Communion (1976)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Alfred Sole

Writers:

Rosemary Ritvo (original screenplay) &
Alfred Sole (original screenplay)

Release Date:

13 November 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

If You Survive This Night... Nothing Will Scare You Again.

Plot:

After a young girl is brutally murdered during her first communion, her strange and withdrawn older sister becomes the main suspect.

Plot Keywords:

Young Girl | Holy Communion | Veil | Suspicion | Yellow Coat

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Linda Miller	...	Catherine Spages
Mildred Clinton	...	Mrs. Tredoni
Paula E. Sheppard	...	Alice Spages (as Paula Sheppard)
Niles McMaster	...	Dominick 'Dom' Spages
Jane Lowry	...	Aunt Annie DeLorenze
Rudolph Willrich	...	Father Tom
Michael Hardstark	...	Detective Spina
Alphonso DeNoble	...	Mr. Alphonso
Gary Allen	...	Jim DeLorenze
Brooke Shields	...	Karen Spages
Louisa Horton	...	Dr. Whitman
Tom Signorelli	...	Detective Brennan
Lillian Roth	...	Pathologist (as Miss Lillian Roth)
Patrick Gorman	...	Father Pat
Kathy Rich	...	Angela DeLorenze
Ted Tinling	...	Detective Cranston
Mary Boylan	...	Mother Superior
Peter Bosche	...	Monsignor
Joseph Rossi	...	Father Joe
Marco Quazzo	...	Robert DeLorenze
Dick Boccelli	...	Hotel Clerk
Ronald Willoughby	...	Funeral Director
Sally Anne Golden	...	Policewoman
Lucy Hale	...	Church Soloist
Libby Fennelly	...	Nun
Maurice Yonowsky	...	Children Shelter Attendant
Beth Carlton	...	Children Shelter Attendant
Drew Roman	...	Policeman
Antonino Rocca	...	Funeral Director (billed as Funeral Attendant in closing credits)
Michael Weil	...	Funeral Attendant
Leslie Feigen M.D.	...	Doctor

Directed by
Alfred Sole

Writing credits
Rosemary Ritvo		(original screenplay) &
Alfred Sole		(original screenplay)

Produced by
Marc G. Greenberg	....	associate producer
Richard K. Rosenberg	....	executive producer
Richard K. Rosenberg	....	producer
Alfred Sole	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Stephen Lawrence

Film Editing by
M. Edward Salier		(as Edward Salier)

Production Design by
John Lawless

Set Decoration by
Stephen Finon

Costume Design by
Michelle Cohen

Makeup Department
Barbara Battagliese	....	hair stylist
Larry Panucci	....	hair stylist
Anne Paul	....	makeup artist
Karen Sole	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Rosemary Ritvo	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Adrienne Hamalian-Mangine	....	assistant director (as Adrienne Hamalian)

Sound Department
Dan Sable	....	sound editor
Mark Salwasser	....	sound
Larry Scharf	....	boom operator (as Lawrence Scharf)
Dick Vorisek	....	sound re-recording supervisor

Camera and Electrical Department
Joseph Bruck	....	electrician
Ralph Coleman	....	electrician
Stanley Fejnas	....	grip
John Friberg	....	camera operator
Chuck Hall	....	camera operator
Chris Hayes	....	assistant camera
Gary Michelin	....	camera loader
John Pascali	....	grip
Johnnie Rogers	....	key grip
William S. Scharf	....	electrician (as William Scharf)
Richard Schwartz	....	camera loader

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lenora Guarini	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
William S. Scharf	....	assistant editor (as William Scharf)
Richard Schwartz	....	apprentice editor

