Invitation to Hell (1984)

• Year: 1984
• Released: 24 May 1984
• Country: United States
• Adwords: Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. 1 nomination total
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087480/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/invitation_to_hell
• Metacritics:
• Available in: 480p,
• Language: English
• MPA Rating: Not Rated
• Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
• Runtime: 96 min
• Writer: Richard Rothstein
• Director: Wes Craven
• Cast: Robert Urich, Joanna Cassidy, Susan Lucci
• Keywords: health club,

5.1/10

Invitation to Hell Storyline

A scientist and his family move to a new town. He meets the local celebrity the beautiful who runs the local health club to which everyone is a member and makes him suspicious. Intrigued he investigates further and uncovers a terrifying plot.—beerbohm

Invitation to Hell Photos

Invitation to Hell Torrents Download

Invitation to Hell Subtitles Download

Invitation to Hell Movie Reviews

A Good Story That Can Be Understood In Different Levels

When the scientist and family man Matt Winslow (Robert Urich) finally accepts the invitation to work the Micro-Digitech Corporation in a space suit project, he moves with his beloved wife Patricia (Joanna Cassidy) and their son Robbie (Barret Oliver) and daughter Chrissy (Soleil Moon Frye) to a huge modern house in the corporation compound. They meet their friend Tom Peterson (Joe Regalbuto) and his family completely adapted to the new lifestyle, and Tom invites the Winslow family to join the Steaming Springs Country Club. Tom tries to seduce Matt telling him that every member of the club has a meteoric professional ascension in Micro-Digitech, but Matt is not tempted with the offer. Later he is introduced to the director of the club, Jessica Jones (Susan Lucci) that befriends Patricia and convinces her to join the club with her children. Matt feels the changing in the behavior of his family and decides to investigate the club, finding an evil secret about Jessica and the members.

In the 80’s, when I saw “Invitation to Hell”, I liked this movie that partially recalls “The Stepford Wives”, with people changing the behavior in a suburban compound. I have just seen it today, and I found a great metaphoric message against the big corporations, when people literally sell their souls to the devil to climb positions and earn higher salaries. I am not sure whether the author intended to give this interpretation to the story, but I believe it fits perfectly. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): “Convite Para o Inferno” (“Invitation to Hell”)

Bizarre Film Filled With Plot Holes and Obvious Twists

A man (Robert Urich) get a promotion and moves his family to an isolated community. Here there are a different way of doing things, and a local country club dominates the lives of the citizens… with more going on than meets the eye.

Although this film is entertaining to a point, its made-for-TV origins limit the fun Craven could have had with sex and blood… this film is quite tame, and completely bizarre. Don’t ask too many questions about how the plot works, or you’ll go crazy.

Mike Mayo nails it on the head when he says, “A capable cast can’t compete with goofy plot revelations”, and laments that the film “lacks the subversive excesses of his early films”. It’s true. Maybe this is a swipe at exclusive clubs or yuppies, but it’s just toothless. And the biggest plot revelation is revealed in the first minute of the film…

Michael Berryman has a small cameo, and Soleil Moon Frye (Punky Brewster) has some memorable lines and moments, including one with a bunny. If you’re waiting for a creepy scene, the closest you come is during a sleepover. And Susan Lucci? The DVD box calls her a “sexy director”… I guess “sexy” meant something else in 1984.

This film could be ranked as Wes Craven’s oddest film, and makes a good drinking picture for you and some friends. I suspect most people have never heard of it, and I doubt that Craven really tries to get people to notice.

Decent Made For TV Horror

Better than the typical made-for-TV movie, INVITATION TO HELL is blessed with excellent casting (Urich, Lucci, Cassidy, McCarthy, pre-Murphy Brown Joe Regalbuto, Soleil Moon-Frye) and a high concept update to the familiar Faustian plot. Urich is likable as always and Lucci is particularly fetching and devilishly over the top in the mother of all femme fatale roles. Definitely a product of the 80s from Lucci’s occasionally too big hair to the synth-heavy soundtrack to the pre-internet boxy computers. Kind of a hybrid version of STEPFORD WIVES and THEY LIVE, the movie commits early to its apocalyptic Miltonesque vision and horror fans will likely not have many complaints until the soppy, maudlin denouement. 7/10