sleep. That morning, I took what I thought were two Tylenols to get rid of my headache, but they turned out to be Tylenol PMs. Thank goodness I slept them off on the plane,” she grinned. “It broke my heart when she passed because I felt like she was about to embark on a comeback.”

Acting isn’t the only art form prevalent in Rose’s household. Married to former lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of alternative rock band CKY (Camp Kill Yourself), Deron Miller, for 22 years, the pair have three children. Surprisingly, none of them have opted to follow in either parent’s footsteps – yet. “The closest would be Lola. She’s a great artist and she loves to do hair and makeup, but it looks like she’ll go to nursing school,” Rose stated. “My oldest, Bianca, is a psychology major at SDSU (San Diego State University). And my son, Thomas, is on the track team, and he’s very academic. He was invited to visit Yale and UC Berkeley. The three of them are the greatest thing that ever happened to me.”

Not one to rest on her laurels, Rose has a staggering number of projects on the immediate horizon, including The Barn Part III with William Ragsdale, The Boy from Below, The Last Sleepover, New Fears Eve, and A Hard Place. “I’m also about to film two non-horror dramatic movies, Sicklerville, based on a true story, and Fractured, with Jon Abrahams and Lew Temple,” she remarked. “And I have a cameo in Scary Movie, which is coming out in a few months.”

And for those who just can’t get enough of Angela Baker, a possible return to Camp Arawak might even be in the cards for Rose as Kenan Thompson’s production company Artists for Artists (AFA) has acquired the rights to remake Sleepaway Camp with Hiltzik.

“I pinch myself every day. The fact that I’m sitting here, at almost 57 years old, still talking about Sleepaway Camp is just unbelievable,” Rose smiled. “I’m so lucky.”

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