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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Jack Sholder (story) &
Robert Shaye (story) ...
more
Release Date:
12 November 1982 (USA) more
Tagline:
Too frightened to breathe... more
Plot:
A quartet of murderous psychopaths break out of a mental hospital during a power blackout and lay siege to their doctor's house. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
1 win more
NewsDesk:
(4 articles)
Trinity Of Terrors - Happening Now in Las Vegas!
(From Fangoria. 31 October 2009, 1:31 AM, PDT)
First Look: Trinity Of Terrors Programming Schedule!
(From Fangoria. 24 October 2009, 4:29 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Different Slasher Movie, If Not A Bit Lagging. more (57 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Jack Palance | ... | Frank Hawkes | |
| Donald Pleasence | ... | Dr. Leo Bain | |
| Martin Landau | ... | Byron 'Preacher' Sutcliff | |
| Dwight Schultz | ... | Dr. Dan Potter | |
| Erland van Lidth | ... | Ronald 'Fatty' Elster | |
| Deborah Hedwall | ... | Nell Potter | |
| Lee Taylor-Allan | ... | Toni Potter | |
| Phillip Clark | ... | Tom Smith / Skaggs | |
| Elizabeth Ward | ... | Lyla Potter | |
| Brent Jennings | ... | Ray Curtis | |
| Gordon Watkins | ... | Detective Burnett | |
| Carol Levy | ... | Bunky | |
| Keith Reddin | ... | Billy | |
| Annie Korzen | ... | Marissa Hall | |
| Lin Shaye | ... | Receptionist at Haven |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
92 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Canada:(Banned) (Ontario) | Canada:R (Ontario -- Re-rated 1992) | Finland:(Banned) (1984) (heavily cut) | Finland:(Banned) (1984) (cut) | Finland:K-18 (2006) (self applied) | Italy:VM14 | Australia:M | Norway:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Iceland:(Banned)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
In the original script the punk band that Toni drags Dan and Nell to see was named Nicky Nothing and the Hives. When The Sick F*cks, an actual punk group, landed the gig as the punk band for the film their real name was liked so much that they kept it for the film. more
Quotes:
Dr. Leo Bain: I told him that if he does not stop this nonsense immediately, I shall hang him up by his heels and chop him in half. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The House That Freddy Built (2006) (V) more
Soundtrack:
Insects Rule My World more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (57 total)
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Related Links
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| News articles | IMDb Horror section | IMDb USA section |
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"Alone in the Dark" centers on a small New Jersey community, where Dr. Dan Potter is assigned to work as a new doctor at "The Haven", a mental institution outside of town, run by Dr. Leo Bain (Donald Pleasance). The third floor of the institution homes a group of very insane, murderous men, who are under careful watch. But when a blackout occurs and the entire area loses it's electricity, the electrical powering that keeps the men behind closed doors is of no help. The murderous men escape from the Haven, and head towards town, where they begin a murderous rampage before reaching Dr. Potter's new home.
Not to be confused with the 2005 creature horror flick of the same name, "Alone in the Dark" boasts a fairly unique premise that hasn't been used (town crazies let loose to wreak havoc on the city after an electrical shortage). If you ask me, I thought this was a fairly original idea for a horror movie, and a clever one at that. And taking into consideration the time this film was made, this was pretty fresh stuff. Now it may seem a little overused and clichéd in ways, but this was a unique premise. The problem here is that the film lags quite a bit, and really for no good reason. It plods around aimlessly for about 45 minutes before really kicking in, which was a bit of a disappointment, because, if written better, this could have been a much more frightening movie. The idea of lunatics sieging a local house during a blackout is terrifying - it's too bad this film wasn't.
Aside from that, it does have some positives. For one, the acting is quite good. Donald "Dr. Loomis" Pleasance plays the lead doctor of the institution perfectly, in a role that is similar to his in the "Halloween" series, but a bit different. Martin Landau and Jack Palance play a couple of the town psychos flawlessly - they're menacing but strangely funny as well, and this balance works. There are a couple of nice scare sequences (including the babysitter and her boyfriend in the bed ordeal), and above all, this film does manage to be fairly entertaining despite it's lagging. I felt if the film was handeled differently, it could have been much scarier, but the way the filmmakers took it was in a bit of a different direction - not that that's bad, but it could have been scarier if done in a different fashion. The ending is also quite quirky, but it flows with the rest of the film's tone and was a nice little laugh to end the movie on.
Overall, "Alone in the Dark" is a slightly above-average horror/thriller that is worth seeing at least once. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the good story, quirky campiness, and good acting make it a watchable little horror movie. It's not your usual slasher movie, and for that I have to give it some credit. Not bad, not great, but just above the usual, if not a little different from. Worth a rental, you may enjoy it. 6/10.