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.
16 Reviews
Curious ... and disappointing.
Coventry7 February 2010
"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.
Decent flick with awkward pacing
udar5522 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Track star Craig Lewis (Jeff East; Young Clark Kent from SUPERMAN but sporting a perm) is pledging the Deltas at his new school with fellow pledge Barney (the perfect Charles Martin Smith). The duo are initiated by running in the wild wearing only jockstraps (!). Barney slips and breaks his leg, leaving Craig to get the Frat brothers for a rescue. Unfortunately, trouble starts when they get back to Barney and he is dead. Not wanting to be kicked off campus, Frat leader Rod creates an elaborate scheme to make the school think Barney is still alive before they stage his death the following weekend.
This is actually a thriller/dark comedy hiding under a horror sounding title. While the film's intentions are good, if you don't have this thing figured out in the first ten minutes, you need to see more movies. Yeah, it is all an elaborate gag a la THE GAME in order to initiate Craig and get him back for a stunt his brother Carl (yes, his name is Carl Lewis) pulled several years previously. I'm sure it packed more punch back in '77. East is quite good as the lead and Smith steals the show for the first half hour. Brad David and the debuting Jim Boelsen are both perfectly sleazy as the frat guys. Director Douglas Curtis keeps an awkward pace on the flick though and in different hands Lewis' paranoia could have been played up better.
This is actually a thriller/dark comedy hiding under a horror sounding title. While the film's intentions are good, if you don't have this thing figured out in the first ten minutes, you need to see more movies. Yeah, it is all an elaborate gag a la THE GAME in order to initiate Craig and get him back for a stunt his brother Carl (yes, his name is Carl Lewis) pulled several years previously. I'm sure it packed more punch back in '77. East is quite good as the lead and Smith steals the show for the first half hour. Brad David and the debuting Jim Boelsen are both perfectly sleazy as the frat guys. Director Douglas Curtis keeps an awkward pace on the flick though and in different hands Lewis' paranoia could have been played up better.
I loved this movie! See it for yourself!
MadTom25 May 2002
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILERS!!! DO NOT READ THIS UNLESS YOU'VE SEEN THIS MOVIE!!!***
Actually, any discussion of this movie with someone who hasn't seen it is a spoiler in and of itself. So if you read any of the other IMDb User Comments on THE HAZING, I hope you've already seen it.
I first saw THE HAZING back in the late 70s or early 80s back when CBS-TV used to run late night movies. I loved it!
The movie is one long setup for a practical joke, with one helluva punchline!
I can appreciate a good practical joke as well as the next person, even if I'm the target, as long as there's no lasting harm. And make no mistake: the viewer is as much the target of this elaborate practical joke as is the character of Craig Lewis-- if not more so! Watching it on TV with no prior advertising made me and any other viewers watching under those circumstances a legitimate mark. I understand the need for truth in advertising under most circumstances, but to classify this movie as a comedy, as IMDb does, is also a spoiler in and of itself. Yes, retitling it THE CAMPUS CORPSE and classifying it as "Horror" as is done on the video (and placing it as such in the video rental shops and stores) is deceptive, but deception is the name of the game here! (Actually, keeping the original title and classifying it as "Suspense" or "Thriller" would have been more appropriate and legitimate while maintaining the effectiveness of the joke.)
The one thing I didn't particularly care for was the very end after the punchline was delivered. The supposed comeuppance by Craig and his brother was not only anticlimactic, but it showed them and Craig's girlfriend for the cry-baby sore losers they were.
Having endured the Hazing, Craig in real life probably would have been recognized for this rite of passage and welcomed into the fraternity as a particularly esteemed new member. Both he and his girlfriend should have been relieved that it was all a joke (and that his friend was alive after all) and laughed hysterically along with the perpetrators. But NOOOOO! Instead he stands there red in the face while his his girlfriend runs from the room sobbing! F**k 'em if they can't take a joke! (For that matter, the same can be said for anyone who didn't like this movie.)
