Alice Sweet Alice 1976

In the sleepy streets of New Jersey, 1961, a seemingly idyllic existence is shattered by the turmoil brewing within the Spages family. At the heart of this domestic drama lies Alice (Paula E. Sheppard), a brooding 12-year-old struggling to reconcile her own insecurities with the impending milestone of her younger sister Karen’s (Brooke Shields) first holy communion.

Alice’s mother, Catherine (Linda Miller), and grandmother figure to the girls, attempts to navigate the complexities of their family dynamics while also preparing for the big day. Meanwhile, Dominic (Niles McMaster), the girls’ absentee father, has re-married and is noticeably absent from their lives. The family’s modest apartment serves as a constant reminder of their humble circumstances.

As the trio visits Father Tom (Rudolph Willrich) at the rectory to discuss Karen’s upcoming communion, Alice’s dark undercurrents begin to surface. She startles the housekeeper, Mrs. Tredoni (Mildred Clinton), by donning an unsettling translucent mask, a precursor to her later antics. This eerie display is just the beginning of a series of disturbing events that unfold as Alice’s fixation on Karen’s attention and her own sense of inadequacy reach a boiling point.

The family’s apartment becomes a battleground for control, with Alice stealing Karen’s cherished doll and leading her to an abandoned building, where she taunts her sibling with the mask. The threat to never return the doll if Karen reveals their secret is a chilling warning that underscores Alice’s deep-seated emotional pain. Meanwhile, Catherine intervenes as Alice models Karen’s communion veil, further escalating tensions within the family.

As the narrative unfolds, it becomes increasingly clear that Alice’s behavior is a cry for help, a desperate attempt to assert her own significance in a world where she feels overlooked and ignored. The mask, a symbol of her inner turmoil, serves as a harbinger of the dark forces that will soon come into play, threatening to destroy the fragile equilibrium of their lives.

As the day of Karen’s communion celebration dawns, a sense of unease settles over the parishioners gathered at the sanctuary. Catherine and her younger sister Annie (Jane Lowry) notice the absence of their sibling Alice, prompting Annie to dispatch their daughter Angela (Kathy Rich) to investigate the whereabouts of the missing child. However, before Karen can join her peers in their pristine white communion dresses and veils, a figure clad in a yellow rain slicker and donning the same translucent mask worn by Alice emerges from the shadows. With calculated brutality, this mysterious assailant strangles Karen and then coldly sets her lifeless body ablaze within a hollow bench, making off with the small cross pendant she wore around her neck as a symbol of faith.

As the congregation begins to disperse, a disturbing realization settles over them: Alice has taken Karen’s place among the younger girls, donning her veil and awaiting holy communion. Annie is horrified by this development, urging Catherine to take immediate action to rectify the situation. Meanwhile, a nun stumbles upon the smoldering remains of Karen’s body, her anguished screams summoning the rest of the congregation. As news of the tragedy spreads, Annie’s outrage turns to grief and despair, as she melodramatically informs Catherine that their daughter is gone. The usually stoic Catherine breaks down in tears, overcome by the weight of her loss.

In the aftermath of Karen’s funeral, Dominic returns to pay his respects, his presence evoking a torrent of emotion from Catherine as she weeps at the gravesite. Annie, ever the dominant force in their lives, imposes herself on Catherine and Alice, insisting that she will remain with them to provide support during this difficult time. However, Alice is resentful of Annie’s interference, longing to stay home with her mother instead of returning to school. As tensions simmer just below the surface, Annie’s dislike for Alice gives way to suspicions about Karen’s murder. She points out the fact that Alice’s whereabouts during the crime remain unaccounted for, casting a shadow of doubt over Catherine’s unwavering faith in her daughter.

As the family struggles to come to terms with their loss, Catherine finds herself at odds with Annie, who is determined to uncover the truth behind Karen’s tragic demise. In an effort to defuse the escalating conflict between her mother and Alice, Catherine dispatches Alice on an errand, hoping to calm the stormy waters that threaten to consume them all.

