1980: "He Knows You're Alone"

                                   He Knows You're Alone is an 1980 slasher/perpetual film trivia question about Tom Hanks' first role. It's about a young lady named Amy who is stalked by a serial killer whose M.O. is brides-to-be because he had a lover that left him for another man (she's his first kill). I don't know why it's called He Knows You're Alone. I think a more accurate title would be He Knows You're Getting Married Soon. Something something Halloween rip-off, blah blah blah.

                                   He Knows You're Alone is boring and dumb. Boring because the killer and his motivations are revealed in the first five minutes. Boring because the movie spends half its time watching Amy going on her pre-wedding errands (shopping for dresses, hanging out with her friends in ballet class, meeting her ex-beau, Marvin, at an ice cream shoppe, opening wedding presents, debating if she should even marry this fella) all the while being stalked by the killer. I'm guessing he was so bored stalking Amy that he kills the wedding tailor and one of her friends to fulfill his bloodlust. Boring because it's poorly paced and has scenes of supposed "tension" that go on for too long.
                                   Dumb because it doesn't make any sense and its laughable at some points. The vengeful cop (whose dead wife-would-have-been was the ex-girlfriend of the killer) gets overexcited whenever there's a new lead. When the tailor gets murdered, Detective Paul Gleason tells the overexcited cop that a middle-aged man was murdered. Cop says he's not interested in "middle-aged men." Detective Paul Gleason says, "It was at a bridal shop." Cop perks up and yells, "A-HA! That's him!" I have never seen anybody jump over such a large chasm to reach a conclusion. If someone had told him that someone died at the jewelers, he would have been there with bells on.  Then he would have told Detective Gleason, "Warn the wedding caterers! They might be next!" Dumb because the killer is dumb. He doesn't even stick to his M.O. and starts killing frivolously, leaving a easy trail for the detectives. Dumb because Amy ends up marrying Marvin instead of Paul so Paul kills Amy at the end (hence completing the vicious circle). Unless this is some subtle feminist commentary about how women in society lack autonomy and can't pick a mate without getting murdered, the ending is about as derivative as you'd expect.
                             And yes, Tom Hanks makes his first screen appearance in a minor role that lasts about three and a half minutes (and the only reason anyone even remembers this turkey). And no, Tom Hanks does not get killed! This further proves how beloved Tom Hanks is. He is so beloved that even the filmmakers didn't want to kill him off because they liked him too much. Hell, I almost think the filmmakers sparing him his potential on-screen death might have propelled him to stardom. Thanks, director whatever your name is.....Armand Mastroianni, wherever you are.

                               So, Tom Hanks completists.....enter at your own risk.