Blu-ray Review: The Initiation (1984) is a slasher with mystery and psychological thriller plot points

The Initiation (1984)—directed by Larry Stewart—is a slasher film that incorporates mystery and psychological thriller plot points. It was a late entry in the slasher cycle that began with John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978), and continued with imitators such as Friday the 13th (1980). But The Initiation proves to be a film far superior to many other movies that preceded it. In this college-based slasher, Kelly (Daphne Zuniga) is a student who has been plagued by a recurring nightmare. In addition to dealing with the troubling dream, she is pledging a sorority and must break into her father’s department store at night—alongside some other pledges—to complete a hazing ritual. What begins as an innocent prank turns deadly when the young coeds get locked inside the building and are stalked by a killer. This film has a fascinating story, interesting characters, and stylish cinematography.

Although it is not entirely original, The Initiation takes the slasher movie to unexpected places. At the beginning of the film, the viewer is presented with the recurring dream. It involves Kelly’s mother, father, another man, and mirrors. The two men grapple with each other and one of them suffers burns from the fireplace. At the end of the dream sequence, a child is stabbing an adult. This is familiar territory for slasher films—this same type of scene occurred at the beginning of Halloween when a six-year-old Michael Myers stabbed his teenage sister. But in The Initiation, the identity of the child performing the stabbing is not clear. The viewer is left with other lingering questions, too. Who is the other man? What is the significance of the mirrors?

Halfway through the story, the setting changes to Kelly’s father’s department store, The Fairchild building. Although the building is described as a mall, it is actually a market for wholesalers to display their products for buyers. George A. Romero’s horror film Dawn of the Dead (1978) used a mall as a location, but no other slasher had yet used this type of setting. Since it is after business hours, the mall atmosphere is eerie. When the pledges realize that they are locked inside the building with a killer, the suspense builds quickly. The various stores and merchandise on display provide opportunities for creative killings.

In addition to a profound story, The Initiation features interesting characters. Kelly, the troubled main character, cannot remember her past. Her history and relationships with her family members is delineated here in a way that is rare for these types of films. This was Daphne Zuniga’s first feature film role, and her character is very likeable. Zuniga went on to have success in other films such as Modern Girls (1986) and Spaceballs (1987), as well as the television series Melrose Place.

Kelly’s friends and fellow sorority pledges Beth (Paula Knowles) and Marcia (Marilyn Kagan) are smart and kind. Alison (Deborah Morehart) is a more adventurous girl looking forward to the fun of sorority life. The actress credited as Deborah Morehart is actually Hunter Tylo, who went on to a recurring role in the successful soap opera The Bold & the Beautiful. In contrast to the other women, Megan (Frances Peterson), the sorority’s leader, is a mean-spirited person. Frat boys Ralph (Trey Stroud) and Andy (Peter Malof), the pledges’ love-interests, are obnoxious buffoons.

The Initiation features actors who knew how to make the most of the subtleties of the script, especially Clu Gulager and Vera Miles as Kelly’s parents Dwight and Frances Fairchild. Miles worked with Alfred Hitchcock and was the heroine of Psycho (1960), a classic film with elements of the slasher movie. Gulager went on to be in other horror films, such as The Return of the Living Dead (1985) and A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985). Both of these actors, especially Miles, bring depth and emotion to their scenes.

Even the more minor characters are interesting. Peter (James Read) is a college teacher fascinated by the interpretation of dreams. He genuinely wants to help Kelly and he invites her to sleep in his dream laboratory on campus so that he can gain clues to understand her recurring nightmare. Heidi (Joy Jones) is his assistant. She is very practical and develops a bit of jealousy as she notices that Peter may have feelings toward Kelly.

As with the acting, the cinematography is good. George Tirl, the director of photography, provided visual style to the film. From the soft focus of the opening dream sequence to the frightening scenes from the killer’s point of view, there is a unique flair to the shots. Shadows are also put to good use.

The quality of this 2016 Blu-ray release from Arrow Video is outstanding. The film was newly scanned and restored in 2K from its original 35mm camera negative. The film is presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with mono sound. There are many special features: (1) a brand-new audio commentary by The Hysteria Continues (2) “Sorority Saga”—a brand-new interview with writer Charles Pratt, Jr. (3) “Pledge Night”—a brand-new interview with actor Christopher Bradley (4) “Dream Job”—a brand new interview with actress Joy Jones (5) an extended scene (6) the original theatrical trailer (7) the original screenplay & production schedule (BD-ROM content).

The Initiation is an intriguing and involving story. It shares many of the trappings typical of slasher films, but introduces enough of its own material to elevate it above many films that preceded it in the sub-genre. There is more character development in The Initiation than there is in superficial slasher films, and more thought given to the themes. The story has a sense of mystery throughout as the killer is not revealed until the end. Although The Initiation was a late entrant in the slasher cycle, it is a more interesting piece of work than other films in its category.