gwnightscream This 1984 horror film stars Daphne Zuniga, Vera Miles, James Read, Hunter Tylo and Clu Gulager. Zuniga (Spaceballs) plays Kelly, a college student who is having bad dreams about an incident that occurred when she was a kid. She seeks help from professor, Peter (Read) to interpret what the dreams mean. She is also pledging a sorority and in order to get in, she and her friends must break into her father's department store where a mysterious killer stalks them. Miles (Psycho & Psycho II) plays Kelly's mother, Frances, Gulager (A Nightmare on Elm Street 2, Return of the Living Dead) plays her father, Dwight and Tylo (The Bold and the Beautiful) plays her friend, Alison. This isn't a bad 80's slasher flick with a decent cast & chilling score. If you're a fan of the genre, you may want to check it out.

callanvass Kelly Fairchild (Daphne Zuniga) is a member of the Delta Ro Kai sorority with a haunted past. She has a recurring dream about a man sleeping with her father, and burning. She meets a professor who tries to help her uncover the mystery of her dream, but her mother (Vera Miles) doesn't want her to see him. For the initiation, the girls are forced to spend a night in her stepfather's department store. How can people ignore this underrated gem? It's not that original, but it's very entertaining, and far better than many of the 80's slashers that were coming out left and right at this juncture. The 80's were the golden age of slashers. This tends to be shoved aside with many other slashers, and I think it's highly unfair. It's really solid from a psychological standpoint. It makes sure to build up the suspense (That scene at the mental institution *Brrr*) the characters, and most importantly, the story. There was some thought put into this slasher, and it wasn't just thrown together to make a quick buck. The Fairfield department story was a nice choice for an ominous setting. It's very eerie, and easy to get scared. This was back when sororities were a thing, but this is set up a lot better than the norm. I felt Daphne Zuniga was an excellent heroine. Since her character is written so well, with a strong background, I was able to be fully involved in her plight. She's a natural scream queen, and a cutie to boot. Her character is also refreshingly unpredictable. I was never fully sure where her character was heading. Vera Miles is very good as the drunken mother. Her character alternates between unlikable and sympathetic. James Read is fitfully effective as the concerned professor. Clu Gulager doesn't have a whole lot to do, but his character plays a key part. The gorgeous Hunter Tylo makes her acting debut as well. She is most famous for The Bold and the Beautiful. It's not a gore fest, but we do get some blood. Bloody stabbings, object in the throat, decapitation (off screen) Axe in the head, arrow in the back, and more. It was pretty average. Before I give my final thoughts on this movie, I have to mention the shocking twist ending. It knocked me silly. I actually yelled out "Holy @###" When you've seen tons of slashers like I have, you tend to see most twists coming. I can honestly tell you I didn't expect this one. It's one of the best endings in the history of slasher films in my opinionFinal Thoughts: I enjoyed this movie a lot. It has a lot going for it. It's highly suspenseful, scary, and well made. It's one of those gems that sneak up on you when you least expect it. If you can find it, and you're a big horror movie fan like I am, it's well worth seeing7.4/10

FilmFatale Kelly has horrible nightmares with mirrors and burning men - but her days aren't much easier since she has to deal with Delta Rho Chi sister Megan, who's trying to make pledge Kelly's life hell. Megan decides the pledges' initiation prank will be to sneak into Kelly's dad's store and steal the security guard's uniform. Meanwhile, Kelly starts letting a hunky grad student analyze her dreams. Oh, and there's a big multiple-inmate escape at the insane asylum. These three threads come together on one blood-soaked night.I remember watching The Initiation years ago, but I always get it mixed up with 2 or 3 other similar films from that time. Being able give it my complete attention, I found that I really enjoyed it. The Initiation has everything I look for in an 80s slasher and the characters are actually pretty likable. I can really only think of two problems with it - there's not a lot of gore (even though there's a decent body count) and there's a really stupid out-of-left-field twist at the end. It's not as terrible as the Happy Birthday to Me twist, but it's still goofy. I'm happy that I was able to revisit this one, and you might enjoy it if you enjoy 80s slashers too.

ryannemetz The Initation is a product of good old 80's slasher formula. Just by the title you are probably assuming that this deals with a sorority pledge, which it does. Daphene (Melrose Place) Zuniga, who plays Kelly Fairchild is tormented from childhood nightmare memories. However, Kelly is now in college and she wants to join a sorority group. The initiation prank involves spending the night inside of an empty mall. While the college kids are trapped inside of the mall, they begin to get killed off as the night progresses. This movie moves along well. I especially like the fact that it's set inside of a mall. Other successes which are set inside of a mall include Jim Wynorski's "Chopping Mall," "Dawn of the Dead" and "Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge." I don't know exactly what it is, but I enjoy that setting for a horror film. I also appreciate the acting capabilities of one Clu (Return of the Living Dead) Gulager. This guy is an awesome actor, no matter what role he is faced with. It also has some good fatalities in it. Check out the one with the arrow, it was right on point:) "The Initiation" is very comparable to such films as "Slumber Party Massacre," "House on Sorority Row" and "Scream" As one who frequently watches horror movies, I do recommend this one!