‘Alice, Sweet Alice’ Arrow Video 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review – Mysterious Slasher Will Make You Wary Of Creepy Kids

A young Brooke Shields meets an untimely end in this religious-themed proto slasher par excellence from director Alfred Sole. On the day of her first communion, young Karen (Brooke Shields) is savagely murdered by an unknown assailant in a yellow rain mac and creepy translucent mask. But the nightmare is far from over – as the knife-wielding maniac strikes again and again, Karen’s bereaved parents are forced to confront the possibility that Karen’s wayward sister Alice might be the one behind the mask. Bearing influences from the likes of Hitchcock, the then-booming Italian giallo film and more specifically, Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now, Alice, Sweet Alice is an absolutely essential – if often overlooked – entry in the canon of 1970s American horror.

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Video Quality

Arrow Films presents Alice, Sweet Alice with an exceptional 2160p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative and graded in 4K HDR/Dolby Vision. The previous Arrow Video Blu-Ray release of the film from 2019 was excellent derived from the same 4K scan, but the improvements here are welcome for a film that thrives on its conjuring of a distinct, unsettling atmosphere. 

You cannot ask for better from the considerate application of Dolby Vision for refined color output which should be praised for the nuance it brings to this picture. With much of the film taking place in shadowy corners, it is vital to have a confident handle on the contrast. The black levels are perfect with nothing in the way of crush present, and the highlights are in top-tier shape with no signs of blooming. The new presentation features some colors in the clothing and production design such as the iconic yellow coat that stand out with sumptuous vibrancy. This disc handles every carefully curated choice with ease. This presentation never looks less than wonderful. 

With the base transfer, you will not find anything in the way of wear and tear or print damage. This new release is respectful to the original look of the film with the added resolution making elements seem more natural. When it comes to encoding, there are positively no jarring digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such nuisances. The level of detail and clarity is stunning with the ideal amount of natural film grain intact. The grain resolves well with no fluctuations detected at any point. The texture on display in the costumes and within the setting is a blessing. The makeup effects likewise blend naturally which brings some of the violent aftermath to the forefront with grotesque clarity. This presentation is another knockout effort from the crew at Arrow Video. 

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of the film comes with an LPCM 1.0 mono track that represents the film as well as you might hope. The dialogue comes through clearly without being overshadowed by the sound effects or score. All of the various sounds in the mix seem consistently rendered so that nothing ever feels out of place. The activity in the church creates a din of sound that emerges to provide some excellent ambient details. The narrative also unleashes crisp, subtle environmental texture to make the world feel more lived-in. There are moments of bloody confrontations that add some intensity without becoming a muddled mess in the action. The effective score brings a very distinct mood to the proceedings that is represented well in the mix outside of some brash highs. Everything is presented with firm fidelity with only the occasional instance of sound presenting as a bit thin or boxy. This presentation is largely free of any hiss or other age-related wear-and-tear. Arrow Video has taken good care of this one. 

Special Features

The Limited Edition Arrow Video 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Alice, Sweet Alice includes a 24-page booklet featuring an essay from Michael Blyth which provides a great analysis of the film and the genre at large in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows: 

• Three Versions Of The Film: Communion (Original Version – 1:47:08), Alice, Sweet Alice (Theatrical Version – 1:47:17), and Holy Terror (Re-Release Version – 1:47:09)

• Audio Commentaries: Two thoughtful commentary tracks discuss the style of the film, how this film fits into the time it was released, the cinematography of the feature, the long production process, the background of the creative figures, and more that provides great context for the feature. 

• • Audio Commentary #1: Co-writer/director Alfred Sole, editor Edward Salier, and William Lustig

• • Audio Commentary #2: Film Historian Richard Harland Smith

• First Communion: A 19-minute conversation with director Alfred Sole in which he discusses his surprising early career, developing the story of Alice Sweet Alice, raising the money for the production, the process of making the film, the film’s reception, his creative process, and more.

• In The Name of the Father: A 16-minute conversation with actor Niles McMaster in which he discusses his early efforts in his career, the process of filming Alice Sweet Alice, working with Alfred Sole, memories of the other performers, controversies surrounding the film, and more. 

• Alice On My Mind: A 15-minute conversation with composer Stephen Lawrence in which he guides you through some of the music from the film and gives you insight into how he developed the piece. 

• Lost Childhood – The Locations Of Alice, Sweet Alice: A 16-minute tour of the locations from Alice, Sweet Alice as hosted by author Michael Gingold. 

• Sweet Memories: A nearly 12-minute piece with filmmaker Dante Tomaselli, cousin of Alfred Sole, who discusses his longtime connection to the film from his time as a young boy. 

• Deleted Scenes: There are two unused scenes totaling nearly three minutes of material presented without audio since nothing could be found during the restoration process 

• Version Comparisons: A two-minute featurette that showcases the subtle differences between the different versions of the film on this disc. 

• Re-Release Trailer (1:44)

• UK TV Spot (0:16)

• Image Gallery: This has galleries for an Image Gallery and Screenplay.

Final Thoughts

Alice, Sweet Alice is a great approximation of Giallo sensibilities being translated to an American setting. There is a strong lineage of terrifying children in cinema, and the central character here ranks among the top kids we wouldn’t want to be near. All of the performances from the adults and the kids are really effective, and the mastery over tension is impressive. This is not often noted among the great slashers, but it is a really good time. Arrow Video has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a fantastic A/V presentation and a grand assortment of special features. Horror fans will be thrilled by this release. Highly Recommended 

Alice, Sweet Alice (Limited Edition) is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray. 

Disclaimer: Arrow Video has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.