Customer Reviews

Initiation of Sarah [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Yes, The Initiation of Sarah was inspired by Carrie -- but it also surpasses Carrie. For unlike Carrie, The Initiation of Sarah was a TV-movie, hence subject to budgetary and censorial restraints. But it overcame these restraints, even turning them to its advantage by emphasizing story and acting and atmosphere over shocks and gore. It's my personal favorite horror TV-movie, better than the oft-cited and rightly praised The Night Stalker.

The Initiation of Sarah tells a common tale: A young high school/summer camp/college nerd is long picked on, then finally retaliates. In the horror genre, the nerd often employs supernatural powers, or is severely injured in a "prank gone bad" so that he becomes an Überpsycho.

The Initiation of Sarah, like Carrie and The Craft, follows the former pattern. Like Carrie, Sarah (Kay Lenz) has telekinetic powers, which manifest when she's angered. But as she is unable to control its destructive potential, and being a good-hearted nerdy girl, Sarah suppresses her powers.

The film begins with Sarah and her half-sister, Patty (Morgan Brittany), going off to college. Both pledge the campus's elite sorority, ANS (Alpha Nu Sigma), but ANS only accepts the beautiful Patty, not the mousy Sarah. Instead, Sarah joins the brainy PED (Phi Epsilon Delta -- which the svelte ANS girls refer to as Pigs, Elephants, and Dogs).

ANS is led by the beautiful and bitchy Jennifer (Morgan Fairchild), who pressures Patty into tormenting Sarah. Meanwhile, the timid Sarah finds new friends at PED, including Allison (Talia Balsom, Martin "Psycho" Balsom's daughter, and star of The Kindred and The Supernaturals) and Mouse (Tisa Farrow, Mia's sister, and star of Zombie and Grim Reaper). Several other cast members (some very minor) are the daughters, nieces, and sisters of famous thesps -- a gimmick employed by the film.

Sarah also comes under the wings of PED's loopy house mother, Mrs. Hunter (Shelley Winters), who teaches "anthropology and belief systems in primitive cultures." Naturally, she's also a practicing witch. The evil Satanic kind.

The film follows the usual trajectory. Sarah is rejected and tormented, encouraged to develop and use her powers for revenge, everything finally culminating in a fiery cataclysm. Yet within the framework of its familiar story conventions, the film offers much.

Its strongest asset is Kay Lenz, whose physical appearance, body language, mannerisms, and expressions consistently capture the nuanced timidity of a girl nerd. Consider Sarah maneuvering silently amid the ANS party-goers. In her dowdy cardigan sweater, the 5'1" Lenz holds herself together, trying to avoid touching anyone as she squeezes past the exuberant taller girls chattering over her. The insecure Sarah strains to be inconspicuous, painfully self-conscious despite the beautiful ANS girls' obliviousness to her. It's a short scene, but The Initiation of Sarah is full of such moments when Lenz shines as Sarah.

The one flaw in Lenz's portrayal is when the ANS girls fling mud and vegetables at Sarah, who stands screaming rather than retreat into the house. But most likely, this was Robert Day's direction. A small mistake, in an overall fine job as director. (No, I don't buy that Sarah was "too shocked" to move -- just as I rarely buy that horror's legions of screaming women are too shocked to move whenever a monster lumbers toward them.)

The rest of the cast is competent-to-stellar. Tisa Farrow is best known to horror fans as the star of Zombie, yet her portrayal of Mouse is her best horror (or even non-horror) performance. In The Initiation of Sarah, Farrow is less spacey and distant than usual -- infusing Mouse with pain, insecurity, trepidation, despondency, and an occasionally distraught edge (Mouse had attempted suicide).

Morgan Fairchild's Jennifer is a proper bitch, more nuanced that most movie/TV bitches, shifting from girlish camaraderie, to coy flirtation, subtle slights, and raw cruelty. Shelley Winters gives a stammering, hyperactive, hammy performance, which is inappropriate against Lenz's realism, but is still mildly fun to watch. Perhaps the celebrated Winters did not think this horror TV-movie was worth a serious effort, but Lenz and Farrow demonstrate that it was.

