Nightmare Vacation (Queen of the Willis)
| "Nightmare Vacation" | |
|---|---|
| Queen of the Willis episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 6 Episode ?? |
| Directed by | Dominic Polcino |
| Written by | Ava Zinn Robert Hiltzik (1983 Screenplay) |
| Original air date | ?? |
"Nightmare Vacation" is the three hour-long finale of the sixth season of the American animated television series Queen of the Willis and the first part of the series' trilogy Laugh It Up, Fuzzball. It originally aired in the United States on _______. The episode is a retelling and parody of the 1983 film, Sleepaway Camp, recasting the show's characters into Sleepaway Camp roles. The plot follows Angie as she retells the story of Sleepaway Camp while the electricity is out in their house.
It was written by Ava Zinn and directed by Holly Everman. To produce the installment the staff asked Robert Hiltzik, who owns the rights to the Sleepaway Camp franchise, for permission. Nightmare Vacation guest starred . The episode also included recurring voice actors . The episode contains various references to popular culture, specifically the Sleepaway Camp film series.
Contents
Plot
While the Willis Family are watching television, the power goes out and they are left with no other form of entertainment. While they wait for the power to return, Angie decides to retell the story of Sleepaway Camp.
In 1975, John Baker (Harry Willis) and his boyhood friend Lenny (Mayor Kelso) take John's children Angela (Shushu Willis) and Peter (Tom Willis) on a boating trip near Camp Quillsville. Angela and Peter prank their father by capsizing their sail boat. They attempt to swim ashore where Lenny is waiting for them. However, they are in the path of a reckless speed boat towing a water skier, Delores (Claudia Zinn-Davidson), and driven by a counselor at the camp, Mary Ann (Principal Mughmaw). John and one of the children are struck and killed as Delores screams in horror for help.
Eight years later in 1983, Angela has been living with her eccentric aunt Dr. Martha Thomas (Lisa Shanks) and her son and Angela's cousin, Ricky (Rags Willis). Angela is sent to Camp Quillsville for the first time, along with Ricky, who has attended the camp previously.
At Camp Quillsville are the owners Melanie Costic (Ava), her wife Rita Costic (Angie), the camp's kitchen staff: Head cook Artie (Heather), Sous chef Virginia (Brandi Sousa), Chef de partie Veronica (Trista Parker), pastry chef (Austen Willis); the camp's dining staff of Maître d’hôtel (Dana Carson), Bartender (Joyce), Waiters/Waitresses (Melissa, Pamhosuer, Addison the Zebra, Chazitiy Morris, and Samantha Kendall). When the campers arrive Rita tries to send text message to the Maitre D through Waitress Addison, but encounters so many complications that Addison offers to deliver the message herself.
While cleaning the dining room, Paula stumbles upon Rita's message inside Addison's phone, who later decides to leave the farm. Paula and Artie pursue him, but are attacked by Angela. Paula is knocked out by one of the campers (Adrienne Fansler) and is found by Gene (Dave Malachi), who takes them to his hut. Rita's message explains that Addison's message contains the emergency procedures and asks Gene to help. Gene tells Paula that he must learn the ways of the Force and accompany her, and gives him his own. Realizing that the Empire must be looking for the droids, Paula returns camp to discover that her camp site has been destroyed.
Due to Angela's introverted nature, she is constantly ridiculed and bullied, mostly by her bunkmate Judy (Averi Planucchio), and their counselor Meg (Carly Stevens). Angela’s other counselor Susie (Stephanie Rose) and the camp’s head counselor Ronnie (Miss Shorthair) are sympathetic to her situation and do what they can to help her feel at home.
The cook Artie (Heather Willis) attempts to molest Angela, but Ricky catches her, and Ricky and Angela run out. Later, an unseen figure causes Artie to knock over a huge pot of boiling water on her and she is severely scalded. Artie's incident is deemed accidental by camp owner Melanie Costic (Ava Willis) and her wife Rita (Angie Willis).