As Catherine instructs Alice to take the rent check to their enigmatic landlord, Mr. Alphonso (Alphonso DeNoble), a man consumed by his own grotesque nature, we are transported into his peculiar world. His apartment is a veritable menagerie, teeming with kittens and reeking of stale cat food, as he indulges in the peculiar ritual of feeding and coddling the felines while old records play softly in the background. This bizarre tableau sets the tone for Alphonso’s true nature, which is revealed through his cruel jabs at Alice regarding Karen’s untimely death. He aligns himself with Alice’s Aunt Annie, insinuating that Alice must have had a hand in the murder, and takes pleasure in probing Alice about the mysterious shrine she maintains in the basement of the building, where various trinkets and treasures are stored, including a mask and Karen’s missing doll. Alphonso’s sinister pronouncement that Karen will return from the dead to reclaim her doll sends a chill down Alice’s spine.

As tensions escalate, Alphonso’s inappropriate advances toward Alice prompt her to take drastic action, throttling one of the kittens in a fit of rage, only to strangle it to death with a fierce determination. This act of defiance shatters the fragile atmosphere, sending Alphonso reeling and allowing Alice to make her escape.

Meanwhile, the detectives investigating Karen’s murder delve into Alice’s school records, sparking a heated exchange between Dominic and Detective Brennan (Tom Signorelli) when he is asked about questioning Alice. Dominic’s phone call to Father Tom, a man with whom he shares a deep understanding, serves as a lifeline, allowing him to seek guidance on the matter. As they discuss Alice’s troubled past, which has led to a series of questionable incidents at school, Father Tom warns Dominic that Alice has an uncanny ability to create chaos and make it seem like an accident.

As the darkness closes in around her, Alice retreats to the safety of her shrine, where she tends to her peculiar menagerie, including a jar filled with large cockroaches, which she keeps alive by feeding them. The doll, a haunting reminder of Karen’s life and death, sits atop the altar, as Alice dons her mask, ready to face whatever terrors lie ahead.

As Annie (character name) ventures out of her apartment, a sinister figure in a yellow rain slicker and mask lurks in the shadows. The mysterious assailant, clad in a garb reminiscent of a macabre rain-dwelling creature, creeps up behind Annie and strikes with a kitchen knife, leaving her leg and foot severely wounded as she stumbles down the stairs. Just as the killer prepares to deliver the fatal blow, Annie’s blood-curdling screams summon Mr. Alphonso (character name), who takes one glance at the assailant’s attire and promptly identifies it as none other than Alice. The masked figure flees in terror, leaving Annie battered and helpless on the landing.

As she stumbles out into the torrential rain, Catherine (character name) finds her friend, who is now hysterical and terrified. Dominic and Father Tom happen to arrive at the same moment, piloting Father Tom’s vehicle. With Tom and Catherine rushing Annie to the hospital in a futile attempt to save her wounded legs, Dominic decides to investigate further by entering the apartment building.

In the dimly lit basement, he discovers Alice huddled at her shrine, quivering with fear as she claims to have seen Karen (character name), perpetuating the myth that Alphonso had spread about Karen’s supposed return. Dominic offers words of comfort, echoing Catherine’s sentiments that Alice couldn’t possibly be the killer.

At the hospital, Catherine tries to coax Annie into recanting her story about being attacked by “Alice”, but just as she begins to speak, Detective Spina (character name) arrives on the scene, intent on questioning Annie. The injured woman becomes hysterical once again, insisting that Alice was indeed the one who inflicted the gory wounds upon her.

As the police bring Alice in for further questioning, Detective Cranston (Ted Tinling) subjects her to a lie detector test. Although Alice’s responses are shrouded in mystery, the machine reveals that she genuinely believes Karen is the perpetrator behind Aunt Annie’s attack. When left alone with the device, Alice deliberately knocks it to the floor, betraying her disdain for the questioning process.

Despite the police’s inability to charge Alice with either murder or assault, they remain convinced that she may be responsible for one or both crimes and order a psychological evaluation at the Sara Reed Children’s Hospital. Catherine and Dominic are outraged but try to make the best of the situation.

Together, they visit Alice at the hospital, discussing the case with Dr. Whitman (Louisa Horton), who conducts the examination. The doctor’s assessment seems damning, suggesting that Alice may be suffering from schizophrenia and poses a potential threat. Whitman refuses to release Alice from his care, further solidifying her place within the confines of the institution.

