Linda Miller, Mildred Clinton, Paula E. Sheppard

After a young girl is brutally murdered during her first communion, her strange and withdrawn older sister becomes the main suspect.

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56% liked it

5,658 ratings

R, 1 hr. 48 min.

Directed by: Alfred Sole

Release Date: November 13, 1976

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DVD Release Date: May 1, 2007

Stats: 283 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (283)


  • August 20, 2009
    When young Karen Spages is strangled and set on fire in a Catholic Church at her first communion, her disturbed older sister Alice is the central suspect, because of her jealously towards her. Her estrange father Dominick arrives in town for the funeral. Catherine her mother and ...( read more)Dominick believe Alice is an innocent victim, but when her Aunt Annie is attacked by someone in a yellow slicker and plastic doll mask, she believes it's Alice. The police take Alice in, where she tries to convince them that Karen is alive and stabbed Annie. And their lie detectors goes on to prove it. Dominick with the help of father Tom try their best to investigate just who might be behind the actual attacks.

    Alfred Sole's effectively accomplished direction, atmospheric handling and astutely symbolic, psychological tampered plot really do go real long way to covering the flawed aspects of the commendable production. In what might have damage other films, only goes on to be a minor quibble here because there are so many glowing factors, which are amazingly pulled off for an impressive low-budget effort. This is one of my favourite 70's horror oddities, which breaths a fresh air in its premise's circuitously glum layout, an ominously nasty streak, purposely stinging jolts and being filmed on authentic locations in New Jersey.

    What makes the unusually cunning and certainly unpredictable plot compelling, is that so much can be read from it, like it's penetrating thoughts on Catholicism too the prolific character developments involving the hardships of family life, but there's no lying about its true intentions, which did kind of got mingled with the baffling conclusion. Making repeat viewings a must, to pick up on those minor details. Some fundamental devices in the plot show up; the usual police investigation is the glaring one, but it never draws away from the main focus and adjustably installs itself into the material. There are some odd and eccentric characters written in also, which catch onto the emotional ride. Some might think the tension will evaporate, as just after halfway through the killer is unmasked, but the story's slow rising sinisterness early on eventually leads to a brooding intensity that actually seems to fester up, for the thrilling final third with one powerful conclusion to boot.

    Sole does a vividly lucid job in the director's chair with moody imagery, creative viewpoints and uneasy composition, backed up by disquietingly stylish jolts timed with utter perfection. However in spots it can drag with it's deliberately slow pace and a densely thorough script, which can labour along. Maybe it was a tad too long. Also illustrating the film's disorienting air and unsettling suspense was John Freeberg's gracefully skilled cinematography and Stephen Lawrence's playfully chilling, but occasionally harrowing musical score, which expertly went hand-to-hand to craft out an overwhelming tenor. The killer goes around in a shiny yellow slicker, white gloves and the chilling doll mask they wear, actually gives me the creeps. The performances are noting to write home about and might be gauche in some cases, but there's no denying that the matchless Paula E. Shepherd is startlingly convincing as the creepy Alice. Linda Miller does exceptionally well as Alice's heart-aching mother Catherine and Niles McMaster brings a solidarity to his performance as Alice's stalwart father Dom. Jane Lowry can get fittingly overbearing as the haughty Aunt Annie and the unforgettable Alphonso DeNoble keeps it all vile as the grubby landlord. Even with the high billing that Brooke Shields receives, her debut performance is efficient and her death memorable, but not worth all the fuzz for only 15 minutes. Mildred Clinton, Rudolph Willrich, Michael Hardstark, Tom Signorelli, Lillian Roth and Gary Allen go on to give able support.

    An uncomfortably staggering affair with many dimensions to its story and inspired craftsmanship by Sole and co, which go on to make it a very good unappreciated gem of the 70s.
  • July 3, 2009
    Creepy movie with an evil little girl wearing a mask. People die. Detectives wonder if Alice is doing all the killings, but they can't prove it. Lots of Catholic Church imagery and characters make it even creepier. It has the same ucky feeling as The Exorcist, but no Satanic poss...( read more)ession here. There are shocking scenes, like an obese man's apartment squalor, communion ceremony gone-wrong, a knifed-killer slashing a woman's legs into a bloody mess, a kitten's death, and little girl lullaby soundtrack. Note: Brook Shields is NOT Alice
  • May 1, 2009
    From beginning credits to the final segment, Alfered Sole's "Alice Sweet Alice" is a chillingly gripping horror flick. With it's haunting soundtrack, alarming murder scenes, and horrifying Catholic imagery this movie will be forever embedded in your mind. It also boasts the very ...( read more)first screen appearance of a young Brooke Shields, who has a very brief role as young Karen Spages, a young girl who is brutally murdered in church during her first Communion. This murder sets the pace for the entire film. There are no wasted segments or "fillers" in "Alice Sweet Alice" each scene is essential and captivates your attention. The characters grab your attention as well from the morbidly obese Mr. Alfonso the landlord to the manipulative and constantly interfering Aunt Annie. Of course, the character of Alice is the most intriguing as the viewer wonders whether this strange young girl is truly capable of cold blooded acts of murder or is there something even more sinister happening? There are lots of surprises and shocks that will grab the attention of first-time viewers and leave most horror fans coming back for more and there is also a surprisingly generous amount of blood-letting in this film.
  • February 21, 2008
    Actually, although it potentially had everything to do so, Communion (original title) fails to enthral me.

    The storyline is good, the filming somewhat resembles to Hitchcock's Psycho or 1977's Black Christmas, which is obviously also a good thing, and the cast does a fairly dece...( read more)nt job throughout.

    But it fails to present that eerie feeling such a movie required. Specially considering the time when it was released.

    Don't know.
    Maybe Brooke Shields does have a way of ruining every movie she enters in after all.
  • December 30, 2007
    Interesting.
  • November 14, 2009
    Watch it with the lights off and feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. - Wlliamsjr.

    Lol the Movie poster iz kindda scary. I m shakin! Holly fUcK the only Movie which amused me wif a DOLL was Chucky.
  • September 6, 2009
    i loved this movie!!!!!!
  • August 29, 2009
    I actuallly have this book. The story is creepy and the movie maybe with more of a budget could have been a lot better. But the book is definitely better as most of the time they are.
  • August 8, 2009
    Want to see this bad.......
  • July 21, 2009
    Messed me up. I didn't want to even go to churh after that one.

Comments


  • djtiny91
    April 6, 2007
    ma mum told me about this film i really really wanan see it
    does anyone know anywhere other than torrent and limewire that i can download it?
  • asiantribe
    December 29, 2006
    Paula Sheppard, who played the part of Alice, was actually 19 years old during the time of filming.
  • mamamiasweetpeaches
    October 16, 2006
    This movie rocks! What an unsung gem! Paual e Sheppard should have went on to bigger better things after this and LIQUID SKY! Whatta cool and creepy chick!

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