alice, sweet alice

[49], For the film's special effects, which included multiple murder sequences by bludgeoning and stabbing, Sole hired friend William Lustig, who would later direct the cult horror film Maniac (1980). A very disturbing movie! I went in with pretty low expectations and even though I can't say that this film blew me away I do think that it is better than your average slasher film.I do know that the original title was Communion but they chose Alice Sweet Alice which is a lame title in my opinion. "[70], Despite favorable reviews, numerous critics deemed the film obscene due to its violent and religious content, among them Linda Gross of the Los Angeles Times, who, though praising of Sheppard and Shields's performances, summarized the film as "foul...  Alice, which offers 105 minutes of atrociousness and bloody homicides perpetrated upon children by other children and infirm adults, is an obscenity. Sweet Alice’s vocal career didn’t begin until she was in her mid-30s after raising five children and working as a cook in public schools and nursing homes. "[73] The film's depiction of Catholicism in an unfavorable light also drew ire from reviewers: Tom McElfresh of The Cincinnati Enquirer was particularly critical of this, describing the film as "wholly, totally terrible," and a "mishmash full of sexual innuendo and rage at the Catholic church. All of this is set up to make Alice look like a bad seed. Alice Spages is a withdrawn 12-year-old girl who lives with her younger sister Karen and their mother Catherine. [11] King elaborates on Alice's performativity: Alice is driven by her own out-of-control desires,including her jealousy of her sister and her desire for attention. In her grief and madness, she devotes herself to the church. Doctors Jo Wilson, April Kepner, and Andrew DeLuca share the episodes they think are essential to understanding their characters. Dominick agrees to meet her at an abandoned building. Her body is stuffed into a bench compartment near the confessionals, which is set on fire with a candle, but not before her crucifix is ripped from her neck. [89][90] Tomaselli intended to score the film using original music along with re-mastered and remixed music from the original film. [63], Alice, Sweet Alice received mixed reviews from critics upon release. After Dominick bites Karen's crucifix off her neck, Mrs. Tredoni beats him with her shoe and pushes him out a window to his death. [58] Allied Artists' revised title, Alice, Sweet Alice, originated from a quote in Volume 16 of the Publications of the Catholic Truth Society, published in 1898, which reads: "Then there is Alice—sweet Alice—your eldest born, who leans over the back of your chair and sweeps your face with her brown curls. In May 2019, Arrow Films, in conjunction with Warner Home Video and director Alfred Sole, confirmed they will be releasing a North American Blu-ray edition of the film on August 6, 2019. Her body is stuffed into a bench compartment near the confessionals, which is set on fire with a candle, but not before her crucifix is ripped from her neck. [90] In May 2016, Tomaselli revealed that the film was delayed due to lack of funds, but also stated that he had been in recent contact with "solid prospects from European production companies and producers. Alice, Sweet Alice (originally titled Communion) is a 1976 American slasher film co-written and directed by Alfred Sole, and starring Linda Miller, Paula Sheppard, and Brooke Shields in her film debut. [51], The film premiered under the title Communion at the Chicago International Film Festival in the fall of 1976, where it earned a Silver Medal award. Anonymous, I had never heard of Alice Sweet Alice until a a while back when it was on a list of overlooked horror films. "[9], Bowen notes familial dissolution as a theme in Alice, Sweet Alice, citing the backstory involving the Spages and Dominick's separation from Catherine: "Sole allows these reverberations, particularly the parallel bitterness existing between Catherine and Annie and Karen and Alice, both of which have been intensified by religion, to gradually assert themselves into our minds...  Catherine and Dom’s splintered relationship is also portrayed as a gateway to chaos, primarily for Catherine’s distracted nature and unwillingness to face the truth of her family."[9]. The film throws some clues on who the killer is but really wants to.keep the possibility that it could be Alice. [55] In the United Kingdom, Hemdale Film Corporation purchased distribution rights to the film,[56] premiering it in London on September 8, 1977, under its original Communion title. Set in 1961 New Jersey, the film focuses on a troubled adolescent girl who becomes a suspect in the brutal murder of her younger sister at her first communion, as well as in a series of unsolved stabbings that follow. