Alison's Birthday (1981) User Reviews

Satanists throw the worst birthday parties!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 26 April 2021]

In case you are - like I was - somewhat reluctant to watch "Alison's Birthday", then hopefully this review can help persuade you to give it a fair chance! Admittedly, it looks and sounds rather boring at first sight, but it's a surprisingly good and intense piece of occult horror from the land of Oz. The Aussies were perhaps a little late with their cashing in on the success of "Rosemary's Baby", but at least their contribution is far better and more memorable than the vast majority of cheap & trashy rip-offs that were released throughout the 70s.

"Alison's Birthday" has a really powerful opening sequence and a staggeringly bleak climax. That's already more than other movies have to show for, and everything in between isn't too bad, neither, albeit a bit slow, derivative and predictable. The intro is fabulous! I usually don't like séance sequences or Ouija-board horror, but this particular scene knows quite a grisly and effectively shocking twist.

A few days prior to her 19th birthday, Alison is begged to come home to the aunt and uncle who brought her up since she became an orphan. The girl has doubts, because a nightmarish séance on her 16th birthday (the one from to the intro) forewarned her to stay away from there at all costs. Boyfriend Peter accompanies Alison, but he's unsubtly shut out by the overbearing aunt and uncle. With Alison further and further out of reach, Peter discovers strange and mystic occurrences, involving a demonic cult, Stonehenge rituals, modern Druids and a 103-year-old granny wandering about! "Alison's Birthday" is far from perfect, but it's one of those rare horror movies that manages to be atmospheric and genuinely unsettling without featuring a single drop of blood. And that final shot, oh man, ... magnificent!

Alison's Birthday

[HorrorFan1984 · 6/10 · 29 March 2020]

A 16 year old girl named Alison receives a deadly warning during a seemingly harmless ouija game. It tells her that at age 19, she will be in serious danger. It appears that Alison's Birthday at age 19 will be a deadly one.

After playing the ouija game that warns 16 year old Alison of the upcoming danger, the film take us three years forward to Alison's 19th birthday. Alison is a well put together young adult with a job and charming boyfriend named Peter. Her Aunt Jenny calls and begs her to come home for her b-day celebration. She decides to go home to visit them.

Once there, she is startled in the middle of the night by an old woman in a wheelchair who her Aunt Jenny claims is her 103 year old great grandmother. Something seems fishy to Alison (and to me as well when I was watching it). Alison also stumbles upon some weird stonehenge looking stones in the backyard which she starts having nightmares about. The whole place starts to freak her out and she can't figure out why. Eventually, the aunt and uncle are exposed as not so innocent people and it's up to Alison's boyfriend Peter to save her from a horrific fate that was predicted three years prior during the ouija game.

What an unexpectedly interesting little Australian horror flick from the 80's! Alison's Birthday is spooky and has an eerie feeling at all times. In the first half, you get the sense that Alison is in serious danger despite the seemingly loving aunt and uncle who welcome her with open arms to their house to celebrate her birthday. Once the film exposes what is really happening around Alison, we learn some family secrets and things get very creepy leading to a bit of a disappointing ending.

If you can catch this on VHS somewhere I would grab it for sure! It's a fun and at times scary evil presence/ritual type horror film that is pretty unknown at this point in time.

6/10

Alison, Sweet Alison

[thesar-2 · 7/10 · 11 January 2022]

This movie about a girl STRONGLY/RIGHTFULLY warned to avoid her 19th birthday party started good, got increasingly MST3k-bad and ended exactly how you thought it would and yet.... I LOVED the ending. That saved this entire movie and believe me...it needed it. I was laughing out loud SOOO many times in the second act, I almost turned it off several times. But, I didn't and I even knew how it'd end. It was the ending I'd crave in these creepy movies made in the late 70s. If you like creepy 70s occult films, check this out on Shudder.

Enjoyable low budget horror

[Sergiodave · 6/10 · 16 January 2022]

In the old days before CGI when special effects weren't very special there was a strange concept called imagination which incredibly, enhanced movies, which helps a lot with this one. The acting is amateurish as is the script and direction, but the ideas used are great, the kind you would expect to find in an episode of Tales of the Unexpected or The Twilight Zone. I enjoyed it.