Other crew
Tim Baker	....	production secretary
Daniel Bregman	....	production assistant
Robert Burke Jr.	....	assistant to producer
Mary Collins	....	production assistant
Lori Cusack	....	production assistant
Judy Gordon	....	production assistant
Father Francis Gerard Greeley O.S.F.	....	religious advisor
Steven Hurewitz	....	production assistant
Charles Parmelli	....	technical advisor: City of Paterson
Tony Racco	....	production assistant
Randy Rothenberg	....	production assistant
Richard Schwartz	....	production assistant
Marilyn Spages	....	production secretary
Susan Thaler	....	assistant to director
Ken Threet	....	production assistant
Michael Weil	....	production assistant
Elizabeth Weizenegger	....	script supervisor
Murray Yedwab	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• Harristown Funding

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Brothers (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Allied Artists Home Video (1979) (USA) (VHS)
• Citadel Films (1981) (Canada) (theatrical) (cut version "Holy Terror")
• Viking Video Classics (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Genesis Home Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Hollywood Movie Classics (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• VCI Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Jef Films International (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• DMEG (2004) (Sweden) (VHS) (as "Alice, Sweet Alice")
• 23rd Century (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• EuroVideo (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Hen's Tooth Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Filmways Australasian Distributors (????) (Australia) (theatrical)
• CMV Laservision (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Cinema Classics (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Elite Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• FHS Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• GoodTimes Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Hollywood Gems (1984) (USA) (VHS) (as "Alice Sweet Alice")
• Marquis Video (????) (Canada) (VHS) (cut version "Holy Terror")
• Opção (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Spotlite Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Video Treasures (????) (USA) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Illusions Inc.

Other Companies

• Magnofex  sound editing
• Richard Cataldi Agency  casting
• Friedman/Futch Casting Consultants  casting
• EFX Unlimited  opticals
• Joan Peckolick Design Inc.  title design
• Trans / Audio  sound re-recording
• C. Hannah Ltd. Inc.  vehicles
• Communion Productions Ltd.  production services furnished by
• The City of Paterson, New Jersey  thanks

Also Known As:

Alice Sweet Alice (USA) (reissue title)
Holy Terror (USA) (cut version)

Runtime:

98 min | Australia:106 min | USA:108 min (unrated version) | Spain:83 min | Argentina:108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:R (DVD rating) | Norway:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Iceland:(Banned)

Filming Locations:

1 James Street, Paterson, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Harristown Funding

Trivia:

The knife used in the film was created by Alfred Sole's neighbor, who was an engineer, and was designed with a retractable blade. It was the only knife used in the film; the filmmakers never made any duplicates.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: In the opening credits Atonino Rocca is credited as the funeral director but in the ending credits he's credited as a funeral attendant.

Quotes:

Mr. Alphonso: [about Karen's funeral] I heard everyone leave. It's all over, huh? Well, you die and they put you in the ground. Such a shame. Such a pretty girl too. Too bad she was the one to end up in the box.
Alice Spages: My mother thought you could use some cake, fatty.
[hands him cake]
Mr. Alphonso: Thank your mother for me. Such a lovely lady. God always takes the pretty ones.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Jawbreaker (1999)

Soundtrack:

Three Little Fishies

One of the most powerful horror films ever made!

From beginning credits to the final segment, Alfered Sole's "Alice Sweet Alice" is a chillingly gripping horror flick. With it's haunting soundtrack, alarming murder scenes, and horrifying Catholic imagery this movie will be forever embedded in your mind. It also boasts the very first screen appearance of a young Brooke Shields, who has a very brief role as young Karen Spages, a young girl who is brutally murdered in church during her first Communion. This murder sets the pace for the entire film. There are no wasted segments or "fillers" in "Alice Sweet Alice" each scene is essential and captivates your attention. The characters grab your attention as well from the morbidly obese Mr. Alfonso the landlord to the manipulative and constantly interfering Aunt Annie. Of course, the character of Alice is the most intriguing as the viewer wonders whether this strange young girl is truly capable of cold blooded acts of murder or is there something even more sinister happening? There are lots of surprises and shocks that will grab the attention of first-time viewers and leave most horror fans coming back for more and there is also a surprisingly generous amount of blood-letting in this film. This film came in at #88 on Bravo's list of the top 100 scariest moments in cinema history.