I Think We're Alone Now Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

I Think We're Alone Now Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 4, 2022

Jeff Turner and Kelly McCormick are fans of the singer Tiffany, who scored major pop radio hit in 1987 with her cover of “I Think We’re Alone Now,” catapulting her to superstardom for a brief moment in time. Of course, a lot of people were fans of Tiffany back in the day and a few remain so as she keeps working on her music career, but for Turner and McCormick, the red-headed performer of sugary tunes aimed at a teenage audience isn’t just someone they admire, but a woman they both want to possess. “I Think We’re Alone Now” is a 2008 documentary from director Sean Donnelly, who dares to spend time with two people gently ignoring their severe mental health issues, following a path of delusion as they hope to make contact with Tiffany, pledging their eternal love for the singer, dreaming of a day when she becomes a permanent part of their lives. Whether this involves Tiffany being dead or alive is up to viewers to decide.

Turner lives in Santa Cruz, California, living in a small apartment that’s filled with garbage and books. He’s a seemingly cheery man dealing with Asperger’s Syndrome, though he doesn’t confront his behavioral reality in any shape or form. Turner prefers to remain in a fantasy world he’s made real in his own mind, which involves born-again Christianity and Tiffany, believing he’s in a relationship with the singer, trying to connect with her as much as possible, mostly through letters and appearances at tour dates.

McCormick lives in Denver, working to overcome her formative years of trauma due to her status as an “intersex” individual, finally feeling free while living as a woman. A woman McCormick doesn’t want to be free is Tiffany, putting her full energy into the celebration and possession of the singer, feeling love for the performer “down to her bone marrow.” McCormick tries highlight her fondness for physical fitness and demonstrate a mere percentage of her incredible speed, but she mostly spends her days trying to understand how to reach Tiffany, looking to embark on a relationship with the elusive entertainer.

“I Think We’re Alone Now” details the separate lives of Turner and McCormick, with the Santa Cruz man perhaps more dedicated to the Tiffany cause. His living space (disability payments support his lifestyle) is wallpapered with images of the singer, and he has a history of interactions with her, including a time he tried to reach Tiffany with a gift of a samurai sword. Of course, Turner is a stalker, and likely a dangerous individual who’s been served legal papers to keep away from Tiffany. However, Turner doesn’t see himself as a threat, just a determined romantic who works to gain access to his object of desire (or destruction) through legal channels, including concert dates and convention appearances, with a clearly anxious Tiffany trying to burn through these handsy interactions as fast as possible.

McCormick isn’t quite as committed to Tiffany as Turner, but she’s lost to obsession as well, hunting for a way to meet the singer and live happily ever after. We learn more about McCormick’s past, including a bike accident in 1987, and we watch her attempt to attend a Tiffany concert, refused access with a photocopied driver’s license. Such denial is crushing, but “I Think We’re Alone Now” eventually tracks redemption, pairing McCormick and Turner in Las Vegas, where Tiffany is performing and meeting fans, forcing the twosome to endure each other’s company as time with their goddess draws near.

I Think We're Alone Now Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "I Think We're Alone Now" deals with the limited visual reach of the documentary, which was shot on commercial grade cameras. As video-based productions go, the movie comes through with as much clarity as possible, doing okay with limited resolution, keeping things relatively open for inspection. Colors show some age and constraint, but basic primaries are appreciable. Source is in decent condition.

I Think We're Alone Now Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix delivers clear interview audio throughout, visiting different environments without losing contact with the subjects. Music supports with a delicate sound and clear instrumentation, following the strange journey of unreality for Turner and McCormick.

I Think We're Alone Now Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features star Jeff Turner.

• Commentary #2 features star Kelly McCormick.

• Commentary #3 features director Sean Donnelly.

• "How the Movie Came to Be" (2:52, HD) is an animated short covering the genesis of "I Think We're Alone Now," with narration from director Sean Donnelly.

• "Jeff Update" (4:01, HD) is a 2022 return to Jeff Turner, who survived a near-death experience and a diabetic coma, coming out of the haze with newfound depression due to the reality of his unrealized dreams. He also discusses Tiffany, displeased with a recent condemnation of her fanbase, but Turner remains committed to sharing his life with her.

• "Jeff on Natalie Wood" (1:13, HD) examines Turner's claim that he's the biological son of the screen star, and he knows Christopher Walken murderer her in 1981.

• "Jeff on Alyssa Milano" (2:57, SD) covers a stalking incident with the actress, as Turner made the decision to travel directly to Milano's house to meet her.

• "The Mysterious Tiffany Letters" (2:32, SD) cover Turner's tale of his arranged marriage to Tiffany, with such matrimonial plans soon falling apart.

• "Jeffisms" (1:33, SD) collect Turner's catchphrases.

• "Arlon's Angelic Visit" (2:24, SD) joins Turner as he pays a visit to his old supervised living community.

• "Marshall Weeks and Rhythmic Gymnastics" (3:14, SD) highlights one man's quest to meet with gymnast Diane Simpson, and the gymnastics community's quest to make sure that never happens.

• "Kelly Update" (8:27, HD) pays a return visit to Kelly McCormick in 2022, who swears she's moved on from Tiffany, getting into marijuana instead, leading a life of complete isolation. McCormick offers hazy details about a brief marriage to someone she met at a homeless shelter, and goes in-depth concerning her relationship with an online scammer, though McCormick refuses to recognize such a reality, giving this "person" much of her own money.

• "Kelly's Poetry" (2:11, SD) provides an artistic moment with McCormick.

• "Kelly's Impressions" (2:05, SD) is a showcase of comedy from McCormick, who offers her takes on Ronald Reagan, Hans and Franz, and Beavis and Butt-Head.

• "Preston B. Nichols" (6:06, SD) spends time with the subject and his "mind frequencies."

• "Snakes" (4:12, HD) is a music video by Dan Wholey, featuring Preston B. Nichols.

• A Trailer has not been included on this release.

I Think We're Alone Now Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are certainly moments in "I Think We're Alone Now" that are meant to be darkly humorous, but the overall vibe of the documentary is a growing sense of horror and some degree of sadness. Turner and McCormick are not well, and while an argument of exploitation could be made about the movie, Donnelly mostly remains in observation mode, permitting the subjects to experience the attention they crave and discuss the woman they love most in the world (except for Turner, who also has his eye on Alyssa Milano). One can smell the mental illness coming off the feature, which isn't amusing, but "I Think We're Alone Now" provides a striking depiction of the stalker mentality and how it consumes the subjects, to a point where reality just disappears.