Starring - Kathleen Beller (The Sword and the Sorcerer, The Godfather Part II), Blythe Danner (Paul, The X-Files), and Tony Bill (Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Barb Wire)
Release Date - 1978
Genre - Horror/Drama
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)
Rating (out of 5):
A lot of the made for television movies from the 70s and 80s get a bad rep from genre fans but there has been so many films from that time that were very entertaining. I'm one of the biggest champions of sleazy movies but there is something fun about a horror or thriller that was made for cable. Even though they lacked nudity and gore they still find a way to entertain. When Vinegar Syndrome announced volume 1 of their Televised Terrors box set I knew I was adding it to my collection. The three films in the set were new to me and I couldn't wait to dig into them. The first one on the chopping block was 1978's Are You in the House Alone?
The film follows a young high school student who begins to receive mysterious notes on her locker. At first she suspects a former boyfriend but as the notes grow she suspects it was someone else. Her suspicions ring true when her a friend of hers makes his way into her house and rapes her. Forced with being ostracized for telling the truth or catching him red handed she sets out to capture pictures of him harassing other women.
A lot of movies piggy back off other films and sometimes they are able to do it successfully. Are You in the House Alone aired in 1978 and one year later the classic When a Stranger Calls was released. Both films have similar stories but it's easy to see that When a Stranger Calls took one aspect of the film and turned it into every parent's nightmare while AYitHA gives the viewer a dark look into the horrors that almost every teenage girl has experienced to some degree especially during this timeframe. It's a great film and one that pulls on your emotions. As a father of two little girls I found myself very unnerved by this one. The acting in this one is great. Beller is a fantastic lead and does an amazing job. She carries emotions very well in the scenes and makes the story so heartbreaking. I really enjoyed her performance and I don't think the film would be nearly as intense if someone else was cast in the role. The supporting cast does a decent enough job but the performance that really caught me off guard was from a very young Dennis Quaid who portrays a spoiled rich kid that uses his family's position in society to get away with incredibly vile acts. I did not see that coming and he did a phenomenal job. The story for this one keeps the viewer guessing as the story progresses. We begin the film knowing she is raped but we go back to a time before it happens where the film sets up several red herrings to throw the viewer off. It works for the most part and is a lot of fun guessing who the scumbag really is. With that being said, the red herrings and dead ends do get a little dull as the film progresses. Something new needed introduced to keep the viewers on their toes. Finally, don't expect to see any blood with this one. It's character and story driven with no blood or gore for the hardcore horror fans. Overall, Are You in the House Alone? is a fun one if you give it a chance. It's not the type of horror most of us would go out of the way for but it's entertaining if you are open for it. I highly recommend it.
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