He Knows You're Alone
The film begins with the clichéd situation in which a boy and girl are making out in a car parked in the middle of nowhere. When the girl hears something and becomes uneasy, the hot-and-bothered (naturally) boyfriend goes outside to investigate. Locking the doors and waiting for her boyfriend obviously doesn't help this girl, so she goes out to see what's what. Of course, and what is basically now an urban legend (also used to effect in Urban Legend), the girl finds her boyfriend hung above the car's hood. Screaming, the girl freaks out and we're shown the killer, whose disguise is simply a stocking over the head.
Not so fast now, though... The movie is actually being watched in a theater, and then we're shown two female friends, one obviously comfortable enough while the other is very tense and scared by the horror flick being viewed, resulting in leaving her seat to go to the restroom. While in the restroom, it's hinted at that the woman is engaged as she gazes momentarily at her ring and then walks into a stall nearby. Soon, she hears something just like the girl in the movie and becomes very frightened, looking through a slat in the door to see who's there. Sensing no presence, the woman finally decides to exit the bathroom and return to the theater.
Her enthusiastic friend makes a bad mistake by telling the woman that "You got back just in time. I think she's about to get it," referring to the movie on the screen. This makes the woman even more creeped out as it is and, unknowingly to her, a man sneaks up and takes a seat behind her. A closeup of the killer's nervous, demented eyes are shown as he waits until the onscreen murder occurs and he strikes, thrusting the knife through the back of the seat and into the woman's back. Just thinking her friend can't handle the movie anymore, the woman comforts her friend who's slumped over her side. As the friend brings her hand away, she discovers blood on her hand, resulting in a bloodcurdling scream.
Cue the Halloween-ish theme music as the killer takes a bus ride away and we're shown a revealing flashback where the man named Roy (Tom Rolfing) murders his unfaithful girlfriend who's just about to be wed to another man. Of course, this is the cause to the man's insanity and his deadly plan to seek out and kill all brides-to-be in the small town of Westfield.
We are then introduced to the lovely, engaged Amy Jensen (Caitlin O'Heanley) and the events that occur throughout the day: departing with her fiancé for his bachelor party, going to ballet lessons with her friends Joyce (Patsy Pease) and Nancy (Elizabeth Kemp), who make her doubt her wedding decisions (kind of late, don't you think?), and visits from her practical joker and morgue worker ex-boyfriend Marvin (Don Scardino), the reason for her doubting marriage to her fiancé. But don't forget the highlight of the day and days to come: Amy feeling like someone is watching her when the bride-killer is actually after her!
Friends shrugging her uneasiness off as pre-marriage jitters, Amy is still reluctant to what is really going on, looking over her shoulder everywhere she goes. I mean, this girl can't even go get an ice cream cone without this bafoone stalking her! The killer also makes a deed to knock off the bride-to-be's friends as well, pitting the victims in some very tense situations, such as one character being just inches away from the killer while near a window.
Soon, Amy discovers her dead friends one, late night and the killer merges from the darkness (very similar to a particular scene in Halloween), making her flee her house in panicked fright. The killer manages to catch up with Amy as she runs throughout the morgue where Marvin works. Will this man be stopped for good, or will getting married always be a bad plan?
Another '80s slasher which "borrows" a lot from Halloween, but this time results in a not-so-bad time for movie viewers. Of course, you'll spot the deliberate, copied scenes and situations, but you'll have a good time if you give it a chance. The killer's choice of getting brides-to-be and their friends is a pretty good idea and gives way to some sort of originality.
Mostly noted for famed actor Tom Hanks's film debut, this is also a good, little slasher film on its own. Urban Legend and Scream 2 might've borrowed a little from this one, including the hanging boyfriend scene (Urban Legend - but still just the idea of an urban legend) and the death scene in the theater (Scream 2). The killer isn't really effective and his motive and identity is known all the way throughout the movie.
Directed by Armand Mastroianni and shot on Staten Island, despite the many similarities to Halloween and clichés thrown about, He Knows You're Alone is one that I still watch every now and then for entertainment and unintended laughs. So, if you're a fan of the '80s horror scene and missed this one, check it out today and have fun with it. Also known as Blood Wedding.