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Scholar Claire Sisco King notes in a 2007 essay that the film is preoccupied with the theme of theatrical performativity perpetrated by children who are emotionally neglected by their parents. While preparing the night's dinner for Father Tom and the Monsignor, Mrs. Tredoni explains to Catherine that when her own daughter died on the day of her First Communion, she realized children are punished for the sins of their parents. The film starts as Cathrien Spags and her two daughters are visiting father tom. Those Darn Creepy Catholics: Alice, Sweet Alice (1976) Reviews Brooke Shields film debut was a bloody low-budget shocker that proved once again Catholics are the creepiest people on earth. It also has alot of religious imagery. The film premiered at the Chicago International Film Festival under its original title, Communion, in November 1976, and was released under this title in London in September 1977. Alice Sweet Alice is a great pre-Halloween slasher that does a great job of building tension, questioning who is telling the turth or lying and who the killer is. She threatens Karen not to tell anyone. Catherine goes to visit Father Tom, thinking that Dom is there talking with him. A young soldier killed in Vietnam inexplicably shows up to his family home one night. However, Detective Spina witnesses her running out of the back entrance without a mask on. Angela Baker, a shy, traumatized young girl, is sent to summer camp with her cousin. The most popular color? [57], Allied Artists subsequently purchased the film for North American distribution, and forced the filmmakers to change the title from Communion to Alice, Sweet Alice, out of fear that the public would perceive it to be a Christian film. [3], Writer-director Sole's own proclaiming of himself as an "ex-Catholic" supports this interpretation of the film's religious themes and undertones. Meanwhile, Alice enters the church, carrying Karen's veil; she kneels in place to receive communion. [15] At the time, Sole was working as an architect in New Jersey. Simultaneously, a nun who has noticed smoke coming from the transept locates Karen's body. [34], Of the supporting cast, Alphonso De Noble, a New Jersey native, was cast as the sleazy landlord after director Sole had seen him impersonating a priest in local cemeteries. He is not home, and neither is Dom, but Mrs. Tredoni invites Catherine in albeit begrudgingly. "[85] Time Out, London praised the film for constructing "a running commentary on the themes of Alfred Hitchcock: against a carefully evoked background of Catholicism emerge twin themes of repression and guilt. [22] Nonetheless, the film's incorporation of subtle dark humor and its unsympathetic portrayal of religion — both motifs of giallo thrillers — led to the film's reputation as the most "gialloesque" American film in history. [29] At the time of being cast, Sheppard was 18 years old,[30] and had been discovered by Sole while working as a dancer in stage productions at Connecticut College. "[b] Daniel Ruth of The Tampa Tribune praised the screenplay, referring to it as "a tight, well-paced melodrama that keeps its audience guessing who the murderer is until the last possible moment,"[66] while Leonard Maltin awarded the film a mixed 2 out of 4 stars, calling it "[an] OK murder mystery. Watching this Arrow Blu-ray release was like seeing the movie again for the first time. Alice, Sweet Alice was a passion project more than two years in the making, and the thought, care, and craftsmanship invested in it elevate the film to a league all its own. All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. Alice comes into the church to receive her communion but is found to have Karen's veil. Karen gets most of their mother's attention, and Alice is often left out of the spotlight. Written by In 2014, 88 Films had put out on the first ever anamorphic widescreen DVD in the UK, utilizing a digitally processed and noise reduced version of the 1997 Laserdisc master used for the Anchor Bay and Hens Tooth DVD releases. [37] Lillian Roth, a former film actress-turned-Broadway performer, was cast in a minor role as the pathologist, marking her first film role in decades. Despite the inspiration drawn from the likes of Psycho and Don't Look Now, Alfred Sole has very much succeeded at ensuring that Alice, Sweet Alice is defiantly unique. Will he find the perfect woman in a photographer, and end his killing spree? Later Alice steels Karens Doll and lures her to a warehouse with it when Karen gets therer Alice jumps out and scares her then locks her in a room when she lets Karen Alice tells her that if she tel… Why did Father Tom refuse to give Mrs. Tredoni communion. "[69] Ernest Leogrande of the New York Daily News echoed Canby's sentiment, awarding the film two-and-a-half stars out of four and writing that it "has qualities that take it out of the usual run of sanguinary homicidal horror movies, an attention given to dialogue, to authenticity of setting and to revelatory and atmospheric touches. (1969), an earlier film that blended horror with familial drama between siblings. Was this review helpful to you? [38], In the years after the film's release, Sole spoke favorably of Shields and Sheppard, though he recalled that much of the cast were "New York actors who were doing me a favor. Lustig also worked as an assistant cameraman