The Initiation (1984)

Director:

Larry Stewart

Writer:

Charles Pratt Jr. (written by)

Release Date:

December 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

. . the night new blood is pledged.

Plot:

Kelly Fairchild has become a college student and a member of the Delta Ro Kai sorority. During all her life...

Plot Keywords:

Sorority | Nightmare | Initiation | Ritual | Prank

Cast

Vera Miles	...	Frances Fairchild
Clu Gulager	...	Dwight Fairchild
Daphne Zuniga	...	Kelly (Terry)
James Read	...	Peter
Marilyn Kagan	...	Marcia
Robert Dowdell	...	Jason Randall
Patti Heider	...	Nurse Higgins
Frances Peterson	...	Megan
Hunter Tylo	...	Alison (as Deborah Morehart)
Paula Knowles	...	Beth
Trey Stroud	...	Ralph
Peter Malof	...	Andy
Christopher Bradley	...	Chad
Joy Jones	...	Heidi
Mary Davis Duncan	...	Gwen
Rusty Meyers	...	Nightwatchman
Christi Michelle Allen	...	Kelly - 9 Years Old
Cheryl Foster	...	Sorority Girl
Diane Page	...	Sorority Girl
Traci Odom	...	Sorority Girl
Melissa Toomin	...	Sorority Girl
Jennifer Suttles	...	Sorority Girl
Dan Dickerson	...	Detective
Ronald M. Hubner	...	Motorcycle Cop
Jerry L. Clark	...	Orderly
Kathy Lee Kennedy	...	Nurse
Lance Funston	...	Student
Andrea Vaccarello	...	Student

Directed by
Larry Stewart

Writing credits
Charles Pratt Jr.		(written by)

Produced by
Jock Gaynor	....	executive producer
Bruce Lansbury	....	executive producer
Scott Winant	....	producer

Original Music by
Gabriel Black
Lance Ong

Cinematography by
George Tirl		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ronald LaVine

Casting by
Anita Dann

Set Decoration by
Ellen Freund

Makeup Department
Michael J. Randall	....	hair stylist
Carla Rulien	....	makeup artist (as Carla Palmer Rulien)

Production Management
John M. Colwell	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John M. Colwell	....	first assistant director
Ned Dowd	....	second assistant director
Terri Martin	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Lynn Covey	....	assistant sets
Lynn Covey	....	props
Brian Cowden	....	assistant sets
Brian Cowden	....	props
Ellen Freund	....	prop master
Jeffrey Scholten	....	assistant sets
Jeffrey Scholten	....	props

Sound Department
Wayne Bell	....	boom operator
David Dockendorf	....	sound re-recording mixer
Harlan Robert Espeset	....	cable person
Anthony Ippolito	....	sound effects editor
Don MacDougall	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Donald MacDougall)
John Pritchett	....	sound mixer
Richard Tyler	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Jack 'Deuce' Bennett II	....	assistant special effects (as Jack Bennett II)
Jack Bennett	....	special effects

Stunts
Gregg Brazzel	....	stuntplayer
Randy Fife	....	stunt coordinator (as Randy 'Fife')
Billie Jean Gaither	....	stuntplayer
Russell Towery	....	stuntplayer (as Russel Towery)

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Dowdell	....	still photographer
Robert Dracup	....	gaffer
Michael Dunson	....	grip
Chris Espeset	....	key grip
Robert Guerrero	....	second assistant camera
Mike Halbert	....	grip
Thomas Hayward Jr.	....	electrician
Daniel Keesey	....	dolly grip
Bill Schwarz	....	best boy
Henry Tirl	....	first assistant camera
Henry Tirl	....	Steadicam assistant (uncredited)

Casting Department
Lee Clark	....	casting: Texas
Karen Vice	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Hilary Courage	....	assistant wardrobe
Robin Cumby	....	wardrobe: Vera Miles, Nouvelle Collections
Shirley Hall Phillips	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Karin Lavine	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Gabriel Black	....	music performer
Douglas M. Lackey	....	music editor (as Douglas Lackey)
Lance Ong	....	music performer

Transportation Department
Robert L. Davis	....	driver (as Bob Davis)
Daniel T. Dickerson	....	driver captain (as Dan Dickerson)
Wayne French	....	driver
Jerry Jackson	....	driver
David McAree	....	driver
Billy Milliken	....	driver

Other crew
Samai Brown	....	production coordinator
Carey Charles	....	consultant: psychology (as Dr. Carey Charles)
Kathy Jo Clark	....	production secretary
Ann Colvin	....	assistant to producer
Terry Cullender	....	production assistant
Joel Dreyer	....	consultant: psychology (as Joel Dreyer M.D.)
Wade Duncan	....	location manager
Gregory Hinton	....	production consultant
Mary H. Lansbury	....	assistant to executive producer
Terri Martin	....	production assistant
Anne Rapp	....	script supervisor
Kimberley Scripps	....	production assistant
A.Z. Smith	....	production auditor
J. Grey Smith	....	production assistant
Sandy Smith	....	production auditor

Production Companies

• Georgian Bay Productions
• Initiation Associates

Distributors

• New World Pictures (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (1985) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Starmaker Video (video)
• Thorn EMI Video (198?) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Cancutit  negative cutting
• Colonial Wood Training Center  Arabian horses supplied by (as Colonial Wood)
• Creative Film Arts  titles and opticals
• Cutter Bill  wardrobe: Clu Gulager
• Gomillion Sound  post production (as Gomillion Sound, Inc.)
• Motion Picture Catering  catering
• Movielab  color (as Movielab, Inc.)
• Nouvelle Collections  wardrobe: Vera Miles
• People of Dallas and Fort Worth, The  the producers wish to express their gratitude to: for their unfailing generosity and enthusiasm in the making of this motion picture
• Preferred Sound  music recorded at
• Third Coast Productions (II)  special production services (as Third Coast Productions {Ft. Worth})
• Timothy's  shoes provided by
• Victor Duncan  camera and lighting equipment
• Western World  wardrobe: Clu Gulager

Also Known As:

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | USA:R | Iceland:16 | West Germany:18 | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Dallas, Texas, USA

Company:

Georgian Bay Productions

Trivia:

The first feature starring role for Daphne Zuniga.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: During the beginning of the initiation ritual, the girls' chanting does not match their lip movements, and many of the actresses are clearly not speaking at all.

Movie Connections:

References The House on Sorority Row (1983)

Nice scary flick. You shall enjoy

The Initiation is about a girl (thats in a sorority (pretty hot Daphne Zuniga) and her friends of the phrat who must go into a mall at night and steal the nightwatchman's uniform to be initiated into this sorority there trying to join. (Also, she has amnesia about when she was younger and keeps having a weird nightmare). Well, they get stuck in the MALL locked up with a killer who may be a part of her past. It is a very good and creepy film that you should check ! I rate it **** out of 4.