Alfred Sole, the prolific television production designer of Veronica Mars, Castle and MacGyver who had achieved cult-horror status with his 1976 film Alice, Sweet Alice featuring a 10-year-old Brooke Shields in a supporting role, died Feb. 14 at his home in Salt Lake City. He was 78.
His death was announced in a Facebook post by his cousin, filmmaker Dante Tomaselli. A cause of death was not specified.
Sole had already written and directed the 1972 sexually explicit, low-budget film Deep Sleep when several years later – and after the first film had been pulled from theaters on charges of obscenity – he turned to the horror genre. Originally titled Communion, Sole’s second movie premiered at the Chicago Film Festival in 1976 and was released by Allied Artists the following year as Alice, Sweet Alice, a name change disliked by Sole.
Inspired in part by Nicolas Roeg’s 1973 moody thriller Don’t Look Now, Sole’s Alice,...
His death was announced in a Facebook post by his cousin, filmmaker Dante Tomaselli. A cause of death was not specified.
Sole had already written and directed the 1972 sexually explicit, low-budget film Deep Sleep when several years later – and after the first film had been pulled from theaters on charges of obscenity – he turned to the horror genre. Originally titled Communion, Sole’s second movie premiered at the Chicago Film Festival in 1976 and was released by Allied Artists the following year as Alice, Sweet Alice, a name change disliked by Sole.
Inspired in part by Nicolas Roeg’s 1973 moody thriller Don’t Look Now, Sole’s Alice,...
- 2/17/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
This unique proto-slasher is not a rip-off of The Exorcist and for my taste is more meaningful, despite associating innocent children with horrible killings and religious repression. Director Alfred Sole uses these edgy elements to whip up an involving mystery, and a committed cast lifts it high above the exploitation gutter. Great extras, especially a commentary by Richard Harland Smith.
Alice, Sweet Alice
Blu-ray
Arrow Video
1976 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 98 min. / Communion / Street Date August 6, 2019 / 39.95
Starring: Linda Miller, Paula Sheppard, Mildred Clinton, Niles McMaster, Tom Signorelli, Brooke Shields, Miss Lillian Roth.
Film Editor: Edward Salier
Original Music: Stephen Lawrence
Written by Rosemary Ritvo, Alfred Sole
Produced by Richard K. Rosenberg
Directed by Alfred Sole
Back in the 1970s horror films didn’t always get a fair critical reception, so it was difficult to know which ones were the winners. Alice, Sweet Alice is an accomplished post- Exorcist shocker about mayhem in a dysfunctional Catholic family.
Alice, Sweet Alice
Blu-ray
Arrow Video
1976 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 98 min. / Communion / Street Date August 6, 2019 / 39.95
Starring: Linda Miller, Paula Sheppard, Mildred Clinton, Niles McMaster, Tom Signorelli, Brooke Shields, Miss Lillian Roth.
Film Editor: Edward Salier
Original Music: Stephen Lawrence
Written by Rosemary Ritvo, Alfred Sole
Produced by Richard K. Rosenberg
Directed by Alfred Sole
Back in the 1970s horror films didn’t always get a fair critical reception, so it was difficult to know which ones were the winners. Alice, Sweet Alice is an accomplished post- Exorcist shocker about mayhem in a dysfunctional Catholic family.
- 8/13/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Stars: Linda Miller, Mildred Clinton, Paula Sheppard, Niles McMaster, Jane Lowry, Rudolph Willrich, Michael Hardstark, Alphonso DeNoble, Gary Allen, Brooke Shields | Written by Alfred Sole, Rosemary Ritvo | Directed by Alfred Sole
When ten-year-old Karen is killed in church on the occasion of her first communion, her seemingly innocent older sister Alice (Paula Sheppard) becomes the prime suspect. Matters become complicated as more of Alice s family members are attacked, along with residents of her apartment building. Can a twelve-year-old girl be capable of such mayhem, or is someone else with a vicious plan destroying her family?