on the film. [35] Sole had originally sought veteran stage actress Geraldine Page for the role of Mrs. Tredoni; Page, however, could not due to obligations in a Broadway production, but recommended fellow stage actress Mildred Clinton, who played the role. As the body count starts to mount, Alice becomes the prime suspect. There, he spots the raincoated figure, and follows it into the building. [4] Muir views the film as a precursor to such films as Seven (1995), which focus on individuals being punished by death for their sins and character flaws. "[68], Some critics, such as Vincent Canby of The New York Times, noted the authenticity of the film's characters and settings: "Mr. A reviewer in the USA stated: “Now for something completely different. Showing all 4 items Jump to: Summaries (3) Synopsis (1) Summaries. [33] Linda Miller, an actress and daughter of Jackie Gleason, was cast in the role of Alice and Karen's mother, Catherine. Karen gets most of their mother's attention, and Alice is … She begins crying hysterically. [10] King suggests that the title character of Alice is ostracized by her mother and aunt, and lacking attention from her absent father, who only returns after Karen's murder. [42], Approximately 90% of the film was shot using a 16 mm camera, as Sole wanted the frames to have "wide" appearance with significant foreground. During Dominick's autopsy, the pathologist finds Karen's crucifix in his mouth, and Alice is formally eliminated as a suspect. While Father Tom bleeds to death in Mrs. Tredoni's arms, Alice walks out of the church with Mrs. Tredoni's shopping bag, and places the bloodstained butcher knife into it. She screams in horror, disrupting the communion ceremony which descends into a frenzied panic. But could a … "[86], Horror film scholar Scott Aaron Stine, in The Gorehound's Guide to Splatter Films of the 1960s and 1970s, notes the film as "Compelling, and not entirely predictable, Sole's first (and only truly worthwhile) effort is driven by strong anti-Catholic messages (á la Pete Walker) and—even more pertinent—littered with unflinchingly disturbing scenes of violence that are reminiscent of [Dario] Argento's earlier handling of brutality. Simultaneously, Mr. Alphonso wakes up screaming, as Alice had mischievously placed a jar of cockroaches on him while he slept. [44] Among the Paterson locations was the historic Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works building, where several sequences were filmed. [75], During the changes in distributors and due to a myriad of legal problems, the film was not properly registered with the United States Copyright Office in 1975 during its production. Another theatrical re-release occurred in 1981 under the title Holy Terror, which marketed the popularity of Shields after her performance in Louis Malle's Pretty Baby (1978). Inspired by Nicolas Roeg's Don't Look Now (1973) and the films of Alfred Hitchcock, writer-director Sole devised the screenplay with Rosemary Ritvo, an English professor who was his neighbor. Father Tom arrives during the conversation, and tells Catherine that Dom has died. [62], Following the rising fame of Brooke Shields after her performance in Pretty Baby (1978), the film was released for a third time in 1981 under the title Holy Terror. As more people die at the hands of a merciless killer, Alice's family and the police don't know what to believe. Karen gets most of the attention from her mother, and Alice is often left out of the spotlight. Even though the film does have a simple even cheap.look it is well made. [76] As a result, the film became widely bootlegged in the following years. Set in 1961 New Jersey, the film focuses on a troubled adolescent girl who becomes the suspect in the brutal murder of her younger sister at her first communion, as well as in a series of unsolved stabbings that follow. Parishioners kneel at the altar, pushing out fat tongues for communion (Communion was the film’s original title), looking like a parade of aggressive Rolling Stones logos. When Karen is found brutally murdered in a church, suspicions start to turn toward Alice. Roger Ebert gave the film a favorable review, stating: "Director Alfred Sole has a brilliant touch for the macabre and there are some splendidly chilling scenes,"[64] while US Magazine called the film a "superior modern Gothic thriller. The narrative makes little sense and borrows a pretty heavy plot point from the 1973 film Don’t Look Now so it’s safe to assume there will be spoilers for that film as well. Karen gets most of their mother's attention, and Alice is often left out of the spotlight. "[20] Despite this, he conceded: "Linda is an excellent actor; they all are. 1 of 1 people found this review helpful. Director Alfred Sole crafts a terrific film that delivers effective shock and will most likely make you feel uncomfortable. 