Not a bad little horror flick from the land of Oz

[lazarillo · 10 March 2008]

This movie was part of a Down Under horror mini-boom that took place for some reason in late 1970's and early 1980's and included some pretty decent if low-watt films like "The Survivor", "Thirst", and "Razorback". It was kind of a little late therefore in getting into the whole satanic cult craze that started with "Rosemary's Baby" in the late 1960's. The cult in this movie though is not technically a satanic cult, but a Druid cult relocated from the British Isles, and they aren't trying to pass the devil's seed into an oblivious virgin, but some kind of ancient centuries-old spirit.

The movie starts with a Ouija board session, involving "Alison" the teenage protagonist, that goes horribly awry. One of Alison's friends starts speaking in her dead father's voice. She/he warns "Alison" not to "go with them" on her nineteenth birthday. Then a bookcase falls on the possessed friend, killing her. You would think she would heed this very compelling warning several years later on her nineteenth birthday when her creepy "uncle and aunt" invite her out to their country estate for a party, but then we wouldn't have much of a movie, would we? Once there "Alison", who is not the sharpest tool in the garage, is remarkably unperturbed to see that her relatives have a miniature of Stonehenge on their property. And what's up with her dessicated 104-year-old great grandmother?

Her slightly smarter friends eventually find the truth and ride to her rescue, and they turn out to be every bit as effective as Scatman Crothers in "The Shining". The ending is great and ALMOST redeems the occasional absurdities and periodic lulls of the earlier parts of the movie. Still, all in all, this isn't a bad little horror flick from the land of Oz.

Slow but effective

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 20 December 2018]

ALISON'S BIRTHDAY is a slow yet effective devil worship horror flick from Australia. It was only made on a low budget so don't go in expecting a ton of scares or any big FX scenes; this is the kind of film which builds up a creepy atmosphere slowly and stealthily rather than anything else. Things begin with an eye-popping scene copying THE EVIL DEAD before we slip into a lower gear. ROSEMARY'S BABY feels like a key influence here, but the Aussie feel and setting is all its own. The actors give understated performances which helps to add to the realism, and there's plenty of conflict between the characters to keep viewers interested. The ending is something of an anticlimax, but generally this does the job well enough.

Quite a thoughtful horror film - not great, but better than expected.

[Wilbur-10 · 5/10 · 30 January 2001]

**** POSSIBLE PLOT SPOILERS ****

Australian entry into the 1970's demonic/witchcraft horror cycle. Film starts with a prologue ( similar to 'Halloween' or 'Prom Night'), where 16-year old Alison is warned, whilst doing a Ouija Board, that she must get away before her 19th Birthday.

Film moves forward a couple of years to find Alison invited to her Aunt and Uncle's to celebrate her birthday which is fast approaching. Film has similarities to 'Rosemary's Baby' with vulnerable young girl falling foul of a witchcraft cult, personified by much older, normally trustworthy characters. Her Aunt makes Alison drink her 'herbal chocolate', in the same way as Ruth Roman brought Mia Farrow concoctions in the Polanski classic.

The film has basic production values and the acting is poor, but the storyline is well thought out and quite complex, remaining true to its horror roots. The middle section of the film concerns Alison's boyfriend (an annoying character who drives around in a feeble yellow buggy), trying to uncover what is going on and save Alison. He goes through old newspapers and searches hospital records, slowly piecing things together, as Gregory Peck did in 'The Omen'.

If you're not mad about the genre 'Alison's Birthday' will be barely watchable, but for horror fans there is more than enough here to keep the interest from waning. The storyline is quite strong and manages to carry the film along. The ending seems a foregone conclusion - but in a final effort the film keeps the horror dark and provides a bleak, nightmarish finale.

Great video cover with a naked girl lying on an altar before a horned demon.

Distinct flaws & limitations, but enjoyable & suitably well made nonetheless

[I_Ailurophile · 7/10 · 31 October 2022]

We've seen other movies with similar story ideas, but that's no reason why we can't enjoy this one. Between such story ideas and the overall tone, this picture also bears a certain kinship with others of the same timeframe. Whether it's a stylistic choice or a matter of budgetary constraints, it's noteworthy that this particular rendition is especially low-key and reserved. We're treated to only a smattering of accumulating odd goings-on heading into the last third, and as details of the mystery are pieced together, there's not a significant amount more to it than what we're likely to have read in any basic premise. Still, the concept is sufficiently enticing, and there's just enough in the plot to keep us engaged as the tale progresses. 'Alison's birthday' isn't anything special, but it's duly enjoyable.

