COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - THE INITIATION OF SARAH (ARROW BLU-RAY)
College is a strange time in a young person’s life. They are the years when you are becoming the person you will be for the rest of your life and, in many cases, constantly testing the limits of your body’s alcohol tolerance. One aspect of the collegiate life that has been the topic of many a horror film is greek life like fraternities and sororities. It's easy to see why horror films focus on this aspect of university traditions because it is rife with mystery, ritual, and robes. Lots and lots of robes. Fraternities and Sororities are seldom shown in a positive light in horror and are usually a means to make someone else feel like an outsider or outcast. Greek organizations on campus’ thrive off of exclusivity and often carry bad reputations for being troublesome, bully-like, and usually absolute party animals. Movies like BLACK CHRISTMAS, HOUSE ON SORORITY ROW, HELL NIGHT, and THE INITIATION are just some of the many campus-based films that in some way reference Greek Life. Leave it to ARROW FILMS to dig up an obscure 70s-era made-for-TV movie, THE INITIATION OF SARAH, and give it the white glove blu ray treatment. The crypt has gotten our hands on a copy of this release thanks to our fine friends at MVD ENTERTAINMENT, and let’s see if this is a title worth initiating into your collection!
Unfortunately, the only trailer I could find without linking to another boutique-label is a TV spot.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Shy misfit Sarah Goodwin has a secret gift: the ability to control — and destroy — with her mind. When Sarah goes off to college with her more outgoing and popular sister, Patty, their plans to join the most prestigious sorority on campus are scuttled by the snobby president, Jennifer Lawrence. Separated from her sister, Sarah is taken in by a rival, less popular sorority, whose mysterious house mother, Mrs. Hunter, harbors a secret of her own: a scheme to harness Sarah’s terrifying power for revenge. Betrayed by Patty, and humiliated by Jennifer, it can only be a matter of time before Sorority Hell Week erupts in flame!
HOW IS IT?
Before diving into this review it might help to share that I was in a fraternity in college. While in some ways it was as stereotypical as you might think, it was also entirely different than I expected. I joined a fraternity that had on average 25-30 active members for the four years I was in school. In comparison to other houses on campus, we were at best 50% smaller, but it was more like 75% if I’m being honest. Sure, we did some very bro-like things like get absolutely shit-faced, prank each other, and put together formals (aka “date dashes”), but we were also a really random group of people. While I wouldn’t go as far as to say we were like the PED sorority in THE INITIATION OF SARAH, we were a hybrid between that and the “The Pit” from PCU. I share all of this because it changes the way I watch movies that have anything to do with Greek Life since I have had a first-hand experience with the system’s best and worst sides. The sad truth is, much of the bullying and othering that occurs is all-too-real even when I was in school over 15 years ago. In THE INITIATION OF SARAH, we get a textbook college drama that is infused with a telepathic main character and a satanic house mother. On paper, this sounds like a lot of fun, and for the most part, it is.
When we are first introduced to our two sisters, Sarah and Patty, it is beset with the timeless scenario of sexual assault. Patty has been wooed into the ocean by a young man who isn’t taking no for an answer, at which point Sarah uses her telepathic abilities to shove the assaulter off of Patty into the water so she can escape. This relationship between Sarah and Patty is the cornerstone of the movie as they both go off to the same college together and we learn that Sarah is adopted and they are not birth sisters. This does not phase them, despite their own mother showing an obvious preference for Patty. From early on we are made aware that Sarah doesn’t fit in, and Patty has no trouble with it. The relationship between these two changes the longer the film goes on as they both pursue rival sororities and a sense of betrayal infects their connection to one another. The film does a good job of establishing the drama as the film spends the majority of the runtime showing how far the two drift apart from each other and the adverse effect it has on Sarah. The sorority sisters of Alpha Nu Sigma are the epitome of collegiate “mean girls” and are led by Jennifer (MORGAN FAIRCHILD) who is pitch-perfect as the diabolical figurehead of the sisterhood whose sole mission is to torment those she deems lesser to her and her sisters. While it is easy to believe most of what happens, the choice by Patty to join the Alpha Nu Sigma in spite of how they treated Sarah doesn’t seem all too believable given their relationship, even if this is an essential choice for the story.