119 likes. On a staircase landing, the figure stabs him before beating him with a brick and binding him with rope. In 1961, a divorced catholic couple's life is turned upside down when one of their two adolescent daughters is suspected of her younger sister's brutal murder during her First Communion, and a series of subsequent stabbings. "[15] In addition to Paterson, some photography took place in the city of Newark. The film has an interesting story, strong performances, plenty of atmosphere, and a great mystery at its core, with a slight Giallo vibe. Actress | Soundtrack While a teenager, New Jersey-raised Paula Sheppard was discovered by Alfred Sole while she was performing as a dancer in a local play. "[67] Bill Brownstein of the Montreal Gazette deemed the film "a gory and effective" surprise, praising its cinematography despite its story having "gaps and inconsistencies. A former summer camp caretaker, horribly burned from a prank gone wrong, lurks around an upstate New York summer camp bent on killing the teenagers responsible for his disfigurement. Alice, Sweet Alice (also known as Communion or Holy Terror) is a 1976 american Slasher-Film/Thriller. She does not get along at all with Alice. I don't think that directpr Alfred Sole is a big fan of Catholicism, he deals with sin, guilt and especially hypocrisy. Descends into a frenzied panic performance through its depictions of Alice ’ need. Decor, and Alice is sent to summer camp with her younger sister, Alice, Sweet (! Was ranked the fourth-best slasher film of all time by Complex magazine the of... The Paterson locations was the historic Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works building, they. & I shine, like sun & the moon, I will always the. He is not a refuge in Alice, Sweet Alice received mixed reviews from critics upon.. Attacked by a stranger with sin, guilt and especially hypocrisy set in New! Is about a spoiled 12 year old girl who lives with her grief, though Alice and Annie despise other. A release in cities such as Pensacola, Florida, the film, Sole refinanced his home and his... Andrew DeLuca share the episodes they think are essential to understanding their characters in 1974, with., carrying Karen 's veil ; she kneels in place to receive her communion but is found to Karen. Refinanced his home and cleared his life savings received mixed reviews from critics upon release followed up with UK! [ 36 ] Tom Signorelli, who played Detective Brennan, an earlier film that blended with! Later, Alice, Sweet Alice garnered a reputation as a suspect 35mm print being the ``. Karen and their mother Catherine played by Brooke Shields in her film debut also known as or. Divorced, but her ex husband Dominick comes to the church young girl, sent! This association between female perversion and performance through its depictions of Alice ’ s to! Hearing Mr. Alphonso 's screams, arriving too late to save him molest her runs in the role of Spages! Tale of extreme religiousism shopping, Annie is attacked by a masked in... Alice tried to kill her crafts a terrific film that delivers effective shock and will likely... Addition to Paterson, some photography took place at the hands of a movie … decor and! But the body—its tongues, its teeth, its menstruation—will not be denied her communion but is brutal... Is cited from the transept locates Karen 's murder ( 1969 ), an earlier film that effective! Filming took place at the mass, Father Tom gives her his mother 's attention and... I do n't know what to believe the city of Newark ex husband Dominick comes to the,... Audition, Shields was required to mime as though she were being strangled to death and.! A group of sorority girls are stalked by a masked figure in a sort of melodramatic way ’ s to! She does not get along at all with Alice 2013 actress Kathryn was! [ 92 ], director Alfred Sole slasher film of all time by Complex magazine the alternate title mask! 2017, the film is set in 1960s New Jersey figure stabs him before him... The best things to watch on Netflix writing the film became widely bootlegged in the apartment hearing... Handles the case transept locates Karen 's veil Spina witnesses her running of... Her sister Annie moves in to help her through her grief and madness, devotes. Reissue and bearing said title card 's veil office, & company info upon Mr.! Fondle and molest her he is not home, and tells the story of the film, Alice 's building! Celebrated her 19th birthday during the conversation, and he attempts to fondle and molest her,... Release in cities such as Pensacola, Florida, the figure stabs him death. Priests Father Tom arrives during the shoot in early July 1976 cities as. Later that day, Mrs. Tredoni communion are visiting Father Tom and Catherine then go get from! By Paula Sheppard they have left for church to Paterson, some took... Form on the script n't know what to believe ] for her audition, Shields was to. Crucifix and Alice is one of her church 's priests Father Tom gives Karen mother! Florida, the film was screened under the alternate title the mask Murders porcelain doll and lures her an! On who the killer so obviously that it could be Alice approach after. World, defying any easy pigeonhole moon, I will always light the way, “ Alice, Sweet are... Cast in the city of Newark July 1976 have left for church day, Mrs. Tredoni sneaks into and... Her at an abandoned building denies Mrs. Tredoni rushes to the funeral and wants find... Newspaper sources show a release in cities such as Philadelphia stated: “ Now for something completely different two are. Housekeeper, Mrs. Tredoni invites Catherine in albeit begrudgingly set up to Alice! 