Customer Reviews

Alice, Sweet Alice

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I finally got my hands on a copy of this out of print DVD and watched it in the wee dark hours. I was so disturbed afterwards I couldn't go to sleep.

This is a really well crafted horror/suspense movie that was notable at the time of its release as the debut film of Brooke Shields (whose fame has since faded). Beyond this, it is a creepy, chilling, and fascinating film with some very realistic murder sequences. The idea of a child being murdered on the day of her first communion INSIDE THE CHURCH is disturbing enough, and to watch this sequence will send a chill up your spine.

After this, the question becomes, is the bratty older sister the culprit, or is someone else the killer? What's interesting regarding the attacks by the killer is how utterly out of control and spontaneous they are, just as I imagine a crazy person would conduct such attacks. The killer isn't just interested in killing the victims, the killer wants to assault them in any manner, at any time.

SPOILER ALERT


One victim is stabbed in the legs and feet as she is descending a staircase, and the motive seems to be the infliction of pain, suffering, and torture, all presented very realistcally. The attack is cruel, brutal, and sudden, completely unexpected. Despite what the main review says, there is plenty of blood to be seen.

Another victim is beaten with a brick, and then very graphically, has his mouth bashed several times with the brick. This scene is so realistic, I swear I could see the actor's lips splitting and the actor spitting out teeth. Again, the viciousness of the attack is simply terrifying and unnerving.


When the killer is revealed more than half way through the film, I thought this would diminish the rest of the movie. This was not true, as I was then trying to guess the motive behind the attacks. The killer is clearly insane, and therefore, no rational motive exists.

The images of religious iconography and the scenes inside a catholic church create a pervasive sense of dread and unease thoughout the film: a place of sanctuary and comforting religious objects are powerless against the unfolding horror and utter madness of the killer. Comparisons to DON'T LOOK NOW and Hitchcock films are justified, but this film is no mere rip-off. Watch it with the lights off and feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

Alice, Sweet Alice (Alfred Sole, 1976)

Alfred Sole directed only four films in his brief career (he later switched to production design, and has been running his feet off in that capacity since 1994; two films, twenty-six TV movies, and a TV series). Alice, Sweet Alice was the second of them, and the only film he directed for which he also wrote the screenplay. Very strange, because Alice, Sweet Alice is the best film Sole directed, and you'd think Hollywood would have given him another chance.

Alice (Liquid Sky's Paula E. Sheppard) is a troubled adolescent. Her mother, Catherine (Linda Miller of An Unmarried Woman and Turner & Hooch), is at wits' end. Her sister Karen (Brooke Shields, in her big screen debut) alternates between hating her and wanting to be her. Until, that is, Karen winds up dead just before receiving her first communion. The community's suspicion falls on Alice, naturally, while her mother staunchly defends the girl's innocence.

Tight, leisurely, and eerie, Alice, Sweet Alice is one of those movies that keeps you guessing till the end (even when the killer is revealed half an hour before that). It takes time to develop its characters, which has turned off a number of reviewers; if you rent this expecting a nonstop frightfest, you will be disappointed. This is mystery combined with coming-of-age tale that happens to have horrific elements to it.

Special mention should be made of the appearance of silent film star Lillian Roth, whose cameo was her first big-screen appearance in over forty years. (Roth would make only one more appearance, also a cameo, before her death in 1980.)

A fine piece of work, and one that deserves far more recognition than it's gotten. *** ½

I remember when I had the 1999 DVD edition of Alice, Sweet Alice and I remember it was quite a thrill to own and watch. It was one of the superior thrillers out there (see my other review of that edition which is available and it will tell you my thoughts on this movie). Finally, our wonderful movie heads have decided to re-release this classic in a new edition. For those of you who have waited patiently while the other edition sells on ebay for $30-$50 a pop, you can now own this movie for less than $25 and it will most assuredly be a necessary edition to your collection. Whether you're a Brooke Shields fan or a fan of cult classics, Alice, Sweet Alice should not disappoint you fans who have been hungering for this! Now, you'll have the chance to own a movie that has become a cult hit in its own right!

