Rating: 
Summary: Anemic Eighties Slasher Film...
Review: In the wake of the runaway success of early american slasher films like Halloween and Friday The 13th, the box office found itself flooded with an endless series of predictable and dull films that culminated in the genre's demise in the early nineties with the Wes Craven send-up, Scream.
Some of the eighties slasher films were actually quite good(My Bloody Valentine, The Prowler)-others like He Knows You're Alone were just uninspired rip-offs.
The plot here is quite simple: An irate boyfriend is dumped by his lover and turns up on her wedding day to stab her to death. The victim's bereaved groom, who also happens to be a cop, embarks on a quest to stop the brutal killer before he can kill again. The wild eyed psycho targets a prospective bride and her friends as potential victims. Before the end credits roll, most of the cast will have met gruesome deaths courtesy of our jilted, bitter serial killer.
The good: The opening sequence which takes place in a darkened movie theater during the screening of a horror film is pretty effective, ditto the climax of the film which features the movie's heroine pursued by the silent but violent killer through a morgue.
The oft mentioned Tom Hanks cameo is pretty cool too, though it seems at times that Hanks' is attempting to restrain laughter at the lame nature of his material. Nonetheless, Hanks' charisma and star power shines through in his brief moments on screen.
The bad: Essentially, from the cinematography to the incidental music, it is evident that the director was trying to recreate John Carpenter's masterful, Halloween. It is painfully obvious that many scenes were not only inspired by Halloween, but damn near replicated.
Furthermore, the plain faced killer who makes no attempt to conceal his identity is just not threatening, looking somewhat like the geeky guy in your gym class who was always getting caught sneaking a peek into the girls' locker room. Clearly, this poor excuse for a killer is no match for the hockey masked Jason Voorhees of Friday the 13th or the psychopathic miner of My Bloody Valentine.
The worst part of this film is the actors, the girls in particular look sorely miscast as college students, they look about thirty five years old!! None are particularly attractive either and their characters are so annoying I actually found myself cheering for the anonymous killer. The mousey final girl, Amy, is the worst of the bunch turning in a totally wooden performance, no Jamie Lee Curtis or Marilyn Burns here that's for sure.
The most disapointing aspect for horror fans will be the complete absence of gore and credible special effects. In the film's ninety minute plus running time nary a drop of blood is spilled, combined with minimal suspense you have a surefire cure for insomnia. The murder scenes are also confined to boring, unimaginative stabbings. Everyone knows that these scenes are key to this type of movie and here they just don't measure up. The requisite slasher flick T&A is also restricted to a brief shower scene.
The DVD really does have quite a lot going for it for fans of this film-a superb, clean audio and video presentation,
theatrical trailer and best of all, a director's commentary track. A director's commentary for an obscure and unremarkable film like this is truly a rarity, even the recent 'Ultimate Friday The 13th' box set does NOT feature a commentary for each film.
In closing, slasher fans deserve much better than this and with the wealth of slasher films out there they should not have much trouble finding it.
Rating:
Summary: standard-issue slasher film
Review: "He Knows You're Alone" is one of the ten billion nondescript slasher films released without much interest in the 1980s. It sets up a simple plot (psycho killer murders brides-to-be), tosses in a few stock characters, and lets loose with the standard genre conventions (people wandering off by themselves, the 'dead' killer rising up for another round, etc.). The film's key strength is Tom Rolfing's genuinely chilling portrayal of the mute, unhinged maniac. Unfortunately, you have to put up with a lot of lame padding to make it to his key scenes (many of which rip off John Carpenter's "Halloween," but at least do it well).Other than that, fans of pop culture will enjoy picking out several actors who appeared in this movie before achieving 'real fame': Paul Gleason ("The Breakfast Club," "Die Hard") as a standard-issue cop; James Rebhorn ("The Game," "The Talented Mr. Ripley") as an adulterous college professor, and yes, Tom Hanks as a cocky psychology student.
Rating: 
Summary: The pre-wedding jitters, compounded by a case of ...MURDER
Review: Every girl is frightened the night before her wedding, but this time...there's good reason! That's the fairly tame tagline for He Knows You're Alone (1980) aka Blood Wedding, a fairly generic post Halloween (1978) slasher film that most notable probably because it was the first film Tom Hanks ever appeared in...
Directed by Armand Mastroianni, who went on to direct mainly episodes of television series like Friday the 13th: The Series and War of the Worlds: The Second invasion, the film stars Caitlan O'Heaney, whom I most remember from the early 80's TV show Tales of the Gold Monkey. Also appearing are Don Scardino (Squirm), James Rebhorn (Meet the Parents, Independence Day), Paul Gleason (Trading Places, The Breakfast Club, Die Hard), and, of course, Tom Hanks in a minor bit parts encompassing all of about 5 minutes of screen time.
