Alice, Sweet Alice (1976) with Brooke Shields

A great weird movie - almost like John Waters directed a giallo. Evidently the actress who played 12-year old Alice was actually in her 20s at the time.

Genius horror flick in the Hitchcockian tradition. Very off-kilter though. This scene is extremely memorable.

Arrow Films recently announced they're finally putting this on Blu-ray in the U.S. at the end of the summer. I'll be happy to finally have an HD version and retire the DVD I've had for years and years.

Brooke Shields's screen debut--AND they recycled it under different titles to capitalize on her fame after Pretty Baby and the Blue Lagoon, which is kind of sleazy because she's only in the first 20 minutes of it before getting strangled and set on fire in a church.

"BUT YOU GIVE IT TO THAT WHORE!!!"

Fun fact: Linda Miller, who played the girls' mother, was married to Jason Miller, who played Father Karras in another Catholic-themed horror: "The Exorcist."

The audio commentary with the director on the DVD is fascinating. He talks about everything from the guy who played Alphonso (the obese pedo) being a bouncer at a gay bar, to Linda Miller attempting suicide during the production. R1 is right, the girl who played 12-year-old Alice was actually 19 or 20 at the time. She was also in the unforgettably insane "Liquid Sky," (she had the "Me and My Rhythm Box" number) but those are her only two film credits. I wonder what happened to her?

MOTHER, she's RUINING my veil! Make her take it off!

The book was better, the movie took too many liberalities

Isn't the book a movie tie-in, R9? The screenplay came first.

This flick is horrifying—Brooke Shields getting strangled to death in the church at her communion? It's absolutely macabre. A haunting score and some great acting too, along with a heaping helping of camp from the actress who played the aunt. Arrow is putting it out on Blu-ray in the U.S. next week. I have my copy pre-ordered. I've clung to the DVD edition of this for years.

R7 I too love Paula E. Sheppard in both Alice Sweet Alice and Liquid Sky. Its a shame her acting career didn't take off. Apparently, she is a rather nice prime and proper lady and I understand works now as a nurse. She was mortified by the dialogue she had to speak in Liquid Sky but like a trooper she committed to the role and gave an unforgettable performance.

She was diabolical in both roles and those characters are a complete 180 degree turn to what she is in real life.

"It never eats, it never sleeps, it never shits - me and my rhythm box"

Everyone should check these two masterworks out.

That GIF scares the crap out of me.

Agreed, R12. She was great in Liquid Sky as well. Two very distinct, very dark roles. It's unfortunate that she didn't have a long career; she was cast in Alice, Sweet Alice when she was 19, and was playing a 12 year old. She oddly enough looked it, for the most part. I've read from various sources that she has lived in Seattle for many, many years, and as you said, pursued a career as a nurse.

Let's not forget the obese pedo character who Alice waylays by nearly killing his kitten.