Overview: A young Brooke Shields meets an untimely end in this religious-themed proto slasher par excellence from director Alfred Sole.

On the day of her first communion, young Karen (Brooke Shields) is savagely murdered by an unknown assailant in a yellow rain mac and creepy translucent mask. But the nightmare is far from over - as the knife-wielding maniac strikes again and again, Karen’s bereaved parents are forced to confront the possibility that Karen’s wayward sister Alice might be the one behind the mask.

Bearing influences from the likes of Hitchcock, the then-booming Italian giallo film and more specifically, Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now, Alice, Sweet Alice is an absolutely essential - if often overlooked - entry in the canon of 1970s American horror.

4K Blu-ray Verdict: 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 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 favorite 70’s horror oddities, which breaths 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 labor 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.

In short, this is an uncomfortably staggering affair with many dimensions to its story and inspired craftsmanship by Sole and company, which go on to make it a very good unappreciated gem of the 70s.

4K Limited Edition Special Features:
Brand new 2K restoration of the theatrical version from the original camera negative
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
Original uncompressed mono audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Brand new audio commentary with Richard Harland Smith
Archival audio commentary with co-writer/director Alfred Sole and editor Edward Salier
First Communion: Alfred Sole Remembers Alice, Sweet Alice - director Alfred Sole looks back on his 1976 classic
In the Name of the Father - brand new interview with actor Niles McMaster
Sweet Memories: Dante Tomaselli on Alice, Sweet Alice - filmmaker Dante Tomaselli, cousin of Alfred Sole, discusses his longtime connection to the film
Lost Childhood: The Locations of Alice, Sweet Alice - a tour of the original Alice Sweet Alice shooting locations hosted by author Michael Gingold
Alternate Holy Terror Television Cut
Deleted scene
Alternate Opening Titles
Trailer and TV Spot
Original screenplay
Image gallery

Holy Terror (Alice, Sweet Alice) Original Trailer (Alfred Sole, 1976)