Review of Terror in the Aisles (1984) by Timothy S — 07 Aug 2014

Frankly, looking back on it now, it amazes me that "Terror in the Aisles" got made at all, let alone played in movie theaters across this country. It's lovingly referred to as a "documentary", which may be the worst application of that word ever since this is basically just a compilation movie.

It's a cluttered and unorganized but nevertheless fun trip down memory lane with a lot of hilariously silly written material for stars Donald Pleasance and Nancy Allen to intone during and between the clips. They really don't have anything impactful to say as this isn't a deep exploration of why people love scary movies or their history, but it's fun to listen to.

At one point the writers pretty much bite the hand that feeds them as Allen goes off on this tangent about sex always leading to violence and how these films seem to glorify violence against women. It just seems kind of odd to throw something like that into a movie of this nature.

The clips themselves offer the viewer a chance to revisit some great moments in horror cinema over the course of about five decades even if a lot of them lose their impact when taken out of context like this. The only other issue I had was the fact that so much time is spent showcasing non-horror films like "Nighthawks" and "Vice Squad," but it's even kind of neat seeing those scenes again.

"Terror in the Aisles" is an unique picture, a grab bag of quality and entertainment value that won't have any meaning for a lot of people. The hardcore addicts, however, will eat it up.