Terror in the Aisles

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Jacob B Less of a documentary and more of a "greatest hits" collection of horror and thriller films (you know, I can understand the Hitchcock films being here but Midnight Express? I mean, there're some disturbing moments but I don't think it belongs here) over the past 2 decades, Terror in the Aisles does succeed in persuading people to check out some other films they might not have heard of but anybody expecting something genuinely informative on the genre's evolution from the '60s-1984 is barking up the wrong tree (oh, that reminds me, no Evil Dead 1 in this glorified clip show? For shame). At least Donald Pleasance and Nancy Allen are charismatic as the hosts. Could do with less of those melodramatic reaction shots of the audience. Those are quite outdated, now that we know that people don't tend to scream or be terribly prudish or squeamish outside of when the gore goes too far as evidenced by the 21st century's obsession with torture porn after people lost interest in the meta-scares of the late '90s. That one guy who admired the special effects rather than be put off by one very bloody scene was pretty amusing, though. TL;DR: I have very mixed feelings about Terror in the Aisles and remain unsure if this alleged documentary was a "you had to have been there" kind of thing. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/29/24 Full Review Audience Member Awesome love the many different cut up scenes horror/action scenes this film is also a brisk 78 minutes and always keeps you entertained. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Donald Pleasance in a movie theater watching a compilation of horror films, while simultaneously f*cking with the audience. What else do you need? Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member Another one of my favourite VHS rentals as a kid was Terror in the Aisles. Essentially a compilation of clips from horror movies, this is That's Entertainment for weirdos. And it works beautifully. A major reason why this works is the sheer breadth of the films that are used from the old to the new, the well known to the obscure. There are also films used that aren't strictly horror movies but are still examples of how suspense can be brilliantly generated in a film (Midnight Express, Night Hawks). This film was also extremely popular in the UK as it contained clips from movies that were either banned by the BBFC (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre) or discreetly removed from video shelves by them (The Exorcist). Another masterstroke by the movie are the links that involve horror royalty Donald Pleasance and Nancy Allen in a cinema pontificating on horror tropes and what makes them work. These sequences are priceless. Look out for a young Angel Salazar as a 'feature moviegoer'.  Themes such as the villain and the victim/Final Girl are examined with the respective appropriate clips being used to illustrate the filmmakers points. Theres also a lesson in suspense by the master himself, Mr Alfred Hitchcock.  This is a great compilation for either the young horror hound looking for new thrills or the seasoned purveyor of all things cinematically depraved. I never thought this film would see the light of day because of the logistical nightmare associated with a compilation like this and rights issues. I'm very glad to say that I was wrong. A few years back Universal released Halloween 2 (1981) on Blu ray with Terror in the Aisles as one of the bonus features. An essential purchase. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Audience Member es un documental de películas de terror.. que pereza. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This is a surprisingly good collection of some of the best moments in terror, horror and suspense from the early days of film right up until this film was produced. The effective use of Donald Pleasence [famous for Halloween] and Nancy Allen [Dressed to Kill] as hosts, sitting in a darkened theater, is aided by a seamlessly edited grouping of clips by Greg McClatchy and supported by a very expensive sounding and well composed score by John Beal. Don't miss this! Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Terror in the Aisles

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