The Initiation

1984 "Be young, stay young ... and die young."
5.6| 1h37m| R| en
Details

An amnesiac sorority member who has been plagued by a recurring nightmare is stalked alongside other coeds by a killer in a deserted department store where they are completing a hazing ritual.

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Reviews

Diagonaldi Very well executed
SincereFinest disgusting, overrated, pointless
Kodie Bird True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.
Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.
markadmoore A reviewer said, "What is memorable about The Initiation is that it is quite scary and it is filled with blood and gore."Trust me, it is neither.If you're looking for a fright, or even for entertainment, or 'so bad it's good', look elsewhere!
LasKeepsItReal This is my review for the film The Intiation and it shall have several spoilers throughout.The film begins at a house with a group of sorority sisters. Some of the students at college are pledging to become sorority sisters with the sisterhood being lead by Megan we have Kelly,Alison,Beth and Marcia who will have to take part in an initiation before they become part of the group. The are allowed to have a few more days of fun before they are given their initiation.Meanwhile Kelly has been having repetitive nightmares for years about a young girl who enters a room to her parents and witnesses a confrontation between them and a man who is set alight on fire. She tells one of her tutors about this who along with another one of his students gives her some therapy and tries to get her to understand and piece together the meaning of her dreams.At the beginning of the following week Kelly,Alison,Beth and Marcia are due to carry out their initiation which is being given by Megan to break into Kelly's fathers department store and steal a specific item to be used as a souvenir within a time period. Beth gets into an argument with Megan and is eliminated from being part of the sisterhood.The girls go to the department store to fulfill their pledge whilst Megan and a couple of her friends sneak into the store with the intent on making things more difficult for them all. The students are all oblivious to the fact that on the same night a mental patient from a psychiatric ward has escaped with murder on their mind.I enjoyed The Initiation because even though it began with a familiar scenario like that of many of 1980's films in a house and with a sisterhood of some girls what were not a part of wanted to do things in order to be inclusive i like the fact that many of the films scenes were located in a department store which proved to be effective for the suspense and chase scenes. The film also worked as a thriller that was not a simple and straight forward as some others when predicting the plot. I also thought several of the characters were likable from Hunter Tylo's portrayal of Alison who was fun,entertaining and at times naughty to Vera Miles who plays Frances the mother of Kelly that harbors a dark secret to Marilyn Kagen who plays Marcia who was sweet and probably the most mature out of the girls and the way she tells her friends a story about her past even had me a little shocked which added a more serious tone to her character. Daphne Zuniga as Kelly played a worthy and dynamic performance too! The films production values, special effects and music were also professional for a horror film of 1984.I would rate this film 6 out of 10.
Dagon It's a hit or miss moment when you're about to experience a viewing of another '80s Slasher. Will it be but a mere rip-off of its predecessors or offer a new take on the formula? Sometimes, the film's conclusion will leave you stranded between both schools of thought.Kelly Fairchild is a bright college student and new initiate of Delta Ro Kai sorority. She has a troubled past and due to a traumatic incident in her youth she suffered from amnesia and cannot remember anything before the age of 9. She's also plagued by a reoccurring nightmare of a burning man and a few other hazy details that are interpreted by her professor, Peter Adams, who is working on a doctoral thesis in parapsychology. The plot also focuses on the escape of several mental patients of a psychiatric clinic hundreds of miles away – in particular, a man on the loose who spends his free time dispatching his victims with a garden rake. Is there a connection? And what's in store for prank night when the Delta Kai girls are trapped inside of a mall complex?With a few years separating this title from the well-known classics, it's a shame that Initiation wasn't released earlier. It did, however, mark the film debut of Hunter Tylo, a young and attractive model; Daphne Zuniga also plays a memorable role featured as the female lead with 1982's The Dorm That Dripped Blood securely stashed away in her horror repertoire. These two girls, along with a young cast of characters, offer the viewing audience a fun little performance. The mall complex that sets the stage for murder later on in the film was an excellent choice; constructed with vast ceilings and an intimately laden store configuration. The death scenes won't shock or disgust – instead, opting to epitomize the Slasher medium that features ill- advised decisions that lead to treachery. As a result, we're treated to characters that follow the guidelines of your standard horror movie. You won't find something "new" to talk about – just more of the same, but outputted more crispy and coherently than usual. The pacing is slow during the first half of the story but remarkably enough, I wasn't bothered by it. A film of this caliber would not be complete without your typical twist- ending; a trademark of Slasher films throughout the '80s and Initiation receives equal treatment. This big secret that patiently waits in the wings isn't too common of a device so you may be somewhat surprised by the conclusion. With a bit of cheese and that 80s flair, Initiation should be placed into the upper echelon of the Hack-'n-Slashers of days gone by – and while I can't necessarily deem it as a "classic" it's far better than the mop and schlop low-budgeters that overwhelmed audiences 3 decades ago.
pepe4u22 The Initiation is your basic drive in movie programmer all the elements are there a couple of recognizable names and some newcomers tossed together in a poorly written and directed movie. The usual requisites are their hot girls , maniacal killer and a bit of a love story along with some deep secrets. The young actors at the time Daphne Zuniga, the actress now known as Hunter Tylo give their all and are quite good in their roles while the male love interest James Read is your basic wooden mannequin as a lead and totally unbelievable in his role..the story has holes big enough to drive a semi through it but i myself just relish the cheesiness of the film and despite it's shortcomings it is enjoyable so i will give it some slack..and when i was young when this movie was made i remember hunter tylo on all my children and though she was hot as she is today and a couple of scenes that she was in shocked me but sometimes actors have to do things when they are not established enough said..get the popcorn going and enjoy