Summer on ABC Family Haloween Movie

[nerd4hire]

It's called The Initiation of Sarah, and seems to be some kind of witches in the sorority house thing. It's on ABC Family Oct 22 as part of something they're calling 13 nights of Halloween. The website is fun.

http://abcfamily.go.com/initiationofsarah/

[Buffy Summers]

Cool lol - that should be interesting :)

[Joamna]

Hm, this does seem interesting. I was looking in the gallery and Summers character looked like she can be fun. I also noticed that Tessa Thompson (who plays Jackie in Veronica Mars) is going to be in it, and I like her, so I'll definitely watch this.

[Old Master 3.0]

Oh good...another remake.

Still, it's Summer Glau, so maybe it'll be worth a look.

[SpikedBuffy]

Nothing happens when I go to the website. It just tells the premiere date. :( Whah!

[nerd4hire]

In small lettering at the top of the picture there's a bunch of menu options. There's even one for a short preview.

[Buffy Summers]

Here's a review (SPOILERS):

Witchy film is a wiccan update

The Initiation of Sarah. Sunday night at 8, ABC Family Channel.

The ending is tacky, and some of the special effects should be downgraded to "ordinary" - but "The Initiation of Sarah," an ABC Family Channel telemovie premiering Sunday night at 8, has enough "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" flavor to make it watchable.

There's no pretense of higher meaning. "The Initiation of Sarah" is a story about rival sororities in which the young women and their house mothers are witches, of the real, spell-casting variety. Newly arrived sisters, Lindsey (Summer Glau) and Sarah (Mika Boorem), get caught up in a tug of war between the supernaturally powerful women of Alpha Nu Gamma and Pi Epsilon Delta.

Which sorority will each sister pledge? And if they're accepted, will they make - or be - the necessary sacrifices?

In the end, it all comes down to battling initiations, with everyone wearing the requisite flimsy nightgowns and color-coded shrouds. This eternal battle between good and evil is like Red States versus Blue States - except, in this sorority row, it's Red Shrouds versus Blue Shrouds.

Writer Dan Berendsen and director Stuart Gillard, to their credit, don't take any of this too seriously. Characters speak glibly, almost "Veronica Mars"-like, as when the two sisters approach Alpha Nu for the first time - the somewhat mousy Lindsey eagerly, the gloomy Sarah with proper trepidation.

"Why do you judge people before you know them?" Lindsey asks her sister, challenging her antisocial attitude.

"Isn't that what they're about to do to us?" Sarah responds.

The villainous Alpha Nu girls, led by blond and beautiful Chorine (Joanna Garcia) and black and beautiful Ezme (Tessa Thompson), want Sarah for a blood ritual. Over at Pi Epsilon, faculty advisor Dr. Hunter (Jennifer Tilly) wants Sarah for her own purposes - and isn't above casting her own spells, from time-shifting to shape-shifting, to achieve them.

The young women are surprisingly good in this - especially Glau, who played River the mystery cargo in both TV's "Firefly" and the movie "Serenity." When she undergoes a magical makeover, she's not only bewitched, but bewitching. And as the sisters' mom, Morgan Fairchild has only a few scenes, but provides an intentional link to this telemovie's inspirational source.

Back in 1978, when telemovies were young and generally crudely done, ABC presented the original "The Initiation of Sarah," starring Kay Lenz in the title role. Don Ingalls, Carol Saraceno and Kenette Gfeller wrote the teleplay, which was less self-aware and entertaining. Fairchild, just before taking off as a soap diva in "Flamingo Road," played one of the sorority's sexy, snooty blondes. In the new "Initiation," she plays a former pledge - but one who hasn't entirely given up her wicked, wicca ways.

Originally published on October 19, 2006

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/story/462929p-389518c.html

[SpikedBuffy]

I am actually pretty excited to watch this movie! The previews are very interesting.

[Angels baby101]

Ah i've been dying to see this i cant wait cause it also has Joanna Garcia who plays on reba i had no idea about Summer being in it though thats so awesome :D i cant wait till sunday looks like i'mma have to miss out on 7th heaven tho...

[freakydorky]

I watched it... it was fairly lame. Special effects were even lamer than some of the Sci-Fi channel originals.

[Ladybug]

Neat... I probably won't be watching it though... =\ Plus that bad effects comment FD made is throwing me off.

[SpikedBuffy]

It was just entertainment. You can't expect a two-hour mini movie on ABC family to have blockbuster special effects!

I liked it. It was a nice two hour break from life. Summer was so different in the movie...after watching her in "Serenity", this was a neat change. Really shows a broad acting scope!

[Morena Baccarin]

I was surprised. I actually liked it.

I mean, it wasn't anything award-worthy, but it was an enjoyable two hours, and Summer was definitely fabulous. Mika Boorem, who I'd never heard of before this, was also very, very good, and the supporting cast was decent.

Again, it wasn't anything spectacular, but it was good. And it entertained me. And hey, that's all I was really looking for. ;)

[Angels baby101]

yeah i agree not really great effects but as everyone said what do you expect for ABC family?

I liked it thouhg as well Summer was great in it....as was joanna garcia... :D so yeah i agree nice little break from other things....