Alison’s Birthday (1981) lets you know it’s an Australian horror story through the shot of a Cold Chisel album on the floor when a seance goes haywire.
At age 16, Alison (Joanne Samuel from Mad Max) is mucking around with a ouija board with a couple of school friends, and receives a warning from the other side: they’re after you, and it will happen on your 19th birthday. A few years later, Alison is facing her 19th birthday and is having fun living with her radio DJ boyfriend Pete (Lou Brown), but is called back to her NSW hometown by the relatives who raised her (wouldn’t you know, her parents in a car accident).
Familial obligation is the relatable touchpoint in this horror story: “Your great Aunt is coming all this way to visit.” Extended family you know nothing about and who you’re expected to be interested in! Finally a film that advocates for you to tell the extended family to rack off! No good can come of it! Great casting for these friendly yet sinister presences, specifically Aunt Jennifer (Bunney Brooke from Round The Twist) and John Bluthal as Uncle Dean (from The Vicar of Dibley). Even Brian Wernzel from A Country Practice turns up as a cop, all these friendly faces from Australian and UK television harbouring dark designs (following the Ruth Gordon in Rosemary’s Baby strategy), and this adds to the low-key, almost TV movie like charm to Alison’s Birthday. Included in the Severin Films All The Haunts Be Ours box-set, there’s an eeriness with the folky theme music and the shots of a Stonehenge set up of rocks that exist in Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Dean’s backyard.
It’s an involving slice of suburban folk horror with an effective ending. Available to stream on Kanopy and Tubi (do that rather than the poor quality version on Amazon Prime). Recommended.
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