''Alice, Sweet Alice'', originally titled ''Communion'', is a 1976 American
psychological horror
Psychological horror is a genre, subgenre of horror fiction, horror and psychological fiction with a particular focus on mental, emotional, and Mental state, psychological states to frighten, disturb, or unsettle its audience. The subgenre freque ...
slasher film
A slasher film is a subgenre of horror films involving a killer or a group of killers stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools. Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as a generic ...
directed by
Alfred Sole, written by Sole and Rosemary Ritvo, and starring
Linda Miller,
Paula Sheppard, and
Brooke Shields
Brooke Christa Shields (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress. A child model starting at the age of 11 months, Shields gained widespread notoriety at age 12 for her leading role in Louis Malle's film ''Pretty Baby (1978 film), Pretty Baby ...
in her film debut. Set in 1961
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[First Communion
First Communion is a ceremony in some Christian traditions during which a person of the church first receives the Eucharist. It is most common in many parts of the Latin tradition of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church and Anglican Communion (ot ...]
, as well as in a series of unsolved stabbings that follow.
Mildred Clinton, Niles McMaster, and
Jane Lowry co-star, with
Louisa Horton
Louisa Fleetwood Horton (September 20, 1920 – January 25, 2008) was an American film, television and stage actress, who used her given name, Louisa Horton, professionally. She was the former wife of the late ''The Sting'' director, George Ro ...
and
Lillian Roth appearing in minor roles.
Sole developed the film's screenplay with Ritvo, an English professor who was his neighbor, drawing influence from
Nicolas Roeg
Nicolas Jack Roeg ( ; 15 August 1928 – 23 November 2018) was an English film director and cinematographer, best known for directing ''Performance (film), Performance'' (1970), ''Walkabout (film), Walkabout'' (1971), ''Don't Look Now'' (1973) ...
's ''
Don't Look Now'' (1973) and the films of
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...
. He assembled a cast of New York City-based actors to appear in the film, largely from theater backgrounds. Principal photography took place throughout the summer of 1975 on location in Paterson and
Newark, New Jersey. Through his architectural career restoring historic buildings in Paterson, Sole was able to secure several properties there as filming locations.
The film premiered at the 12th
Chicago International Film Festival
The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...
in November 1976 under its original title, ''Communion''; it opened in England in September 1977 under this same name. After being acquired by
Allied Artists, the film was re-titled ''Alice, Sweet Alice'', and released in the United States on November 18, 1977. It was theatrically reissued again in 1981 by Dynamite Entertainment under the title ''Holy Terror'', with a marketing campaign that exploited Shields's appearance in the film following her rising profile. Because the film was not properly registered for
copyright
A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive legal right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, ...
between its reissues, it was widely distributed in the home media market by
public domain
The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...
companies until 1997 when Sole made small editorial changes to the film, allowing him to re-copyright it in a variant version.
''Alice, Sweet Alice'' received mixed reviews from film critics, though it was met with largely favorable reception in England. Sole's direction and Sheppard's performance received praise, though many critics found the film's graphic violence and religious themes obscene and
anti-Catholic
Anti-Catholicism is hostility towards Catholics and opposition to the Catholic Church, its clergy, and its adherents. Scholars have identified four categories of anti-Catholicism: constitutional-national, theological, popular and socio-cul ...
. It received accolades from several film festivals and critical associations. In the years since its release, it has gained a
cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...
and is considered a contemporary classic of the slasher subgenre in critical circles, as well as an example of an "American
giallo
In Italian cinema, (; : ; from , ) is a genre that often contains Slasher film, slasher, thriller (genre), thriller, psychological horror, psychological thriller, Sexploitation film, sexploitation, and, less frequently, supernatural, supernat ...
." It has also been the focus of scholarship in the areas of horror
film studies
Film studies is an academic discipline that deals with various film theory, theoretical, history of film, historical, and film criticism, critical approaches to film, cinema as an art form and a medium. It is sometimes subsumed within media stud ...
, particularly regarding its depictions of Roman Catholicism, child emotional neglect, and the disintegration of the American
nuclear family
A nuclear family (also known as an elementary family, atomic family, or conjugal family) is a term for a family group consisting of parents and their children (one or more), typically living in one home residence. It is in contrast to a single ...
.
Plot
In 1961, in
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[First Communion
First Communion is a ceremony in some Christian traditions during which a person of the church first receives the Eucharist. It is most common in many parts of the Latin tradition of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church and Anglican Communion (ot ...]
, and Father Tom gives her his mother's
crucifix
A crucifix (from the Latin meaning '(one) fixed to a cross') is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the (Latin for 'body'). The cru ...
as a gift. A jealous Alice puts on a Halloween mask, frightening Father Tom's housekeeper, Mrs. Tredoni. Alice steals Karen's porcelain doll, scares her, and threatens her if she tells anyone.
