Some parts of this film are ingenious. Others are dull and pondering. But once you get into this, you wont want to leave until everything is wrapped up thanks to some truly creepy characters who are not always what they seem to be. At first, this seems to be a saga of two sisters who hate each other, the spoiled and younger Brooke Shields (in her film debut) and the equally pretty but obviously disturbed Paula E. Sheppard who goes out of her way to terrorize Shields. When a shocking murder takes place at a Catholic communion ceremony, Sheppard is put in a mental institution but that doesn't stop more horrific murders from occurring. Who it is and why is a little consequence, but it is certainly fascinating to see them continuously get away with this and some very sinister ways.

Leading lady Linda Miller as the mother is outshined by Mildred Clinton as a heavily accented church lady and Alphonso DeNoble as the perverted landlord, an obese man whose gluttony is a metaphor for his vile personal nature. This will leave a mix taste in the viewers mouth depending on their feelings about the Catholic religion and the sacraments associated with Catholicism. There really isn't a revealed motive for what goes on here, but the director and writer seem to take much glee and how they present the hideousness going on. Slow moving at times, when the killer is all of a sudden revealed, half the shock is gone, but the urge to see what erupts in the conclusion will keep you tuned in. That leads to the revelation of one of the great villains of all time in a modern horror film even if I wanted more detail surrounding their psychosis and motivations.

Although numerous influences are recognisable (the most obvious being Hitchcock and Nicholas Roeg's DON'T LOOK NOW),this is still an enthralling, top-notch horror-cum-thriller which endlessly parades a group of lovable eccentrics as they become caught up in the slashings of a masked murderer. As well as being influenced, it's also an influential film - as seen in the wealth of masked weirdos filling the screens in the '80s, from the repeated stabbings of Michael Myers to that owl guy in STAGE FRIGHT. The strangest thing about this film is that two of the brilliant performers in it (one the director, Sole, the other Paula Sheppard, an actress) never achieved the fame that they deserved judging by their work here. Sole's direction is assured and stylish, and his work combined with the art direction and the photography make this one of the most colourful (think Argento) and visually interesting movies of the seventies.

Although it's not a gratuitously gory film in the style of Argento, the violence when it comes is brutal and includes stabbings in the neck, stomach, foot and leg - all unusual and painful parts of the body to be injured in. The blood flows quite freely in these scenes, making them particularly horrific to watch. The interesting plot is a cross between an exploration of religious themes and imagery and the effect it has on people, and a standard murder mystery, with an unknown assailant bumping off members of an apartment block one by one.

The acting is excellent throughout, with every actor or actress putting conviction into their characters. Particularly good are Linda Miller as the harassed mother, Tom Signorelli as the determined father and the actor playing the obese slob of a neighbour who meets a sticky end - his grotesque character is definitely one for the memory. Although the limelight was stolen by the later-famous Brooke Shields, most overlooked is the acting of Paula Sheppard, who is this film's lead star. She invests her role with innocence and corruption in turn, and her obtuse character is the most interesting in the film. By turns seductive, cruel, childish and mature, Sheppard's Alice is a superb character and the final shot is a hauntingly memorable one.

While modern fans of the horror film may be put off by the slow pacing and the literate script, this is a brilliant film whichever way you look at it and easily stands against the best work of Italian maestro Dario Argento - indeed the influence of the Italian giallo is very strong in this film, which can be seen as an American giallo in itself. Completed by an eerie score and an unexpected villain, ALICE SWEET ALICE is a film well worth hunting down and watching.

Alice Spages is a 12-year-old. Her younger sister Karen (Brooke Shields) is their mother's favorite. Their parents are divorced. Karen is brutally murdered before her First Holy Communion by a masked adult in a yellow raincoat. Alice is the prime suspect due to circumstances.

This is very early in Brooke Shields' career. If only they had a crystal ball, they would put her in the lead. Instead, she's in a minor role and gets killed off quite early. In general, the acting is forced. Everyone is dialed up to eleven. It may be a director's direction. He's trying to push uncomfortableness into every shot. It's all very deliberate but it does feel forced. It gives an interesting mannered tone to this small horror. My best description would be John Waters doing horror. That's what it feels like. It certainly has an anti-church theme. If there is one way to improve this, it would be to hide the original adult killer. The audience should be kept in the dark wondering if Alice could have actually done the murder. One can guess at her disturbed mind or revenge motive. It would add another layer to this movie.