Robert J. Maxwell This movie is about a novice security-system salesman (Arquette) who has an affair with one of his clients (Capshaw) and, when she and her son are murdered, comes to believe that his effluvial boss (Tucci) did the deed. This conviction comes to him after he's visited by Capshaw's spirit who advises him, "Get the bastard." And, indeed, the talkative Tucci is not a palladium of morality. He kicks in doors to create incidents which in turn create fears in Los Angeles neighborhoods. And when he learns of a rich potential client's home being empty for a while, he's not above committing burglary. So when Capshaw and son die, Arquette -- enraged, half insane -- kidnaps Tucci and takes him to a deserted spot in the desert. Just before shooting him, he discovers that the real killer has been captured. He and Tucci make up and agree to work together again.Each of the individual scenes is pretty keenly observed. Nice little everyday details, amusing in their familiarity and even funnier when they stretch the envelope. The whole thing doesn't hang together very well. There's a major weakness in the plot -- Arquette's vision. Nothing has really prepared us for it. Arquette has never been crazy or anything other than a bit self conscious. And then in thirty seconds of screen time he turns delusional. Tucci's earnest logic -- he admits to being full of crap and a thief but he had absolutely nothing to gain by Capshaw's death -- makes no difference to Arquette, whose mind is made up. I know. This is beginning to sound like today's political arena.The movie is shot mostly in a classical style with little in the way of directorial dazzle, though there are a couple of overhead shots that are inconsistent with the rest, and one or two scene in something like step motion that don't belong there.As the central character, Arquette is given to over display but is otherwise unexceptional. The story is more or less held together by Stanley Tucci's performance and his mustache, a combination of British military and Groucho Marx. He's a splendid actor of considerable range. (Catch him in "The Big Night.") There is a lengthy sequence towards the end that has Tucci tied up on the desert floor and Arquette waving a pistol over him, about to kill him, and it's all made bearable by Tucci's response to the situation. He switches in an instant from squealing with terror to blustering self defense.Kate Capshaw gives another convincing performance. She's no longer the glamorized hero of adventure movies in which she's confronted with a dish of monkey brains. She's aged somewhat. She's beautiful, very sexy, and gives the best performance I've seen her in.It's not a poorly done film. Despite its weaknesses, it has its genuine moments. One of them is when Arquette is sitting in the living room, trying to sell his security system to an elderly couple, when the old dude suddenly leaps up and shouts that he has his OWN security system and breaks out his armory -- M-16, AK-47, a .357, a .454, and some grenades. ("Maybe it's excessive," says the beaming little old lady who is his wife -- remonstrative, you know, but proud too.) The ending is completely incredible. It's like having a plug in your front tire, trying desperately to keep the air from escaping. And there's an unnecessary epilogue that I suppose was intended to be funny.

gridoon "The Alarmist" has a pointless first half, with David Arquette's stiff acting getting in the way of any possible comedy, but gets better in the second half, when it enters darker territory and presents some unexpected plot developments. And yes, Kate Capshaw does look good for her age. (**1/2)

rbrb Pointless, humourless drivel.....meant to be a comedy; but not one laugh in the whole film. Gratuitous violence often with guns. What kind of warped mentality can either make or say this is a good film?! 1 out of 10.

jakeloves It's rather sad to see that so many people seem turned off by this comedy. Just like Romeo is Bleeding, too many people seem to just give up when they're finally shown something that truly creates an original tone for itself. This movie walks a tight-wire between the absurd and offbeat while still seemingly plausible and realistic. The plot twists with wonderfully subversive glee. I could not help but fall hopelessly in love with this charming movie. Don't listen to all the negative comments. Rent it and judge for yourself. You just might be wonderfully surprised.