Alone in the Dark (1982)

At a secluded mental institution, Dr. Bain (Halloween#s Donald Pleasence) maintains order while electricity fuels the asylum's hi-tech security system that keeps the nearby neighborhoods safe from menaces like Frank Hawkes (Academy Award«-winner Jack Palance, City Slickers) and "Preacher" (Academy Award winner Martin Landau, Ed Wood). Meanwhile a new doctor, Dan Potter (The A-Team#s Dwight Schultz), arrives in town with his family, but the inmates don't take kindly to his presence and believe he has killed off their former therapist. Suddenly a power outage leaves the town in chaos...and now the maniacs are free to roam the streets and hunt down the man they believe has invaded their lives. With the area quickly descending into riots and chaos, the innocent few must fight for their lives when they#re left terrified, cornered and Alone in the Dark! One of the most memorable and terrifying cult horror films of the 1980s, this white-knuckle shocker from director Jack Sholder (The Hidden) features shocking special effects from Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead, Friday the 13th), delivering one seat-jumping scare after another along with a thick vein of sly, pitch-black humor. Turn off the lights and watch...if you dare!

Great Movie - Bad Discs

Wow, I was stoked to see this movie after seeing it on list after list of top horror movies. However, I really only got to see about half because the first CD and then the subsequent replacement CD sent both had major flaws and wouldn't allow me to see the movie without pixelated images the entire time. However, from what I did see, this was a great movie with an interesting twist - -note: pay attention to the nosebleed! If you can find the movie elsewhere or from another production company, do so. March 3, 2008

Better Than It's Reviews

This horror flick flew under the radar but don't let the negative reviews scare you off. I think it's better some of the so-called genre classics and definitely worth your time. If your expecting Shakespeare, you might be disappointed. Otherwise, you'll be in for a real treat! October 1, 2007

Landau Horror Classic

This is actually the best movie of all of Martin Landau's horror flicks. It's quite well made, features some appealing cinematography and direction, a much better script than most other similar films, and a lot of strong performances (Pleasance, Palance and a delightfully scenery-chewing Landau - "I made the lights go out!"). Not as much fun (in the cheesy sense) as others like "The Being", but a much better straight-forward horror film. The opening sequence is a surrealistic classic! Definitely recommended. January 28, 2007

1.5 STARS: Very disappointing despite the all-star cast.

"Alone in the Dark" is one of those movies that you expect a lot from because of the cast, but it just never gets off the ground. Donald Pleasance, Martin Landau and Jack Palance star in "Alone in the Dark" and none of them could save it. In fact, you could argue that they really didn't try to...let's be fair as this movie is not one of Jack Palance's, Donald Pleasance's, and Martin Landau's best performances. Also, some of the other actors in this movie were atrocious.

"Alone in the Dark" is about a group of psychopaths that escape from a mental institution. The electricity goes out in the entire town and these maniacs go out on the loose. Their doctor, played by Donald Pleasance, attempts to stop them...what eventually occurs is stand-off where a family attempts to fend off the psychopaths who have attempted to infiltrate their home. Because the electricity is out, this is supposed to make the situation that much scarier.

Well, maybe, this movie could have worked under another director with a bit more vision and touch, but for one reason or another, "Alone in the Dark" does not work. This movie is undynamic and is severely lacking in style and substance. The atmosphere produced by this movie is largely ineffective and what you ultimately get is an inferior horror movie. The scenes do not move well and are without any real sense of fluidity, and any suspense that is built in the movie fails to gain any momentum as a result of this lack of fluidity, poor structural development and a thorough lack of rising action or even a climax of which the movie can hang its hat on so to speak. "Alone in the Dark" is the classic "dud" which just fails to do anything for the intelligent horror movie audience. "Alone in the Dark" is bland, plain and uninspiring as a horror movie or otherwise. Quite frankly and simply put, "Alone in the Dark" will leave you very alone with your boredom. June 30, 2006

A dog.

Alone in the Dark (Jack Sholder, 1982)

The fact the over half of Alone in the Dark takes place in broad daylight should tell you most of what you need to know about this dog. It tries to be a cross between The Desperate Hours, Night of the Living Dead, and Straw Dogs, and manages to fail at imitating any of them with any sort of competence.

Dan Potter (Dwight Schultz) is the new doctor at Haven Hospital, run by the rather loose nut Leo Bain (Donald Pleasance). Bain is trying to cure violent offenders with just therapy in a hospital whose entire security system is electric. Then comes the inevitable blackout, and the escape of the four most violent felons in the place-- Byron the Preacher (Martin Landau), the arsonist; Ronald Elster (Stir Crazy's Erland van Lidth), the child molester; Skaggs, the Bleeder (character actor PhilipClark); and their leader, Frank Hawkes (Jack Palance). They know where Potter lives. You can guess the rest.

Alone in the Dark is notable for having, possibly, the largest plot hole in modern film (explain how a doctor doesn't recognize one of his patients for an entire day, if you'd be so kind). It is also noticeable for having two normally wonderful actors, Landau and Palance, give the worst performances either ever managed to come up with. As well, you have a script that lets four psychopaths loose on society-- a wonderful concept with which wonders can be done (viz. The Dream Team)-- and Sholder uses it just as a plot device. Come to think of it, he does that with just about every angle he could have used to give any depth whatsoever to this film. The end result can't even be called a mindless action flick; it doesn't have enough action. Some nifty special effects by Tom Savini and a fun soundtrack by the Sic F***s are about the only reasons you'd want to check this out. * ½ June 28, 2006

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