Featured Blu-ray Review: Alice, Sweet Alice: Special Edition
November 3, 2019
Alice, Sweet Alice: Special Edition - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Alice, Sweet Alice came out in 1976 and is considered by many to be a proto-teenage slasher, if not a full member of that genre. However, genres change a lot in 40 plus years. Is this movie still effective all these years later? And does the Blu-ray live up to the Special Edition label?
We first meet the Spages when they go see the priest at their parish. Catherine has brought Karen there, as she’s going to have her first communion soon. Alice, the older sister, is there as well, but she isn’t interested in what Karen is doing and instead plays a prank on the housekeeper, Mrs. Tredoni. Later, Alice plays a prank on Karen stealing her doll and luring her into an abandoned building to scare her. Alice isn’t very nice to Karen, but we later learn why Alice is acting out. She was born out of wedlock into a Catholic family and while her mother and father did get married, they later got a divorce. Catherine’s family thinks she brought shame to their family and take it out on Alice. Not only that, but the family’s landlord is a child molester who has his eyes on Alice. It’s a rough life and it isn’t surprising that she’s acting out.
On the day of Karen’s communion, Karen is the last in line to enter, but she’s grabbed from behind and strangled to death by someone in a yellow rain coat and transparent mask, just like we saw Alice wear previously. They do this without the other girls even noticing Karen’s not behind them. The killer drags her body, puts it in a trunk, and a lit candle is placed inside. It isn’t until the Alice takes communion in Karen’s place that a nun notices the fire and discovers the body. After the funeral, Dom decides to investigate the murder himself, while Catherine’s sister, Annie moves in to help the family deal with their loss. It doesn’t really help, as Annie hates Alice. The feeling is mutual. When the killer attacks Annie, she accuses Alice and Alice is taken away to a mental hospital.
Of course, that’s not the end of the killings.
Alice, Sweet Alice is an exceptionally well-made movie and one that has aged really well. This was Alfred Sole’s second film, the first being a porno. (It got him excommunicated from the Catholic church, hence the Catholic theme of this film.) However, despite his relative inexperience, the film is shot in a way that maximizes the tension. He also gets the most out of his mostly inexperienced cast. This was both Paula Sheppard and Brooke Shields’ first film, for example. I’m surprised the film didn’t have a more lasting legacy, but that could be due to my next points.
I’ve seen Alice, Sweet Alice described by many as a very early example of the teenage slasher genre. However, I don’t think it is. The film’s style is far more representative of the Giallo genre of horror, just one that was made in America. I’m not the first person to come up with this comparison, but it is very apt. Furthermore, since I liked Giallo as a genre much more than I like Teenage Slashers, I was very pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this movie.
There are a ton of extras, including two audio commentary tracks. The first has the co-wroter / director Alfred Sole, along with the editor, M. Edward Salier, and Bill Lustick, who did some work on effects make-up. (I’m not sure about that last name, as they are not in the credits.) The second has writer Richard Harland Smith. Both are worth checking out. First Communion is a 19-minute long interview with Alfred Sole talking about how he got into filmmaking and the making of this movie. Alice on My Mind is a 15-minute interview with composer Stephen Lawrence. In the Name of the Father is another interview featurette, this time with Niles McMaster, who played Dom Spages. Lost Childhood: The Lovations of Alice, Sweet Alice is a 16-minute tour of the locations in the movie. Sweet Memories: Dante Tomaselli on Alice, Sweet Alice is an 11-minute interview with Dante Tomaselli, cousin of Alfred Sole, and his connection to the movie. There are also two deleted scenes and an alternative opening titles. Up next are the original trailer, TV spots, and image gallery. ... Oh yeah, and the 1981 version of the movie called Holy Terror. That’s a ton of extras, especially for a movie this old.
Alice, Sweet Alice is a mostly forgotten horror movie. There are some who consider it a classic, but most fans of the genre have never seen it. That needs to change. It is an excellent example of Giallo, even though it is made in America and it is absolutely worth checking out. Furthermore, the Special Edition Blu-ray is loaded with extras, making it a Pick of the Week contender.
The Movie
The Extras
The Verdict
Filed under: Video Review, Alice, Sweet Alice, Brooke Shields, Dante Tomaselli, Linda Miller, Mildred Clinton, Alfred Sole, M. Edward Salier, Stephen Lawrence, Niles McMaster, Paula Sheppard, Alphonso DeNoble, Jane Lowry