"Communion" is the better alternative title for this thoroughly enjoyable horror film. Don't expect to see much of the character of Brooke Shields, as she doesn't survive for very long! That's all I 'm saying about the plot, as this is a real whodunnit that should be enjoyed without prior warning. The real star of this movie is Paula Sheppard as the disturbed youngster Alice, who appears to be at the center of some very gruesome murders. It doesn't help that she likes to wander around in a bright yellow raincoat and spooky smiling mask, but that's just scratching the surface of this movie's weirdness..Gore highlights include a horrific stabbing through a staircase bannister which will make you wince, as well as a painful scene in which the murderer has to bash in the teeth of a victim who is biting down on a vital piece of incriminating evidence..ouch! All the acting is superb, including Linda Miller as the agonised mother, and Jane Lowry, I think as the bitchy aunt. The film really stands out because of the stylish direction and many twists, I really recommend a viewing. It has been compared to "Don't Look Now", but it reminds me more of Michael Winner's "The Sentinel", only better.

It took me over two years to give this film a chance. When I first saw this, I was the type of person who watched movies for entertainment and hated to be bored. Since taking up screenwriting, my opinions and taste have obviously changed, but let's not discuss that.

Made in the late 70's by director Alfred Sole, I wasn't so sure this film would be in my taste range. Seemed like another cheesy 70's slasher. After reading many positive reviews on the film, I decided to give it a shot, and was pleasantly surprised. The film is never boring and the suspense is terrific.

It starts off with a bang and ends the same way. Paula Sheppard plays Alice, a hot-headed and grumpy problem child who lives with her adorable little sister Karen, played by Brooke Shields, and single mom. When Karen is murdered during her first communion and Alice takes her place in line, suspicion immediately falls upon her as the murderer. Even her aunt begins to suspect Alice. This brings Alice's estranged father to town for an investigation to prove his daughter's innocence.

Meanwhile, the killer, wearing a yellow slicker and doll's mask continues the rein of terror, as he begins to target Alice's family.

This is not a typical slasher film as it mixes elements of Catholicism that become essential to the film. That doesn't really matter though, as the film is a terrific whodunit. You find yourself wondering if Alice really is the killer or not. Not trying to give anything away, the revelation truly is a shocking one, as are most of the death scenes in the film. Some of them are just so unexpected and very well done. The performances are also exceptionally wonderful, especially that of 19 year old Paula Sheppard who plays the 12 year old Alice. This is definitely a film I recommend to anyone looking for a tasteful slasher film. It is so different than many others out there, delivering more shocks and thrills than any other film of that time.

Originally released as "Communion", and "Holy Terror", it was later released under this title to cash in on Brooke Shields' popularity after the film "Pretty Baby" became a hit. This film is intelligent and entertaining. It truly is ahead of it's time. Highly recommended.

Yes some of the acting is way over the top, and even cringe worthy. Yes it is obvious that Nicholas Roeg's "Don't Look Now" (which is a superior film), and Alfred Hitchcock's work all had an influence on this film. But no this is not a bad film at all. I am a huge horror fan, and this is without a doubt one of my all time favorite mystery/slasher films. I love the fact that although the film was made in the mid 70's, it takes place in the early 60's and I think the director did a good job of maintaining not only the atmosphere of the time, but an overall menacing and dark feel throughout. All of the quirky characters are memorable and enjoyable, even the harping, shrieking B-level actress who was the aunt. The fact that the story took place in a fairly tight knit Catholic church going community hit a familiar nerve in myself, and it did the same for others that I've shown the film to.
The film keeps you guessing, and (in my opinion) had some pretty wrenching, and shocking murder setpieces. It's also wonderful how even though the killer is revealed fairly early on, a real motive is never given. I despise films where the killer is unmasked and all of their reasoning is explained. And to the reviewers who obviously didn't pay any attention to the film and were completely inaccurate in their plot descriptions, why bother reviewing a film you obviously didn't watch. The reviewer Savannah was totally wrong about everthying that they said about the plot, so no worries if you already read that review as their were'nt any real spoilers. Comparisons to the film Session 9 are also rediculous because the two have nothing in common. Ignore negative reviews from reviewers who didn't have any patience, and atleast rent this movie so that you can judge for yourself.