Moments before her First Communion, Karen is strangled to death in the church
transept
A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...
by a person wearing a Halloween mask and a yellow raincoat; her crucifix is ripped from her neck and her body is set on fire. A nun makes the horrific discovery, disrupting the communion ceremony. After Karen's funeral, Catherine's ex-husband Dominick begins to investigate her murder independently while Detective Spina handles the case formally. Spina suspects Alice may be responsible for her sister's murder based on her documented history of
antisocial behavior. Catherine's sister Annie moves in to help her, though Alice and Annie despise each other. Annie also expresses her belief that Alice murdered Karen, much to her husband Jim's dissent.
Catherine sends Alice to deliver a rent check to their landlord, the morbidly obese Mr. Alphonso. When he attempts to
molest her, Alice hurts his pet kitten by strangling it and hurling it at the floor. Annie is attacked and stabbed by a masked figure in the apartment stairwell. At the hospital, she claims that Alice tried to kill her. Alice is detained and takes a
polygraph
A polygraph, often incorrectly referred to as a lie detector test, is a pseudoscientific device or procedure that measures and records several physiological indicators such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while a ...
examination, and insists Karen is the one that attacked Annie. The results show Alice is telling the truth, but she is still sent to a psychiatric institution for evaluation.
Dominick receives a hysterical phone call from someone claiming to be Annie's daughter Angela, saying that she has Karen's crucifix. Dominick agrees to meet her at an abandoned industrial building. There, the figure stabs him and bludgeons him with a brick before binding him with rope. Dominick sees that the killer is in fact Mrs. Tredoni, who chastises Dominick and Catherine as
sin
In religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law or a law of the deities. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered ...
ners because of their premarital conception of Alice and subsequent divorce. After Dominick bites Karen's crucifix off Mrs. Tredoni's neck, she pushes him out a window to his death.
Catherine goes to visit Father Tom. He is not home but Mrs. Tredoni invites her in. She explains that when her own daughter died on the day of her First Communion, she realized that children are punished for their parents' sins. In her grief and madness, she devotes herself to the church. Father Tom arrives and tells Catherine that Dominick has died. During Dominick's autopsy, the pathologist finds Karen's crucifix in his mouth, and Alice is eliminated as a suspect. Father Tom and Catherine go get Alice from the institution.
Mrs. Tredoni sneaks into Catherine's apartment building. Mr. Alphonso wakes up screaming, as Alice had mischievously placed a jar of cockroaches on him while he slept. He encounters Mrs. Tredoni in the stairwell and mistakes her for Alice. Mr. Alphonso shoves her against a wall, unmasking her before she stabs him and flees. Detective Spina witnesses Mrs. Tredoni running out maskless through the back door, but is unable to save Mr. Alphonso.
Mrs. Tredoni rushes to the church, unaware the police are stationed there in hopes of apprehending her. During
Mass
Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...
, Father Tom denies Mrs. Tredoni communion and discretely attempts to escort her to police. She stabs the priest in the throat in front of the congregation as the police rush in. While Father Tom bleeds to death, Alice emerges from the chaotic scene carrying Mrs. Tredoni's shopping bag, and places the bloodstained butcher knife into it.
Cast
Analysis and themes
Catholicism
Numerous film scholars have noted the film's hysterical portrayal of
Catholicism
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
and religious institutions to be in direct confluence with the motives of its villain, Mrs. Tredoni, whose ultimate goal is to "punish" the sinning members of her parish; this has resulted in some claiming the film to be overtly "anti-Catholic". Writer-director Sole's own proclaiming of himself as an "ex-Catholic" has also been cited regarding the interpretations of the film's religious themes and undertones. Prior to writing and directing ''Alice, Sweet Alice'', Sole had directed his debut feature, a
softcore adult film titled ''Deep Sleep'', in 1972. The release of the film resulted in
obscenity
An obscenity is any utterance or act that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time. It is derived from the Latin , , "boding ill; disgusting; indecent", of uncertain etymology. Generally, the term can be used to indicate strong moral ...
charges being brought against him in the state of New Jersey, as well as formal
excommunication
Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular those of being in Koinonia, communion with other members o ...
from the Catholic Church. This event has been credited as influential to the apparent anti-Catholic bent of ''Alice, Sweet Alice''.
The murder scenes in the film have been described by genre scholars such as
John Kenneth Muir as "stark and shocking," and noted for their use of "powerful imagery" correlating with the film's religious overtones. 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.
