Invitation to Hell (1984)

29% of users liked it
(354 ratings)

This minor made-for-TV effort from horror auteur Wes Craven is one of the oddest attempts at seriously blending supernatural horror and science fiction elements, which amounts to a muddled but amusing failure. The convoluted plot involves scientist Robert Urich's experiments with a new spacesuit… More This minor made-for-TV effort from horror auteur Wes Craven is one of the oddest attempts at seriously blending supernatural horror and science fiction elements, which amounts to a muddled but amusing failure. The convoluted plot involves scientist Robert Urich's experiments with a new spacesuit designed to detect non-human lifeforms for a proposed expedition to Venus. When a sultry succubus (Susan Lucci, who was born for such a role) begins exerting her demonic influence on the members of a country club -- including Urich's wife and children -- he dons the completed suit for a literal journey into hell itself to rescue them. Craven's skill manages to elevate this loopy premise slightly above the level of pure nonsense, but low production values and the constraints of TV censorship prevent it from being adequately explored. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 40 min.
Directed By: Wes Craven
Genres: Drama, Television, Horror, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: May 24, 1984 Wide

Critic Reviews

Kurt Dahlke, Apollo Guide
It's faint praise indeed, but you won't find a much better laughable, made-for-television, B-movie horror than this.
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
Other than as a time capsule back to a much sillier era - or as something to laugh at incessantly - Invitation to Hell is every bit as torturous as its title implies.

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Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

This really could have been a good movie, but unfortunately it's really bad. The story is lame, and the special effects are bad. This just isn't a good movie.
Lafe F

Hilarious over-the-Top TV Horror movie about a family moving to a gated corporate-endorsed community, where the private club members get to enjoy the elite benefit of a visit to Hell itself. Sexy Susan Lucci runs the spa, and Robert Urich and his family are the latest family to join… More
Hilarious over-the-Top TV Horror movie about a family moving to a gated corporate-endorsed community, where the private club members get to enjoy the elite benefit of a visit to Hell itself. Sexy Susan Lucci runs the spa, and Robert Urich and his family are the latest family to join the community, and discover the horrors of what is going on. There's the added fun of Robert Urich descending into the other side with his environmental suit to sustain the intense temperatures. It's a great cheesy movie from the 80's. Directed by Wes Craven prior to his successful Nightmare on Elm Street series. The DVD artwork is horrible.