To fully appreciate The Initiation of Sarah, one should compare it to The Craft (1996), an overrated and inferior film about four nerdy high school girls who employ witchcraft to take vengeance on their bitchy oppressors.

The Craft is a heavy-handed mess, overstated in every way that The Initiation of Sarah is subtle. Both films have stereotypical WASPy blond bitches. Yet Morgan Fairchild's Jennifer knows when to withdraw and feign decency. (ANS girls call it "tact"). Conversely, The Craft's Laura Lizzie (Christine Taylor) is openly racist, brazenly calling a black nerd (Rachel True) "the N word" in public.

Sorry. Whatever she may say in private, I just don't buy that a sophisticated teenager would publicly shout "the N word" in an elite California school in 1996. Maybe in 1956, but not 1996. Even Jennifer, whose film is set in 1978, knows better.

And although Jennifer (like Laura) is vicious, when publicly called on it, Jennifer immediately retreats and says it was "just a stupid joke." The Craft eschews such realism. It "tries too hard" to establish Laura's villainy (and subsequent reformation). The Craft's heavy-handedness, its stark blacks and whites, ring false. Not a problem in The Initiation of Sarah.

Now compare the nerds. The nerds of PED look like nerds. Dowdy, plain, or overweight. Even the pretty Lenz and Farrow manage, through costuming and body language, to portray proper nerds. Conversely, in The Craft, two of the four nerds (Robin Tunney and Rachel True) are way too attractive to be treated as nerds.

(Of the other two nerds, Fairuza Balk can be pretty, but is effectively distorted by her Goth makeup; and Neve Campbell's nerd passes because of her physical -- and resultant emotional -- injuries).

Despite its big studio theatrical budget, and 1990s special effects, The Craft fails in every way that The Initiation of Sarah succeeds.

(The Initiation of Sarah also compares favorably to The Spell, yet another TV movie about a tormented nerd girl with telekinetic powers, who is yet again tutored by an elder woman (played by an overbearing Lelia Goldoni, the mousy wife from The Unseen)).

The Initiation of Sarah also surpasses the average TV-movie in every area. TV lighting (especially in older TV-movies) tends to be flatter than in cinema, as TV screens display a smaller color palette than does film stock. Despite this, The Initiation of Sarah is especially atmospheric (credit to cinematographer Ric Waite), especially in its murkily-lit photography of the PED sorority house.

The film has some plot holes, or at least raises issues that remain unaddressed (e.g., the fate of Sarah's birth mother; and where is Mr. Hunter?). The classrooms are underpopulated (trying to save money by hiring few extras?). Gore is limited, this being a TV-movie.

Even so, The Initiation of Sarah is an underrated horror gem. An engrossing (if familiar) story, performed by a talented cast. Kay Lenz's portrayal of the nerdy Sarah would alone be enough to make The Initiation of Sarah worth seeing.

The lovely Kay Lenz stars in this teenage/supernatural suspense-thriller as a campus outcast who uses her secret powers to reap revenge on her tormentors. She is aided by her strange housemother(Shelley Winters) who also happens to be a witch. Fun and entertaining, in a juvenile sort-of-way, THE INITIATION OF SARAH is a sometimes effective variation on the standard CARRIE/teen misfit theme, made doubly enjoyable by Shelley Winters' hammy performance. She and the rest of the cast are clearly having a ball, and they make it well worth your 90minutes.

As a teenager, this was one of my favorite television movies. It has some similarities to the movie, "Carrie". It is about two sister who go away to college. They promise to stay together, but are soon separated as they both join different sororities. Patti, the outgoing sister, is asked to join the most popular sorority. Her sister, Sarah, joins the most unpopular sorority. Sarah is taunted by her sister's new sorority friends. Little do they know that Sarah has psyho-kinetic powers. Sarah's sorority house mother practices and teaches witchcraft. She senses Sarah's special powers and decides to try and help her become stronger. Everything leads up to a shocking climax on Initiation Day. The cast is very familiar. Kay Lenz does a good job playing the part of Sarah. Morgan Fairchild plays the part of Patti's snobby sorority sister. Shelly Winters is the crazy house mother. Morgan Brittany plays the part of Patti.