There's definitely a lack of subtlety or finesse about the feature, notable in most every regard. Ian Coughlan's direction is competent, but a tad heavy-handed; the cast demonstrate their capability, but under Coughlan's guidance their acting in some scenes is discernibly blunt. I quite like the original music of Brian King and Alain Oulman, and for the most part it's excellent pairing with the proceedings, though sometimes themes or cues are employed in ways that conflict with the scene to greet us. These same thoughts apply as well to Coughlan's screenplay: there are strong ideas here in every aspect, but dialogue and plot development are decidedly on the nose at points; pacing is a little stilted; the narrative is maybe a tad light, and it's broadly communicated without a major sense of urgency. Even the sound design and editing come across as distinctly rough around the edges, and all this is to say nothing of the robust suspension of disbelief that the title requires at large.

It's a swell concept, though - ill tidings awaiting a girl on her forthcoming birthday. I recognize the hard work and sincerity everyone put into the feature, even if it doesn't meet with total success. I do quite like the cast, and this is more well made than not. It's safe to say, however, that 'Alison's birthday' quite comes across as VERY indie and very low-budget - a labor of love, a passion project, that was seen to fruition without the best means or capability to do so. This isn't to say that it's not entertaining, but anyone who has difficulties engaging with such fare won't have their mind changed here. Still, while it's no must-see, I had a good time watching, and sometimes that's all a movie needs to be. Don't go out of your way for it, but if you happen across 'Alison's birthday' and can appreciate the style, this is suitably fun on its own merits.

Low-Key Aussie "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Omen" Knockoff

[Steve_Nyland · 5/10 · 16 January 2007]

With a bit more of brimstone & treacle, Ian Coughlan's ALISON'S BIRTHDAY could have made an impression. Unfortunately the movie is ultimately a bit too low-keyed and tasteful for it's own good -- a common problem with a lot of Australian made horror outings. However, it is well written, competently made, and does contain a couple of nice, evocative little scenes. Joanne Samuel plays "Alison", a somewhat mousy looking young lady who first learns of the things to come at age 16 when during a Ouija game her friend becomes possessed by the spirit of her long dead father who warns the girl of evil things to come on her 19th birthday. The possessed girl is killed in a freak accident, and then the story fast forwards three years to the week before Alison's fateful day. She finds herself invited to a private party for her to be thrown by her relatives out in the country, compelled to attend, and then discovers she cannot leave.

This comes much to the consternation of her boyfriend, played by cult Aussie actor Lou Brown. An interesting screen presence who seems to have made a small career by being bland, Brown finds himself scorned by Alison & the family, and engages in some background research that the Sydney Public Library that would have made the gang from "Scooby-Doo" proud. Eventually he pieces together the bits of the mystery: Alison was born on the 19th hour of the 19th day in the Celtic calender, and on her 19th birthday will be eligible for some kind of bizarre work study exchange program involving a 103 year old "relative" who has made a special trip to be present for Alison's birthday.

If you're afraid I have given everything away don't worry, the story is told in a rather labyrinthine manner with plot twists and scenes out of nowhere. Director/writer Ian Coughlin channels two American hits of the occult horror genre: ROSEMARY'S BABY provides the basis for the reclusive family "cult" complete with odious herbal drink concoctions, and THE OMEN provides the basis for a kind of conspiracy involving a stolen baby, a murdered family, and a secret clique of high-society cultists who have been waiting almost 20 years for Alison's birthday to arrive.

Spain's Jose Ramon Larraz would troll through the same material a year later for his BLACK CANDLES, and while ALISON'S BIRTHDAY is without a shred of doubt a better film, Larraz' picture proves to have more resonance by overtly providing what jaded horror audiences of the time expected out of films like this -- Sex, gore, mind-blowing satanic blasphemies, drugs, and a nonstop barrage of nudity & amoral behavior. By contrast, Coughlin's cult are much better behaved even when about to skewer someone & toss their body into a shallow grave, and sadly the film suffers for it. A cinematic release is cited for the film's production credits but to me this has "made for cable TV" written all over it.