Catholic iconography is featured prominently throughout the film, including votive candles,
crucifix
A crucifix (from the Latin meaning '(one) fixed to a cross') is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the (Latin for 'body'). The cru ...
es, and
rosaries, as well as artistic depictions of the
Virgin Mary
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
in sculptures and paintings. In his book ''Hearths of Darkness: The Family in the American Horror Film'' (1996), writer Tony Williams commented that the "adolescent psychotic fantasies" of Alice are paralleled with the ritual practices of the Catholic Church. Williams concludes that the film "bleakly indicts oppressive forces of family and religion as responsible for producing monsters," and that its ambiguous conclusion suggests that Alice herself has become "polluted by the
amesocial system" that drove Mrs. Tredoni to commit the murders in the film.
Sheila O'Malley of ''
Film Comment
''Film Comment'' is the official publication of Film at Lincoln Center. It features reviews and analysis of mainstream, art-house, and avant-garde filmmaking from around the world. Founded in 1962 and originally released as a quarterly, ''Film ...
'' notes that: "From one scene to the next, religious iconography overwhelms the screen: paintings of Mary and Christ, marble statues, crosses on every wall, religion leering at the characters from behind. 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
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
logos. Religion is not a refuge in ''Alice, Sweet Alice''. It is a rejection of the body itself, but the body—its tongues, its teeth, its menstruation—will not be denied."
Additionally, Chuck Bowen of ''
Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' observes that the presentation of the church sequences signifies a closed-in nature that "favors cramped medium shots and close-ups that induce claustrophobia. The characters always appear to be cramped together in the church, on top of one another, and their homes are composed of similarly small passageways."
[ Despite this, Bowen asserts that the film is not "exactly an indictment of the church," but rather a "febrile portrait... of how society enables dysfunction on multiple fronts, from the domestic to the religious to the psychiatric."][ Writer Troy Howarth echoes this reading in his book ''Unholy Communion: Alice, Sweet Alice from Script to Screen'' (2021), writing that the film "is not strictly anti-religion... Sole stops short of suggesting that everybody in the Church is corrupt." He cites the sympathetic portrayal of Father Tom to support this, suggesting that it is "the dogma itself which is at the heart of Sole's commentary" rather than the church community at large.
]
Familial dissolution
Both Bowen and Williams note familial dissolution as a central theme of ''Alice, Sweet Alice'', citing the backstory involving the Spages and Dominick's separation from Catherine, resulting in a fractured family dynamic exacerbated by the moral code of their religious community.[ Bowen states: "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."]
Scholar Claire Sisco King notes in a 2007 essay that the film is preoccupied with the theme of theatrical performativity
Performativity is the concept that language can function as a form of social action and have the effect of change. The concept has multiple applications in diverse fields such as anthropology, social and cultural geography, economics, gender stu ...
perpetrated by children who are emotionally neglected by their parents. 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. King elaborates on Alice's performativity:
Writer David J. Hogan considers ''Alice, Sweet Alice'' among a series of films made between the 1970s and 1980s preoccupied with sibling rivalry, and which feature "violations of the integrity of the nuclear family
A nuclear family (also known as an elementary family, atomic family, or conjugal family) is a term for a family group consisting of parents and their children (one or more), typically living in one home residence. It is in contrast to a single ...
." Hogan views the film as an extension of such features as '' What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?'' (1962), an earlier film that blended horror with familial drama between siblings.
Production
Development
Director Alfred Sole began writing the film in 1974, collaborating with co-writer Rosemary Ritvo on the script. Ritvo, an English doctoral student at Fordham University
Fordham University is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in New York City, United States. Established in 1841, it is named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx in which its origina ...
, was Sole's neighbor, and the two often talked about films together. "She was a Catholic and we would talk about the Catholic church, religion and stuff like that. Then we started talking about films and theater and I discovered she had a great love of horror films," Sole recalled. The two began meeting during weekends and workshopping the screenplay together. At the time, Sole was working professionally as an architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
in New Jersey. Ritvo and Sole wrote approximately two to three drafts of the screenplay before it was completed.
Sole was inspired to make the film after seeing Nicolas Roeg
Nicolas Jack Roeg ( ; 15 August 1928 – 23 November 2018) was an English film director and cinematographer, best known for directing ''Performance (film), Performance'' (1970), ''Walkabout (film), Walkabout'' (1971), ''Don't Look Now'' (1973) ...
's 1973 psychological thriller, '' Don't Look Now'', based on the short story by Daphne du Maurier
Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, (; 13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Gerald du Maurier, Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her gra ...
. As a result, ''Alice, Sweet Alice'' makes several visual references to ''Don't Look Now'', namely the usage of the raincoat that is featured on the villains in both films. In developing the character of Alice, Sole and screenwriter Ritvo aspired to create a "child who has been neglected, and who could go either way," dividing the audience in regards to her guilt or innocence in the crimes committed. Sole chose to set the film in 1960s-era Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[rectory
A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of a given religion, serving as both a home and a base for the occupant's ministry. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, p ...]
next-door to his grandmother's house and looked after the clergy.
