There is a killer on
the loose who murders only young brides. Our main character Amy
(Caitlin O’Heaney) is probably, maybe, no really, going to get
married in a week, but while her meat-head fiance is out of town her
nice, mortician ex-boyfriend keeps popping by to get her to change
her mind. Also popping in and out of her day is the killer, although
she doesn’t know that is his intention, yet.
Len Gamble, a cop
who was going to marry one of the killer’s earliest victims, is hot
on the trail of the killer, just one step behind him. He has vowed
to get the man responsible for the killings and his job depends on
it. But as the killer closes in on his next victim we have to ask -
will he make it in time to save Amy?
This killer is TERRIFYING. He brutalizes flailing, struggling girls as they desperately try to get away. He pops up out of nowhere, looking like a creep with those maniac eyes (or read “Terror Eyes” for us 80's horror geeks!) Sometimes you see him coming up from behind, sometimes you have forgotten about him altogether, lulled into complacency by the fun-loving, innocent characters. He is scary as shit, definitely this scary…
Tom Hanks plays his
first feature role in this gem and is very much his funny and
charismatic self. The movie is full of famous faces, including Paul
Gleason (THE BREAKFAST CLUB), James Rebhorn (Stephen King’s CAT’S
EYE), Dana Barron (NATIONAL LAMPOON’S VACATION), and Don Scardino
(30 ROCK and TONS of TV directing). Director Armand Mastrioanni has
directed countless TV shows and movies, and I must admit I recognized
his name from a few classic Lifetime movies (embarassing but true).
The killer in HE
KNOWS YOU’RE ALONE is portrayed with a secrecy that leads the
audience to think he may be real, or he may be a figment of Amy’s
imagination. Tom Hanks’ character has his own theory, being a
first-year psychology major he’s got it pegged as a sexual fear and
gives us a good laugh in the way that made him famous not long after
this. But it becomes clear as the movie progresses that jump scares,
fearfulness, and the stalking killer appear whenever Amy is having
doubts about her wedding. Otherwise, Amy and her friends are giddy
all-American girls living life in its prime, and only doubt ruins
what is otherwise perfection.And how about funny slasher movies? They are the best kind. When a movie makes you laugh, scream, and grossed out all in one, that covers all the bases for me. The characters in this film are all goofy and charming and remind us of the excitement of being free for the first time. They make you feel at ease, happy and content with the way things are at this very moment, which makes the shattering of that joy even more shocking. If you wanted a feel-good movie from the Hallmark channel, you could take a good chunk of this movie, change the ending, and you’d have it. But since we tend more towards the spooky, gory, and creepy here at Out There Movies, this takes things to the next level.
One of the coolest
scenes in the movie is in Amy’s house, when Nancy is there alone.
The song they play has a perfect 80s cheese-factor, but when she
plugs the headphones in and you hear the song through the headphones
on the floor, the sound effect is so cool. It sums up the movie
perfectly – take shower, smoke a joint and drink wine to music, and
then…………….
Are there any
downsides to this movie? I don’t think so, I highly recommend it.
It is warm and fuzzy when it wants to be, then dark and deep just
when you think you’ve had enough. You can enjoy it for the
slasher, stalker movie it is, or you can get to really thinking about
its message, which I’ve done time and time again watching this
great movie. That, and wanting to be an 18 year old girl in the late
70s because it looks like such a blast, as long as there aren’t any
killers around.
Check out this movie and more teenagers getting chased by killers on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/outtheremovies