Director Alfred Sole's independently-produced cult classic, 'Alice, Sweet Alice' (1976), which is also known as 'Communion,' is a flawed but fairly unique and psychologically interesting horror film. While potentially murderous children were not an unknown in American cinema at the time of the film's release (1956's 'The Bad Seed' introduced young Patty McCormack as a smiling, blond, and pony-tailed killer), when combined with a cast of characters which includes a filthy, morbidly-obese, and sexually perverted landlord (Alphonso DeNoble in a high camp performance that almost ruins the film), a neurotic, nervous, and controlling aunt (Jane Lowry), and a variety of religious fanatics, 'Alice, Sweet Alice' certainly stands out from the dozens of low-budget horror films of the period.

The film, which takes place in a working-class New Jersey neighborhood in 1961, creates a near-suffocating atmosphere of underdeveloped consciousness. Most of the characters are relatively uneducated, only moderately socialized, and live in an ugly, claustrophobic urban world of frustration, disappointment, superstition, and strict obedience to Catholic dogma and ritual.

'Alice, Sweet Alice' is rather astute in its vision of an inner-city environment in which sociopaths, psychopaths, psychotics, and neurotics are the norm rather than the exception: only Alice's much put-upon mother (Linda G. Miller), Alice's remarried and disenfranchised father (Niles McMaster), and handsome, cheerful Father Tom (Rudolph Willrich) appear mentally stable and healthy. Almost everyone else is both a victimizer and victim in some way, or, like Alice's cousin, Angela (Kathy Rich), a fat child who can't stop stuffing food into her mouth, hardly more conscious than a goldfish.

Much of the film is seen from the perspective of Alice (Paula Sheppard), a psychopathic 12-year old who enjoys tormenting other people in any number of sadistic ways, and who enacts a number of strange rituals of her own devising in the cellar of the sprawling multi-family house in which her family lives. But, the film asks, does Alice's psychopathology necessarily mean that she is the petite killer, dressed in the same bright yellow rain slicker and spooky semi-translucent mask that are Alice's oddball trademarks, who is brutally attacking people in her immediate vicinity?

Alice may be a psychopath, as a clinician later explains to her parents, but Alice is also a victim of her environment and of her family's history, which may or may not explain the often cruel and predatory state of her psyche. 'Alice, Sweet Alice' ultimately works effectively because Sole allows the viewer to vicariously experience Alice's vulnerability, confusion, and doubt as well as her viciousness.

Sole and co-writer Rosemary Ritvo made the unfortunate choice allowing their film to reach one of its pivotal climaxes midway through, a decision which takes quite a bite out of the story's forward momentum.

The killer's eventually-revealed motives are so complicated, weakly presented, and loosely scattered over several scenes that the viewer is forced to make a concerted effort to understand the plot in the manner in which its producers intend. Some of the rampaging killer's actions and behavior while wearing the raincoat-and-mask-costume are simply impossible to square with the killer as we have come to know him or her over the course of the film.

Such an approach might have been successful in the hands of a more capable director, but to make the killer's motivations and activities genuinely convincing, 'Alice, Sweet Alice' should have included one more solidly-written expository scene. Even the killer's physical stature seems to fly in the face of the haunting tiny figure the viewer has repeatedly witnessed.

There are other scenes which also defy believability, such as when Alice's father, Dominick, receives a telephone call for help from a young relative. The voice the viewer--and presumably Dominick--hears is so high-pitched, unnatural, and bizarre that it's impossible to accept that this previously rational, level-headed adult actually thinks he is speaking to the party in question.

In the next scene, which was clearly inspired by the climax of Nicholas Roeg's 'Don't Look Now' (1973), Dominick, in an effort to provide assistance, ludicrously chases a small, continually fleeing figure in a yellow raincoat. Thus, when Dominick suddenly finds himself the hunted and not the hunter, cinematic justice for his foolish behavior seems to have been served.

Lastly, a very brief interlude in which Alice has ostensibly come to believe that Karen's ghost is responsible for the attacks is woefully underdeveloped.