Sole was also influenced by the works of Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...
, as well as the 1955 French film '' Les Diaboliques'', while assembling compositions in the film. Although many critics have drawn comparisons to Italian giallo films and the works of Dario Argento
Dario Argento (; born 7 September 1940) is an Italian film director, screenwriter and producer. His influential work in the horror film, horror and giallo genres during the 1970s and 1980s has led him to being referred to as the "Master of the ...
in particular, Sole claimed to have not seen Argento's work at the time. 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 one of the most "gialloesque" American films in history.
The film was co-produced by Sole and Richard K. Rosenberg, an attorney from Glen Rock, New Jersey who had previously represented Sole.[
]
Casting
Sole, at the time an inexperienced filmmaker, did not have a casting director to cast the film, and instead would approach various stage actors about playing the parts. "I didn't have a working knowledge of what an actor does," Sole recalled, "so I started going to a lot of theater."[ Sole would approach actors after shows with his screenplay in hopes of casting them.][ ]Brooke Shields
Brooke Christa Shields (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress. A child model starting at the age of 11 months, Shields gained widespread notoriety at age 12 for her leading role in Louis Malle's film ''Pretty Baby (1978 film), Pretty Baby ...
was cast in the film as Karen after auditioning in New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
in 1975; director Sole had seen her modeling in a '' Vogue'' advertisement, and contacted her mother about the film, expressing his interest in her playing the role of young Karen. For her audition, Shields was required to mime as though she were being strangled to death. Sole recalled that Shields's mother "bent over backwards to help me out."
Sole cast 18-year-old Paula Sheppard, then a dance student at HB Studio
The HB Studio (Herbert Berghof Studio) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization offering professional training in the performing arts through classes, workshops, free lectures, theater productions, theater rentals, a theater artist residency prog ...
, as 12-year-old Alice, the protagonist suspected of her sister's murder. Sole first spotted Sheppard performing as a dancer in a stage production at Connecticut College
Connecticut College (Conn) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in New London, Connecticut. Originally chartered as Thames College, it was founded in 1911 as the state's only women's colle ...
. Sheppard recalled that he approached her after the performance and asked if she wanted to act in his film: "Several other guys had approached me eforewith the same line, and they were obviously creeps. Alfred seemed kind and honest though, so I talked to him about it." Because Sheppard stood under tall, Sole felt she could pass as an adolescent.[ "When I saw her, I thought she was fabulous," Sole recalled. "She looked old, she looked young, she looked mean, she looked happy... You know what I mean? She had a great face." In a subsequent interview, Sheppard reflected on her casting: "I never acted before in my life, and to this day I still don’t know why Alfred wanted me in this picture. It was tough to act. I never went to acting school or even paid much attention to actresses in films."] Sheppard celebrated her 19th birthday during the shoot on July 7, 1976.
Linda Miller, an actress and daughter of Jackie Gleason
Herbert John Gleason (born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr.; February 26, 1916June 24, 1987), known as Jackie Gleason, was an American comedian, actor, writer, and composer also known as "The Great One". He developed a style and characters from growin ...
, was cast in the role of Alice and Karen's mother, Catherine. Niles McMaster, a Chicago business executive turned actor, was cast as Dominick Spages, Catherine's estranged husband and father of Alice and Karen. Both Miller and McMaster auditioned for their roles via a casting call.
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. Sole had originally sought veteran stage actress Geraldine Page
Geraldine Sue Page (November 22, 1924June 13, 1987) was an American actress. With a career which spanned four decades across film, stage, and television, Page was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Geraldine Page, numer ...
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. Tom Signorelli, who played Detective Brennan, an officer investigating the crimes, was a New York stage actor. Lillian Roth, a former film actress-turned-Broadway performer, was cast in a minor role as the pathologist, marking her first film role since ''Take A Chance'' in 1926. Actor James Farentino was at one time attached to the project in an unspecified role, per a newspaper advert promoting an April 17, 1975 motion picture contract signing for the film held in Paterson.
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." He also commented that he and Miller clashed significantly, describing her as "really difficult to work with... A real nightmare." Despite this, he conceded: "Linda is an excellent actor; they all are."
