Alone in the Dark (1982)

Director:

Jack Sholder

Writers:

Jack Sholder (story) &
Robert Shaye (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

12 November 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Too frightened to breathe...

Plot:

A quartet of murderous psychopaths break out of a mental hospital during a power blackout and lay siege to their doctor's house.

Plot Keywords:

Siege | Psychopath | Blackout | House | Doctor

Awards:

1 win

Cast

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
Dorothy Dorian James	...	Mom
John Weissman	...	Bicycle Messenger
Jana Schneider	...	Spaced-out Girl at Club
Steve Dash	...	Dr. Barkin (as Steve Daskawisz)
Robert Pastner	...	Customer in Diner
Larry Pine	...	Dr. Harry Merton
Frederick Coffin	...	Jim Gable
Mallory Jones	...	Anchorwoman
Laura Esterman	...	Woman Voyager
Michael Earl Reid	...	Cursing Voyager
Paula Raflo	...	Voyager
Michael Medeiros	...	Club Manager
E.D. Phillips	...	Jailer
Norman Beim	...	Cop at Haven
Ken Burns	...	Cop at House
Ralph Corrado Jr.	...	Looter
The Sic Fucks	...	Themselves
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Snooky	...	Herself (as the Sic Fucks)
Tish	...	Herself (as the Sic Fucks)

Directed by
Jack Sholder

Writing credits
Jack Sholder		(story) &
Robert Shaye		(story) &
Michael Harrpster		(story)
Jack Sholder

Produced by
Benni Korzen	....	executive producer
Sara Risher	....	associate producer
Robert Shaye	....	producer

Original Music by
Renato Serio

Cinematography by
Joseph Mangine

Film Editing by
Arline Garson

Casting by
Dee Dee Wehle

Art Direction by
Henry Shrady		(as Peter Monroe)

Costume Design by
Alexandra De Marande

Makeup Department
Tom Brumberger	....	special makeup effects
Lyzanne Goodson	....	hair stylist
Lyzanne Goodson	....	makeup artist
Anthony Hughes	....	assistant makeup artist
Don Lumpkin	....	special makeup effects
Tom Savini	....	additional makeup effects: Toni's apparition

Production Management
Robert Maier	....	production manager
Stephen Marro	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jim Bigham	....	first assistant director (as James Bigham)
Matthew Malachi	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Joan Brockschmidt	....	art department staff
Amy Diaz	....	art department staff
Jill Frank	....	stand-by props
Josh Harrison	....	outside props
William Neumann	....	carpenter
David Reale	....	outside props

Sound Department
Elisha Birnbaum	....	foley artist
Allan Byer	....	location sound mixer
Lou Kleinman	....	dialogue editor
Joe Masefield	....	supervising sound editor
Steven Visscher	....	assistant sound editor
Richard Williams	....	boom operator
Mel Zelniker	....	sound re-recordist

Special Effects by
Matt Vogel	....	fire effects

Stunts
Mike Christopher	....	stunts (as Michael Christopher)
Cliff Cudney	....	stunt coordinator
Michael Estler	....	stunts
Tony Farentino	....	stunts
Scott MacQueen	....	stunts
Webster Whinery	....	stunts
Greg Zoll	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Tom Anderson	....	key grip
Gilles Arnaud	....	third electrician
David Beckerman	....	second electric
Richard Eliano	....	camera loader
John Foster	....	gaffer
William Klayer	....	best boy
Alex Livesey	....	camera loader
Peter Spera	....	second grip
Barry Wetcher	....	still photographer
Robert Zimmerman	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Star Gabrielle	....	costume assistant
Wendy Hubschman	....	costume assistant
Suzanne O'Sullivan	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Carole Penner	....	assistant editor
Neil Eric Wenger	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Pino Bernardini	....	music recording engineer
David Franco	....	music supervisor
Joan Standish	....	assistant music editor

