Reviews & Ratings for
Alone in the Dark More at IMDbPro »

Filter:

Best Chronological Prolific Authors Loved It Hated It Hide Spoilers:

Page 1 of 6:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Index

57 reviews in total

---

9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
One of the sharpest slasher films around, no pun intended., 24 September 2005

Author: AngryChair from Brentwood, USA

The debut film of B movie director Jack Sholder, and one of the first films from New Line Cinema, is this highly entertaining and strikingly intelligent little thriller.

When the power fails in a New Jersey community, four murderously insane men walk out of a mental facility and head for the home of their new doctor!

Although it was lost among the numerous slasher films of the early 80's, Alone in the Dark is one of the smartest killer thrillers of the genre. Sholder delivers an above-average story all the way. He has one especially bizarre opening sequence, then follows with a plot that grows more intense through out. The film builds to a great claustrophobic climax, and then a memorable (and some what humorous) conclusion. The story packs some solid suspense, heated violence, and the occasional good jolt. One thing that really sets this tale above that of the average slasher flick is the fact that the films characters are believably well-rounded and even quirky at times. Yet another unique element of this story is the fact that it has a splendid kind of dark humor toward the idea of 'mental health'. It's almost a satire on the subject. Sholder's direction is quite good, giving some tight action sequences and well-timed shocks. Also good is the unique music score of Renato Serio.

Another thing that sets this film above the norm is the wonderful cast which includes a number of veteran actors. Jack Palance is excellent in his role as the leader of the crazed villains. Donald Pleasence is a welcomed trip as a 'different' kind of psychologist. Martin Landau makes for a perfectly creepy madman. The supporting cast, namely Dwight Schultz, are great as well.

Alone in the Dark is an outstanding slasher-thriller. For those seeking a slasher movie with a brain, it's a perfect choice.

*** 1/2 out of ****

---

9 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Overall, quite good., 15 December 1999
Author: WritnGuy from New Jersey

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.

---

5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Different Slasher Movie, If Not A Bit Lagging., 19 June 2007

Author: youshotandywarhol from Oregon

"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.

---

6 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
"There Are No Crazy People Doctor. We're All Just On Vacation.", 12 November 2004

Author: clockwork8812 from USA

That is an actual quote by Jack Palance in this film when he's chatting with Dwight Schultz. First off, this movie is underrated. No way does it deserve a bomb like it got from Leonard Maltin. Since it's low budget and focuses on nuts escaping from an asylum, it automatically gets stereotyped as being without credence. Forget all that. You'll be surprised how intelligent the dialouge is in this movie, especially the first half hour where Schultz and Donald Pleasance talk about psychiatry and how to treat insane people. Watching Pleasance after all these years just reminds me once again what a great actor this he was. I always enjoyed listening to him talk. It didn't matter what he would say, just listening to him sounded melancholy and nostalgic. As expected, there are a few plot holes and the movie is not really that frightening, except for the a few scenes towards the end. It's interesting watching Schultz play such a normal character because most of us remember him from THE A-TEAM as a kooked out Vietnam vet playing alongside Mr. T All in all, it's a decent early 80's horror flick with a good cast that has a neat surprise ending. Check it out just for curiosities sake.

Score, 6 out of 10 Stars

---

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
An 80's Slasher but different, 28 August 2007

Author: acidburn-10 from United Kingdom

The story = Dan Potter (Dwight Shultz) is a new doctor at an asylum run by the wacky Dr. Leo Bain (Donald Pleasence). Inmates Hawkes (Jack Palance), Preacher (Martin Landau), Fatty ( the late Erland van Lidth), and the Bleeder (Phil Clark) believe Potter killed their old doctor and vow revenge. The gang escapes when a massive blackout strikes New Jersey. As the Potter family prepare for a quiet candle lit dinner with friends, the psychopaths move in for the kill.

In Alone In The Dark the director Jack Sholder creates a great deal of suspense, tension and action in this slightly odd slasher, All of the characters are either oddballs, lunatics, or both. The script (written by Sholder, Robert Shaye, and Mike Harpster) is filled with funny dialogue and a few twists.

The incredible cast contributes a large portion of the goofy charm surrounding this slasher. Most of the acting is completely over the top, but Palance and Landau still manage to bring menace to their characters. One wonders if Pleasence is really acting in his scenes involving a pipe and "exotic herbs". Slasher fans won't mistake Dr. Bain for Dr. Loomis. Dwight Schultz, who later became famous as a member of the A-Team, is good as the young doctor who learns violence is the only way to deal with some threats.

All in all Alone In The Dark is a definite must see for any Slasher fans with an interesting storyline great actors such as horror veteran Donald Pleasence and Jack Palance and gripping scenes that will keep you hooked all the way through.

---

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Underrated, darkly funny 80s slasher, 2 April 2000
Author: ehoshaw from Trenton, Michigan

The plot may sound simple, and this movie may take a while to get started, but once it does--it's a blast! The characters in the movie were all likable and there are a lot of gory knife, hatchet, ax, crossbow, and other murders with sharp weaponry to keep you interested. The finale is brutal as the attackers and the family slash and hack at each other. Good Tom Savini FX and a twisted ending make this a must see.