Filming
The film was primarily shot on location in Paterson, New Jersey in the summer of 1975, with much of the crew being based out of New York City. It was the first major motion picture to be filmed entirely in the state of New Jersey since 1933.[ While some newspaper sources stated the budget was $1 million,] Sole claimed the film ultimately cost $350,000.[ To help finance the film, Sole refinanced his home and cleared his life savings. "My family was really supportive," he recalled, "and my mother cooked for the crew, my neighbors chipped in; everyone was just so kind and supportive of me that we eventually got it made." In addition to Paterson, some photography took place in the city of Newark.][
Approximately 90% of the film was shot using a 16 mm camera, as Sole wanted the frames to have "wide" appearance with significant foreground. Sole's occupation as a local restorational architect in Paterson helped him secure several shooting locations, effectively lending the film a modern Gothic aesthetic. Among the Paterson locations was the historic Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works building, where several sequences were filmed. Exteriors of the church were shot at St. Michael's Parish in Newark and the First Presbyterian Church in Paterson (demolished two years after filming), while the church interiors were filmed inside the chapel of Paterson General Hospital. Additional photography took place at Paterson's Great Falls,] Westside Park, and at the Governor Morris Hotel in Morris Township.[ The stairwell interiors of the Spages' apartment building were filmed inside the historic former home of British silk manufacturer John Ryle.
The production was periodically postponed during filming, with Sole stating that sometimes two- to four-week breaks would be taken between filming sessions because of budget issues, during which the production sought out additional funding. On one occasion, filming was temporarily halted after actress Linda Miller attempted ]suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death.
Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
by slitting her wrist while shooting the film's final sequence in the church. After a week of convalescing, Miller returned to the set and completed her scenes, though a bandage can be seen on her wrist in several sequences. Because of the repeated starts and stops, the production had to recurrently hire new cameramen; Sole estimated that a total of six different cameramen worked on the film. The total number of shooting days was around 20, as estimated by Sole.
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). Lustig also worked as an assistant cameraman on the film. Dick Vorisek, who had previously worked on ''Dog Day Afternoon
''Dog Day Afternoon'' is a 1975 American biographical crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and produced by Martin Bregman and Martin Elfand. The film stars Al Pacino, John Cazale, James Broderick and Charles Durning. The screenplay ...
'' (1975) and '' Carrie'' (1976), was hired onto the film as chief sound engineer
An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a sound recording, recording or a Concert, live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization (audio), equalization, Dynamic range ...
after Sole was put in contact with him through Technicolor
Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades.
Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...
. The special effects in the film were achieved via practical methods, such as the stabbing sequences, which were shot using a fake retractable knife designed by Sole's friend, an engineer. The film's props were all sourced locally, including the mask worn by both Alice and Mrs. Tredoni, as well as Alice's beloved doll, both of which Sole found in a Paterson toy store.
Music
The original score for ''Alice, Sweet Alice'' was composed by Stephen J. Lawrence, and features the use of dissonant string
String or strings may refer to:
*String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
arrangements, church organs, and repetitive keyboard progressions. At the time, Lawrence had never composed a score for a horror film.[ In writing the musical accompaniments to the film's murder sequences, Lawrence was inspired by the work of ]Bernard Herrmann
Bernard Herrmann (born Maximillian Herman; June 29, 1911December 24, 1975) was an American composer and conductor best known for his work in film scoring. As a conductor, he championed the music of lesser-known composers. He is widely regarde ...
, particularly his score for '' Psycho'' (1960).[ Lawrence also cited the works of ]Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone ( , ; 10 November 19286 July 2020) was an Italian composer, Orchestration, orchestrator, conductor, trumpeter, and pianist who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 film score, scores for cinema and televisi ...
and Franz Waxman
Franz Waxman (né Wachsmann; December 24, 1906February 24, 1967) was a German-born composer and conductor of Jewish descent, known primarily for his work in the film music genre. His film scores include ''Bride of Frankenstein'', ''Rebecca (194 ...
as influences on the score.[ Lawrence's score for the film earned him a music award at the Paris International Festival of Fantastic and Science-Fiction Film.
In a 2007 review of the film for '']DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman.
History
Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...
'', critic Glenn Erickson called it "a good score hat
A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...
approaches a Bernard Herrmann tone, without overdoing it."[ Chris Alexander of ComingSoon.net made a similar comparison to the work of Herrmann, adding that the score is "subtly effective when it needs to be and more aggressive during the frequent shock scenes."]
In 2021, Waxwork Records released the full score for the first time on vinyl.
Release
''Alice, Sweet Alice'' was shown under its original title, ''Communion'', at the 12th Chicago International Film Festival
The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...
on November 12, 1976, where it earned a Silver Medal award.[ It opened at the Fabian Theatre in Paterson, New Jersey, the following day, November 13, 1976.][ The Paterson premiere of the film was attended by approximately 2,000 audience members.]
The film was initially considered for major U.S. theatrical distribution by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
and Universal Pictures
Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
[ before ultimately being acquired by ]Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...
. As part of their distribution deal, Columbia secured a book tie-in by author Frank Lauria, which was eventually published in 1977 by Bantam Books
Bantam Books is an American publishing house owned entirely by parent company Random House, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter B. Pitkin Jr., Sidney B. K ...
