THE INITIATION

 

With aptly named titles like Sorority House Massacre, and The House on Sorority Row, the 80s spawned a “Sorority” sub-genre of the Slasher film, featuring attractive coeds, a college setting, hazing rituals, and most importantly a sorority house.  This week’s spotlight film The Initiation, while formulaic at times stands out from other sorority slashers of the day.  What makes, The Initiation a standout is the excellent casting, unique settings, and shock ending.

 

 

 The cast includes the gorgeous Daphne Zuniga of Spaceballs and Melrose Place fame, and the equally gorgeous Hunter Tylo of the soap opera The Bold and Beautiful, as well as veteran actors, Vera Miles and Clu Gulager.  The director Larry Stewart includes a healthy dose of great killer POV shots, and some excellent for the genre atmospheric scenes

 

Sure there is fun gratuitous nudity, some cache sorority pranks and rituals thrown in for good measure, but The Initiation is still very entertaining to watch.  One of the film’s more notable departures from standard sorority house fare is the finale, which takes place in a shopping mall, as opposed to the Sorority House.  Further, the director’s use of the mall’s P.A. system to in a sense to broadcast some the murders was also noteworthy.

So if your in the mood for a fun and entertaining 80s horror film, look no further than the under appreciated --The Initiation.

Lastly, if interested in sharing a blog post idea, a film to spotlight, a best of list, please email me or the staff of IHTV. I look forward to hearing from everyone.

 

--Lee Turner a life long fan and aficionado of slasher films.  His blog spotlights those forgotten slasher films from the late 70s through the early 90s, as well as features where are they now segments, remake news, and best of lists.