The film does have a couple of great scenes & bizarre touches, specifically a chase through an overgrown, weed-infested cemetery made up of forlorn gravestones stacked one next to the other like eggs in a carton. The initial burst of demonic skulduggery with the 16 year old girl talking like Freddy Kreuger is good for a chuckle, and Lou Brown drives yet another absurd automobile that is supposed to be "cool" or "hip", this one an open-windowed dune buggy type contraption with a folding roof on it that makes it look like a golf cart. There are some freaky dream sequences, intrigue involving a Stonehenge circle out back of the old house, and the cult members have a kind of sinister duality about them that proves a nice touch, with their dapper tuxedos and doctors who learned the Vulcan Nerve Pinch.

So what the film may lack in the more lurid areas of sex or gore are more than compensated for by decent plotting, credible acting and an offbeat, self-composed musical score that no doubt features Mr. Coughlin on nylon string Spanish guitar. It's all in very good taste, up to and including the absence of any kind of "satanic" influences: These are Celtic mystics, portrayed here as kind of a militant form of the Druids in perhaps an allowance to Australia's notorious censorship laws.

Sadly what movies like this require is content in as poor taste as can be mustered, and the closest the movie comes is in the form of actress Lisa Peers' bra-deprived occult freak former girlfriend, not to mention the outrageous cover design for the British home video release with a naked chick kneeling before a satanic altar ... They made the movie about the wrong girl, maybe, but fans of occult thrillers who would perhaps prefer to avoid the usual exploitation angle will probably like this one more than some. I like how it defied formula while still being derivative, and along with Coughlin's later STONES OF DEATH script speaks volumes for his respect of American horror & desire to emulate it. Nothing wrong with that, nothing at all.

5/10

Solid Aussie film, but not amazing or anything.

[bombersflyup · 6/10 · 17 January 2022]

Alison's Birthday accomplishes that eerie sinister feel and a comprehensive film.

Wouldn't say it's that well made though and lacks a bit entertainment-wise, but an engaging story's told. Peter's plan after all the research, leaving it to the last moment and going alone, a tad audacious. He's of wealth, couldn't he pay some people to help rescue her. Alison tells Peter she must go home and a story of her past. Mid story she drops, "My friend was possessed by the spirit of my father and died, telling me not to go." Yeah, no big deal, still going, heh.

ouija, possession, hypnosis, stonehenge, a Celtic goddess, and yet boring!

[FieCrier · 3/10 · 31 August 2005]

A sixteen-year-old named Alison and two friends play "ask the glass," a variation on Ouija, played here on a glass table, using square tiles featuring numbers and the alphabet arranged in a circle, and two titles for yes and no in the middle, and an upturned glass as a planchette. A warning is spelled out for Alison from her deceased father, who is then pushed out by some other power. The girl he briefly possessed snatches a circular amulet from Alison's neck, then is crushed by a bookcase.

Close to Alison's nineteenth birthday, she goes to visit her aunt and uncle. Her boyfriend tries to continue visiting her, but the family tries to keep him away. Alison discovers a miniature (though still large) stonehenge in a secret garden, has nightmares, and gets hypnotized. The boyfriend tries to do some research about the name Mirne, which the warning mentioned, and also Alison's real family.

The stonehenge is neat, and I liked that a character takes the time to do research. However, the movie on the whole is on the boring side. The picture quality on the video is not terribly good either. The VidAmerica videobox is sort of a warning: the cover features a drawing, and the back has no pictures from the movie.

Occult Horror Thriller

[robfergusonjr · 8/10 · 15 June 2012]

One of the best I've seen from the Occult genre of the 70s. Copyright year is 1979, so its not a 80s flick. Reminds me of movies on the CBS Late Night movie I use to enjoy watching when I was a in my late single digits to my early teens. When, as we kids called it, the midnight hour approached, the witching hour, we all knew 'scary' movies may be coming on, but we usually fell asleep at the TV set. I don't recall ever watching this one, but its in the likes of Gargoyles, Beyond the Door, Devil Dog, Devil's Rain, Shadow of the Hawk, and of course Rosemary's Baby; all of which is supernatural horror. If your a spoiled 21st century computer effects lover, then you will be disappointed since you are use to "visual" rather than "psychological" fun.