Okay, so here's the basic plot...Amy (O'Heaney) is about to be married. Along with the usual problems, dress fittings, flower arrangements, etc., she's been noticing a mysterious figure everywhere she goes. Turns out a killer is on the loose, and he seems to have a thing for brides to be...also, it seems the killer is somewhat known by the local police, as he's struck before, but had stopped for awhile, confounding the efforts of law enforcement to capture him...but now has returned and is up to his old ways again. One detective in particular has a personal interest in seeing the serial killer stopped. Anyway, Amy continues to be stalked, yet those around here think her sightings are due to nervousness of her impending nuptials, and don't take her seriously. The killer not only stalks Amy, but begins finding victims in Amy's friends and those associated with the wedding in general (pity the poor tailor...). Will Amy be able convince not only herself, but also her friends (the ones that are left) and the police of the existence of this mysterious killer before it's too late? I hope so, because the reception hall isn't keen on returning the deposit...
The first thing I noticed in He Know You're Alone is how much the musical score apes that of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells, used so effectively in The Exorcist. Often lesser films, especially within the horror genre, borrow from better films, but this just seemed a little too blatant for my tastes. The characters are a bit hollow and lifeless, lacking any real chemistry, and don't do enough to really endear themselves to the audience which is pretty important as ideally you should be concerned for their welfare thus increasing the tension when danger is near. I never really connected with any of the characters, so I cared little if they found themselves victims of the killer. Also, the motivation of the killer never seemed clear (well, at least until the end, and even then, it was pretty translucent). The whole idea of him killing women soon to be wed fell apart, as we soon saw this wasn't really the case, as victims were pretty much random. There was no mystery (other than his motivations) to the killer as we saw his face often, and he didn't really present a formidable or fearsome nature (he looked like he got a lot of sun on his face while wearing large sunglasses, giving the effect of a rather large raccoon). Even his methods of killing were rather bland, more or less stabbing his victims with knives. There was a decapitation (not shown), which resulted in a horribly pathetic fake looking head in an odd place (I won't say where, as that would give too much away). Also, there is little to no blood anywhere throughout the film (maybe it wasn't in the budget). I don't really see how you can have a slasher film with no blood, unless they decided to `buck the trend', and try and focus the audience's attention on the suspense rather than the gore. Fans of the genre like their blood, and will probably be disappointed. There were a few tense and suspenseful moments, but so much of what was going to happen seemed entirely obvious that I found myself often guessing (correctly) how various particular scenes were going to end. Another thing, I found it quite annoying how easily the killer gained access to many places undetected, almost as if he were able to `will' himself inside. There are a few original moments within the film, but even those are kind of spoiled in that often they are dragged before the audience too long, as if to say "look at this", effectively draining the subtlety and spoiling the intended effect. As mentioned by another reviewer, correctly, in my opinion, this whole film seems to be a paper-thin copy of Halloween, without any of the elements that made that film so good and fun to watch. As I said before, the ending seemed a bit transparent, but provides a nice wrap around, and the reward was just to little, too late. Basically what you have here is a mediocre film borrowing a bit too much from a better film, packing little punch (and blood). I kind of see this film as being a primer for someone who hasn't experienced many horror films, especially those within the slasher genre. Kinda like training wheels on a bicycle...try it out, see if you like it, and then move on to more advanced material. If you're already there, then you might find a passing interest, but don't expect too much.
The wide screen picture on this DVD looks excellent (to my surprise), and the audio comes through pretty clear. Special features include a theatrical trailer, and a commentary track by the director Armand Mastroianni and screenwriter Scott Parker. All in all, not a bad film, certainly serviceable, and retaining novelty value given it's Tom Hanks first screen appearance, but I would recommend Black Christmas (1974) for someone looking for a underrated and not often seen gem in the genre.
Cookieman108
Rating: 
Summary: Best of the Halloween imitators and Tom Hanks's first film!!
Review: He Knows You're Alone is the best of the Halloween imitators and is Tom Hanks's first film. It was originally released in 1980, during a time when there were new horror films being released nearly every week. The film concerns a psychotic, jilted bridegroom who stalks and kills brides-to-be, their bridesmaids and anyone else connected with their weddings. It was obviously a low-budget effort, but benefits from tight direction, a good script and a likeable heroine, Caitlin O'Heaney as Amy and a good supporting cast, including Tom Hanks, in a minor role, making his film debut. Director Armand Mastroianni is a cousin of the actor Marcello Mastroianni. The most memorable thing about the film is the previously mentioned psychotic killer. He doesn't speak a word thoughout the film, but his presence is always conveyed in the most chilling and suspenseful ways. There are some truly terrifying moments. There are also some very clever film-within-a-film scenes. This is one DVD release that I will definitely be acquiring ASAP and I can heartily recommend it to anyone else.