I saw this movie when it premiered on TV (I think on ABC) back in 1978. Since I was only 11 years old and had not seen "Carrie" yet (I wouldn't catch that till a year later, in edited form on TV, of course), it scared the hell out of me. In other words, I liked it quite a bit! :)

I think that this would be a good movie to get if you have a son/daughter between 11-13 that likes to be scared, but isn't ready for a real hardcore horror movie yet. It'll scare them sufficiently! :)

I, like most of the reviewers here, first saw this movie on television in 1978. It is great fun with stellar performances by the entire cast. Shelley Winters turns in a wickedly "funny-hammy" performance which borders on the ridiculous at times. Kay Lenz as the scapegoat girl with telekinetic powers (ala Carrie)is superb. Morgan Fairchild as the lead villainess and tauntress of Lenz is equally fine.

The payoff at the end, for me, is disappointing. Instead of following the "formulaic" horror theme where the heroine dies to sacrifice herself, I wish the writers had taken another route, namely, to have Sarah visit Jennifer who has been horribly disfigured into an ugly old crone and make her realize that cruelty and laughter at the expense of someone else doesn't pay. I would have loved to have seen the after-effect...that would have been great. That is why I give this movie four stars instead of five.

AND SHELLY WINTERS AS THE HOUSEMOTHER IS TERRIFIC. I SAW THIS MOVIE YEARS AGO ON TV. SO THAT'S HOW I'M REVIEWING IT. I'M SURE THEIR ARE SOME PARTS THEY COULDN'T SHOW ON TV THAT THIS VIDEO WILL HAVE. IT'S ABOUT 2 SISTERS, PATTY AND SARA, WHO GO OFF TO COLLEGE. PATTY IS PRETTY, POPULAR AND OUTGOING. SARA (PLAYED BY KAY LENZ) IS MORE PLAIN LOOKING, NOT POPULAR AT ALL AND VERY SHY, OH AND SHE IS A WITCH. MORGAN FAIRCHIELD PLAYS A GIRL WHO IS THE HEAD OF A SOROITY THAT PATTY GET INTO. SHE TRIES TO PULL THE SISTER APART. SHELLY WINTERS IN THE HOUSEMOTHER OF THE SOROITY THAT SARA IS IN AND SHE IS ALSO A WITCH. SHE TRIES TO GET SARA TO USE HER POWERS TO DESTROY THE PEOPLE WHO LAUGH AT HER AND DO TERRIBLE THINGS TO HER. THIS WAS BEFORE CARRIE AND ALTHOUGH THE STORIES ARE SIMILAR THIS ONE IS MORE TAME. IT IS ALSO WITHOUT THE RELIGIOUS ASPECTS. THIS IS STILL A GOOD WATCH-MAYBE TO RENT. NOT TO OWN.

Its a shame that while the less-than-stellar so called "remake" is readily available on DVD, the original made-for-TV classic sits locked away in a vault somewhere. This one's got a much more engrossing storyline and a GREAT cast featuring Morgan Brittany, Morgan Fairchild, Kay Lenz, Robert Hays and of course the inimitable Shelley Winters. Many people fondly remember this from its original 1978 airing. I bet very few will remember the stupid remake 30+ years from now.

I also saw this when a pre-teen and I never forgot it. To me, it was MUCH better, more subtle and creepy than Carrie. I identified a lot with Sarah, as I felt just like her, timid, self-conscious, was bullied and taunted in school a bit, etc. I loved how 'powerful' she was, though, and like perhaps many timid girls, wished they had powers like this, as well :) One of the words and scenes that stuck with me about this movie was: 'So Be It!' and Sarah's intense look. Years later, I forgot the name of this movie and could never find it, until accidentally finding it while searching for movies to view online on Netflix. YAY! So I happily watched it again last night and even though it's campy and sub-par acting for this day and age, there is STILL that intenseness, subtlety and creepiness about it. Kay Lenz I thought was awesome in her role and was believable as a timid, self-conscious, tho powerful character. Morgan Fairchild also did an outstanding job as the prissy, snobby, rich sorority girl. If this movie were on DVD, I'd add it to my collection for old time's sake, and memories. I'd still re-watch it from time to time, too. If you like 'secret society initiation' creepy movies like this, you'll also like The Skulls trilogy of movies, as well. Also similar: The Covenant, The Fraternity, The Craft.