As the quiet intimacy between Catherine (actress) and Dominic unfolded at her apartment, an eerie phone call pierced the air, consisting solely of labored breathing. The translucent mask-adorned caller was revealed to be none other than Annie’s tormentor. The sudden hang-up only fueled Catherine’s anger, as she recalled her vow to sever ties with Annie forever. The weight of their shared tragedies hung heavy in the air, and Dominic and Catherine concurred that Alice couldn’t have been responsible for all the chaos that had unfolded. Dominic posited that perhaps Angela, a young girl struggling with her own demons, was the one who attacked Annie, which would explain why Alice mistook Karen’s petite frame for Angela’s fuller figure, both clad in the same yellow raincoat. However, Catherine astutely pointed out that the physical disparity between the two girls made it unlikely for Alice to confuse them. As they began to surrender to their emotions, the tender moment was brutally interrupted by a call from Dominic’s wife.

Dominic’s return to his hotel room was marked by another jarring phone call, this time from a sobbing Angela, who pleaded with him to help her escape her troubled life. Her desperation was palpable as she implored him to meet her at the abandoned building where Alice had once terrorized Karen. As Dominic arrived at the foreboding location, he spotted the figure in the yellow raincoat and mask lingering in the distance. His curiosity piqued, he followed the enigmatic figure into the building, only to be ambushed with a kitchen knife, which struck him with precision in his shoulder. Still unsure of their attacker’s identity, Dominic pursued her up the stairs, where she surprised him with an onslaught of brutal brick-wielding blows.

As Dominic (unconscious) hangs precariously on the edge of oblivion, Mrs. Tredoni binds him with a cord, then rolls him towards the abyssal precipice. The three-story drop to the unforgiving ground below seems almost inevitable, a cruel fate that mocks his struggling consciousness. As he regains awareness, Dominic’s frantic cries for help are met with an eerie silence, his desolate surroundings refusing to yield any solace. The killer’s mask is discarded, revealing Mrs. Tredoni’s twisted visage beneath, her mad ravings centered on Dominic’s relationship with Catherine - a connection that would expose the dark secret she harbors: Alice’s conception predates their marriage. Enraged by Dominic’s screams, Mrs. Tredoni seizes the crucifix pendant around her neck, the same relic she had previously extracted from Karen’s lifeless body, and attempts to crush his teeth with a brick. Refusing to relinquish his grip on the sacred symbol, Dominic swallows it instead, prompting Mrs. Tredoni’s fury to boil over as she sends him plummeting towards his doom.

In a chilling juxtaposition, Mrs. Tredoni then makes her way to the local church, where a group of innocent children are being instructed in the sacrament of confession by Father Tom. Unbeknownst to the priest, Mrs. Tredoni has already taken up residence within the confessional booth, shedding her Alice costume like a serpent shedding its skin. Assuming a false identity, she feigns guilt over her thoughts regarding the Monsignor’s poor health, confessing to harboring fleeting wishes for his demise - an admission that Father Tom greets with unwarranted reassurances of her goodness and piety. As Mrs. Tredoni exits the confessional, her eyes aglow with a malevolent triumph, she is buoyed by the priest’s effusive praise, which has unwittingly validated her own self-proclaimed benevolence - a twisted validation that would forever taint their relationship.

As the day wears on without a peep from Dominic, Catherine’s concerns escalate and she decides to pay a visit to the rectory, where she hopes to find some answers. She arrives at the doorstep of Mrs. Tredoni, who initially seems reluctant to let her in, but eventually relents, allowing Catherine to wait for Father Tom. The air is thick with tension as Mrs. Tredoni busies herself gutting fish for dinner, while simultaneously brewing a pot of coffee that seems almost an afterthought. As they sit down at the kitchen table, Mrs. Tredoni’s demeanor shifts, and she reveals a painful secret: her own daughter had passed away on her first holy communion, a tragedy that still lingers like an open wound. The atmosphere in the room becomes increasingly heavy as Mrs. Tredoni seizes the knife she’s been using to clean the fish, brandishing it menacingly towards Catherine while unleashing a torrent of venomous invective, labeling her a “whore” for having a child out of wedlock. Just as things seem to be spiraling out of control, Father Tom bursts into the kitchen, bearing the shattering news that Dominic’s body has been found. Catherine’s world is turned upside down as she succumbs to despair and horror.