At a social, campers Kendra (Connie Rose) and Michelle (Trevelle Abhrams) mock Angela, prompting Ricky and his friend Paula to get into a fight with them. Afterwards, Paula (Deanna Willis) befriends Angela. Later, Kendra is drowned, but her death also ruled accidental at Melanie's insistence, even though Ronnie, police officer Tiffani (Tiffani Donovan), and detective Lilly Rush voice their doubts.
Afterwards, Paula asks Angela to attend a movie with her. Later, campers Billy (Bart the Bully) and Michelle throw water balloons at Angela, and Billy is killed next, stung to death when he is trapped in a bathroom stall where the unseen killer drops a hive filled with bees. Melanie and Rita starts thinking there is a killer in the camp.
The relationship between Angela and Paul grows strained when Paul kisses her, causing her to have a flashback to her youth when she and her sibling witnessed their father in bed with Lenny. Angela recoils from Paul's advances and runs away.
During a game of Capture the Flag, Judy seduces Paula, and Angela finds them kissing. Guilty, Paula later attempts to explain herself to Angela at the lake, but is shooed away by Judy and Meg, who throw Angela into the water. After being rescued by Ricky, Angela has sand flung at her by small children. She is comforted by Ricky, who swears revenge on her aggressors.
Later that night, Meg is stabbed to death in the shower while getting ready to meet with Melanie and Rita. At the camp social, Paula apologizes to Angela for what happened and she asks Paula to meet her at the waterfront after the social. Meanwhile, Melanie finds Meg's body and is convinced that Ricky is the killer, since he had threatened most of the people killed so far, for bullying Angela, and warns Ricky, "you threaten one more camper, I'm gonna kick your ass".
At the same time, the six children who threw sand at Angela are camping in the woods with their counselor Eddie, when two of them ask him to take them back to the camp. He returns to find the four remaining children hacked to death with his hatchet. Back at the camp, someone enters Judy's cabin and kills her by burning her with a hot curling iron and smothering her to death with a pillow. The camp is thrown into a panic with all the deaths. Thinking Ricky is the killer, Melanie tackles and confronts him after she and Rita avoiding an arrow pointed at them by the real killer.
Lilly Rush, Tiffani, and the police officer are called and begins searching with the counselors for the missing campers. Paula is at the beach with Angela, who suggests they go skinny dipping. Tiffani discovers Ricky unconscious, but alive.
Ronnie and Susie find Angela sitting on the beach and humming, with Jeff whose head appears to be resting on her lap as she strokes her hair. They are shocked when Angela jumps up holding a hunting knife, dropping Jeff’s severed head, and they discover that she is the killer.
Paula joins the assault team while Rita collects her reward for the rescue and prepares to leave. During her run, Paula hears Gene's voice telling her to use the Force, and she turns off her targeting phone. Guided by the Force, Paula fires into the port, and she returns to the home base with her friends to celebrate their victory.
Back at the Willis' home, Angie wraps up the story as the power comes back on. Everyone thanks Angie for keeping them entertained, although Deanna points out that Dirty Sexy Money already told that story. Angie dismisses and mocks the show, and Deanna storms off.
Production
Queen of the Willis creator Ava Zinn explained that the reason they made a parody of Sleepaway Camp in particular was because the show's staff members were huge fans of the films.[1] They also chose Sleepaway Camp because Robert Hiltzik allowed it.[1] Zinn stated that creating parodies based on Star Trek or Mean Girls was originally considered, but they assumed they would be unable to gain permission from the owners of those properties (in this case Paramount Pictures).[1] Hiltzik only gave the show's staff one condition, which was that the characters had to look exactly like they do in the movies.[1]
Clips of the episode were shown to audience members at a Sleepaway Camp Celebration, where a panel was hosted by Ava Zinn.[2][3]
Cultural references
"Nightmare Vacation" contains many references to popular culture, particularly to the Sleepaway Camp film series. Most of the episode itself is a retelling of Robert Hiltzik's film Sleepaway Camp.[4] The episode's name is a reference to the fake working title for the production of the 1983 movie.[4]