1970s “killer kid” proto-slasherAlice Sweet Alice comes from from director Alfred Sole – who would later go on to spoof the genre a mere three years later with Pandemonium – and is one of those horror films that has become more notorious for its cast than it’s plot. In this case it for a very...
When ten-year-old Karen is killed in church on the occasion of her first communion, her seemingly innocent older sister Alice (Paula Sheppard) becomes the prime suspect. Matters become complicated as more of Alice s family members are attacked, along with residents of her apartment building. Can a twelve-year-old girl be capable of such mayhem, or is someone else with a vicious plan destroying her family?
1970s “killer kid” proto-slasherAlice Sweet Alice comes from from director Alfred Sole – who would later go on to spoof the genre a mere three years later with Pandemonium – and is one of those horror films that has become more notorious for its cast than it’s plot. In this case it for a very...
- 8/6/2019
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
As audience members, we sometimes take for granted what directors can accomplish with proper financial backing for a film. For contemporary studio fare, having a bigger budget often indicates a studio’s faith in the filmmaker or project, and in the best cases, that confidence translates to the screen, whether in production design, CGI, costuming, or star talent. A bigger budget undoubtedly gives the director more room to groove, allotting him or her more tools to ultimately help manifest their vision into a cinematic reality. And while I surely don’t mean to discredit artists fortunate enough to have millions at their disposal, there’s a certain beauty to the low-budget bravado of movies like Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead and John Carpenter’s Halloween.
If you’re Guillermo del Toro and have over $50 million to create a gorgeously ethereal haunt-scape like Crimson Peak,...
If you’re Guillermo del Toro and have over $50 million to create a gorgeously ethereal haunt-scape like Crimson Peak,...
- 4/19/2018
- by Nick Caruso
- DailyDead
The Catholic Church (and religion in general) always seems to have a hard go of it in horror films. Whether seen as the last respite for the desperate (The Exorcist), or co-conspirators of evil (The Omen), the church has proven to be a wellspring of guilt and mistrust, useful tools for building a great horror tale. Alice, Sweet Alice (1976) is a sinister example of good old Catholic retribution, and the finest American version of a giallo to boot.
The film premiered in November of ’76 at the Chicago International Film Festival under its original title Communion. Columbia Pictures was originally supposed to distribute the film, but legal issues arose and they dropped it. Allied Artists stepped in but demanded a name change so people would not think of it as a religious film (which it is – but probably not the kind people would be expecting), came up with Alice, Sweet Alice...
The film premiered in November of ’76 at the Chicago International Film Festival under its original title Communion. Columbia Pictures was originally supposed to distribute the film, but legal issues arose and they dropped it. Allied Artists stepped in but demanded a name change so people would not think of it as a religious film (which it is – but probably not the kind people would be expecting), came up with Alice, Sweet Alice...
- 12/5/2015
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Special Mention: Un chien andalou
Directed by Luis Buñuel
Written by Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel
France, 1929
Genre: Experimental Short
The dream – or nightmare – has been a staple of horror cinema for decades. In 1929, Luis Bunuel joined forces with Salvador Dali to create Un chien andalou, an experimental and unforgettable 17-minute surrealist masterpiece. Buñuel famously said that he and Dalí wrote the film by telling one another their dreams. The film went on to influence the horror genre immensely. After all, even as manipulative as the “dream” device is, it’s still a proven way to jolt an audience. Just ask Wes Craven, who understood this bit of cinematic psychology when he dreamt of the central force behind A Nightmare on Elm Street, a film intended to be an exploration of surreal horror. David Lynch is contemporary cinema’s most devoted student of Un chien andalou – the severed ear at...
Directed by Luis Buñuel
Written by Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel
France, 1929
Genre: Experimental Short
The dream – or nightmare – has been a staple of horror cinema for decades. In 1929, Luis Bunuel joined forces with Salvador Dali to create Un chien andalou, an experimental and unforgettable 17-minute surrealist masterpiece. Buñuel famously said that he and Dalí wrote the film by telling one another their dreams. The film went on to influence the horror genre immensely. After all, even as manipulative as the “dream” device is, it’s still a proven way to jolt an audience. Just ask Wes Craven, who understood this bit of cinematic psychology when he dreamt of the central force behind A Nightmare on Elm Street, a film intended to be an exploration of surreal horror. David Lynch is contemporary cinema’s most devoted student of Un chien andalou – the severed ear at...