Meanwhile, Dominic’s murder serves as a wake-up call, effectively clearing Alice’s name from suspicion. This newfound freedom allows Catherine to return home with Alice, where they’re met with an unsettling surprise: the figure in the yellow rain slicker and mask has entered Alphonso’s apartment while he’s sleeping, leaving behind a jar of roaches from Alice’s secret shrine on his chest. As the mask is lifted, revealing Alice herself, Catherine catches her red-handed - or rather, red-masked - but to her surprise, Alice claims she was simply paying a visit to say hello after returning from the hospital. Catherine praises her for being kind to Alphonso and they depart together, bound for mass.

As Detective Spina stands vigilant outside the building, a sense of unease settles over the scene. Meanwhile, Mrs. Tredoni (dressed in a garish yellow rain slicker and mask) slips into the basement, her intentions as sinister as they are unsettling. Her plan, it seems, is to wreak havoc on Catherine’s apartment - but fate has other ideas. The door is locked, foiling her murderous intent, and she’s left knocking futilely on the door, her agitation growing with each passing moment.

Inside, Alphonso’s slumber is disrupted by the scurrying roaches, prompting a blood-curdling scream that echoes through the halls. This sudden commotion alerts both Spina and Mrs. Tredoni to the potential threat, sending her panic-stricken into retreat. But it’s too late; Alphonso has spotted her and, mistaking her for Alice, lunges at her with reckless abandon. In a desperate bid to escape his clutches, Mrs. Tredoni brandishes a kitchen knife, stabbing him repeatedly before fleeing back down the stairs.

Spina arrives on the scene just as Alphonso’s lifeless body slumps against the doorframe, too late to intervene. With Mrs. Tredoni attempting to make her getaway through the basement, Spina bursts through the front door, finally cornering her. In her frantic state, she’s forgotten to don the mask that had once concealed her identity, allowing Spina to quickly identify her.

As the drama unfolds outside, Mrs. Tredoni returns to the church, her yellow slicker a stark reminder of her earlier depravity. With an air of madness in her eyes, she slips into the sanctuary during service, her gaze fixed on Alice and Catherine as they worship innocently nearby. Meanwhile, the police cordon off the perimeter, debating the best course of action to apprehend Mrs. Tredoni without jeopardizing the lives of those around her. Father Tom, ever the voice of reason, counsels caution, recognizing that his adoring parishioner is now perilously close to Alice and her mother. He believes he can still coax her into surrender, leveraging their deep bond to bring about a peaceful resolution.

As the sacred ritual of communion unfolds, a sense of unease settles over the congregation, like an ominous cloud on a stormy horizon. Alice, Catherine, and Mrs. Tredoni approach the altar together, their footsteps heavy with anticipation. But Father Tom’s gaze seems to linger only on Catherine, bestowing upon her the wafer as if by divine right. The other two women are left standing, their faces etched with disappointment and confusion. It is then that the priest’s eyes lock onto Mrs. Tredoni, his voice barely above a whisper as he implores her to accompany the police outside.

Mrs. Tredoni’s countenance darkens like a storm cloud about to unleash its fury. Her outrage boils over into a scathing rebuke, her accusatory finger pointing at Catherine with venomous intent. “You give it to the harlot!” she spits, her voice dripping with malice. The air is electric with tension as Mrs. Tredoni’s hand darts toward the knife hidden beneath her raincoat, its deadly purpose all but forgotten in the chaos that ensues.

Father Tom’s lifeless body slumps forward, his blood pooling on the yellow slicker like a macabre work of art. The congregation erupts into pandemonium as Mrs. Tredoni clings to the priest’s corpse, her mind consumed by a madness that cannot be contained. Amidst the chaos, Alice stands apart, her expression a mask of detachment as if she has witnessed something both mundane and inexplicable.

As order is restored and Mrs. Tredoni is hauled away by the authorities, Alice seizes upon Mrs. Tredoni’s abandoned bag, its contents a mystery waiting to be unraveled. And then, in a moment that sends shivers down the spine, Alice withdraws the knife, her fingers tracing the curve of its blade with an unsettling tenderness. A fleeting smile plays on her lips, hinting at a future where violence becomes her only solace, and the world is reduced to nothing more than a canvas waiting for her brushstrokes of bloodshed.