Oh here we go again. A college slasher
from the 80s. But hey, "The Initiation" was surprisingly an effective and playful little slasher item and delivered on what you look for in these ilk of presentations. While nothing groundbreaking, I thought it stood out. It has some clever touches, adds moments of mystery, tension, ominous atmospherics, and the ghoulish violence has a real nasty streak, a Burt Reynolds poster pops up and the characters are resilient. You got some veteran actors in Vera Miles and Clu Culager. Likable teens played by Daphne Zuniga, Frances Peterson and Hunter Tylo. Then there's good support from James Read, Paula Knowles and Robert Dowdell.
What takes a while to get going, only does so to build-up its story arches and characters before reaching its outrageous stalk and slash traits when everything erupts in its creepily daunting after-hours shopping mall setting. It does have a soap-like quality, where it does get silly when it comes to the end with a shockingly hysterical revelation. The first half of the film sets itself up by concentrating on our heroine's (an affable Zuniga) traumatic recurring nightmare, where she goes about trying to understand it with the help of an assistant professor (Read). While her parents are trying to keep her past secret, which only comes to the forefront when they're told of a breakout of a patient from an asylum. But also Kelly and a few friends are about to undertake a sorority pledge, involving sneaking into a shopping mall one night to steal the security guard's uniform where everything comes together.
The direction is durably crafted with style and a budget to boot. Slick photography and numerous killer POV shots. Even the music score keeps the mood spot on. Traditional, but entertaining.
"There's nothing to be afraid of."