- 10/28/2015
- by Ricky Fernandes
- SoundOnSight
Stars: Linda Miller, Mildred Clinton, Paula Sheppard, Niles McMaster, Jane Lowry, Rudolph Willrich, Michael Hardstark, Alphonso DeNoble, Gary Allen, Brooke Shields | Written by Alfred Sole, Rosemary Ritvo | Directed by Alfred Sole
88 Films expand their DVD repertoire with their first non-Full Moon flick Alice Sweet Alice (aka Communion), the 1970s “killer kid” proto-slasher from director Alfred Sole – who would later go on to spoof the genre a mere three years later with Pandemonium.
When ten-year-old Karen (Brooke Shields, in her first screen appearance) is killed in church on the occasion of her first communion, her seemingly innocent older sister Alice (Paula Sheppard) becomes the prime suspect. Matters become complicated as more of Alice s family members are attacked, along with residents of her apartment building. Can a twelve-year-old girl be capable of such mayhem, or is someone else with a vicious plan destroying her family?
Alice Sweet Alice is...
88 Films expand their DVD repertoire with their first non-Full Moon flick Alice Sweet Alice (aka Communion), the 1970s “killer kid” proto-slasher from director Alfred Sole – who would later go on to spoof the genre a mere three years later with Pandemonium.
When ten-year-old Karen (Brooke Shields, in her first screen appearance) is killed in church on the occasion of her first communion, her seemingly innocent older sister Alice (Paula Sheppard) becomes the prime suspect. Matters become complicated as more of Alice s family members are attacked, along with residents of her apartment building. Can a twelve-year-old girl be capable of such mayhem, or is someone else with a vicious plan destroying her family?
Alice Sweet Alice is...
- 2/16/2014
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Every year, we here at Sound On Sight celebrate the month of October with 31 Days of Horror; and every year, I update the list of my favourite horror films ever made. Last year, I released a list that included 150 picks. This year, I’ll be upgrading the list, making minor alterations, changing the rankings, adding new entries, and possibly removing a few titles. I’ve also decided to publish each post backwards this time for one reason: the new additions appear lower on my list, whereas my top 50 haven’t changed much, except for maybe in ranking. I am including documentaries, short films and mini series, only as special mentions – along with a few features that can qualify as horror, but barely do.
****
Special Mention:
Häxan
Directed by Benjamin Christensen
Denmark / Sweden, 1922
Häxan (a.k.a The Witches or Witchcraft Through The Ages) is a 1922 silent documentary about the history of witchcraft,...
****
Special Mention:
Häxan
Directed by Benjamin Christensen
Denmark / Sweden, 1922
Häxan (a.k.a The Witches or Witchcraft Through The Ages) is a 1922 silent documentary about the history of witchcraft,...
- 10/30/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Throughout the month of October, Editor-in-Chief and resident Horror expert Ricky D, will be posting a list of his favorite Horror films of all time. The list will be posted in six parts. Click here to see every entry.
As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. It was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried and eventually gave up.
****
124: (Tie) Inside (À l’intérieur)
Directed by Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury
Written by Alexandre Bustillo
2007, France
Four months after the death of her husband, a pregnant woman is tormented by a strange woman who invades her home with the intent on killing her and taking her unborn baby. This movie is not recommended for women on the brink of motherhood. Inside is one of the most vicious and...
As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. It was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried and eventually gave up.
****
124: (Tie) Inside (À l’intérieur)
Directed by Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury
Written by Alexandre Bustillo
2007, France
Four months after the death of her husband, a pregnant woman is tormented by a strange woman who invades her home with the intent on killing her and taking her unborn baby. This movie is not recommended for women on the brink of motherhood. Inside is one of the most vicious and...
- 10/5/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
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