The actual "punchline" of the practical joke was: "Welcome to the Delts!" They should have left it at that.
Actually, any discussion of this movie with someone who hasn't seen it is a spoiler in and of itself. So if you read any of the other IMDb User Comments on THE HAZING, I hope you've already seen it.
I first saw THE HAZING back in the late 70s or early 80s back when CBS-TV used to run late night movies. I loved it!
The movie is one long setup for a practical joke, with one helluva punchline!
I can appreciate a good practical joke as well as the next person, even if I'm the target, as long as there's no lasting harm. And make no mistake: the viewer is as much the target of this elaborate practical joke as is the character of Craig Lewis-- if not more so! Watching it on TV with no prior advertising made me and any other viewers watching under those circumstances a legitimate mark. I understand the need for truth in advertising under most circumstances, but to classify this movie as a comedy, as IMDb does, is also a spoiler in and of itself. Yes, retitling it THE CAMPUS CORPSE and classifying it as "Horror" as is done on the video (and placing it as such in the video rental shops and stores) is deceptive, but deception is the name of the game here! (Actually, keeping the original title and classifying it as "Suspense" or "Thriller" would have been more appropriate and legitimate while maintaining the effectiveness of the joke.)
The one thing I didn't particularly care for was the very end after the punchline was delivered. The supposed comeuppance by Craig and his brother was not only anticlimactic, but it showed them and Craig's girlfriend for the cry-baby sore losers they were.
Having endured the Hazing, Craig in real life probably would have been recognized for this rite of passage and welcomed into the fraternity as a particularly esteemed new member. Both he and his girlfriend should have been relieved that it was all a joke (and that his friend was alive after all) and laughed hysterically along with the perpetrators. But NOOOOO! Instead he stands there red in the face while his his girlfriend runs from the room sobbing! F**k 'em if they can't take a joke! (For that matter, the same can be said for anyone who didn't like this movie.)
The actual "punchline" of the practical joke was: "Welcome to the Delts!" They should have left it at that.
Not very good but I was THERE!
ttuerff7 January 2003
This movie is pretty awful but I have some interesting information about it:
It was filmed in 1976 at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ, as well as at Oak Creek Canyon near Sedona, AZ. A good bulk of the extras in the film are then-drama students from NAU. I was a freshman there that year, minoring in theatre, but for some reason I didn't get involved with the production. I did however know several people who did and can supply this rather odd fact:
There is a scene in this movie where two of the principals, as part of their hazing ritual, have to run naked into the woods. They are seen from behind in the movie, doing just that. The thing is, those aren't the actors at all but two guys I knew from the theatre department. The identity of these "stunt posteriors" will remain anonymous, at least to this website, unless they decide to, um, "reveal" themselves!
It was filmed in 1976 at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ, as well as at Oak Creek Canyon near Sedona, AZ. A good bulk of the extras in the film are then-drama students from NAU. I was a freshman there that year, minoring in theatre, but for some reason I didn't get involved with the production. I did however know several people who did and can supply this rather odd fact:
There is a scene in this movie where two of the principals, as part of their hazing ritual, have to run naked into the woods. They are seen from behind in the movie, doing just that. The thing is, those aren't the actors at all but two guys I knew from the theatre department. The identity of these "stunt posteriors" will remain anonymous, at least to this website, unless they decide to, um, "reveal" themselves!
A likable and offbeat little 1970s curiosity.
Hey_Sweden16 April 2014
Warning: Spoilers
People should just know going in that they shouldn't expect anything resembling a serious horror movie or thriller going by the title "The Hazing" or the false advertising. This is really more of a combination dark comedy & drama. It's deliberately paced, sometimes amusing, and very evocative of this era in low budget filmmaking (including the requisite irrelevant interlude and theme song). The performances are universally engaging from all concerned. By the end, one can't help but admire the ingenuity of the fraternity in this movie; hazing and initiation rituals can have a nasty edge, but some people sure go all out in the way that they devise them.
