"The Initiation" Reviews/Discussion - 2017 Horror Challenge
#1
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Somewhere Hot Scoville Units: 9,999,999 Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
Posts: 12,258
Received 811 Likes
on
316 Posts
"The Initiation" Reviews/Discussion - 2017 Horror Challenge
The Initiation (1984) Selected by SethDLH |
Spoiler:
IMDB ENTRY
ALYXSTARR LINK
_______________________________________
These "October Horror Movie Challenge" threads are for the discussion of the films in the 31 FILM SUBSET list.
The plan is for everyone to watch this film on the October day in the thread title, and to start discussing it the morning of the following day.
You may start discussion early if you want, but the preferred plan is for this to be as much of a group exercise as possible, with all of us viewing it "together" and discussing after.
Of course, you are totally encouraged to participate in these threads even if you haven't watched the movie on the designated day.
Even if you haven't watched it in years, or are not participating in the Horror Challenge, please feel free to chime in.
Spoiler tags aren't always used in here, so if you have yet to see the film BEWARE OF POSSIBLE SPOILERS.
_______________________________________
S P O N S O R E D B Y | S P O N S O R E D B Y |
2017 DISCUSSION | 2017 LISTS
Last edited by Chad; 09-30-17 at 02:07 PM.
#2
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: "The Initiation" Reviews/Discussion - 2017 Horror Challenge
Blah blah... nightmares... blah blah... blah blah... insane people... blah blah... rich people...
bla-Boom: someone gets stabbed in the neck with a hand rake first person, now The Initiation has my attention. That was an epic kill scene.
Now back to leering camera sweeps over dressing co-eds in penis costumes.
41 minutes in, needs more kills. If I had to randomly guess the killer I'd guess Peter (the seemingly respectable helper).
No don't let the security guard die off camera! (Cool gimmick with the sunglasses reflection though)
The mall setting is very cool, I never get tired of mall horror movies. I half expected the Chopping Mall robots to round the corner towards the end.
It's really amazing how many times in horror movies some participant will pull out an older newspaper that somehow wonderfully outlines the answer to the mystery - worst plot device ever. For years Kelly has been tormented by nightmares; if only she read the paper.
Great twist with the insane twin, did not see that coming. It's not unlike that other movie where the killer was the lead's secret twin sister.
Edit: I looked it up and that other film I was thinking about with similar ending came out 2 years after this.
bla-Boom: someone gets stabbed in the neck with a hand rake first person, now The Initiation has my attention. That was an epic kill scene.
Now back to leering camera sweeps over dressing co-eds in penis costumes.
41 minutes in, needs more kills. If I had to randomly guess the killer I'd guess Peter (the seemingly respectable helper).
No don't let the security guard die off camera! (Cool gimmick with the sunglasses reflection though)
The mall setting is very cool, I never get tired of mall horror movies. I half expected the Chopping Mall robots to round the corner towards the end.
It's really amazing how many times in horror movies some participant will pull out an older newspaper that somehow wonderfully outlines the answer to the mystery - worst plot device ever. For years Kelly has been tormented by nightmares; if only she read the paper.
Great twist with the insane twin, did not see that coming. It's not unlike that other movie where the killer was the lead's secret twin sister.
Edit: I looked it up and that other film I was thinking about with similar ending came out 2 years after this.
Last edited by Undeadcow; 10-18-17 at 01:30 PM.
#4
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: "The Initiation" Reviews/Discussion - 2017 Horror Challenge
I'm glad I wasn't the only one surprised by the evil twin. When that twin came out, I kept thinking back to the beginning of the film and wondering how obvious they made it then that there were two of them.
#5
Member
Re: "The Initiation" Reviews/Discussion - 2017 Horror Challenge
Pretty sure the first time I watched this I felt that the hypnosis was going to trigger a split personality in Kelly. I had the impression that there were twins, but that one of them had died in the fire, and the surviving girl carried that guilt. Still over all a good film that I watch from time to time.
#6
Re: "The Initiation" Reviews/Discussion - 2017 Horror Challenge
I liked this one and thought it was an above average slasher. The plot was a little more fleshed out than some and kept the first part interesting for me. Malls after closing are always pretty creepy and the one they used was really cool. Not many kills at first but they made up for it once the mall action started. I was also blindsided by the evil twin but it worked well here for some reason. I've seen it in other movies and thought it was just a cheap resolution. Was there any indication at all of a twin earlier in the film?
You can't really think about this one too much but I sure had a great time watching it.
You can't really think about this one too much but I sure had a great time watching it.
#8
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Not Every Man Really Lives
Posts: 1,282
Received 145 Likes
on
97 Posts
Re: "The Initiation" Reviews/Discussion - 2017 Horror Challenge
Dang, I didn't see that coming! No one really came out of this one unscathed. I thought this was a good bit of fun. I wasn't able to find my Arrow blu, but I'm sure it will turn up.
#9
Challenge Guru & Comic Nerd
Re: "The Initiation" Reviews/Discussion - 2017 Horror Challenge
Yeah, that twist surprised me too, even though I'm pretty sure I've seen this before. Think the film is on one of my dozens of multi-film sets, which I haven't really looked at is Challenge.
It was entertaining, and fairly well shot and acted, even if there wasn't too much terribly original. Although I could be wrong on that last bit.
It was entertaining, and fairly well shot and acted, even if there wasn't too much terribly original. Although I could be wrong on that last bit.
#10
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: "The Initiation" Reviews/Discussion - 2017 Horror Challenge
I didn't go back again to watch the part I'm thinking of, but the first dream sequence/flashback with the affair was shot in such a way that I remember wondering if there were two girls, but I chalked it up to dream logic and repressed memories. I didn't think much more about it after that and was then caught totally off guard with the twin twist. That's why I wondered how obvious it was to everyone else.
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Olympic Peninsula, Washington
Posts: 808
Received 232 Likes
on
161 Posts
Re: "The Initiation" Reviews/Discussion - 2017 Horror Challenge
Watched this tonight. I liked it better than "Messiah of Evil". There was more story/plot and a nice twist at the end. I'd give it a 6/10.
#12
Member
Re: "The Initiation" Reviews/Discussion - 2017 Horror Challenge
First time seeing this and I actually really enjoyed it. I tend to have a soft spot for 80's horror films though.
#13
DVD Talk Legend
Re: "The Initiation" Reviews/Discussion - 2017 Horror Challenge
Whoa, Daphne Zuniga.
#14
DVD Talk Legend
Re: "The Initiation" Reviews/Discussion - 2017 Horror Challenge
Heyooo. Ya'll seeing what I see?
Slick.
Slick.