The Hazing

I'm glad the folks at IMDb were able to decipher what genre this film falls into. I had a suspicion it was trying to be a comedy, but since it also seems to want to be a dark and solemn melodrama I wasn't sure. For a comedy it is amazingly bereft of even the slightest venture into the realms of humour - right up until the ridiculous "twist" ending, which confirms what an utter waste of time the whole movie actually is. It is hard to describe just how amateurish THE HAZING really is. Did anyone involved in this film have any idea at all what they were supposed to be doing? Actually worth watching so that you can stare at the screen in slack-jawed disbelief at how terrible it is.

The earlier title: The Hazing, was more appropriate. There is no bloodshed in the film except that dripping from the opening title. It is difficult to categorize this film. It's not a comedy, because there are only the faintest hints of humor. The classification as comedy fits only if one takes the entire film as a practical joke, indeed a kind of hazing of the viewer. I agree with an earlier critic who says the ending is rather hokey, but it does largely explain some of the inconsistencies and unbelievable turns of the plot. Anyone who is expecting a typical slasher movie will be a victim of the joke/hazing that may have been the intent of the producers. For me, it is one of those films I know I should hate for its manipulation, not to mention the low production values, but in fact I was manipulated and drawn into the dilemma of the "hero" who was being hazed without even realizing it, after the first several set-up sequences. Not in a league with Rocky Horror or Living Dead, but will live as cult film or not at all.

"The Hazing" is one of them films I always wanted to see solely based on the illustrated cover image here on IMDb. Yes, that's how shallow I am! I don't care if ten million people call it a crap movie, the poster looks awesome so I guess I'll just have to see it … Now, "The Hazing" can somewhat be described like its alternate title: curious! The poster and title make it sound like a genuine horror movie set on campus and dealing with sinister initiation rites, but this movie is actually more of a crossbreed between comedy and thriller. First of all, there's something very wrong with the tagline on the old VHS box I watched. It says: He had good grades, a good girl and good buddies … until they put him through the Hazing". That's not the case, actually. Protagonist Gilbert Lewis is finally accepted by an acclaimed campus through an athletics scholarship. It takes over half the movie before we even hear about his girlfriend back home and the only "buddy" he has is a very nerdy Charles Martin Smith (still with hair in this film). Both of them are approached to become members of the prestigious "Delts" fraternity, but during their hazing exam – in which they have to descend a mountain dressed in their tidy white undies – Barney falls off a cliff and breaks his leg. When Lewis returns with the other frat boys, Barney froze to death already. Together they intended to keep the body frozen for five days and then claim he never returned from a weekend ski-trip. With Barney's body hidden in the cafeteria freezer, Lewis has to cover for him so that Barney's absence doesn't look suspicious. The set-up of "The Hazing" is quite original and potentially innovative, but the problem here is that the execution could easily have been a lot better. The tone is too steady and too serious for a comedy movie, even a black one, but on the other hand there aren't any proper attempts to build up suspense or thrills, neither. The soundtrack is cheerful and full of light-headed tunes, but that's nearly not enough to make this film a comedy. Around an hour into the film, the plot also runs out of steam and idea, and the makers have no better alternative to fill up the emptiness with romantic compilations of Lewis and his outer town girlfriend biking through the countryside. I didn't like the final twist, because it's quite implausible and because it has been done numerous times before and after (though admittedly after). "The Hazing" is not a complete waste of time, but still I'm glad I found an ex-rental tape at a friend's house instead of having to spend any money on the recently released DVD.

There is not a speck of entertainment in this entire film. There's not one scary, funny, or even interesting scene in this film. It advertises itself as a horror, then goes on to call itself a comedy. It doesn't even ATTEMPT humor. Neither does it attempt to be scary.

In order to not be bored by this film, you would have to be one of the most easily entertained people on earth. If you like this movie even a LITTLE BIT than you have no standard for what you watch at all. I'm having a very difficult time trying to understand what the filmmakers were trying to accomplish with this. Its not funny, scary, shocking, or intriguing. So was it supposed to be a drama? Because it really wasn't dramatic either.

Please just do yourself a favor and don't watch this film. Life is too precious to be wasting 90 minutes of it watching this.

I thought this movie was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it a lot. In fact I thought it was one of the best movies I ever saw. My advice is to watch this movie and decide for yourself. I doubt the first reviewer who put this movie down got the point of the movie. It's kind of a two level dialogs. It can be looked at in different ways. Maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much. Also it reminded me of myself when I was young. In fact I thought it was very realistic, on one level, but on another level it was totally absurd. It's not the kind of movie you see everyday. So keep an open mind. This movie is different. It kept me in suspense the whole time, and when it was over, I felt fulfilled. Isn't that what we go to a movie for? Keep in mind that I was young (in my early twenties) when I saw this movie. I'm 43 now, I think perhaps it's a young person's movie. But I think I'd still enjoy it. But if I was about 18 years old I think maybe I'd enjoy it more.