The appealing Jeff East ("Superman: The Movie") stars as Craig, who goes to college on a track scholarship and decides to apply to join the frat known as The Delts. Delt head honchos Rod (Brad David, "The Candy Snatchers") and Phil (Jim Boelsen, "Strange Behavior") decide to have Craig and his new friend Barney (Charles Martin Smith, "The Untouchables") run almost naked down a mountain. The problem is, Barney falls and breaks his leg. Forced to leave Barney to go for help, Jeff brings Rod and Phil back only for Barney to have died in the interim. They then go to great lengths to keep the nature of Barney's death a secret. And poor schmuck Craig becomes riddled with guilt as one lie after another is contrived.
David and Boelsen are just fine as our merry antagonists, and other fine support is supplied by David Hayward ("Nashville") as Craigs' loving older brother Carl, Sandra Vacey as the perky Dworsky, and the pretty Kelly Moran as Craigs' girlfriend Wendy. Extremely prolific character actor Hal Smith and 'Eight is Enough' actress Lani O'Grady have small roles. But the movie largely rests on the shoulders of East, who does well in this role that marked his transition from Disney productions to more "grown up" fare. The climactic reveal is sure to amuse many in the audience, especially with the utterance of the immortal line, "Welcome to the Delts."
All in all, an enjoyable story.
Seven out of 10.
The appealing Jeff East ("Superman: The Movie") stars as Craig, who goes to college on a track scholarship and decides to apply to join the frat known as The Delts. Delt head honchos Rod (Brad David, "The Candy Snatchers") and Phil (Jim Boelsen, "Strange Behavior") decide to have Craig and his new friend Barney (Charles Martin Smith, "The Untouchables") run almost naked down a mountain. The problem is, Barney falls and breaks his leg. Forced to leave Barney to go for help, Jeff brings Rod and Phil back only for Barney to have died in the interim. They then go to great lengths to keep the nature of Barney's death a secret. And poor schmuck Craig becomes riddled with guilt as one lie after another is contrived.
David and Boelsen are just fine as our merry antagonists, and other fine support is supplied by David Hayward ("Nashville") as Craigs' loving older brother Carl, Sandra Vacey as the perky Dworsky, and the pretty Kelly Moran as Craigs' girlfriend Wendy. Extremely prolific character actor Hal Smith and 'Eight is Enough' actress Lani O'Grady have small roles. But the movie largely rests on the shoulders of East, who does well in this role that marked his transition from Disney productions to more "grown up" fare. The climactic reveal is sure to amuse many in the audience, especially with the utterance of the immortal line, "Welcome to the Delts."
All in all, an enjoyable story.
Seven out of 10.
I saw it being filmed
ttuerff11 January 2007
Although the movie takes place at an "Ivy League" college, it was in fact shot entirely in Northern Arizona, mostly at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff in the fall of 1976. I was involved in the theater department there, and most of the extras in the film are then-members of the theater department.
There is an absolutely ludicrous scene in this film (if you know your Arizona geography) that shows several cast members riding bikes from the college to a creek. We NAU'ers know that the campus and said creek (Actually Oak Creek Canyon) are about 35 miles apart, and while the trip there is all downhill, it would be literally IMPOSSIBLE to ride a bike back UP that same road!
There is an absolutely ludicrous scene in this film (if you know your Arizona geography) that shows several cast members riding bikes from the college to a creek. We NAU'ers know that the campus and said creek (Actually Oak Creek Canyon) are about 35 miles apart, and while the trip there is all downhill, it would be literally IMPOSSIBLE to ride a bike back UP that same road!
Just plain bad. Not even in a fun way.
metal36019 February 2009
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.
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.
Astonishing (and not in a good way) attempt at campus comedy
barfly9913 April 2000
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.
I liked it
fleiserson23 November 2005
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.
