In 1976, a little known film shot for approximately $350,000 came and went from theaters in nearly record time. That was the year of Rocky. The year of Taxi Driver. The year of Network. It was no surprise that Communion didn’t get much fanfare. However, in the time following its release, a number of things happened in its favor. First of all, a young actress named Brooke Shields captured hearts across America in The Blue Lagoon. She had been featured in Communion when she was just 11 years old and followed it up with Pretty Baby at 13. So the buzz was building and the public was growing fascinated by this youngster, who was already exploring controversial roles with sexual overtones. Secondly, the slasher craze, which had been preceded by genre classics like Black Christmas (1974) and Halloween (1978) went into overdrive with Friday the 13th (1980). It was a perfect storm for director Alfred Sole. As VHS, Beta, and CED, hit the scene, it was only a matter of time before he could slap Brooke Shields’ name on the cover of a bloody horror movie and get some overdue recognition. Sure, there was a little capitalizing on the successes of others involved, but that, as "they" say, is showbiz. But when people started taking a chance on his little slasher mystery, they started to discover something else. This thing wasn’t mere exploitation for exploitation’s sake. It was thoughtful, violent, and pretty damn creepy. Why had they never heard of "Alice, Sweet Alice" (its new title) before? The short answer to that question: timing wasn’t right. It was caught in limbo between a solid Canadian thriller few in the States had seen (Black Christmas) and a damn scary classic that became the new Psycho for a lot of moviegoers (Halloween). Luckily, quality won out in the end, and today there are a couple of different DVD editions of Communion/Holy Terror/Alice, Sweet Alice that you can purchase on eBay or Amazon to relive a film that is, quite simply, an underrated masterpiece.

Why is Alice, Sweet Alice such a gem? Well, for starters, it has nothing to do with Brooke Shields. She’s in the film for a very short amount of time, though her role is pivotal. The "favored" daughter of single mother Catherine Spages (Linda Miller, daughter of Jackie Gleason and mother of Jason Patric), Karen (Shields) is gearing up for her first holy communion. Unfortunately, moments before she is to receive the wafer and juice, she’s abducted in the church and slaughtered by a short assailant in a yellow raincoat and the creepiest China Doll horror mask that you’ll ever see. No one knows who killed Karen, but many suspect it was her troublemaking elder sister Alice (an unbelievable performance from 19-year old Paula E. Sheppard, who’s playing 12 in the film). Everyone is distraught by Karen’s death but her sibling, and some take that as a sign that this little girl has committed the most heinous act that one human being can perpetrate on another. Enter Catherine’s ex-husband Dom (Niles McMaster), and the estranged couple begins an investigation to clear their troubled daughter’s name. But will they like what they find when the truth comes out?

Interlaced with vicious murders and a respectable amount of bloodletting for a movie of this time period, Alice, Sweet Alice does something few horror films do with its story. It uses setting and context to maximum effect, giving the audience an undertone of moral oppression and hypocrisy to turn the wheels of discussion long after the closing credits. The rain-soaked New Jersey setting is as oppressive as the staunch religious views of Mrs. Tredoni (Mildred Clinton) and Aunt Annie DeLorenze (Jane Lowry). It’s just a much more evenly crafted and well thought out film than you typically get from the horror genre. And the twisted image of this pint-sized killer will have you feeling frantically for light switches before you enter a room.