Alone In The Dark is only unfortunate because it now shares the same name as the Uwe Boll crap-fest from last year. The original Alone In The Dark had nothing to do with the video game and in fact was a unique and well made horror slasher that followed some of the revolutionary horror films that were shaping slasher flicks (ie: Halloween, Friday The 13th) in the early eighties. The killers in the film were a unique and interesting group that I can't believe didn't get serialized to death!! Not only that but two of the actors were main stream big name, great actors!! The film even features a twist at the end the likes of M. Night Shyamalan which you honestly don't see coming. I mean the film at times is typical and a little predictable but isn't that what slasher films are all about??
One of the big reasons to watch the film is the character played by the late great Donald Pleasance, a Halloween Alumni and so many other terrific horror and drama films. This was an interesting role for Pleasance as Dr. Leo Bain, a revolutionary doctor who was determined not to put a tag on the inmates at his asylum. He calls them Voyagers who are just an a journey back to sanity. He allows them to get away with things, and doesn't really treat them any differently than any normal person. Bain is almost a villain in some ways. He's casual and a bit of a hippie with a free spirited attitude, completely different from Pleasance's role as Dr. Sam Loomis in Halloween. Pleasance does a great job and although he doesn't carry the film his role is quite good. Dwight Schultz plays the lead as new doctor to the asylum Dan Potter. He's moved his wife and daughter for this job and is determined to do his best. Of course Schultz is best known for his role as the slightly deranged "Howling Mad" Murdock of the A-Team, however his role as Dan Potter is far more calm and together. Like Pleasance this role is a very different one for Schultz and he does a good job in it. Although a little placid for being the lead character he's still good at leading man status on the big screen. Deborah Hedwall, Lee Taylor-Allan, and Elizabeth Ward do a good job as Schultz's family Nell, Toni, and Lyla Potter. His young daughter played by Ward is stronger than almost any other character when the psychos are attacking them in their home. She's almost too strong for a little girl but it's a very different side of things. Now the real stars of the films...the psychos. Oscar Winner Jack Palance plays the self imposed leader of the killers Frank Hawkes. Hawkes is quite and disturbed, a strong man with a thirst for eliminating anything in his way. Palance has an incredible ability to make you see a quiet psychosis in his character. You almost feel for his completely morally corrupt character. Fellow Oscar Winner Martin Landau plays The Preacher, Byron Sutcliff who has a knack and thirst for burning things to cleanse their sins. Landau is completely deranged and probably the worst of all of them. His wild eyed, disturbing portrayal of The Preacher is excellent. Erland van Lidth plays Fatty, the brutally strong and large child molester who thumps around and destroys everything in his path. He too shows a more quiet and disturbing psychosis and his scene opposite Elizabeth Ward when he tries to get her to go upstairs with him is completely disturbing. Finally you have The Bleeder...I can't tell you who plays The Bleeder...it would ruin the film but I can say although you don't see him often as The Bleeder that when he shows himself your jaw will drop. He also is infamous for grabbing a hockey mask during his escape to get out of the asylum...this film was released the same year as another famous psycho was grabbing a hockey mask in Friday The 13th 3. So who came first?? Technically Jason Voorhees as Friday The 13th Part 3 was released in August of 1982, whereas Alone In The Dark was November of 1982.
Alone In The Dark breaks a lot of the horror film mold set in stone by others. First of all there isn't a lot of really gory kills, in fact some of it is more implied than it is shown. Second of all the main characters don't get killed off one by one. They are decently smart, and fight back and WIN!! The horror in the film is more based on the fact that a family is trapped in their own home, no electricity with a foursome of deranged killers stalking them from the outside. Director Jack Sholder made a different kind of slasher flick. He also went on to direct one of the Nightmare On Elm Street installments. Alone In The Dark drags a little more than it should and is very low budget, low budget to the point where special effects are almost non existent. It's nothing spectacular but for an early eighties horror gem...you have gotta see it!! 7/10
One of the big reasons to watch the film is the character played by the late great Donald Pleasance, a Halloween Alumni and so many other terrific horror and drama films. This was an interesting role for Pleasance as Dr. Leo Bain, a revolutionary doctor who was determined not to put a tag on the inmates at his asylum. He calls them Voyagers who are just an a journey back to sanity. He allows them to get away with things, and doesn't really treat them any differently than any normal person. Bain is almost a villain in some ways. He's casual and a bit of a hippie with a free spirited attitude, completely different from Pleasance's role as Dr. Sam Loomis in Halloween. Pleasance does a great job and although he doesn't carry the film his role is quite good. Dwight Schultz plays the lead as new doctor to the asylum Dan Potter. He's moved his wife and daughter for this job and is determined to do his best. Of course Schultz is best known for his role as the slightly deranged "Howling Mad" Murdock of the A-Team, however his role as Dan Potter is far more calm and together. Like Pleasance this role is a very different one for Schultz and he does a good job in it. Although a little placid for being the lead character he's still good at leading man status on the big screen. Deborah Hedwall, Lee Taylor-Allan, and Elizabeth Ward do a good job as Schultz's family Nell, Toni, and Lyla Potter. His young daughter played by Ward is stronger than almost any other character when the psychos are attacking them in their home. She's almost too strong for a little girl but it's a very different side of things. Now the real stars of the films...the psychos. Oscar Winner Jack Palance plays the self imposed leader of the killers Frank Hawkes. Hawkes is quite and disturbed, a strong man with a thirst for eliminating anything in his way. Palance has an incredible ability to make you see a quiet psychosis in his character. You almost feel for his completely morally corrupt character. Fellow Oscar Winner Martin Landau plays The Preacher, Byron Sutcliff who has a knack and thirst for burning things to cleanse their sins. Landau is completely deranged and probably the worst of all of them. His wild eyed, disturbing portrayal of The Preacher is excellent. Erland van Lidth plays Fatty, the brutally strong and large child molester who thumps around and destroys everything in his path. He too shows a more quiet and disturbing psychosis and his scene opposite Elizabeth Ward when he tries to get her to go upstairs with him is completely disturbing. Finally you have The Bleeder...I can't tell you who plays The Bleeder...it would ruin the film but I can say although you don't see him often as The Bleeder that when he shows himself your jaw will drop. He also is infamous for grabbing a hockey mask during his escape to get out of the asylum...this film was released the same year as another famous psycho was grabbing a hockey mask in Friday The 13th 3. So who came first?? Technically Jason Voorhees as Friday The 13th Part 3 was released in August of 1982, whereas Alone In The Dark was November of 1982.
Alone In The Dark breaks a lot of the horror film mold set in stone by others. First of all there isn't a lot of really gory kills, in fact some of it is more implied than it is shown. Second of all the main characters don't get killed off one by one. They are decently smart, and fight back and WIN!! The horror in the film is more based on the fact that a family is trapped in their own home, no electricity with a foursome of deranged killers stalking them from the outside. Director Jack Sholder made a different kind of slasher flick. He also went on to direct one of the Nightmare On Elm Street installments. Alone In The Dark drags a little more than it should and is very low budget, low budget to the point where special effects are almost non existent. It's nothing spectacular but for an early eighties horror gem...you have gotta see it!! 7/10