WEEKEND AT BARNEY'S
nogodnomasters11 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
During a hazing, Barney (Charles Martin Smith) one of the pledges dies. Pledge Craig Lewis (Jeff East) is asked not only to keep quiet about the issue, but fill in for Barney in his classes.
I am not sure how funny this film was in 1977, it sure is boring now. The only decent character in the movie is killed off thirty minutes into the film. The rest of the characters were dry and dull with terrible dialogue. Rated PG but feels like it was made for TV.
I am not sure how funny this film was in 1977, it sure is boring now. The only decent character in the movie is killed off thirty minutes into the film. The rest of the characters were dry and dull with terrible dialogue. Rated PG but feels like it was made for TV.
Also titled "The Campus Corpse" This is a twisted ending flick...
onlybeta6 March 2002
Also titled "The Campus Corpse" This is a twisted ending flick that weaves you through one great frustration to the next as these current "college students" don't seem to have a reasonable brain between them. As some one once said "All's well that ends well!"
In the mean time you may wonder if the authorities would notice multiple snow shoe tracks leading from a road to a body that died naturally on the trail. I absolutely love these movies and appreciate a little ineptness here and there.
In the mean time you may wonder if the authorities would notice multiple snow shoe tracks leading from a road to a body that died naturally on the trail. I absolutely love these movies and appreciate a little ineptness here and there.
Should Be Re-titled
Flixer195729 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This should be re-titled "The Curious Case Of The Unscrupulous Filmmakers Who Misrepresented A Non-horror Snorer As A Shock Film." It's one long, boring tale of a fraternity hazing, a gag so transparent that even Flounder from Delta House could see through it. Jeff East, an actor in the dues-paying stage, can be forgiven for taking any work he could get. The same can't be said for Charles Martin Smith, who formerly acted for such cinematic heavyweights as George Lucas and Sam Peckinpah. Once available on tape but, thankfully, not out on DVD. Misrepresented garbage like this belongs in a landfill and nowhere else.
An offbeat and interesting indie oddity
Woodyanders4 April 2014
Warning: Spoilers
College freshman Craig Lewis (a fine and likable performance by Jeff East) agrees to partake in a hazing in order to join an elite fraternity. After witnessing the accidental death of fellow pledge Barney (the always affable and excellent Charles Martin Smith) during said hazing, Craig and the other fraternity members do their best to cover up the incident by hiding the corpse in a freezer. Director Douglas Curtis offers a curious and compelling blend of straight drama and quirky dark humor that keeps the audience alert and on their toes throughout as the engrossing story culminates in a neat double twist ending. The clever script by Bruce Shelly and David Ketchum astutely nails the cruelty and secretive nature of fraternity hazing rituals as well as the insistence on upholding tradition and maintaining a respectable reputation above everything else. Moreover, the issues of guilt, morality, and responsibility are addressed in a smart and provocative way. The sound acting by the able cast helps a whole lot: Brad David as arrogant head frat boy Rod, Jim Boelsen as Rod's dim-witted lackey Phil, Kelly Moran as Craig's sweet girlfriend Wendy, Sandra Vacey as dumpy frump Dworsky, and David Haywood as Craig's laid-back older brother Carl. Donald G. Knight's handsome cinematography makes nice occasional use of fades. Ian Freebairn-Smith's melodic score does the tuneful trick. Worth a watch.
WARNING! WARNING! CONTAINS PLOT SPOILERS!
bigpappa1--213 May 2000
Warning: Spoilers
When I rented this film from the video store I expected it to be just another slasher flick, but it isn't. The story involves a guy pledging a fraternity. On Hell Night, a hazing incident goes wrong, and results in the death of a fellow pledge, or did it? Though nothing spectcular the film has a somewhat interesting surprise ending letting us know it was all a joke. 6/10
Not what I was looking for.
moviechic32 August 2001
I am a fan of going back and watching older movies. This title appeared in my video store under the HORROR section. To my disappointment it is not a horror movie at all and far from being a comedy, which is the category IMDB gives to this movie. I suggest not even wasting an hour on watching this movie.
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