Terror in the Aisles (1984)

TERROR IN THE AISLES is essentially a compilation of lots (and lots) of scare (not gore) scenes from a wide variety of films, not just horror but science fiction and thrillers too. All decades are covered, from the '30s to the '80s. Unfortunately most of the clips are from popular films like HALLOWEEN, THE SHINING, and THE EXORCIST, which, while justifiable, isn't too interesting for the horror fan who has probably seen these clips, and films, a million times beforehand anyway.I would have preferred to see clips from rarer, perhaps tackier films, which would have been a lot more fun and interesting. Saying that, there are a couple of clips from films like THE THING WITH TWO HEADS and ALLIGATOR, which make me really want to see these films. Donald Pleasence is on hand to comment on what makes people scared, and he's pretty good value as he gets excited and supposedly frightened about the clips that are showing, and his tongue is firmly in cheek (so you don't really take any of what he is saying seriously, although it sounds good). Nancy Allen also gives commentary, but appears relatively briefly, with most screen time being given to Donald (which is no bad thing). The film was released theatrically, so it must have been an experience to watch a film set in a cinema while actually in a cinema, which isn't something that happens every day (unless you're an obsessive DEMONS fan who owns your own movie theatre).TERROR IN THE AISLES is fun and passes the time quickly, showing you the best scares from a whole slew of different films, and so it makes a pleasant change from standard viewing. The only problem is that a huge amount of films are spoiled, so be warned in advance. The films included are as follows: Halloween, Jaws, Poltergeist, Carrie, Scanners, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist, The Omen, The Shining, An American Werewolf in London, Friday the 13th, Friday the 13th Part 2, Night of the Living Dead, Alien, Psycho, The Wolf-Man, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Birds, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Halloween 2, The Fog, The Thing, Videodrome, Cat People, Frankenstein, Dracula, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Howling, The Fly, Konga, Alligator, The Eyes of Laura Mars, Midnight Express, Nightwing, When a Stranger Calls, Dawn of the Dead, The Seduction, Vice Squad, The Silent Partner, Ms. 45, The Brood, Saturday the 14th, Alone in the Dark, Dressed to Kill, Food of the Gods, Frogs, The Thing With Two Heads, Sisters, Bug, To Catch a Thief, Marathon Man, Scared Stiff, Alfred Hitchcock: Men Who Made the Movies, The Fury, The Phantom of the Paradise, Suspiria, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Hold That Ghost, Jaws 2, Play Misty For Me, Klute, Strangers on a Train, Wait Until Dark.

If you've seen the films, no need to see this.If you haven't seen the films, this will hardly inspire you.Donald Pleasance and Nancy Allen narrate a documentary on fear using classic horror movie clips as a backing. Decent idea, it just DIDN'T WORK.Hearing Pleasance cheer Jamie Lee Curtis on during the Halloween clips was kind of funny though.They also showed a handful of horror comedies from years gone by. Abbot & Costello and Martin & Lewis made cameos.And I never saw Vice Squad or Nighthawks as horror films. I did like the scenes though. And the movies were good too. They aren't horror however.And Frogs made me laugh.I saw this in a theater in New Jersey in 1984 and had a good time. I saw it on video in 2005 and noticed it hasn't aged well.Dated badly, but it might still be a curiosity piece.

Rather pointless but also quite entertaining compilation of clips from famous (pre-1984) horror films. Many of the complaints that others have expressed about this film are valid (unnecessary "narration", too much footage from "Halloween II", some odd selections of sources - what are "To Catch A Thief" and "Midnight Express" doing here?), but I still believe most horror buffs will find enough to enjoy here - you may even feel a chill running down your spine during some of the scenes. (**1/2)

Too bad more horror films can't be like this. Just an all out assault of blood every 60 seconds or so. But even as plotless as terror films get critisized for, they still have to put in some moments of pause. Here they have an excuse for one moment of splatter after another, as this showcases clips from a number of the best horror movies over the last 40 years or so up until the present time of this film, 1984. From harmless black and white stuff, to the high tech bloodbaths of the 80s, this covers a lot of ground. Of course, there's too many films to mention, so I'll just say what I most dis-liked about the film. WAAAAYYY too much time spent on "Halloween" and "The Exorcist", only one or two clips of a "Friday the 13th" movie, and only from part 2! And though a lot of the footage isn't from "terror" films but from suspense movies, they did make some good choices. I detested "Nighthawks", a Stallone action film from 1981, but they chose only the two or three best scenes from it, so I went for it. And also a lousy movie called "Vice Squad" had only the real good moments showcased. As far as the narration from Pleasance and Allen, it was decent enough, and you get a few chuckles from the phony audience watching the films with them. And it was funny how a movie like "When a Stranger Calls", which only had 10 good minutes, can have those 10 minutes featured here and make it look like a classic! This film BEGS for a sequel all these years later, as there would be PLENTY of ground to cover in the 16 years since this film was released. So, if you're into non-stop scares and splatters, this should be right up your alley.