I saw this for the first time in years yesterday and remember how much I liked it. A horror story (let's use that term loosely for this one) will always be more effective if our main character draws us in with an element of empathy, and Kay Lenz as Sarah Goodwin does this beautifully. You felt the same way for Sissy Spacek in the original version of the Carrie film. You don't get this feeling with the remakes of either film, and I really have to question why most remakes of almost any film are necessary at all.

Lenz sparkles as the mousy, bookish, Sarah in comparison with her beautiful, outgoing sister Patty (the beautiful Morgan Brittany). In her look, demeanor, and clothes, Lenz makes you believe she is truly her character. Conversely, so does Morgan Fairchild as the nasty maternity vixen Jennifer.

Sarah has never felt confident or truly loved by anybody but Patty, but it's their stepping into the collegiate world that tests their bonds. ANS definitely want Patty because she looks like a model, but they don't want Sarah and set out to tear the two sisters apart. Sarah is accepted at PED (nicknamed Pigs, Elephants, and Dogs by the "mature" bimbos at ANS), and it is there she finds comraderie with other bookish, unpopular girls like herself. There is just one problem: Sarah has telekenetic powers that unleash themselves whenever she becomes angry, and the house mother played a tad overindulgently by Shelly Winters harnesses on it for evil. She doesn't seem any better than the ANS girls as she even tries to get her to destroy Patty who truly loves Sarah, and that really doesn't sit well with me. I also suspect that, because of the way Winters' character seems overly familiar with Sarah on first sight, that she may be her birth mother, but we never find out.

Nothing gorey here, but the premise is good and keeps you on the edge of your seat as revenge is exacted on the ANS snobs--especially evil Jennifer (I guess I just hate her more than the average viewer because I knew someone who looked and acted like her when I was younger--and we did NOT get along either!). I would like to have seen an alternate ending, having hoped the best would happen once Sarah realized she was being darkly manipulated, but won't give it away. What I can say is this is one of the better made-for-TV movies of this genre, especially one of several that were inspired by Stephen King's Carrie, and you would be missing out if you didn't catch it.

In the vein of Carrie, The Initiation of Sarah features a main character, Sarah Goodwin (played by Kay Lenz), who just happens to have some telekinetic powers. On another note, I think the two movies can be grouped into separate genres, despite having a similar plot. Carrie is more of a horror film, while The Initiation of Sarah is more of a suspense/thriller.

Sarah Goodwin and her sister, Patty, arrive for their first semester at college, and Patty especially hopes to become a pledge in her mother's former sorority. Of course, the sorority sisters snub Sarah and resort to some bullying. Morgan Fairchild plays the Queen B of the group (and isn't she just great at these types of characters?). After spending their lives attached at the hip, Sarah and Patty are separated and end up in rival sororities, which is something Patty takes much better than Sarah (although Patty isn't getting bullied, and she also doesn't have telekinetic powers).

Kay Lenz does an excellent job as Sarah. On the one hand, the actress is beautiful, which would have led me to think she would have been wrong for the role, but she pulls it off. Sweet, shy, definitely quiet and soft-spoken, Sarah is the ultimate wallflower, and everyone knows it. From pain at losing her best friend and, finally, suffering at the hands of the most popular and meanest sorority on campus, things eventually get out of hand.

A special nod to Shelley Winters as the house mother of Sarah's sorority. She eats up the screen in every scene she's in (and I bet she enjoyed doing so, too).

Overall: I highly enjoyed The Initiation of Sarah. Some of the best made for tv movies are from decades past, and this is an example of one done well. Even though gleaning a lot of its inspiration from Carrie, I appreciate both films for different reasons and also don't generally see them as having accomplished the same thing.