Other crew
Stephen Abramson	....	production controller
William Bellettiere	....	production assistant
Nera Bendor	....	script intern
Stanley Dudelson	....	worldwide sales
Conrad Fink	....	production assistant
Gale Goldberg	....	location manager
David Goodman	....	production assistant
Bill Hale	....	production assistant
Adrienne Hamalian-Mangine	....	script supervisor (as Adrienne Hamalian)
Linda Laias	....	production coordinator
Scott MacQueen	....	production assistant
Marjorie Phillips	....	production assistant
Todd Rankin	....	production assistant
Rachel Talalay	....	production accountant
John A. Gallagher	....	location scout (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Masada Productions
• New Line Cinema

Distributors

• New Line Cinema (1982) (USA) (theatrical)
• Ring-Film-Verleih (1983) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1983) (USA) (VHS)
• AGM (Greece) (VHS)
• Asso Film
• Image Entertainment (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Image Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Leon Video (Greece) (VHS)
• Magnum Video (19??) (Finland) (VHS)
• Mundial Filmes (Brazil) (VHS)
• New Line Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• AMF Voit Inc.  sporting goods supplier
• Butts and Bows  archery supplied by
• Cars of Yesterday  automotive services
• Cinopticals  titles and opticals
• Cooper Classics  Mr. Pleasence's automobile supplied by
• Kings Department Stores  sporting goods supplier
• Match Cut Film Services  negative conforming (as Match Cut Film Services)
• Michael Kara Casting (I)  extra casting
• Penn Athletic Products  sporting goods supplier
• Pro Camera  camera equipment provided by
• Sajra Distributors/Tapex  appliances
• Sajra Distributors/Tapex  electronics
• Sound One Corporation  post-production
• Sound One Corporation  sound recording

Also Known As:

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Norway:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Iceland:(Banned) | Canada:(Banned) (Ontario) | Canada:R (Ontario -- Re-rated 1992) | Finland:(Banned) (1984) (cut) | Finland:(Banned) (1984) (heavily cut) | Finland:K-18 (2006) (self applied) | Italy:VM14

Filming Locations:

New Jersey, USA

Company:

Masada Productions

Trivia:

Makeup effects artist Tom Savini was brought in specifically to create the horrific monster apparition that Toni has. Savini achieved the startling effect by covering an actor in a concoction of soap and rice krispies.

Quotes:

Dr. Leo Bain:Why don't you come out, and we can explore a few things together?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Be Kind Rewind (2008)

Soundtrack:

Take Me To The Bridge

Overall, quite good.

I don't know why I hesitated with this one. I guess I just always said I would rent it and didn't. Finally, a few nights ago, I just got it. And I must say, I liked it.

Set in New Jersey, my lovely state, a power outage in town releases four psychotic inmates of a mental institution, held in their own floor by electricity-controlled doors. Interesting twist. Before that, they had formed a grudge against their new doctor, Dan Potter, who they have convinced themselves as the killer of their old, beloved doctor, who has actually just transferred to somewhere else.

Also, Dan's slightly wacky younger sister Toni comes to stay with the family, and had recently recovered from a breakdown. Nonetheless, she is quite an interesting character, and joins the Potter family as the innocents in the attack towards the end of the movie.

The movie has a good setup, and some very creepy moments, especially when the child victimizer shows up at the home and pretends to be the daughter, Layla's, babysitter. Later on, of course, the real babysitter, Bunky, shows up, as does her boyfriend, and are taken out in some quite suspenseful scenes.

The best part of the movie, though, is when the psychopaths show up and attack the Potter home, and all inside. This includes a detective, Dan and his wife Nell, Toni and Layla, and a man Toni and Nell met at a protest and invited to stay for dinner. There is a very scary jump-out-of-your-seat moment, where some of Toni's old "ghosts" from her past haunt her once again. And, in one very good scene, is a scene of retaliation of the family, and shows a very interesting scene where Nell is struggling to get herself to stab the attacking killer, while Dan hollers at her, "Stab him!" Not to mention the fact that Nell has a really great scream. And she isn't the scream queen type. But her scream is perfect.

I don't want to give away too much, but see this movie. All the performances are good, and the characters are likable. A fun movie, too, especially towards the last quarter of the movie, during the attack. I recommend not hesitating like I did and getting this.