1976 cult oddity starring LIQUID SKY's Paula Shepard and a young Brooke Shields

Curated by Harris Smith

Total Runtime: 1:41:23

(1976)

Alice, Sweet Alice (also known as Communion or Holy Terror) is a 1976 independent American slasher film directed by Alfred Sole, and starring Linda Miller, Paula Sheppard, and Brooke Shields. It was released theatrically three different times, each time under a new title: first as Communion in November 1976; as Alice, Sweet Alice in 1978; and as Holy Terror in 1981. This film was ranked #89 on Bravo's The 100 Scariest Movie Moments for the scene when Alice scares Karen in the warehouse. The film is notable for being Shields' first acting role, which prompted distributors to re-release the film to market upon Shields' growing notoriety following her role in Pretty Baby (1978)

The film was shot on location in Paterson, New Jersey in 1976, though the film is set in the early 1960s. The film marked the debut for Brooke Shields, who was offered the role in the film after director Alfred Sole saw a photo of her in a magazine. It was also actress Paula Sheppard's debut. Sheppard was 19 when she played 12-year-old Alice.

The movie premiered on November 13, 1976 under the title Communion in the town of Paterson. Two years later, following starlet Brooke Shields' rise to notoriety, the film was re-released under the title Alice, Sweet Alice, which is what the film is most commonly known as. It was also released a third time as Holy Terror. According to director Alfred Sole, Columbia Pictures expressed interest in distributing the film in 1976; however, following legal "friction" concerning rights to the movie, Columbia Pictures dropped the film. Allied Artists then picked up the film for distribution, and forced the filmmakers to change the title from Communion to Alice, Sweet Alice, in fear that the public would perceive the film to be religious due to its title. A book tie-in had been written in conjunction with the film through Bantam Books, under the title Communion; the book's title was never altered.

Director Alfredo Sole made very few other films and went on to become a production designer for television shows such as "Veronica Mars" and "Castle."

Movie - Alice, Sweet Alice (1976)

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