Terror on Alcatraz is a 1987 Crime and Slasher Movie.
Frank Morris (Aldo Ray) is one of the only people who managed to escape Alcatraz. Years later, he is still up to no good as he plots a get-rich-quick scheme to return to the island to acquire some information to break into a safe-deposit box on the mainland. Unfortunately for him, a group of young adults also sneak onto Alcatraz for a cellblock party. He then proceeds to off the group one by one.
Verónica Porche Ali, the ex-wife of Muhammad Ali, has a small role as a ranger who gives the tour of Alcatraz.
This film contains the examples of:
- Abandoned Area: When it's not crawling with tourists during the day, Alcatraz is abandoned otherwise with the exception of two guards who keep track of the place at night.
- Byronic Hero: Matthew is enigmatic and prepared for battle with his red headband, war paint, and inner turmoil. Subverted given that this is a slasher movie and he dies, and the police assume that he's the killer. In any other movie, he'd probably be the one to save the day.
- Class Clown: Greg constantly injects commentary during the tour, to the annoyance of the guide.
- Claustrophobia: Greg implies that he's this when he refuses to go in a prison cell with the others during a tour demonstration.
- Decoy Protagonist: Of the group of victims, Greg seems to be the lead in that we are introduced to him first and he recognizes Frank Morris in the group of trourists on Alcatraz. This doesn't stop him from getting a butcher knife to the face.
- Downfall by Sex: This is how Dean and Clarissa discover Kenneth's dead body. Unsurprisingly, neither one survives. Dean is discovered hung after an off-screen death, while Clarissa attempts to woo the killer by baring her breasts to him in a last-ditch effort to save herself... which doesn't work.
- Fat Bastard: Kenneth is anything but likeable from the start. It also doesn't help that he perpetuates the stereotype of Native Americans being alcoholics, when he himself is a cokehead.
- Final Girl: Terry is the last to face Frank and manages to survive by dodging him, causing him to take a fall off a cliff.
- Genre Shift: The movie whiplashes between being a neo-noir to being a slasher to being a neo-noir again.
- Karmic Death: Frank gets his comeuppance at the hands of the old bank manager, who knifes him to death for encouraging her sons to escape with him and drown.
- Not So Invincible After All: Frank can escape prison, easily kill off a group of young adults, and survive a tumble off a cliff. However, his downfall comes at his highest moment when he acquires his wealth and he lets his guard down. This was the moment the bank manager attacks him.
- Playful Pursuit: Dean and Clarissa's banter, along with sexual innuendos and fake southern accents.
- Police Are Useless: The two park rangers simply add to the bodycount, as Frank kills both with ease.
- Prone to Vomiting: Greg gets seasick on the boat ride over to Alcatraz, and he holds his stomach in anguish when he sees Kenneth's dead body.
- Trophy Wife: Mona is a beautiful woman who is with a scumbag like Frank, who burns her with a cigarette and treats her poorly most of the time. She enjoys the fancy side of life though and therefore supports him in his scheme to make them rich.
- Villain Protagonist: Frank Morris is the star here as he carries out his scheme.
