In Springfield, Dr. Leo Bain (Donald Pleasence) runs an experimental mental institution where the inmates have a relative freedom inside. When his Dr. Harry Merton moves to Philadelphia to another hospital, Dr. Dan Potter (Dwight Schultz) is invited by Dr. Bain to be the substituted for Dr. Merton. He moves with his wife Nell Potter (Deborah Hedwall) and daughter Lyla Potter (Elizabeth Ward) to an isolated old house and begins to work in the institution. Soon he learns that on the third floor, live the dangerous inmates Frank Hawkes (Jack Palance), who was a former military that has become paranoid after being POW; the arson Byron 'Preacher' Sutcliff (Martin Landau); the fat pedophile Ronald 'Fatty' Elster (Erland van Lidth); and the shy serial-killer John "the Bleeder" Skaggs (Phillip Clark), who never shows his face and bleeds when he kills. The calm inmate Ray Curtis (Brent Jennings) supervises the quartet on the floor, and warns Dr. Potter that they believe he killed Dr. Merton and they want to kill him. Dr. Potter welcomes his sister Toni Potter (Lee Taylor-Allan), who had a nervous breakdown, to spend a week with his family and him. When there is a blackout in the town, Frank, Byron, Fatty and Bleeder escape from the facility. They find the town being looted by the residents, and they rob weapons and clothes from a department store. When they leave the store, Bleeder kills the driver of a van and flees by foot. The other three inmates drive the van to escape from the havoc. Tony convinces Nell to go to a protest against the nuclear power plant in Springfield, and they are arrested. They befriend Tom Smith in the cell and he lets Nell call her husband to ask the babysitter Bunky (Carol Levy) to go to her house. When they are released, they learn that Fatty was in the house and played with Lyla and Dr. Potter summoned the police. Tony invites Tom to have dinner with the family and Dr. Potter invites also Detective Burnett (Gordon Watkins) to have dinner with them. But soon they hear strange noises around the house and they have a night of panic.
"Alone in the Dark" is a slasher with great story and cast with the names of Jack Palance, Martin Landau and Donald Pleasance among others. The tense atmosphere increases the tension along the last third part of the story. Dr. Leo Bain, performed by Donald Pleasance, is a funny character, under influence of his pipe of drugs most of the time. The twist in the end may be predictable by some, but not all the viewers. In general, "Alone in the Dark" has no great flaw, and the story is consistent and reasonably believable. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Noite de Pânico" ("Night of Panic")
"Alone in the Dark" is a slasher with great story and cast with the names of Jack Palance, Martin Landau and Donald Pleasance among others. The tense atmosphere increases the tension along the last third part of the story. Dr. Leo Bain, performed by Donald Pleasance, is a funny character, under influence of his pipe of drugs most of the time. The twist in the end may be predictable by some, but not all the viewers. In general, "Alone in the Dark" has no great flaw, and the story is consistent and reasonably believable. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Noite de Pânico" ("Night of Panic")