Invitation to Ruin has one of the greatest trailers of all time. It has appeared on several trailer compilations over the years, which is where I first heard of it. Apparently, the original version is a lost film. However, its memory lives on in this XXX version, which was prepared seven years later by actor Roger Gentry, who shot new scenes, added hardcore inserts, and re-released it as The Invitation. Despite the awesome trailer, the movie itself leaves something to be desired (although it’s unfair to judge it properly in this form), but it’s so grimy and warped that it almost works as anti-porn.
A ladies’ man named Jerry (Roger Gentry) is hired by Pulaski (Moe Weise) to act as a “talent scout” for his white slavery operation. (“They’re not hookers! Hookers draw the line at some point. Not my girls!”) Jerry’s job is to woo these unsuspecting women and lure them with the promise of marriage before they are kidnapped and sold into slavery. Naturally, it’s only a matter of time before Jerry falls for Pulaski’s daughter (Kathy Williams). Incensed, Pulaski forces Jerry to confront the dirty side of the business, introducing him to Moma Lupo (Bertha Bigg), the ugly, scarred, tongueless warden who conditions the girls through sex, torture, and heroin.
The Invitation is a sometimes-despicable roughie. It’s cheap, exploitative, and would probably only be a turn-on for the most depraved viewer. I mean that as a compliment, believe it or not. It takes some doing to make me shake my head in disbelief, so bravo to Gentry and company for that.
However, in this version, the narrative is often choppy and sometimes confusing as it hops back and forth between narrators. That’s mostly due to the blending of new and old footage. It ultimately jumps around too much to flow smoothly and seamlessly.
This wouldn’t be an issue if the hardcore scenes were steamy. There are some memorable moments along the way, but overall, they vary wildly in quality and length. (Some appear randomly on a TV, which is supposed to represent security footage… or something.) The ones that work best are the three-way sequences. (Get a load of the “sheik” in the hot tub scene.) Even then, they aren’t all that great. The hateful dialogue is memorable though.
The Invitation is rough in patches, especially early on, but things perk up once the character of Moma Lupo is introduced. The torture sequence set to the library music from Night of the Living Dead, is rather shocking and effective. Unfortunately, it takes a nosedive in quality shortly thereafter. If it ended a good ten minutes sooner, it might’ve skated by with a *** rating. However, after the plot feels like it’s wrapped itself up, it continues needlessly on for another reel or so. In fact, the climax is so shoddily edited that it should be used in film schools to teach prospective filmmakers how NOT to end a movie.
I know the trailers are usually better than the movies themselves, but I can’t help but be a little disappointed in The Invitation after having such a great trailer and all. It’s not all bad though. It’s just that I can’t say it works as a whole. What I can say is that’s just mean-spirited enough to stand out from the glut of grindhouse roughies of the era.
AKA: Invitation to Ruin.
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