Hell Night
Four pledges to Alpha Sigma Rho are to stay overnight in Garth Mansion, a house with a horrible past of murder and suicide. Many years ago, Raymond and Lillian Garth resided in Garth Mansion, but they didn't rely on any modern technology, making the house very rundown. The two made several attempts at having children, but they all had birth defects, all being mentally retarded. After having three children, Andrew was finally given birth, but he never spoke a word until the age of 14. Raymond Garth finally snapped and killed his entire family, including himself. Left was a detailed account of the gruesome act and Andrew who witnessed the slaughter of his whole family. Although, many bodies were not found, along with Andrew, who some believe to be still living in the house.
The four pledges, Marti (Linda Blair of 1973's The Exorcist), Jeff (Peter Barton), Denise (Suki Goodwin), and Seth (Vincent Van Patten), are to stay overnight in the mansion, as part of an initiation rite into Alpha Sigma Rho. The teenagers in charge of the fraternity pull pranks on the pledges, trying to make them believe the legend of Garth Mansion, thus making them very scared. One of the supposed pranks includes a chain-and-shackle-bound ghost that walks towards Marti, who at the moment, is unable to leave the dark room.
Soon enough, the pledges start to believe that this isn't a joke anymore, when the house's horrible past comes back to haunt them. A night of sheer terror induces, as a vicious, deformed madman stalks and kills them one by one. There's virtually no way out, as the sharp-pointed gate is locked, as a part of the initiation. As the pledges try to survive the night, the killer gets closer and closer...
What makes this a very entertaining and good horror movie are the many scares that sometimes catch you offhand, as well as the Kimberly Crest House and Gardens in Redlands, California, which serve as the huge, creepy mansion. Also, the cast is very likeable, especially Linda Blair in the role as the final, screaming girl, who's a little smarter than the usual scream queen. The photography is very well-done and sustains a spooky atmosphere, almost straight out of a Scooby Doo episode! Many tense moments include scenes where one male pledge attempts to climb over the sharp-pointed gate, and another scene where the killer sneaks quietly up behind Blair and Barton's characters.
The VHS and DVD re-release by Anchor Bay Entertainment is pretty enjoyable for fans of the 1981 slasher, the DVD containing the widescreen presentation, theatrical trailer, two TV spots, talent bios, and thoroughly insightful commentary by star Linda Blair, director Tom DeSimone, and producers Irwin Yablans and Bruce Cohn Curtis. Certainly an improvement over the now defunct Media and Video Treasures VHS tapes, the DVD and VHS re-release have been digitally remastered, and some cropping was done to delete visible boom mikes, which I had grown accustomed to!
This very original and enjoyably entertaining horror movie has always been a favorite of mine, ever since I was very young, but is often just stapled as another Halloween clone, while it's not, but is from the same company, Compass International. Of course, this one has its share of cheese, but there's more of a focus on scaring audiences. There's a slight plot twist that's confusing, if you don't listen to the story of Garth Mansion. Definitely recommended to horror movie and Linda Blair fans alike.
