Alison's Birthday (1981)

User Rating:

4.4/10   

Director:

Ian Coughlan

Writer:

Ian Coughlan (written by)

Release Date:

26 December 1981 (Australia)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Satan's only gift is death...

Plot:

A young girl is subjected to a reign of terror so that her soul can be transferred to the body of an old crone.

Plot Keywords:

Celtic Religion | Druid | Ghost | Possession | Teen

Cast

Joanne Samuel	...	Alison Findlay
Lou Brown	...	Peter Healey
Bunny Brooke	...	Aunt Jennifer Findlay (as Bunney Brooke)
John Bluthal	...	Uncle Dean Findlay
Vincent Ball	...	Dr. Jeremy Lyall
Margie McCrae	...	Chrissie Willis
Julie Wilson	...	Maureen Tate
Martin Vaughan	...	Mr. Martin
Rosalind Speirs	...	Maggie Carlyle
Robyn Gibbes	...	Helen McGill
Ian Coughlan	...	Dave Ducker
Ralph Cotterill	...	Brian Healey
Marion Johns	...	Granny Thorne
George Carden	...	Druid Leader
Belinda Giblin	...	Isobel Thorne

Runtime:

97 min | UK:94 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

UK:15 (video rating) | UK:18 (self applied) | Australia:M | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

New South Wales, Australia

Company:

7 Network

Movie Connections:

Featured in Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (2008)

An ultra-cheap demonic thriller from Australia sounds very bizarre!

And cheap is right! Just what I expected! Another movie that tries its darndest to be normal and serious, but it all ends up in the gutter when taken too cheaply. Here in ALISON'S BIRTHDAY, the word "cheap" is proven true. If you're still craving over more bad movies but haven't had the chance to see this title, then I'd say you've come to the right place! I only wished it wasn't THIS bad, as it is pretty much obscure for an Aussie import. It would even be so bizarre to find this kind of movie being made from the land down under! The story sounds campy, unfortunately, but I'll admit that ANY one soul can crack open a Bud and enjoy the bumpy ride. It starts off with three girls playing an Ouija-style game until Alison learns that a new fate awaits her when she turns nineteen. The rest of the story is up to you. Since this has to do with Satanic rituals and witchcraft, you may be wondering why no blood is present throughout the whole thing. In other words, this is extremely tame for a movie like this when you can compare to those notoriously gory British imports. Everything goes screwy with the plot, and what gives? You're expecting a "family" movie a lot more than any cult classic that would sustain a loyal fan base. The ending? Save it for the movie when you get a chance to see it! Although it's no worse than the worst I've seen out of bad moviedom, still try putting this title on your crowded shelf of huge clamshell boxes. How paranoid can you get?