Folk Oz horror

[BandSAboutMovies · 6/10 · 14 October 2021]

How many movies have I seen from 1981? I mean, has there ever been a better year for movies? Possession, Scanners, Evil Dead, Escape from New York, Heavy Metal, Dead and Buried, Just Before Dawn, The House by the Cemetery, Eyes of a Stranger, An American Werewolf In London, Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker, Hell Night, Mystics In Bali, even Carnival Magic. Ahh - also Dark Night of the Scarecrow, Piranha 2, Absurd, Demonoid, Madhouse, My Bloody Valentine, The Monster Club, Shock Treatment, Night School, The Beyond, The Other Hell, Happy Birthday to Me, The Prowler, The Funhouse, Burial Ground, One from the Heart, Don't Go Into the Woods, Evilspeak, Fear No Evil, The Howling, The Beyond, Knightriders, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Halloween II, Friday the 13th Part 2, Porky's, The Road Warrior, Excalibur, Body Heat, Cannonball Run, Stripes, The Burning, Blow Out, Thief, Ms. 45, Mommie Dearest, Cannibal Ferox, Galaxy of Terror, Nighthawks, Inseminoid, Ghost Story, The Pit, Christiane F., Roar, Pennies from Heaven, Sharky's Machine, Bloody Moon, Enter the Ninja, The Incredible Shrinking Woman, The Fan, The Nesting, The Black Cat, Night of the Werewolf, Firecracker, Mad Foxes, The Man Who Saw Tomorrow, Centrespread, Years of the Beast, Home Sweet Home, Dead Kids and man, so many more.

1981 was a great, great time to be alive and excited about horror movies.

On the other side of the world, Australian folk horror was taking root, at least with this film, which starts with 16-year-old Alison playing with a spirit board and we all know just how well that works out in film. It doesn't work out in minutes, not hours or days, as Alison's dead father begins to warns her that 's she in trouble and that she shouldn't go home for her birthday through possessing one of her friends, who is then killed dead when a bookcase falls on her.

Years later, Alison and her boyfriend visit her family, who instantly keep them apart and Alison begins having vivid nightmares. The plan is to keep slowly drugging and gaslighting them both, ending with the spirit of a demon named Mirna being moved from Alison's grandmother into her body, as has been the tradition for two hundred years.

Director and writer Ian Coughlan also made Stones of Death and Cubbyhouse, another movie about devil worship that supposedly has a connection to this movie. I've heard that it's near unwatchable and has Joshua Leonard from The Blair Witch, so I leave it up to some other brave soul to watch it. Who am I kidding - I'll probably update this post sooner or later with my findings.

As part of the All the Haunts Be Ours box set from Severin, this modern folk horror will finally be seen by a larger audience. It may not be the fastest moving story, it may not have all the gore of the slasher yeat of 1981, but it has a definite dark mood that makes it unlike anything you've seen before, even if you know exactly where it leads.

Semi-Decent Independent Supernatural Horror

[Sic Coyote · 4/10 · 14 February 2006]

The film has a decent script and cast, nothing too outstanding but certainly can stand on it's own.

Don't be fooled by the tag-line "Satan's only gift is death" as this has nothing to do with Satan, and there are no naked women in this movie.

Actually come to think of it I am now wondering why this movie got a 18 certificate in the UK as there is as far as I can remember from just watching it; No Gore, No Nudity, No Sex(except it is slightly implied that they 'did it' when then are lying in bed together in one scene), No Bad Language and minimal violence.

It's actually a pretty safe film except for the supernatural plot which the more religious 'may' have a problem with. But nothing that Buffy hasn't done, in fact I'd say if this was resubmitted now it would have no problem getting away with a PG certificate.

But this doesn't mean it's a bad movie, as I've said it has a decent script and cast and everything is done quite competently even if it doesn't come near raising the bar it's a perfectly acceptable watch for it's 95 minute running time keeping up a good air of menace.

4/10

The cemetery scene is tension filled n scary.

[Fella_shibby · 30 March 2022]

I first saw this in the late 80s and found the cemetery scene pretty tension filled n scary. Surrounded by satanic cultists in broad daylight in a desolated cemetery n most of em in black ties n one fella with a scythe.

Revisited it recently n found it a bit slow.

The movie doesn't have any gore, nudity or kill scene.

At least they shud have shown the Celtic goddess nude.

Felt sad for Peter.

Only for fans to whom gore, nudity&extreme violence are NOT NECESSITIES for a film to be enjoyed.

[jswindter01 · 6/10 · 8 August 2013]

Again if the gore, nudity&violence are MUST HAVES for a horror film to be deemed enjoyable, then please do skip "Allison's Birthday".. While I was but a mere babe at the time of this film, I do however have a keen love for this entire era, even the international horror films..

