Alone in the Dark is a 1982 American slasher film co-written and directed by Jack Sholder in his directorial debut, and starring Jack Palance, Martin Landau, Donald Pleasence, Dwight Schultz, and Erland Van Lidth. The plot follows a psychiatrist's family who are besieged by four escaped mental patients during a power blackout. Following Stunts and Polyester, Alone in the Dark was one of the earliest films produced by distributor New Line Cinema. The film was shot on location in Bergen County, New Jersey and Palisades, New York in the fall of 1981. New Line Cinema released the film in Michigan on October 1, 1982, with its release expanding to California and New York on November 19, 1982. It grossed $1.4 million at the United States box office and received mixed reviews at the time of its release, though it went on to develop a cult following in subsequent years.