. The studio's chief stipulation was that Sole cut a total of three minutes out of the film, to which he agreed. However, following a monetary dispute between Columbia and producer Richard Rosenberg, Columbia ultimately dropped the film from its roster.
In the United Kingdom, Hemdale Film Corporation
Hemdale Film Corporation (known as Hemdale Communications after 1992) was an independent American-British film production company and Film distributor, distributor. The company was founded in London in 1967 as the Hemdale Company by actor David He ...
purchased distribution rights to the film, premiering it in London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
on September 8, 1977. The British Board of Film Classification
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is a non-governmental organization, non-governmental organisation founded by the British film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of films exhibited ...
cut several minutes from the film for its release in the United Kingdom, including a brief cut that shows Alice gripping a kitten by its neck. Sole later commented: "The kitten was never harmed at all and it was just the camera angle that made it look so violent."
Allied Artists subsequently purchased the film for North American distribution, but mandated that it be re-titled as they felt ''Communion'' would lead the public to incorrectly perceive it to be a Christian film. Executive Jerry Grunberg commented that, while the film was well received by test audiences, "almost no one" liked the original title, a claim that was contested by producer Rosenberg. In August 1977, Allied Artists briefly issued the film under the title ''The Mask Murders'', with screenings in Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only incorporated city, city in Escambia County, Florida, Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...
, and La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse ( ) is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population was 52,680 as of the 202 ...
. The studio revised the title once again to ''Alice, Sweet Alice'', releasing it under this name in 76 theaters in the United States on November 18, 1977.[ While Sole expressed dislike for it, this is the title under which the film became most widely known. The phrase appears in 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."
Following the rising fame of Brooke Shields after her performance in '' Pretty Baby'' (1978), the film was sub-licensed and reissued for a third time in 1981 under the title ''Holy Terror''] through producer Max Rosenberg's distributor Dynamite Entertainment.[ Promotional materials for this release emphasized Shields's appearance in the film, making it appear as though she was a starring cast member.][ Shields and her advisers threatened legal action against Dynamite Entertainment, and in May 1981 came to an agreement that Dynamite revise their marketing campaign to minimize her contribution to the film.][
]
Home media
During the changes in distributors and titles as well as a myriad of legal problems, the film was not properly registered with the United States Copyright Office
The United States Copyright Office (USCO), a part of the Library of Congress, is a United States government body that registers copyright claims, records information about copyright ownership, provides information to the public, and assists ...
and for a time lapsed into the public domain
The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...
.[ As a result, it became widely bootlegged in the home media market in the ensuing years. Some VHS versions of the film released in the 1980s feature a truncated 98-minute cut of the film, such as a release by Celebrity Home Entertainment in 1987.
In March 1997, the Roan Group issued the film on ]LaserDisc
LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. It was developed by Philips, Pioneer Corporation, Pioneer, and the movie studio MCA Inc., MCA. The format was initially marketed in the United State ...
in a 106-minute "director's cut" version, with remastering supervised by director Alfred Sole. The LaserDisc also features an audio commentary
An audio commentary is an additional audio track, usually digital, consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with a video. Commentaries can be serious or entertaining in nature, and can add informatio ...
by Sole and editor Edward Salier as a bonus feature. For this release, Sole made a "small set of editorial changes" which allowed him to re-copyright the film in a variant version, preventing further unauthorized bootlegs from being produced.[ Sole deleted approximately 90 seconds from the original theatrical cut, mainly consisting of a brief scene in which Dominick receives a phone call from his second wife. In November 1998, ]Anchor Bay Entertainment
The revived Anchor Bay Entertainment is an American independent film production and distribution company owned by Umbrelic Entertainment co-founders Thomas Zambeck and Brian Katz. Anchor Bay Entertainment markets and releases "new release genre ...
released this version on VHS, branded as a restored "collector's edition." The following year, Anchor Bay issued a DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
edition, featuring the same version along with the audio commentary present on the Roan Group LaserDisc. After this edition of the film was deleted, it was re-released on DVD by Hens Tooth Video in 2007,[ featuring the same master used by Roan and Anchor Bay.][
In the United Kingdom, the film was released on VHS by Tartan Video in 1998, and again in 2003 by Video International.] In both versions, cuts were mainly made to obscure the sequence in which Alice aggressively grabs a kitten and throws it onto the floor, which were also removed during the film's original British theatrical release. In 2014, 88 Films put out the first-ever anamorphic widescreen DVD in the United Kingdom, utilizing a digitally processed and noise-reduced version of the 1997 Laserdisc master used for the Anchor Bay and Hens Tooth DVD releases. 88 Films then followed up with a British premiere on Blu-ray
Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
on July 9, 2018, utilizing a 2K restoration of a 35 mm print.
