Extremely indie. Extremely low-budget. Weak acting, weak direction, extremely forthright storytelling; "sets" that are obviously the home or homes of those involved, or their friends; bare-faced cinematography, highly variable sound design. In every capacity the contributions here are so humble that this absolutely comes across as amateur horror of the early 80s, except perhaps with production values that are slightly better than "shot on video." Even if I'm mistaken, my point still stands. Yet such words do not specifically, significantly speak to the overall quality. I've watched some amateur horror that was unexpectedly well done, and very fun; some examples are substantially better than what some major studio fare represents. Few skills, few resources, and little experience do not inherently discount the possibility of a movie being deserving and enjoyable; more can sometimes be achieved with earnest effort, hard work, and imagination than with the most recognizable stars and millions of dollars. To whatever extent 1982's 'Invitation to hell' does not meet a loose definition of "amateur horror," you could have fooled me - but even with its shortcomings, I think it's fairly decent!
This is definitely rough; the limitations under which the project operated are very clear, in every regard. The picture is low-grade even by the standards of its most closely related kin, and that comes across in the meager writing not least. Be that as it may, I do see the sincerity in what those involved were making, and the creativity, and the energy poured into it. The attempted acting only gets us so far, but the cast do try so commendably, and some actors and some moments come off better than others. Modest as the writing is, with ample room for improvement in its details, Carl Humphrey penned a compelling story of firm foundations, with appreciable broad strokes of scene writing to begin to flesh it out. The filming location is pretty swell. Michael J. Murphy's direction may be fledgling, but the least that can be said is that he ably put together a cohesive feature. Of all things, I'm actually most impressed with Terence Mills' original music - an array of ambient themes that lend uneasy atmosphere to the proceedings - and with the stunts, effects, and special makeup, all of which look surprisingly good given the otherwise nature of the production.
Strictly speaking issues abound in these (approximately) forty-five minutes, and if nothing else is true, a tad more development of the screenplay would have helped the narrative to gel. Even so, I really do like the story as we see it, sharing much in common with titles of more renown. From beginning to end there are terrific ideas on hand, and it's unfortunate only that the participants lacked greater means to bring them to fruition. It bears repeating, though, that the honest work and enthusiasm that everyone carried with them into 'Invitation to hell' compensates for the skill, experience, and financing they could not, and when these admirable qualities are combined with what really is done well, the result is more entertaining and satisfying than it probably has any right to be. I can fully understand how films operating on this level don't appeal to all comers; there was a time when I would have said much the same. The difference is readily discernible, however, between a title that was made with care and one that was not, and when you get down to it that can sometimes make a world of difference. And just so: I, for one, love what the cast and crew put together here, and I see what they were doing even if they were unable to shape the whole into its ideal. At such a tiny length, and in so crude a form, 'Invitation to hell' is nevertheless fun and suitably well done, and I think it's worth checking out!
