Strange Tales of IMDBtv: Hell Night (1981)

IMDBtv has a surprising amount of films in the trashy/cult horror genre to offer. It has become a veritable treasure trove for titles that I haven’t seen available anywhere besides maybe a bad DVD rip on Youtube. Being somewhat of a connoisseur of horror myself, it has been a lovely platform for revisiting old favorites. More than that though, it has also opened doors to movies that I have somehow missed in my many excursions through the annals of streaming. Case in point: Hell Night, starring none other than Reagan of The Exorcist herself, Linda Blair.

I thought I’d largely watched all the cult slashers out there by now. Somehow though, Hell Night slipped through the cracks. That’s a shame too, because it holds up surprisingly well, despite Blair’s Razzie nomination for worst actress. Following a group of college students as they are hazed into Greek Life by spending the night in a haunted house, Hell Night is a unique hybrid film that draws from both slasher and old dark house tropes.

The film opens with a wild 80s college party on the titular Hell Night, and as the party begins to wind down, Alpha Sigma Rho president Peter gathers his torch bearing audience close to present the four newest initiates to his fraternity: Seth, a stoner; Jeff, a rich kid; Marti, a girl from a poor background played by Linda Blair; and Denise, a party girl. Why this appears to be a co-Ed Greek organization is never made clear, but it doesn’t really matter. What matters is the vibe that is set here: the film does a fantastic job of emulating the party atmosphere. It’s fun and light, and doesn’t have the staged, forced feel some party scenes can have. As Peter leads a caravan up to the local haunted house, he announces to the crowd what these four initiates must do; spend the night in a mansion in which a businessman named Raymond Garth murdered his entire family. The urban legend Peter describes is classic 80s schlock; the family’s children were deformed monsters kept hidden from the world, and though most of the family was killed, one son survived. Seeing his family killed drives the boy mad, and now he is said to haunt the corridors of the mansion. In addition, the body of his brother was also missing, meaning a second Garth child may have survived. It is a simple legend, as most local legends are, and does its job perfectly.

With this initial exposition, our four initiates are let loose on the grounds of the mansion and locked in. As they enter the grand home, the environment is immediately “old school haunted house.” The wallpaper is peeling, sconces hang crookedly on the walls, and the furniture is torn and covered with a fine layer of dust. This is a classic movie set that doesn’t really exist in today’s “gritty” horror era. It feels like a set in the way a live theater performance background feels like a set; it adds to the experience of the film.

As the night begins, it becomes clear that Peter and the rest of his cohorts are trying to prank the initiates. They uncover speakers filtering screams into the house, skeletons wired to jump out of closets, and ghostly holograms. At this point Hell Night is almost more like a Revenge of the Nerds-style comedy, albeit with worse acting. These gags placed throughout the film are a nice touch.

Surprisingly, Hell Night’s characters are rather fleshed out considering the film genre it is placed in. Linda Blair’s Marti in particular has a backstory that actually comes into play in the plot of the movie. She is a surprisingly competent final girl. While her acting isn’t stellar, the Razzie nomination is largely unwarranted, though she does come off as a little flat more than once. Her performance could be compared to an early Kristen Stewart; missing some emotional intensity. Still though, it is far from terrible.

The action is fast paced, with a couple well placed jumpscares. While the kill scenes are not the wildest in the genre, they are enough to grab your attention. However, their make up designs are a little caked on, as though they just said keep going until they don’t look human.. Still though, they prove to be effective where it counts, jumping from shadows.

Though Hell Night has garnered quite the cult following over the years, it still remains relatively obscure in the mainstream, and that is a shame. This film is perfect fodder for a scary movie marathon, and holds up well with other B movie slashers of the era such as The Slumber Party Massacre. It’s available for free on IMDBtv, so add it to your watchlist today.