Best Summer Camp Movie
If you were lucky enough, or privileged enough, to experience summer camp as a kid or teenager, the experience likely made a lasting impression on you. Sleepaway camps have certainly inspired filmmakers over the years, as the rustic settings and wide-eyed young people experiencing their first taste of freedom have proven fertile creative ground for numerous genres, from coming-of-age films to comedies to horror films to sex romps. So for one of our 2026 Summer Specials, the Great Pop Culture Debate wants to go wild as we attempt to name the best summer camp movie.
Movies discussed: Dirty Dancing (1987), Little Darlings, Ernest Goes to Camp, The Great Outdoors, Friday the 13th (1980), Camp Rock, Space Camp, Wet Hot American Summer, Addams Family Values, Daddy Day Camp, Meatballs, Moonrise Kingdom, The Parent Trap (1998), Sleepaway Camp (1983), Camp (2003), Troop Beverly Hills
Join host Eric Rezsnyak and GPCD Panelists Amma Marfo, Amy Pilott, and Trey Radu-Blackburn as they discuss and debate 16 of the most memorable films set at summer camps.
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Round 1 Match-Ups:
Play along with us at home by printing out and filling in this episode’s bracket:
Match-Up 1: Dirty Dancing (1987) (1) vs. Little Darlings (4)
Match-Up 2: Ernest Goes to Camp (3) vs. The Great Outdoors (2)
Match-Up 3: Friday the 13th (1980) (1) vs. Camp Rock (4)
Match-Up 4: Space Camp (3) vs. Wet Hot American Summer (2)
Match-Up 5: Addams Family Values (1) vs. Daddy Day Camp (4)
Match-Up 6: Meatballs (3) vs. Moonrise Kingdom (2)
Match-Up 7: The Parent Trap (1998) (1) vs. Sleepaway Camp (1983) (4)
Match-Up 8: Camp (2003) (3) vs. Troop Beverly Hills (2)
Want to play along at home?
Print out the Listener Bracket and see if your picks match up with ours!
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Episode Credits
Host: Eric Rezsnyak
Panelists: Amma Marfo, Amy Pilott, Trey Radu-Blackburn
Producer: Derek Mekita
Editor: Eric Rezsnyak
Theme Music: “Dance to My Tune” by Marc Torch
