Hell Night (1981)
-
50% of critics liked it
(6 reviews) -
44% of users liked it
(4,792 ratings)
This plodding, derivative slasher opus -- a surprise box-office hit -- stars Exorcist vet Linda Blair as one of a quartet of sorority and fraternity pledges required to spend the title evening of their initiation inside the spooky Garth Manor. The mansion was the site of a gruesome multiple murder,… More This plodding, derivative slasher opus -- a surprise box-office hit -- stars Exorcist vet Linda Blair as one of a quartet of sorority and fraternity pledges required to spend the title evening of their initiation inside the spooky Garth Manor. The mansion was the site of a gruesome multiple murder, wherein the owner killed his wife and three of his four deformed children before taking his own life. After the four pledges bed down for the night (mainly with each other, though Blair is called upon for the standard "virginal heroine" role here), mischievous upperclassmen descend into the house, intending to scare them out of their wits...but something even more repulsive than a pack of drunken frat-boys beats them to it. It comes as no surprise that Garth's fourth child -- apparently the most monstrous of the bunch -- is still roaming the premises, and doesn't take kindly to strangers. An early foray onto exploitation turf for director Tom de Simone, this film has a fairly stylish look, though mired by underlit photography and silly performances. Blair is appealing, but her role is sadly underwritten. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- Directed By
- Tom DeSimone
- Written By
- Randy Feldman
- Genres
- Mystery & Suspense, Horror
- In Theaters
- Aug 28, 1981 Wide
- Studio
- Anchor Bay Entertainment
Critic Reviews
-
Alex Sandell, Juicy Cerebellum
Hell Night brought out the gimp at least a decade before Pulp Fiction was even a twinkle in Quentin Tarantino's eye.
-
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
Quaintly entertaining combination of slasher stuff and haunted mansion material.
-
Dustin Putman, DustinPutman.com
A worthwhile entry into the 80's mad-slasher wave.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
UltraViolet Retailers
Other Retailers
Subscription Services
Cast
-
Linda Blair
as Marti
-
Vincent Van Patten
as Seth
-
Peter Barton
as Jeff
-
Kevin Brophy
as Peter
-
Jenny Neumann
as May
-
Suki Goodwin
as Denise
-
Jimmy Sturtevant
as Scott
-
Ronald Gans
as Driver
-
Carey Fox
as Younger Cop
