Alice, Sweet Alice Review – Classic Seventies Horror Ready to be Re-Discovered

alice-sweet-alice

It always interests me when people point to Halloween and say that is the true start of the “slasher” film, I guess to say if this is correct or not you’d have to define what a slasher movie is.  If it’s a film that takes the elements of Psycho such as a maniac with a weapon who stalks their victim then viciously attacks them, then it’s not the first it just made the concept popular.  If you look at some horrors of the seventies that came before Myers and his mask they do tend to (and this is controversial I know) be better.  Take Alice, Sweet Alice as an example where “slashing” and “stalking” was very much a part of the horror, but achieved in a more stylish and intellectual way.

When Karen Spages (Brooke Shields) is killed during her first communion all eyes look to her older sister Alice (Paula E. Sheppard) as the culprit.  As more and more people are brutally murdered a young figure is seen close to the scene in Alice’s coat and wearing a mask similar to one she owns, is she to blame or does somebody have a vendetta against her and her family?

There are many elements that impress with Alice, Sweet Alice, one of the things to notice is the Giallo style even if this is an American film.  Add to that the almost suffocating nature of the Catholic Church and the constant use of religious symbolism in the film then you have the perfect set up for what is a slasher movie based around the theme of religion.  The young girl in the yellow coat is also reminiscent of Don’t Look Now and seeing the young girl running away from the scene it constantly reminds you of that movie.  The fact that not even the viewer is let into the secret of who the killer is until we get into the final act of the movie, there is a tense atmosphere as we know Alice is mentally disturbed, but also tend to think that blaming her as all of the characters do, is just too easy.

The concept of the evil little girl who is jealous of her perfect sister is one that feels well used in horror, it was done before Alice, Sweet Alice and we’ve seen it done many more times.  Watching it in 2014 with the cynical mind of a horror fan, you can’t help but pity Alice and Paula E. Sheppard’s performance does push towards the fact that she is just as much of a victim of events as everybody else is.  Just because she does tend to do relatively evil things does not mean that she has gone to the next level of being a killer, but the film does push you to try to believe that.  The effects of religion on her though and hints at abuse by her neighbour Mr Alphonso (Alphonso DeNoble) make for a very unsettling atmosphere around the child.

During the final act of the film it’s interesting that not only does the tone of the film change due to Alice being pushed away from events, but also the focus is changed too.  In finding out just what is behind the murders we almost become an accomplice to the fact as we see the explanation and reasoning for the events.  It’s interesting that we are pushed into the place of the killer and their hectic attempts not only to kill more people, but also hide from what they are doing.  This is in ways what makes Alice, Sweet Alice more of a well thought out “slasher” style film than movies which would become more popular in the eighties.

I love the fact that a company like 88 Films will bring classics such as Alice, Sweet Alice back to the United Kingdom and bring them uncut, it’s good for horror fans to be made aware that films like this do exist.  They may not be as popular as the Halloweens, Nightmare on Elm Streets and Friday 13ths but what they do is lay down the rules for what made these films so enjoyable.  Alice, Sweet Alice is a gem looking to be rediscovered, and with this 88 Films release this is a perfect way to do it.

Alice, Sweet Alice is released in the United Kingdom on DVD (region free) 17 February.

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