Communion (1976)

Director:

Alfred Sole

Writers:

Rosemary Ritvo (original screenplay) &
Alfred Sole (original screenplay)

Release Date:

13 November 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

If You Survive This Night... Nothing Will Scare You Again.

Plot:

After a young girl is brutally murdered during her first communion, her strange and withdrawn older sister becomes the main suspect.

Plot Keywords:

Young Girl | Holy Communion | Veil | Suspicion | Yellow Coat

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Linda Miller	...	Catherine Spages
Mildred Clinton	...	Mrs. Tredoni
Paula E. Sheppard	...	Alice Spages (as Paula Sheppard)
Niles McMaster	...	Dominick 'Dom' Spages
Jane Lowry	...	Aunt Annie DeLorenze
Rudolph Willrich	...	Father Tom
Michael Hardstark	...	Detective Spina
Alphonso DeNoble	...	Mr. Alphonso
Gary Allen	...	Jim DeLorenze
Brooke Shields	...	Karen Spages
Louisa Horton	...	Dr. Whitman
Tom Signorelli	...	Detective Brennan
Lillian Roth	...	Pathologist (as Miss Lillian Roth)
Patrick Gorman	...	Father Pat
Kathy Rich	...	Angela DeLorenze

Also Known As:

Alice Sweet Alice (USA) (reissue title)
Holy Terror (USA) (cut version)

Runtime:

98 min | Australia:106 min | USA:108 min (unrated version) | Spain:83 min | Argentina:108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:R (DVD rating) | Norway:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Iceland:(Banned)

Filming Locations:

1 James Street, Paterson, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Harristown Funding

Trivia:

The knife used in the film was created by Alfred Sole's neighbor, who was an engineer, and was designed with a retractable blade. It was the only knife used in the film; the filmmakers never made any duplicates.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Mrs. Tredoni answers the door for Catherine at the rectory, the boom mic is visible in a mirror.

Quotes:

Catherine Spages: [about her ex-husband] I don't know why I'm so worried. I just can't imagine where he could be.
Mrs. Tredoni: Maybe you are afraid that God will send St. Michael to take another of your loved ones. When St. Michael took my little girl, I only thought of how cruel God was.
Catherine Spages: Mrs. Tredoni, I'm sorry. I never knew you had a little girl.
Mrs. Tredoni: God took her from me on the day of her first communion, don't you see? He waited until then to teach me that children pay for the sins of their parents. And then I was sent here to look after Father, not you!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film (2006)

Soundtrack:

Something to Remember You By

One of the most powerful horror films ever made!

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 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. This film came in at #88 on Bravo's list of the top 100 scariest moments in cinema history.