Release:
1982 Directed by: Jack Sholder Written
by: Jack Sholder, Robert Shaye and Michael Harrpster
Starring: Jack Palance as Frank Hawkes Donald
Pleasence as Dr. Leo Bain Martin Landau
as Byron 'Preacher' Sutcliff Dwight Schultz
as Dr. Dan Potter Erland van Lidth as
Ronald 'Fatty' Elster
When Alone in the Dark began to light up my flat
screen there was a moment of confusion. Some very familiar and great
actors make appearances on screen…but they brought to mind
images of movies and television that weren’t at all horror.
Martin Landau (Mission: Impossible (TV), The
X-Files, countless other roles) and Jack Palance (Batman,
City Slickers) play some of the dangerous patients
at a “new age” insane asylum while Dwight Schultz
(known for playing “Barclay” on Star
Trek: Voyager) is our hero Dr. Potter. What the
heck is THIS?
I admit that I was pretty certain at this point that Alone in
the Dark was a dud. Who’s ever heard of this movie
anyway?
I am very glad that I gave
this one a chance. Alone in the Dark is scary,
witty and clever. The monsters are unique and
interesting…and we get to see that Jason wasn’t
the first to think of using a hockey mask. More
about that later.
Alone in the Dark starts out with Dr. Potter making
his way to a psychiatric hospital to visit Dr. Bain (Donald Pleasence
of Halloween fame). The receptionist informs
Potter, however, that Dr. Bain cannot be seen…because
he is invisible.
It seems that one of the patients in the hospital is allowed to
“play” receptionist occasionally and Potter
unfortunately arrived during one of her sessions – but this
interaction sets the tone for Alone in the Dark
that is filled with crazies that are as interesting and funny as they
are disturbing.
Potter, it
turns out, is beginning his first day on the job at the hospital. As he
is shown around he meets ‘The Four” –
four specific psychopaths that are in the maximum security section of
the hospital. The group consists of a pyromaniac, a serial killer, a
child molester and a military commando. Each is severely disturbed and
dangerous, but they are well contained…kind of. Dr. Bain
doesn’t believe in a prison-like
atmosphere, so everything seems nice and open with no bars on the
windows or bolts on the doors. Don’t worry, though. There are
electrical sensors throughout the wing that cause the doors and windows
to snap closed when approached – more than enough to keep the
loonies at bay.
But…what happens when there is a power failure?
That is exactly what happens in Alone in the Dark.
The answer is that there is nothing keeping the crazy folks from
wandering out into society and exacting revenge for every wrong that
their deranged minds can imagine was ever committed against them. And
boy do they feel wronged.
Alone
in the Dark also has an interesting sub-plot. It seems that
Dr. Potter’s sister had an intense nervous breakdown and was
shipped off to an asylum of her own. She is released “a new
woman” and comes to stay with her brother for a
while…just days before the power outage lets the violent
lunatics loose. Talk about a bad trip.
One more thing…please PLEASE do not confuse Alone
in the Dark as presented here with the Uwe Boll movie with
the same name. That movie has nothing whatsoever in common with this
flick – this one is great and deserves it’s place
on the 2005 best horror movies list. Mr. Boll’s train-wreck
does not.
Alone in the Dark has some great scares,
psychological intensity, acceptable acting and colorful
characters…even some great FX by the master Tom Savini. Just
make sure that you have a back-up generator available when you watch it.
Oh, and about the hockey mask. “The Bleeder”, one
of the escaped lunatics during the power outage, dons a mask to hide
his identity while on his initial killing spree. Jason Voorhees, of
course, is known for his hockey mask as well. Which came first? Alone
in the Dark was filmed before Friday the 13th part 3
(where Jason finds his old hockey mask in a shed and abandons the
burlap bag that he previously used to hide his face), but Friday
the 13th Part 3 was released first and takes the
“first hockey mask” prize. Questions
or comments about Alone in the Dark? Contact us!
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I am very glad that I gave
this one a chance. Alone in the Dark is scary,
witty and clever. The monsters are unique and
interesting…and we get to see that Jason wasn’t
the first to think of using a hockey mask. More
about that later.
Potter, it
turns out, is beginning his first day on the job at the hospital. As he
is shown around he meets ‘The Four” –
four specific psychopaths that are in the maximum security section of
the hospital. The group consists of a pyromaniac, a serial killer, a
child molester and a military commando. Each is severely disturbed and
dangerous, but they are well contained…kind of. Dr. Bain
doesn’t believe in a prison-like
atmosphere, so everything seems nice and open with no bars on the
windows or bolts on the doors. Don’t worry, though. There are
electrical sensors throughout the wing that cause the doors and windows
to snap closed when approached – more than enough to keep the
loonies at bay.
Alone
in the Dark also has an interesting sub-plot. It seems that
Dr. Potter’s sister had an intense nervous breakdown and was
shipped off to an asylum of her own. She is released “a new
woman” and comes to stay with her brother for a
while…just days before the power outage lets the violent
lunatics loose. Talk about a bad trip.
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