I agree with the reviewer who likened this movie to a "made-for-tv" type movie and with that said and in going into it with that understanding its definitely an altogether enjoyable 95 minutes of entertainment.

If you are of the newer generation who overall have a need for the more modern horror movies of today, then "Allison's Birthday" is quite likely a film you will NOT enjoy.. For everyone else I say give it a try and you may just find it as enjoyable as I did.

Derivative but not bad

[ethanharmon-11980 · 6/10 · 16 January 2022]

Not a long review. I enjoyed the movie quite a bit, was genuinely shocked at the ending.

Would have liked it more if it wasnt so derivative of Rosemary's Baby, but again, wasn't bad!

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

[emm · 3/10 · 6 April 1999]

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?

Passingly entertaining but won't hold up to repeated viewings

[ebeckstr-1 · 6/10 · 15 April 2023]

I couldn't help but think of the classic 70s cycle of American made for television supernatural thrillers as I watched this somewhat similar 1981 made for Australian TV flick. In some respects it has a similar vibe, but, as it combines elements of Rosemary's Baby, The Omen, and pagan worship thrillers, it never manages to achieve an effective level of creepiness or suspense, and certainly never achieves any shock value or outright horror. It is somewhat redeemed by two appealing leaves and an unsurprising but more effective final moment. It's worth a watch for fans have made for television horror but is not something I would watch a second time.

Absolutely awful Australian supernatural horror that's as exciting as watching paint dry.

[poolandrews · 2/10 · 14 April 2005]

An on screen caption informs us 'Alison - Sixteen years, Four months'. Alison Findlay (Joanne Samuel) & two of her school friends, Chrissie Willis (Margie McCrae) & Maureen Tate (Julie Wilson) are holding a séance. Spooky things begin to happen & Chrissie becomes possessed with Alison's dead Father's spirit who warns her about what will happen on her nineteenth birthday. Chrissie is crushed to death by a bookcase that falls on her. The credits roll & then another on screen caption now helpfully informs us 'Alison - Eighteen years, Eleven months, Twenty Six days'. As Alison's nineteenth birthday fast approaches her Aunt Jenny (Bunny Brooke as Bunney Brooke), who along with her Uncle Dean (John Bluthal) brought Alison up when her parent died while she was a baby, phones her & invites Alison to her childhood home for her birthday. Alison agrees as Jenny also informs her that her Uncle is ill & has only a short time to live. Alison decides to take along her boyfriend Peter Healy (Lou Brown, the IMDb is wrong as Peter is not Alison's uncle, it's definitely Uncle Dean), they travel down & at first things are fine as Alison remembers her childhood & is reunited with Jenny & Dean, Alison is untroubled by the miniature Stone Hendge at the bottom of their garden. But that night Alison has terrible nightmares & wakes up to find a 103 year old woman (Marion Johns) in a wheelchair by the side of her bed. Jenny & Dean claim that the woman is her Grandmother they never told her about, despite this Alison still thinks everything is fine. Peter becomes suspicious when Uncle Dean warns him to stay away from Alison for a couple of days, Peter tries to see Alison but is told a phony excuse about her having nervous exhaustion by a dodgy looking Doctor named Jeremy Lyall (Vincent Ball) who when questioned is very evasive. When Peter forcibly tries to remove Alison the police are called & he is arrested. Peter decides to investigate further & visits a friend named Sally Brown (Lisa Peers) who seems to be some sort of astrologer, Peter mentions the name Mirne, the name Alison mentioned from her nightmare. Sally looks in a book & authoritatively says that Mirne was in ancient Celtic mythology a powerful female demon worshipped by Celtic magicians & was said to dwell in stone. Things turn nasty quickly for both Peter as he unearth's some sinister & shocking facts, & for Alison as her Aunt & Uncle have special plans for her nineteenth birthday party...

