Scarecrow-88 During the time around 1984, Craven was on his way to becoming a director with name recognition after admittedly struggling in show business until Nightmare on Elm Street changed his life forever. Television movies like "Chiller" and this movie, "Invitation to Hell" were more or less gigs to pay the bills. An interesting recurring theme in Craven's horror universe whether on the small or big screen was the notion of terror in suburbia. "Invitation to Hell" features some fine talent with Robert Urich, Joanna Cassidy, Soleil Moon Frye(Punky Brewster), and Barret Oliver as a family commuting to a nice suburban neighborhood after pops accepts a lucrative position working at an aerospace facility, redesigning a space suit for the 21st century. What Urich soon discovers is that a lavish club, where most of the neighbors and his fellow employees, along with their families, and most of the major figureheads in and around his new home belong to, is headed possibly by Satan herself in the form of Susan Lucci! The problem Urich faces is that his wife so badly wants "a piece of the pie" that she willingly leads herself and the kids into possibly hell in order to do so! Will Urich save them? While I did find the linking of yuppie-ism with selling your soul rather amusing, you know the concept of getting everything your heart desires, with a price, and not knowing that you must give up far more than you bargained for in the process. Of course, the end, as Urich must descend into a type of hell itself in order to rescue his family, is more than a bit corny(..it becomes a special effects showcase that pales in comparison to Nightmare), but, again, Craven was working in a medium too tame to really explore darker territories, as he most certainly would in something like "A Nightmare on Elm Street", "The People Under the Stairs", and "Deadly Blessing"..Craven, to me, seems less comfortable for "family friendly" horror, but I didn't consider "Invitation to Hell" too bad. I liked the cast, particularly Urich in the lead..plus, I think Lucci devours the scenery in a juicy part always trying to seduce Urich into joining "the club". Echoes of the "body snatcher" plot(..which I think has become a whole sub-genre in itself)can be found here in the inspired casting of Kevin McCarthy as Urich's boss, always needling him to join the club and become a "true member of the community"..I think it's safe to say that Urich actually inhibits McCarthy's role from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" as the hero who is ominously alone in his crusade to stop Lucci and recover his family from the very depths of hell. The ending is pat and predictable, as is expected for a television film, most end on a positive note. Nicholas Worth has an effective heavy role as Lucci's muscle who has an eventual altercation with Urich when he finds him snooping around where he's not supposed to be.

FieCrier In the opening scene, a chauffeur is distracted by two women in bikinis and runs over Susan Lucci's character Jessica. She pops back up and fries him.A family with a young boy and girl move to a new neighborhood. The father has developed a sensor of some kind which his new employer wants for a Venusian spacesuit. The suit can already withstand blasts of flame, as well as shoot lasers and flames. His old fraternity buddy recommended him for the job.The fraternity buddy gets initiated with his family into a local "club," called Steaming Springs, run by Jessica. They, and practically all the other characters want the new family to join too, but the father is very resistant. He grows more resistant the more insistent and strange the others become. People who belong exhibit sometimes strange behavior, like a boy at a sleepover who is found watching violent stuff on TV late at night, and who becomes hostile when it is shut off.Not surprisingly, the spa contains a gate to hell, the door code of which starts off with 666.It's a somewhat entertaining movie with lots of familiar character actors in it. Despite being directed by Wes Craven, there wasn't anything about it that really bore his hand, to my eye.

Claudio Carvalho 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")

Macholic Everything is idyllic in Suburbia when the little family moves in, as the father have got a new job in a computer company there. But no paradise would be complete without its snake. Strange things happens as the family joins the local country club without the husband, as it certainly holds secrets. The father is not a joiner, but pressure is on him to join, as everyone who is anything in the neighborhood and at work are members. Robert Urich's good guy part is a bit tepid, but Joanna Cassidy as good natured housewife turning nasty sizzles. Suspenseful and well-made chiller with a bitchy Susan Lucci as club chairperson. Look out for cult favorite Michael Berryman in a bit part as a valet. The movie captures the sense of paranoia and the special effects final is worth waiting for. I have seen this movie quite a few times.