On August 6, 2019, Arrow Films
Arrow Films is a British independent film distributor and restorer specialising in world cinema, arthouse, horror and classic films. As Arrow Video, it sells Ultra HD Blu-rays, Blu-rays and DVDs online; it also operates its own subscript ...
released a North American Blu-ray edition licensed through Warner Bros. Pictures, who own the original theatrical cut and its camera negative via their acquisition of the Allied Artists catalogue.[ Arrow's Blu-ray edition utilizes a 2K restoration of the camera negative, sporting both the original ''Communion'' and ''Holy Terror'' versions, along with several newly produced extras and the alternate ''Alice, Sweet Alice'' opening credits.][ This version reinstates the scene showing Dominick phoning his wife, which Sole had excised for the 1997 LaserDisc master. On February 11, 2025, Arrow Films reissued the film in 4K UHD Blu-ray format.] Chuck Bowen of ''Slant Magazine'' praised the 4K restoration, calling it "positively gorgeous... every color here has a highly differentiated presence that stands in stark contrast to muddier prior presentations of the film, which should hopefully increase awareness of the film’s artistry."[
]
Reception
Critical response
''Alice, Sweet Alice'' received mixed reviews from critics upon release, though it largely received critical praise in England.[ ]Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
gave the film a favorable review, stating: "Director Alfred Sole has a brilliant touch for the macabre and there are some splendidly chilling scenes," while '' US Magazine'' called the film a "superior modern Gothic thriller."
Daniel Ruth of ''The Tampa Tribune
''The Tampa Tribune'' was a daily newspaper published in Tampa, Florida. Along with the competing ''Tampa Bay Times'', the ''Tampa Tribune'' was one of two major newspapers published in the Tampa Bay area.
The newspaper also published a ''St. P ...
'' 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," while Leonard Maltin
Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic, film historian, and author. He is known for his book of film capsule reviews, '' Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide'', published from 1969 to 2014. Maltin was the film criti ...
awarded the film a mixed 2 out of 4 stars, calling it " nOK murder mystery." Bill Brownstein of the Montreal ''Gazette
A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper.
In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...
'' declared the film "a gory and effective" surprise, praising its cinematography despite its story having "gaps and inconsistencies."
Some critics, such as Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who was the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in 2000. ...
of ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', noted the authenticity of the film's characters and settings: "Mr. Sole, whose first feature this is, knows how to direct actors, how to manipulate suspense and when to shift gears: the identity of the killer is revealed at just that point when the audience is about to make the identification, after which the film becomes less of a horror film than an exercise in suspense. He also has a good feeling for the lower middle-class locale and the realities of the lives of the people who live in it." Ernest Leogrande of the ''New York Daily News
The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...
'' 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." The ''Evening Standard
The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...
''s Alexander Walker praised Sole's direction, citing the film's "crude energy" and "stylistic consistency... it is a text-book on how to thrill and, even more, how to suggest a social texture to a murder melodrama. Every element plays its part."
Despite some favorable reviews, numerous critics deemed the film obscene due to its violent content, among them Linda Gross of the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'', who, though praising 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
An obscenity is any utterance or act that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time. It is derived from the Latin , , "boding ill; disgusting; indecent", of uncertain etymology. Generally, the term can be used to indicate strong moral ...
." ''The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
''s Michael Blowen similarly deemed the film a "gross vulgarity of an exploitation picture hat
A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...
begins as a slick, glossy thriller utgradually degenerates into a bloody mess... Sole employs craftsmanlike camerawork and swift editing in an attempt to gloss over the inconsistent script, but this film's complete lack of originality cannot be hidden." William Whitaker of the ''Abilene Reporter-News
''Abilene Reporter-News'' is a daily newspaper based in Abilene, Texas, United States. The newspaper started publishing as the weekly ''Abilene Reporter'', helmed by Charles Edwin Gilbert, on June 17, 1881, just three months after Abilene was f ...
'' also criticized the film's violence as "a little too much after awhile," but conceded that the "script has enough imagination and the direction enough insight to make it passable fare."
The film's unflattering depiction of Catholicism drew significant commentary from critics in both Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
and its home country of the United States. Tom McElfresh of ''The Cincinnati Enquirer
''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' is a morning daily newspaper published by Gannett in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. First published in 1841, the ''Enquirer'' is the last remaining daily newspaper in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, altho ...
'' was particularly critical, describing the film as "wholly, totally terrible," and a "mishmash full of sexual innuendo and rage at the Catholic church." Writing for ''The Roanoke Times
''The Roanoke Times'' is the primary newspaper in Southwestern Virginia and is based in Roanoke, Virginia, United States. It is published by Lee Enterprises. In addition to its headquarters in Roanoke, it maintains a bureau in Christiansburg, ...