Since this is a made-for-TV film, it is light on some of the more morbid aspects of the horror genre. Aside from a few moments where Sarah uses her powers to shove people around, the bulk of the horror stuff happens in the last 15-minutes where we see our satanic housemother Erica Hunter (SHELLEY WINTERS) bring a whole new meaning to Hell Week. Despite not being as action-packed as the kind of horror I enjoy this was a pretty enjoyable and entertaining watch. It certainly did drag in the middle as the story slowly builds towards the conclusion, but I was surprised at engaged I was with the story throughout. Much of this has to do with the acting which is great all-around and the pulpiness of the melodrama. It’s hard not to compare the film to CARRIE, and in a way, it almost feels like a spiritual sequel as the character of Sarah shares the same timidness that SISSY SPACEK displayed in DEPALMA’s adaptation. That said, this doesn’t reach the level of violence that CARRIE does so be forewarned if you are going in and expecting a bloodbath. There is something charming about THE INITIATION OF SARAH, and if you fancy yourself a fan of soap opera-esque made-for-TV supernatural thrillers you should definitely seek this one out!
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
It's funny to think that I grew up when pan & scan technology was the default for home video viewing, and yet, the ubiquity of HD televisions over the past decade has now made me a snob when I see things presented in 4:3. Given this movie was made for television, it isn’t reasonable to expect any other version in another aspect ratio to be out there, but I digress. ARROW does a good job with this transfer even if the source materials seem rough. Most noticeable is the opening 5 minutes and credits where a series of beach scenes seem to take place during both night and day, with what is either really poor lighting decisions or damaged source materials causing things to look far darker than they should. Beyond these initial missteps, the rest of the transfer looks smooth and crisp considering the film's age.
THE INITIATION OF SARAH is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The original 35mm negative was scanned in 4K resolution and then the film was graded and restored in 2K. Screenshots of the film are used throughout the review and below:
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
As is the case with films of this time, the sound mix here is a very basic mono audio track. The sound is crisp and clear, and ARROW VIDEO note that they used the original audio mix for the remastered version heard on the disc.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
One of the best things about reviewing these kinds of films for the crypt is that I am obligated to watch the special features. While I tend to do this on occasion in my personal viewing, for the crypt I believe it is my duty to check out the other stuff on the disc so you can make the right buying decision as to if it should be a part of your collection. While many special features follow similar patterns, sometimes there are discs that have some interesting and helpful supplemental material that are great companions for understanding the film more broadly. Case in point, of the three special features I watched on this disc all of them offered up more academic and sociological readings of the film overall. As a film student by major, these kinds of special features are my junk food and here they do not disappoint. First, there are two video essays included that offer their interpretations of the film from two different perspectives. In the first Welcome to Hell Week: A Pledge’s Guide to the Initiation of Sarah, the co-hosts of the GAYLORDS OF DARKNESS podcast provide a lighter and more personal interpretation of the film touching on the not-so-subtle homoerotic references and the queer elements of the film as a whole.
In the second video essay, Cracks in the Sisterhood: Second Wave Feminism and The Initiation of Sarah, film critic, and historian ALEXANDRA HELLER-NICHOLAS provides a more academic view of the film as she examines how the film perpetuates negative and positive aspects of the feminist movement of the time. Also, how the theme of sisterhood is used literally and figuratively in various ways. Finally, during The Intimations of Sarah, film critic SAMANTHA MCLAREN delivers a 16-minute interview on the role of Witchcraft in this film and other similar genre films like CARRIE where the “young, innocent, psychic girl” is front-and-center.
What separates ARROW from so many other labels out there is their attention to detail for even the most obscure films. Watching these three features gave me a much deeper appreciation for the film, its fans, and the themes that it touches on. A full list of the special features included on this disc is below:
Brand new audio commentary by TV Movie expert Amanda Reyes
Welcome to Hell Week: A Pledge’s Guide to the Initiation of Sarah, a brand new appreciation by film critic Stacie Ponder and Queer Horror programmer Anthony Hudson, co-hosts of the Gaylords of Darkness podcast, celebrating the film through a queer feminist lens
Cracks in the Sisterhood: Second Wave Feminism and The Initiation of Sarah, a brand new visual essay by film critic and historian Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
The Intimations of Sarah, a brand new interview with film critic Samantha McLaren looking at witchcraft, empowerment, TV movies, and telekinetic shy girls post Carrie
The Initiation of Tom, a brand new interview with Tom Holland on this his first film writing credit
Image gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Luke Insect
FIRST PRESSING ONLY fully-illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Lindsay Hallam and Alexandra West
LAST RITES
THE INITIATION OF SARAH is a surprising gem from the oft-forgotten made-for-TV sub-genre. Thanks to the fine folks at ARROW FILMS, this ABC film gets a chance at finding new audiences with a host of special features to satisfy those looking for a deeper reading. A worthy addition to your collection!
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you again to our friends at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy for the crypt! THE INITIATION OF SARAH releases in NORTH AMERICA on JUNE 21, 2022!
Order your copy at MVD ENTERTAINMENT or ARROW DIRECT
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