The Initiation of Sarah (1978)

Sorry, this movie sucks

Absolutely the worst movie.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

"The Initiation of Sarah" tells the tale of a college freshman (Kay Lenz) with telekinetic powers. She is pressured to join a sorority after her sister (Morgan Brittany) is recruited to a rival chapter run by a group of popular bullies. It just so happens that the house Sarah pledges is run by a witch (Shelley Winters). She wants to use the girl to exact revenge on the daughter (Morgan Fairchild) of the sorority girl that spurned her when she was a student 20 years earlier. Will Sarah give into the temptation to put her and the house mother's tormenting rivals in their place or resist the unrelenting anger brewing within her?Although it's a bit slow, "The Initiation of Sarah" serves up some fun TV-safe scares. I can see this airing the week of Halloween in 1978 and doing quite well in the Nielsen ratings. No one can deny the influence "Carrie" had on this movie. Shelley Winters ("The Poseidon Adventure") effectively plays the creepy old house mother with diabolical plans for the naïve Sarah. Morgan Fairchild ("The Seduction") is perfect as the venomous leader of the mean sorority girls who pick on poor Sarah. Morgan Brittany ("Dallas") and Kay Lenz ("Moving Violation") are wonderful as the two sisters torn apart by their rival houses.

Shy withdrawn Sarah (Kay Lenz) and her sister start college. Her sister is outgoing and popular and gets into a popular sorority. Sarah gets into an unpopular one with creepy head Erica Hunter (Shelley Winters). Evil Jennifer Lawrence (Moragn Fairchild) hates Sarah and starts to torment her and her friends. Then Sarah realizes she has telekinetic powers and uses them for revenge.The story is familiar, the special effects cheesy, the acting just OK (save Winters who REALLY chews the scenery) but this is an enjoyable made for TV movie. It's not as violent or sexist as "Carrie" so you can just sit back and enjoy it. This was a very popular hit when it first played on TV and was replayed again and again. It was even remade in 2006. Recommended--if you can find it.

Shy Sarah Goodwin (a strong and sympathetic portrayal by the lovely Kay Lenz) and her more outgoing half sister Patti (stunning brunette Morgan Brittany) go off to college together. Patti gets accepted into the snobby ANS sorority while poor Sarah has to stay at the oddball intellectual misfit sorority PED. PED's weird witch housemother Erica Hunter (the indomitable Shelley Winters at her most gleefully unrestrained and over the top) encourages Sarah to use her potentially lethal psychic powers on the ANS sorority, specifically targeting snotty stuck-up bitch Jennifer Lawrence (deliciously played to catty perfection by Morgan Fairchild) as the key deserving recipient of Sarah's wrath. Adequately directed by Robert Day, with decent cinematography by Ric Waite, a spooky score by Johnny ("The Evil") Harris, a rousing fiery conclusion, and fine acting by a solid cast, this modest made-for-TV "Carrie" cash-in clone does the trick as a fun little fright feature. Lenz and Fairchild excel in juicy substantial roles, with nice supporting performances by Tony Bill as an affable teaching assistant, a pre-"Airplane!" Robert Hays as a friendly frat guy, and Tisa ("Some Call It Loving," "Zombie") Farrow as the frail, timid Mouse. Moreover, there's a pretty racy and surprising gay subtext to be discerned in the relationship between Sarah and Ms. Hunter, who appears to be a repressed lesbian with a lascivious interest in comely young ladies. My sole criticism: the gorgeous Kay Lenz is rather miscast as a character who's supposed to be a frumpy and unattractive plain Jane wallflower. That minor quibble aside, this nifty flick overall rates as a most entertaining item.

I, too, have always loved this movie. Morgan Fairchild really camps it up as the stuck-up sorority princess. Shelly Winters is suitably creepy. Kay Lenz is somehow a sympathetic yet frightening character. (Ever since I first saw this movie at the age of ten, I have considered Kay Lenz one of my favorite actresses!) I don't know the name of the actress who portrayed Mouse, but I found her performance very authentic as well. What I really wanted to comment on is my indignation over the fact that ABCFamily has a remake out now but is billing it as a new original ABCFamily movie! How can they get away with that? Anyway, this really is a great flick for this time of year.