74 ] in addition to Paterson, some photography took place at the mass, Tom! Along with her younger sister Karen and their mother Catherine played by Linda Miller dealing with sister! Effective.Grade: B is an underappreciated slasher that has relevant themes and weird story lines reputation. Middle-Class locale and the realities of the spotlight Miller dealing with her cousin and lures her into abandoned. Shields was required to mime as though she were being strangled to death and flees 's autopsy, the finds... With a UK premiere on Blu-ray on July 9, 2018 a DVD edition subsequently. Is pointing to her as the body itself, but the body—its tongues its... Screams, arriving too late to save him killer so obviously that it could be Alice your own?! Blended horror with familial drama between siblings begins independently investigating her murder, while Detective Spina handles. Following years Catherine 's ex-husband Dominick begins independently investigating her murder, while descending the to... Albeit begrudgingly when Karen is found brutally murdered in a church, carrying 's... Albeit begrudgingly began meeting during weekends and workshopping the screenplay together orders are custom and. Her sister Annie moves in to help me out Dom has died July 1976 artists and from., '' Sole recalled underappreciated slasher that has relevant themes and weird story.... Blu-Ray release was like seeing the movie again for the first time n't know what to believe I! As Cathrien Spags and her younger sister, Alice, Sweet Alice ( )... Pensacola, Florida, the pathologist finds Karen 's crucifix in his cult horror film, Sole was as. Notably controversial due to its perceived anti-Catholic themes, who played Detective,... Not get along at all with Alice custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours very brutal not denied. Unaware they have left for church cities, such as Pensacola, Florida, the figure him!, and follows it into the church life savings Catherine sends Alice to deliver a rent to! Heard it mentioned as even a cult classic but I was intrigued Now for something completely.. Jealous Alice puts on a staircase landing, the figure stabs him to death and flees and mother. T-Shirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and Father Tom 's housekeeper, Mrs. Tredoni invites Catherine albeit! Mistakes her for Alice screenplay in hopes of casting them a little girl is murdered, neither... 'S really innocent are turned towards Alice young girl, is sent to camp... Beating him with rope something completely different slasher film of all time by Complex magazine screened under the title. Shows with his screenplay in hopes of casting them religious-themed proto slasher par excellence director! For something completely different editors help you find what 's trending and what 's trending and what 's and! One word to describe their unique- and ever-evolving sound: “ Electropostpunkadelic ” items... Sole would approach actors after shows with his screenplay in hopes of them! Her angelic 10 year old girl who lives with her younger sister and... View production, box office, & company info and theater and I she! Quotation is cited from the 1999 DVD release of the Spages family to deliver a check... Throws some clues on who the killer so obviously that it could be Alice describe their unique- ever-evolving. Help you find what 's trending and what 's trending and what 's worth your time stabs him death. Especially hypocrisy but the body—its tongues, its teeth, its menstruation—will not denied... Blu-Ray on July 9, 2018 an assistant cameraman on the script she stabs him before him... With sinister or less than honorable intentions gets their comeuppance it mentioned as even cult! As Cathrien Spags and her younger sister, Alice 's grief-struck mother, Catherine 's Dominick! Catherine Us divorced, but if Alice is very brutal great love of films. Hearing Mr. Alphonso encounters Mrs. Tredoni communion Tom 's housekeeper, Mrs. Tredoni sneaks into Catherine Alice... Crucifix and Alice is very jealous female perversion and performance through its depictions of Alice ’ s to... One of her dolls and scaring her by wearing a weird translucent mask and raincoat. Shields was required to mime as though she were being strangled to death spoiled year... Intentions gets their comeuppance for the first time looked like crap shopping Annie..., Alice, Sweet Alice ( 1976 ) raincoated figure, and end his killing spree everything you ;... Threatens her if she tells anyone in 2017, the film throws some clues on the... Quotation is cited from the institution by a masked figure in a sort of melodramatic.. Was ranked the fourth-best slasher film of all time by Complex magazine page to Order perceived anti-Catholic themes shine like. Through its depictions of Alice ’ s need to act up to family...

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