He Knows You're Alone (1980)

Following a brutal killing, the detective in charge finds that the killer could be an individual he has been pursuing for years that is targeting a group of friends preparing for a wedding and as the rampage puts them in each other's path he has to protect her from the madman.This one here has a couple good parts to it. One of the main things it gets right is that there are a few good stalking scenes in here that really come off as impressive and make it memorable. From the beginning, which is quite creepy and really creative moving from the scenes in the movie to the attack in the theater as well as the admittedly chilling attack in her friends' house where the killer strikes both targets separately using the suspense of the darkened house and individual attacks that build an effective sequence. A later stalking through her house where the killer sneaks in unexpectedly and strikes in leaving this with a really fun sequence where a decapitated head is found inside a fish-tank. There's also the fact that there's a couple of other good scenes in here spread throughout to give it a little extra suspense to it as the idea of him stalking her throughout the city has a nice feel which is portrayed rather nicely by having him pop up when she's not expecting it, and when mixed with the cheesy fun to be had inside the fun-house, which has a couple of actually cheesy and creepy moments while on the ride as the flashes to the solitary face in the darkness get a little unnerving. The other good part of this one is the really impressive finale to this that works wonders. It goes from a well-executed if slightly too short chase sequence into a full-throttle ride through a mortuary that has several impressive features from the non-stop action it delivers to the really creepy and cavernous location where it takes place. It's fun, exciting and has a lot of different ideas to use, making its purpose really enjoyable. These here provide the film's good moments as this one here doesn't have a whole lot of flaws, but there are a few in here. One of the issues is the really disjointed plotting in this one. The film is really all over the place with where it's heading, and it manages to make the film feel really slow and disorganized with the ways that it manages to throw off the main story with a lot of different, meandering subplots that serve as nothing but eat up time, making this one far longer than it should be. From the walk through the park to the focus on the friend's family and all the time dealing with the wedding really makes the film a lot longer than it really should. There's also the fact that it doesn't feel all to original or creative, and feels like a rip-off, despite being around from the beginning. It's got all the tired clichés, and while it may have rather started them, it still comes off as feeling like a follower rather than what it really is. These here are the film's flaws.Rated R: Violence, Nudity and Language.

I only watched this to see Tom Hanks' first appearance on screen (he's only in the movie for about 5 minutes) and ended up transfixed by the whole thing. He Knows You're Alone is obviously a low-budget cheapie made strictly to cash in on the runaway success of John Carpenter's Halloween (check out that nearly identical theme music), but it has enough merits on its own to make it worthy of a watch or two.First of all, as cheap and gritty as film as it is, He Knows You're Alone has this strange aura of class about it. It might not have the sheen of studio money or big stars, but it's a restrained affair with little blood and gore. That's probably way it's not rated higher with your average 80's slasher fan.What the film does have is real suspense. There were a few scenes in this where I was genuinely biting my nails and I rarely do that. It helps that the cast and characters seem to be a nice, amiable bunch. Caitlin O'Heaney and Don Scardino are especially cute as the "will they or won't they" couple you can't help but root for. You want them to be safe and stay away from dark houses and creepy corners where danger might lurk. I know I certainly can't say that about most modern horror films I see. Typically, I can't wait for them to get offed, because that means the movie will be over soon. I liked the character in this, though. I'd spend an entire movie just following their day to day lives (if such a film existed).If you're looking for thrills, you can do a whole lot worse than He Knows You're Alone. I found the whole thing pleasantly surprising, suspenseful, and fun.

He Knows Your Alone is an early 80s slasher film that borrows heavily from Halloween and Friday the 13th. While watching the movie i wasn't really entertained, it was just something I sat down and watched for an hour and a half and that's it.The Music however is done very well and is extremely effective, and the suspense that is created isn't bad either There are six kills is this movie and none of them really stand out. there's no gore, blood or nudity either.If you're looking for a different slasher movie to watch, go ahead and watch this, its decent enough for one watch.

A trash slasher from the genre's glory days with neither a recognizable purpose nor a firm grasp of what makes a good screamer tick. With something like 75% of its duration dedicated to pointless errands, unnecessary supporting characters and a drab, one-way relationship drama, this is quite easily the least suspenseful thriller I've ever been unlucky enough to sit through. Even the kills are yawners, perpetrated by a hopelessly wacky, unexplained knifeman without a motive or even a loose pattern. He'll creep out from behind a curtain for a big scare, then stand around in confusion as his prey rushes past to a waiting doorway. At one point he desperately tries to nail down a quarry by furiously stabbing the windshield of their car. It's a total mess; before long it's useless even as fodder for a good riffing or unintentional comedy. A very young Tom Hanks stumbles in for a throwaway role late in the action, but moments later he stumbles right back out, never to be seen again. Complete waste of time.