Alone in the Dark (1982 film)

Alone in the Dark is 1982 slasheresque horror movie directed by Jack Sholder and it stars Dwight Schultz, Donald Pleasence, Martin Landau and Jack Palance. It was also the first film released by New Line Cinema.

Dr. Dan Potter has just arrived in the psychiatric haven of Dr. Bain to replace Dr. Merton. Some of the patients, who really liked Dr. Merton, come to the conclusion that Potter has killed him and now he is going to kill them.

Yeah, it's a case of primo Insane Troll Logic, but these people are insane.

One night, a power outage caused by a power plant failure lets them escape the haven. During the ensuing looting, they arm themselves and start seeking out our good doctor...

Do not confuse with the videogame series nor its respective film adaptation of the same name

Tropes used in Alone in the Dark (1982 film) include:

• The Archer: Hawkes, who picked up a crossbow during the looting.
• Ax Crazy
• An Axe to Grind: Byron's weapon of choice, along with a knife.
• Batter Up: Roland's weapon of choice.
• Big Blackout
• Car Fu: The postman's death.
• Catapult Nightmare: Byron waking up from his nightmare.
• Contrived Coincidence: Hawkes finding out that Merton is in fact alive.
• Covers Always Lie: The covers of VHS and DVD releases makes it seems that Donald Pleasence's character is one of the lunatics.
• Dangerous Windows
• Death by Sex: Bunky and her boyfriend are killed when they are about to start have sex.
• Evil Chef: Leo appears as one in Byron's nightmare.
• Evil Laugh: Byron is fond of doing it.
• Fearless Fool: Lyla doesn't think twice when she meets a complete stranger claiming to be her new babysitter in her home. Good thing that nothing bad happens to her.
• Giving Someone the Pointer Finger
• Hallucinations: The stress from the siege causes Toni to hallucinate a monster attacking her.
• Insane Troll Logic: Justified, even.
• Joisey
• Lockdown: Third floor of the asylum will lock itself completely if anyone approaches its windows from the inside by night.
• My Car Hates Me
• Names to Run Away From Really Fast: Hawkes.
• Neck Lift
• Nice Hat: Our antagonists kill a postman for his hat.
• Nightmare Sequence: Film opens up with Byron having a nightmare.
• Not So Different: Hawkes' reaction when he sees the death of Byron.

Hawkes: "So... it's not just us crazy folk that kill. We all kill... when we must. And we all die... when it's time."

• Once Is Not Enough
• Peek-a-Boo Corpse
• Protect This House: Last third of the movie has the Potter family defending their home from the psychopaths.
• Pyromaniac: Byron, who likes to burn churches with people in them.
• Rain of Blood: "The Bleeder's" nose starts bleeding whenever he kills.
• The Reveal: Tom is actually The Bleeder.
• Sinister Minister: Byron.
• Slashed Throat
• Unwilling Suspension
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Toni is afraid of the dark.
• Window Pain
• Wrestler in All of Us: Ronald does a backbreaker to an orderly when the lunatics are escaping the asylum.