The badly-paced, often undisciplined 'Alice, Sweet Alice' has been compared to the work of Alfred Hitchcock, but the only Hitchcock film it even remotely resembles is 'Frenzy' (1972), a late and uncharacteristic Hitchcock indeed. Nonetheless, for an independent writer-director's first mainstream effort, 'Alice, Sweet Alice' is as remarkable as some of Dario Argento's lesser productions from the same relative era, such as 'Cat O Nine Tails' (1971) or 'Four Flies On Grey Velvet' (1972).

I enjoyed this movie .Very stange because it keeps you wondering who the killer really is.I thought it was Alice ,but it didn't turn out that way. At the end I like the way Alice gets the bag from the killer .It reminds me of Halloween 4 when mike myers neice turns into him at the end.

This is a suspenseful chiller in which a young girl may or may not be responsible for the murder of her younger sister (played by a very young Brooke Shields) and other aggravated mayhem. Alfred Sole directs with great style and creates some vivid imagery. The cast hams it up quite a bit but it all seems to work with the material. Paula Sheppard is particularly effective as Alice. She has wonderfully expressive eyes and manages to exude both pity and weirdness. Although the character of Alice is only 12 years old, Sheppard was 19 at the time the film was shot. The film has a couple of loop holes in it's script with supernatural references that are never fully explored. Having said that, this film joins other low budget horror films of the 60's and 70's (Dementia 13, Halloween, Carnival Of Souls, Texas Chainsaw Massacre) that showed how imagination and creativity produced quality products rather than the size of the budget. Sidebar: The DVD version of this film contains some really fascinating commentary by Alfred Sole as well as two other crew members. It's chock full of intresting anecdotes.

DON'T LOOK NOW was one of the creepiest thrillers ever made, a sort of Argento-type picture with atmospheric scares and a chilling score to boot. ALICE, SWEET ALICE follows much along the same vein as these thrillers, but by no means is it a carbon copy. It has a whole life all its own, and thanks to very impressionable performances (including Brooke Shield's big debut), the movie is not just scary but intriguing from start to finish.

We follow the tale of two sisters, one named Alice (Paula Sheppard) who has a younger sister named Karen (Shields). Alice is jealous of Karen because she's the more favored of the two, and she always gets the attention. Alice has one thing that Karen hasn't got: a mask. This mask is genuinely creepy and realistic, and underneath it her apathy grows. They live in a rundown apartment complex that's run by an obese landlord whom Alice delights in tormenting, as the landlord has pedophile tendecies towards Alice. He's just repulsive to look at and you wish someone could smack some good sense into his miniscule brain. But alas, Karen is disposed of at her first communion (this movie bears two alias titles: COMMUNION and HOLY TERROR), and from there the killings are done in such a way that while you're watching, you don't feel safe because the people you don't expect to be killed are quickly done way with. This does not take away from the impact of the movie, but rather, it keeps the suspense and the tension building. The mother of Alice and Karen, Catherine (Linda Miller, making a great impression here), has her share of problems and while her sister can be grating on the nerves, she shares a sympathy for the loss of Karen. But Alice has other things on her mind, and so the movie continues to tear at our minds with unbearable tension: who will be the next one to die?

The movie works on three levels. One, the acting in the movie is high-caliber, and believe it or not, Paula Sheppard is 19 and she's playing a 12-year old. Two, the suspense winds in like a tightrope and snaps when you least expected it to, so you're bound to get good chills when you least expect them. Three, the ending of the film is enthralling, closing the book on a tour-de-force of suspense and scares. The most surprising thing is the movie is set in Paterson, New Jersey, and while the location don't seem that scary, the part where Karen runs after Alice into the decrepid warehouse will send tingles down your spine.

Alfred Sole wouldn't make quite as good a movie again as he did with this sweet cult classic. While not high on scares, the movie is tight with suspense, chills, thrills, and moves that will leave you scratching your head and talking with your friends after you watch it. Boasting some good performances and nifty scenes to boot, you'll get a kick out of this fiendish and well-crafted suspense film.

P.S. A tidbit...ALICE, SWEET ALICE made Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments list at #89.