T is For...

"As you watch the screen, your heart begins to beat faster. There's a fluttering in the pit of your stomach. Your throat is dry. Your palms are damp. Suddenly a chill runs down your spine. You clutch the person next to you. You tell yourself 'It's only a movie.' But, sooner or later, it's time to go home..."

So begins the opening narration to a fun little film nearly lost to the sands of time. If you are old enough to remember music, you are probably familiar with the "Greatest Hits" albums. Normally, when a band wanted to make extra money (or get out of a contract) they released all their biggest hits on one disc. Terror in the Aisles is sort of the scary movie version of that.

Released in 1984, the film collects sequences from numerous popular horror films of the time. There are clips from Halloween 1 and 2, some Friday the 13th's, Jaws, some Cronenberg, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and dozens of other films. The segments are narrated by Donald Pleasence and Nancy Allen. They sit in a fake movie theater, filled with other audience members, and discuss the various reasons for people to enjoy the films.

At first, the concept may seem completely ridiculous. What's the point of watching a string of clips sewn together, eh? What really makes the film work is the editing. Key sequences from several films will be tied together as an example of a particular horror theme. The sequences are then edited together to increase the flow of suspense and build tension. For example, Pleasence discusses unearthly evil infiltrating our bodies. Clips from The Exorcist, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), The Fog, The Thing (1982), and Jaws form a narrative that illustrate the concept.

Terror in the Aisles was long out of print on VHS and Laserdisc. The expense of leasing the rights to each of these films (all from different studios) seemed cost prohibitive to ever believe it would be released again. Surprisingly, the film has turned up, in high definition no less!, as an extra on the Halloween II Blu Ray. It also appears to be headed for release on its own through Universal's On Demand service. The film will appeal to the same audience who enjoys watching trailers as much as the actual movies. It's a charming little oddity of film history that has finally surfaced from the sticky popcorn floor of obscurity.