HE KNOWS YOU'RE ALONE DVD REVIEW (from 2004 - MONSTERS AT PLAY)

“He’s after me Marvin; he’s trying to kill me! He killed Nancy!”

Amy (Caitlin O’Heaney), manic in the morgue, in HE KNOWS YOU’RE ALONE.

Directed by Armand Mastroianni in late 1979, HE KNOWS YOU’RE ALONE is one of the more slavish slahers to brandish a knife in the shadow of John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN. It’s also one of the more enjoyable. Burdened with an awkward title that’s more of a tag line - and a lazy ad campaign, Mastroianni’s film didn’t exactly set the boxoffice on fire in the fall of 1980. It’s remembered primarily for two things: the movie debut of a young Tom Hanks and the creepy opening sequence where a woman is stabbed in a movie theater. But this efficient, often suspenseful, little exploitation film deserves more than mere footnote status in this often-derided subgenre.

After a bride-to-be is stabbed through her seat while watching a horror movie, Detective Gamble (hunky Lewis Arlt) grows concerned that it might be the work of a long dormant serial killer; one who murdered Gamble’s own fiancé just hours before their wedding. Sure enough, it turns out that Ray Carlton (the menacing Tom Rolfing) has returned from the void to begin stalking brides - and anyone associated with their wedding party. Fresh off the bus from Slasherville, Ray sets his sights on Amy (Caitlin O’Heaney), a bride-to-be in the final planning stages of her wedding. While her fiancé is off on a wild bachelor party (and her parents conveniently away) she busies herself with dress fittings and a lingering doubt about her upcoming marriage. Her best friends Nancy (Elizabeth Kemp) and Joyce (soap mainstay Patsy Pease) keep her company while she watches her younger sister (Dana Barron) and flirts with ex-boyfriend Marvin (Don Scardino). All the while she is followed by the wide-eyed stalker, who begins to slice up everyone associated with her upcoming wedding. 

Ray Calton (Tom Rolfing) sets his sights on bride-to-be Amy (Cailtin O'Heaney) in HE KNOWS YOU'RE ALONE. 

There are several aspects of Mastrianni’s film that set it apart from the typical slasher film from this era. Shot on Long Island, the cast is filled with talented New York actors including many Broadway and soap opera vets. O’Heaney, also seen in the ugly, misogynistic SAVAGE WEEKEND (shot in ’79 but released in the early ‘80s) makes a likeable, if somewhat neurotic, heroine. Scardino, who stared in Jeff Lieberman’s SQUIRM a few years prior, gives another “charming goofball” performance as Amy’s spurned beau. Kemp (looking very Laurie Strode-like) is also very appealing as Nancy, the girlfriend who sets her sights on a young jogger (Hanks). Much has been made about the future BOSOM BUDDIES star in this film. In what constitutes as little more than an extended cameo, Hanks is fine as a psych student who gives a short spiel on the nature of fear. The late Rolfing is appropriately menacing as the stalker, though some of the awkward staging in the final act renders his character a bit clumsy. Writer Scott Parker embellishes the derivative story with just enough characterization for the actors to hold on to, lending the scant dramatic elements a nuance not typically found in the slasher genre. The believable, and sympathetic, characters also give the suspense sequences an added sense of urgency.

Mastroianni’s first film is appropriately intense, especially during the harrowing climax set at a morgue. Few slasher films from this era were very ambitious; most of which substituted suspense for extreme violence and gore. HE KNOWS eschews much of the violence predominant in the genre, relying more on implied, off screen bloodletting. The Long Island location and late fall backdrop also give the film an isolated, chilly sense of place. Indded its lush fall aesthetic elevates much of the workman-like cinematography by Gerald Feil (who would go on to shoot FRIDAY THE 13^TH PART 3).  

Nancy (Elizabeth Kemp) on her first (and last) date with psych major Elliot (Tom Hanks).

Though HE KNOWS is in many ways a superior thriller, especially when considering its budget and 15-day shooting schedule, it remains one of the more blatant reactions to the success of HALLOWEEN. Suspense set-pieces, characters and even music borrow liberally from the Carpenter film. It also lacks the cinematic skill and innovation that made that watershed film so memorable. In the engaging commentary with Mastroianni and Parker, they mention Carpenter’s film only once; odd when you consider how much they relied on his formula for success. In their defense, much of the “kitchen sink” horror brought back into fashion by HALLOWEEN was around well before its landmark release. The “old dark house” with the specter in the shadows goes back to the thrillers of the ‘30’s. Pressure was also imposed upon the filmmakers by producers who insisted on more of the formulaic aspects -like the nude shower scene. And in a bit a slasher film irony, a few of the set pieces that occur in the climax of HE KNOWS turned up a year later in the disappointing HALLOWEEN 2. While no one would accuse Carpenter of stealing from Mastroianni’s film, it’s interesting how certain film genres seem to mirror one another – intentional or not. 

Subtle, isn't he? 

The 2004 DVD release from Warner’s Home Video (now out of print) is a great gift to fans of this overlooked film. The beautiful transfer is presented in its original aspect ratio; the first time since its theatrical release. It also appears that the print was struck from the original negative; dark scenes that appeared murky on video and cable are now sharp and clear. The Dolby Digital sound is a serviceable mix with little distortion apparent. The special features include the original trailer and, best of all, commentary by Mastroianni and Parker. Their behind-the-scenes reminiscing might not be the most eagerly anticipated DVD audio track this year, but to kids who grew up reading Fangoria, this “special feature” truly is one.  

The out-of-print MGM DVD 2004 release of HE KNOWS YOU'RE ALONE.

Issue #9 of Fangoria, with its iconic image of a chainsaw wielding pig, featured a cover story on HE KNOWS (a photo of Rolfing grabbing at O’Heaney is pictured in the second frame of the iconic film strip.) Any kid who purchased that issue in the fall of 1980 will certainly want to get of copy of this film. It’s an entertaining artifact from a high point in exploitation history.