---

2 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
A cut above most slashers based on the acting alone., 4 October 2008
Author: Prolox from Canada

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Four escaped lunatics terrorize their new doctor & his family at their home during a black out, killing anyone that comes near the house. Can the doctor & his family escape these maniacs or will they join their list of ever growing victims? ALONE IN THE DARK was a film I heard lots about but was never able to find a copy of until recently & although it wasn't bad in terms of suspense & scares, the film overall fails to elevate itself amongst the rest of the slasher bloodbaths released in the 80's, with the exception of two things, Strong acting & directing. DWIGHT SCHULTZ plays the doctor who's family is attacked, led by the psycho's weird leader played by JACK PALANCE. However once the maniacs escape, the film loses it's footing, when filmmaker JACK SHOLDER & company fail to find anything for these guys to do that's remotely interesting while we wait for them to attack the family, which really doesn't happen until the last 15 minutes of the movie, with a plot twist that many die hard horror fans will have no trouble figuring out. A good effort that's worth a look, just nothing to memorable.

*** stars

PROLOX TRIVIA:

JACK PALANCE was shooting an episode of RIPLEY'S Believe IT OR NOT in Florence Italy when he was offered a part in the film, however he thought he got the DONALD PLESEANCE part, a good guy, until he got to the set & was disappointed to learn he was playing a psycho. Palance was also told that there would be no night shooting (And on a film called ALONE IN THE DARK!) As a result of these misunderstandings, he drove the director a little crazy & didn't really get his lines right until 3AM, Director Jack Sholder said he was a little scary, but loved MARTIN LANDAU whom he got along with quiet well.

---

10 out of 19 people found the following review useful:
When Character Actors Attack!, 19 February 2002
Author: zmaturin from Arkham Asylum

Hey, in this movie The A-Team's "Howlin' Mad" Murdock is the SANE one, being terrorized by crazy Oscar winners Martin Landau and Jack Palance while a trippy Donald Pleasance wanders around in an opium haze in this acceptable horror movie that features a few poorly-directed "suspence" sequences, a terrible stage show by "The Sic F*cks" complete with big cardboard axes, a hot sex scene featuring a character called "Bunky", some bad eighties fashions, a brief appearance by a Tom Savini-designed ghoul, a mailman getting run down by a stoner van, the "tongue excersizes" woman from "Kingpin", a killer in a hockey mask, a cool rioting scene, a guy broken over another guy's knee, crossbow-killings, and a lovable big fat child moleser.

So why not?

---

Actually, a pretty good horror/slasher film, 29 September 2011
Author: jenpop2001 from United States

This movie is better than the title would suggest. There's an amazing cast here, comprised of horror vet Donald Pleasance and general freak show actors Jack Palance and Martin Landau. This movie has the classic build...complete with outdoor autumnal New England scenery and estate views with insane-asylum setting and mood. Also, there's the new-family-just-moved-in freaky vibe as well as a punk band concert scene tangent. All of which scream (with the help of a keyboard-laden soundtrack) early 1980's. And not in the worst way.

Martin Landau seems truly disturbed throughout the film. His performance alone is worth the watch. I felt Donald Pleasance was actually smoking alternative substances, which led him to an inspired performance as the doctor who is treating the patients, but who may need treatment of his own.

Historical relevance: 8 Individual actor performance: 8.5 Overall quality: 6

Jen's Ultimate: 7

---

'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' meets 'Halloween' with a dab of 'Friday The 13th', 17 July 2011

Author: kclipper from Pittsburgh, PA.

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Jack Sholder constructed this ambitious addition to the slasher genre with such a wonderfully demented sense of humor by combining off-beat dialog with the standard body count formula. Donald Pleasence runs a liberal home for the insane where the patients are "free" to walk about with very little restraint except for the walls and doors themselves. Dr. Dan Potter (Dwight Shultz) is a new doctor who's hired as a replacement for the last head-shrinker who moved to Philadelphia. The patients of the 3rd floor (Martin Landau in a hilarious performance as Boyd The Preacher, who set fire to churches, Jack Palance as a paranoid schizophrenic ex-colonel, and Erland van Lidth as an obese child molester), believe that Potter murdered his predecessor, and after a full-scale power-outage ensues, the wackos take advantage of their opportunity to escape and launch an assault on Potter's family.

The first half of this twisted tale is played out for laughs as we're introduced to the patients at the institute by Donald Pleasence (who's character is as crazy as they are). Landau, Palance and Lidth are great as the murderous band of nut cases, but then this becomes just another "trapped-in-the-house" slasher film that effortlessly lags, at least until the power comes back on, and then the film meets an unsatisfying and abrupt cut-off ending. Nonetheless, this is funny and entertaining for genre fans as well as Landau and Palance completists.

---

---

Page 1 of 6:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Add another review

---

Related Links

Plot summary	Plot synopsis	Ratings
Awards	External reviews	Parents Guide
Plot keywords	Main details	Your user reviews
Your vote history