Review for The Initiation

The Initiation is a 1980s slasher film that follows the initiation of a sorority pledge, Kelly who is plagued by horrible recurring nightmares. As one of their tasks is to break into her father's department store and steal the guards uniform. However, some patients have escaped from a nearby sanitarium and when they arrive at the store they must escape the murderous stalker that is killing them off one by one. But is he more connected to Kelly than anyone knows?

This film is almost every 1980s slasher movie cliché in the handbook. Bad acting, jump scares, sexy girls in lingerie, teenage girls being killed and a psycho killer. I can't understand why a film like this would get such a loving edition, when so many films are released with hardly anything.

I am not sure whether I should be amazed that this film exists or simply just understand that during this time you could easily fund and make a slasher film and probably make money from it. There is no originality and there is a definite Nightmare on Elm Street feel to the whole dream part of this story. The kills are not very imaginative and after the first few the film just sank to 'body count' territory.

The acting by everyone is almost soap opera territory with only Daphne Zun**** putting some effort into her role. However, even that is not saying much. I won't mention what happens at the end, but it made my head hurt.

Two interviews with actors Christopher Bradley who played random character Chad and Joy Jones who played Heidi. Neither of these were so integral to the film and it really should have been Daphne Zun**** who was interviewed though they do interview writer Charles Pratt Jr regarding the film and that at least is interesting to listen to his thoughts on the film and its creation.

Commentary by The Hysteria Continues is fine, but at times it feels too much like a group of geeks talking about what they enjoyed about the film, but that is just a bit too much for me to listen to after a while. As none of them had any involvement with the film it is not subjective like a commentary by a critic, but just an extended attempt to explain why this film is so good. But it fails when the film is this bad.

There is a short extended scene, that doesn't add anything to the film and I can understand why they cut it. There is also a Trailer which is your typical 1980s Slasher trailer designed to let you know there will be blood... and boobs.

The Initiation is not a good film by any standards. It is not scary, not fun and feels like a film made for television. It is not surprising that the Director and Writer's main output has been in Television and Soaps as this had that feel to it. If you want a cheap thrill and a few gruesome kills then you might enjoy it, but if you want something a bit more entertaining you could do better initiating yourself with anything else.