I can remember the first time I saw ALICE SWEET ALICE. Well
sort of. It was the opening title of a double bill at the local drive-in. I was
in high school at the time and probably more interested in talking to my
friends than paying attention to the film there. I did remember it left no
major impression on me. Its main drawing point was that it featured Brooke
Shields who no one really knew at the time but who would soon draw controversy
for her featured role in PRETTY BABY.
Taking place in 1961, the movie tells the story of single
mother Catherine Spages (Linda Miller) and her two daughters, precious
nine-year-old Karen (Shields) and troubled twelve-year-old Alice (Paula E.
Shepphard). The girls attend St. Michael's Parish Girls' School where Karen is
about to go through her first communion. Before this can happen Karen is
strangled to death and lit on fire in the church balcony. Having found Karen’s
veil the immediate suspect is Alice.
Catherine’s ex-husband Dominick (Niles McMaster) returns for
the funeral and promises to help look into what took place while local
detective Spina is also investigating. Also on hand but not helping anything is
Catherine’s sister Annie (Jane Lowry). Annie has never liked Alice and does her
best to cast suspicion her way. Then one day as she’s leaving the apartment
someone dressed in a yellow rain slicker and a mask we’ve seen earlier worn by
Alice attacks Annie and stabs her in the legs before running off. Of course
Annie tells the police it was Alice that attacked her.
Red herrings and potential suspects are tossed at us
throughout the film as it progresses. Among those are the slobbish landlord Mr.
Alphonso (Alphonso DeNoble) and several others. But the evidence continues to
point towards Alice and her attitude doesn’t help her cause. Traumatized by the
divorce of her parents and now these accusations one begins to wonder if she
couldn’t have killed her sister in a rage.
The end result is a well done mystery that provides the
clues the viewer needs to know who the killer is but without making it far too
easy to realize. That’s a true item needed for a solid mystery. The fact that
director Alfred Sole (who co-wrote the film) was able to do this and only on
his second film (the first being a low budget porn flick called DEEP SLEEP)
makes one wonder what he could have accomplished with a substantial budget and
some encouragement.
While the movie left no impression on me when I was younger
watching it now I can appreciate the subtle nuances in the film as well as the
creative special effects used in the murder sequences. The acting is not what
you would expect of the best of Hollywood but at the same time exceeds that of
most films made on a budget like this. Even more amazing is the fact that star
Linda Miller was dealing with depression and tried to commit suicide during the
production of the film.
Arrow Video. Do I need to say more? Here as always they
present the film in the best format possible and have included a number of
extras that make this one worth picking up. To begin with this is a brand new
2K restoration of the theatrical version from the original camera negative
making it the cleanest you’ve ever seen this film. Previous releases on video
and the like were always cloudy and terrible looking. Not so this time around.
In addition to that they’ve included some nice extras. Those
include a brand new audio commentary track with Richard Harland Smith, an
archival audio commentary track with Sole and editor Edward Salier, “First
Communion: Alfred Sole Remembers ALICE SWEET ALICE” a featurette where
director/writer sole looks back on the 1976 film, “In The Name of the Father” a
new interview with Niles McMaster, “Sweet Memories: Dante Tomaselli on ALICE
SWEET ALICE” filmmaker Dante Tomaselli (the cousin of Sole) discusses his
longtime connection to the film, “Lost Childhood: The Locations of ALICE SWEET
ALICE” a tour of the original locations of the film hosted by author Michael
Gingold, the alternate HOLY TERROR television cut of the film, deleted scene,
alternate opening titles, trailer and TV spots, the original screenplay and an
image gallery. For a movie made in 1976 that’s quite a lot.
Fans of the film will enjoy this one once again. If you’ve
never seen it and are a horror fan then by all means pick this one up. One last
mention is that the title here when the movie starts is not ALICE SWEET ALICE
but COMMUNION. That was the original title. Check it out, it’s worth watching.
No comments:
Post a Comment