'', critic Chris Gladden was dismissive of the film's violent content and "unspeakably disgusting" characters, also deeming its setting within a Catholic parish as "tasteless." ''The Sunday Telegraph
''The Sunday Telegraph'' is a British broadsheet newspaper, first published on 5 February 1961 and published by the Telegraph Media Group, a division of Press Holdings. It is the sister paper of ''The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Tele ...
''s David Castell similarly noted the film's preoccupation with "distorted religious passion," but conceded that numerous sequences are "so well-staged as to argue persuasively that we have found in Mr. Sole a film-maker of special gifts." Derek Malcolm
Derek Elliston Michael Malcolm (12 May 1932 – 15 July 2023) was an English film critic and historian.
Early life
Derek Elliston Michael Malcolm was born on 12 May 1932. He was the son of Douglas Malcolm (died 1967) and Dorothy Vera (died 196 ...
of ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' highlighted the film's commentary on Catholicism, but felt its message was profound, as it "turns a totally exploitative subject matter into an analysis of a small community's religious hypocrisy and hysteria." Malcolm also felt that the characters were realistically written and praised Sheppard's lead performance.[
]
Accolades
Legacy
In the years following its release, ''Alice, Sweet Alice'' garnered a reputation as a cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase, which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage in repeated ...
.
Patrick Legare of AllMovie
AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, television series, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne.
History
AllMovie was ...
called the film an "eerie, effective chiller," praising the film's cinematography, and awarding it four-and-a-half out of five stars, while ''TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media
In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...
'' praised it as "an excellent low-budget horror film from director Sole, whose impressive grasp of filmmaking technique and eye for the grotesque keeps the viewer on edge throughout the movie." Jeremiah Kipp of ''Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' noted in his 2005 review of the film: "Possibly the closest American relation to an Italian giallo
In Italian cinema, (; : ; from , ) is a genre that often contains Slasher film, slasher, thriller (genre), thriller, psychological horror, psychological thriller, Sexploitation film, sexploitation, and, less frequently, supernatural, supernat ...
, the film is head-trippingly hilarious (Jane Lowry, as Aunt Annie, may be the nuttiest screamer in the history of cinema) and features some of the more disquieting set pieces you'll ever see in a horror film." '' 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."
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 arioArgento's earlier handling of brutality."
In 2005, ''Alice, Sweet Alice'' ranked #89 on Bravo's '' The 100 Scariest Movie Moments'' for the scene when Alice scares Karen in the warehouse. In 2017, the film was ranked the fourth-best slasher film of all time by ''Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' magazine.
Related works
Novelization
''Communion'', a tie-in novelization by author Frank Lauria (originally commissioned by Columbia Pictures before the studio dropped the film from its roster) was published in July 1977 by Bantam Books
Bantam Books is an American publishing house owned entirely by parent company Random House, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter B. Pitkin Jr., Sidney B. K ...
. The tie-in novelization was reissued twice with alternate cover art bearing the film's subsequent re-titles, ''Alice, Sweet Alice'', and ''Holy Terror''.
Proposed remake
In 2007, director Dante Tomaselli announced his intent to direct a remake, confirmed that he had completed a script with Michael Gingold
Michael Gingold is an American journalist, screenwriter, and former editor-in-chief of ''Fangoria'' magazine.
Career
In his teen years, young horror fan Michael Gingold wrote and self-published the photocopied horror-review fanzine ''Scareaphana ...
. Tomaselli intended to score the film using original music along with re-mastered and remixed music from the original film. In 2013 actress Kathryn Morris was cast in the role of Catherine Spages. The remake was to be set in the 1970s, as Tomaselli wanted to be "somewhat more recent while not at all losing its retro style." 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."
Notes
References
Sources
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External links
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* {{TCMDb title, 67025
1976 films
1976 horror films
1976 independent films
Allied Artists films
American exploitation films
American films about revenge
American independent films
American mystery horror films
American psychological horror films
American psychological thriller films
American religious horror films
American serial killer films
American slasher films
English-language crime films
English-language horror films
English-language independent films
English-language mystery films
English-language thriller films
Films about animal cruelty
Films about Catholic priests
Films about Catholicism
Films about child death
Films about cousins
Films about divorce
Films about dysfunctional families
Films about grief
Films about Italian-American culture
Films about landlords
Films about mother–daughter relationships
Films about murder
Films about obesity
Films about pedophilia
Films about sexual repression
Films about siblicide
Films about single parent families
Films about sisters
Films critical of the Catholic Church
Films set in 1961
Films set in abandoned buildings and structures
Films set in apartment buildings
Films set in religious buildings and structures
Films set in New Jersey
Films shot in New Jersey
Films shot in 16 mm film
American gothic horror films
Horror films about child villains
Period horror films
1970s American films
1976 crime films
1970s English-language films
1970s mystery horror films
1970s psychological thriller films
1970s slasher films