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#Alice Sweet Alice #Linda Miller #Mildred Clinton #Paula Sheppard #Niles McMaster #Brooke Shields #Alfred Sole #1976

Paula E. Sheppard, Alfred Sole and Brooke Shields on set of Alice, Sweet Alice aka Holy Terror aka Communion aka The Mask Murders (1976)

#alice sweet alice #holy terror #communion #the mask murders #1976 #alfred sole #linda miller #niles mcmaster #mildred clinton #rudolph willrich #paula e. sheppard #paula sheppard #brooke shields #louisa horton #lilian roth

Alice, Sweet Alice (1976)

To properly appreciate Alice, Sweet Alice, you’ll need a bit of an education. The film was controversial upon its initial release for its so-called anti-Catholic themes - themes that might not seem so revolutionary today. It was also controversial for the violence featured towards children - that might still curl some toes now. Shocking or not, it features a great mystery, surprising twists and a resolution that forces you to pause and think. The performances are off-putting but even if you don't know the film's history, you can tell this is a picture people would come back to.

In 1961, in Paterson, New Jersey, nine-year-old Karen (Brooke Shields) is getting ready for her first communion when she is murdered - strangled to death inside the church. The obvious suspect is her jealous older sister, 12-year-old Alice (Paula Sheppard). Born out of wedlock, with divorced parents and a nasty attitude, who else could commit such a heinous crime?

Released in 1976, it's hard to tell if certain off-putting aspects of the film are dated or deliberate choices. Today, it would be tasteless to infer that someone would develop sociopathic tendencies just because they belonged to a specific religion or were born under “the wrong circumstances”. Back in the 60s and 70s? Not as much, and in a horror movie when good taste is not often a priority, you really don’t know if the movie is warning people about "the truth" or playing with their expectations. The same goes for the way the picture views Alice. There's a weird obsession about how beautiful and sexually liberated a woman the 12-year-old will surely become when she grows up. It makes your skin crawl but is that the point? It makes the killer’s identity difficult to pin.

There isn’t a lot of violence in the film but when blood is shed, you'll reel in your seat. The violence comes from strong emotions but is strangely cold and calculated as well. It feels uncomfortably real. Much of this film is uncomfortable. The way people dismiss Alice even before the first murder is committed, the fact that everyone except Alice's mother (Linda Miller as Catherine) and father (Niles McMaster as Dom) immediately suspect her, the oppressive way crucifixes and religious statues dominate the screen all force you in a direction you don't want to go toward. You know there’s no way this little girl did it. I mean, there’s a reason the killer was wearing a mask and disguise. Yes, I know that disguise looks like the one Alice likes to play in but that would be too obvious. There’s no way! Right?

The moment you think you’ve got the killer’s identity figured out is when Alice, Sweet Alice reveals who’s behind the mask. Then, it keeps going. It isn’t enough that we know the who and the why. They either need to be apprehended or their actions need to continue up to their logical conclusion. The thrills come from a different place now. You want to see what’s going to happen next, which means the film has a life beyond that initial viewing.

One aspect of Alice, Sweet Alice that hasn't aged well is the acting style. Maybe it was just the way they did it back in the day. Maybe the minuscule budget ($350,000) meant director Alfred Sole couldn’t get anyone better. Either way, the actors are often unconvincing and certain characters, like the morbidly obese Mr. Alphonso (Alphonso DeNoble) seem very over-the-top; too much for their presence not to mean something. Even so, there's a part of you that wonders if this is not a stylistic choice. If it is, what does it mean?

Even once you know the answer to the film's mystery, there’s a lot of suspense in the relationship between the characters and the drama that enters their life following the initial murder. Though it is rough around the edges, this is an instance where the imperfections sort of make the film more interesting. Any suspense thriller/horror that keeps you guessing without cheating for as long as Alice, Sweet Alice does is worth checking out. There’s a lot to unpack in its subtext and characters. (October 29, 2021)