Written & directed by Ian Coughlan Alison's Birthday is as dull as dishwater & as exciting as watching paint dry, I was bored to tears. The script is so slow it's untrue, the script goes for psychological terror totally ignoring the exploitative possibilities, & it fails completely which is no surprise. There is no suspense or tension & everything is so uninteresting & just plain dull. Nothing exciting, scary, gory or interesting happens until the last ten or so minutes when there is a decent climax & twist ending, unfortunately for Alison's Birthday this is far too little, far too late. Not one single drop of blood is spilt throughout, there is no nudity or bad language either & while these things aren't necessary for a horror film to be either good or entertaining they sure as hell help & since Alison's Birthday is so drawn out & dull some decent exploitation elements would have livened things up considerably. As it is Alison's Birthday is one of the most boring uneventful films I've seen. The film is also very flat & basic in terms of production values, it's not a poorly made made film but it isn't a particularly well made one either which makes it even more painful to sit through. Another minus against Alison's Birthday is that it is an Australian produced film & therefore everyone have annoying accents (G'day mate want to come to me barbie?), sorry but it's true! I can't think of a single good feature about Alison's Birthday by which I could recommend it. I pretty much hate this film, no matter how cheap you may be able to pick this up for don't bother unless your an insomniac that is. Guaranteed to have most people reaching for the 'stop' or 'fastforward' buttons well before it's anywhere near finished, do yourself a favour & avoid Alison's Birthday. Trust me you'll be glad you did.

Nice Occult Horror

[icocleric · 7/10 · 19 April 2023]

I actually really enjoyed this film, and I think the story makes up for how much this film has aged, and the lower budget. It has some really nice touches, and is a very solid effort, and I thought it was a well thought out film with no obvious holes.

I really liked the pacing of the film, and how plot twists came throughout. It was a lot of fun to watch, and had nice ways of introducing the occult plotline and telling the audience what was going on. It wasn't cheesy either.

I was overall very surprised by how good this film was. Some parts have obviously aged, but it's still very enjoyable. The ending was pretty creepy too.

Boring

[nixflixnpix · 1/10 · 9 February 2022]

Opening scene is done well, fun, cool FX.

Rest of the movie is a boring, nothing-happens, no FX, waste of time. Shudder clearly did not pay a cent for this, and they should pay anyone who watches it.

In ancient times, hundreds of years before the dawn of history, lived a strange race of people: the Druids.

[BA_Harrison · 8/10 · 27 April 2020]

I spent the first twenty or so minutes of Alison's Birthday trying to figure out where I had seen the lead actress before; I eventually gave up and consulted IMDb, and it's only Joanne Samuel - Mrs. Rockatansky from Mad Max! That sorted, I settled down happily for what turned out to be a very enjoyable occult horror movie in a similar vein to Rosemary's Baby.

At age 16, Alison Findlay (Samuel) and two school friends decide to hold a seance, contacting Alison's dead father, who warns his daughter to not attend her 19th birthday party. Despite her friend Chrissie (Margie McCrae) dying during the seance (crushed by a falling bookshelf), Alison seems to forget about the warning, and, a few days before turning 19, travels to the home of her Aunt Jennifer (Bunney Brooke) and Uncle Dean (John Bluthal) to celebrate her impending birthday. Joining Alison for the trip is her boyfriend Peter (Lou Brown), who, as the party draws nearer, comes to believe that Alison is in danger from her Aunt and Uncle, who might not be who they claim to be.

Yes, we've seen this sort of thing done before, and yes, the story develops as we expect it to, but with likeable leads, a strong supporting cast, and capable direction from Ian Coughlan, plus a neat, downbeat twist ending, what you have is a consistently entertaining 97 minutes of supernatural thrills. Furthermore, zero nudity and gore means that the film is ideal to introduce your kids to the horror genre.

7.5/10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.

A Birthday party to miss!

[loomis78-815-989034 · 1/10 · 20 April 2013]

Alison (Samuel) is warned by her dead father to avoid her 19th Birthday. Her Aunt and Uncle are part of an ancient cult and as an offering; Alison is to be possessed by an old witch on her birthday. This boring Australian film fails to supply any chills, and worst yet any deaths. The filmmakers choose to make this a mystery and have the audience trying to figure out why this is all happening. It takes a ridiculously long time to unfold into a climax that isn't scary at all. The possession angle should have supplied some minor chills, but this film can't even muster that. The Direction and acting his very bland which matches this dull film.

Horr-i-bol

[kita117 · 23 May 2001]

I bought this one used. I don't reccomend this movie for people who believe in ouija boards. This movie was very boring, so boring that nothing could be done to make it better. The ending was very stupid as well as throughout the whole movie. I figured I wasted my cheap $10.00.