Rating: 
Summary: Memories or Movie?
Review: I can't really say for sure if I like this movie for the memories it brings back, or if I just like the movie, probably both. I think this movie has a lot in comman with Halloween, in a good way. First off, it has some great jolts in it, the first one of which I thought was really smart because if you had seen this movie in a theater as I did as a kid, you wouldn't have leaned back in your chair the whole movie. Also the use of a popular 70s campfire ghost story (highschool boys ring tapping on the window of the car) was a nice touch as well. The other thing it has in comman with Halloween is how straight up 70s the people in the film are and how you almost know them all at first introduction. You really get to know the people in the film (before they are stabbed to death :-) which is something the new films don't even try anymore. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because I think the killing scenes could have used a bit more gore. If you are a fan of the 70s give this one a shot. It'll take you back with a bit of a fright along the way.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: I loved this movie as a child and the was excited that the DVD version was released. The movie is a pretty decent movie for the budget it was probably made on. I know when I first saw it I could not go to the movie theaters unless I sat in the very back row against a wall. The movie has a few scares, but is still very predictable at the end. I would recommend it if you are a true horror fan.
Rating:
Summary: Great 80's Horror Fave
Review: I'll admit this movie obviously rode on the coat tails of Halloween plot wise,etc.
However, if you are a horror fanatic this will deliver the goods & have you hugging your knees on the sofa late at night.
There are plenty of jolts in this one.
I am sure Tom Hanks keeps this one buried with his Bosom Buddies Bra's. Ha-ha
I hope this one will start a trend of some more treasured 80's horror flicks finally seeing the light of day on DVD. I hate spoilers in these reviews, so i will just say that "in a nutshell" the premise revolves around brides to be being stalked by a homicidal nutjob. I guarantee the opening & closing scenes will get your pulse going. Have fun!!
Rating:
Summary: Some shivers, but mostly stock shock
Review: One of the many slasher films that attempted to ride on the coattails of "Halloween", "He Knows You're Alone" attempts to scare us with this tale of a terrified bride. The special effects are a bit hokey, especially since they're now so dated, and the film makes use of the worst groaner tricks - dark houses (excuse me; the first thing most frightened people do is turn on the lights in the room!), missing knives on the wall, the works. A decent popcorn movie, but if you really want to get frightened, re-view "Halloween" or "When a Stranger Calls" instead.
Rating:
Summary: Brides be gone
Review: The movie is about a killer that likes to kill brides. One bride Amy, played by Caitlin O'Heaney, fiancée decides to go on vacation with his buddies, leaving her at the mercy of the psychotic killer who likes to use a big knife. She feels she is being stalked, the killer shows up in mirrors, across the street, and at the carnival. At this point she welcomes the company of her ex-boyfriend Marvin, played by Don Scardino, and her girlfriends. Through out the movie her girl friends start turning up dead one by one along with anyone else that gets in the way.
This is Tom Hanks first movie.
If you like the slasher movies of the 80's then you will like He Knows Your Alone, 1980. It is suspenseful and scary at times. There is the severed head in the aquarium, the scene in the bridal shop, and the chase scene towards the end.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad Halloween Clone
Review: This film was released by MGM in 1980 as an attempt to capsize the success of John Carpenter's Halloween and it didn't do to bad during it's release because this film does have some good shocks. Armand Masterolini (Perfect Target, Cameron's Closet) is in his directing debuet here, and it centers around a killer who stalks brides. He picks out one named Amy Jensen and starts killing her friends, when she thinks she is being stalked, she gets help from her funny ex boyfriend and a cop who's wife was killed by the stalker three years before. He Knows You're Alone isn't bad at all, it's got an all star cast including Don Scardino and Tom Rolfing (both from Days of Our Lives), Caitleen O'Heaney (Tale of the Gold Monkey), James Rebhorn (Independance Day), and early role for Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan), Paul Gleason (Breakfast Club), Russell Todd (Friday the 13th Part 2, Chopping Mall), Lewis Arlt (TV's Law and Order) and Dana Barron (National Lampoon's Vacation). Just to point out a trivia scene, the beginning of this film is reference to a similar scene at the beginning of Scream 2.
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