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Overall Rating : 8/10
Directed By : Fred Dekker
Jason Lively (European Vacation)
Steve Marshall
Jill Whitlow (Porky's)
Tom Atkins (Halloween 3 : Season of the Witch)
Supplied By : Sony Pictures
Film Reviewed By : Rick L. Blalock
Date Reviewed : October. 27, 2009
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| PLOT In this campy chiller, a college couple, in 1959, see an object plummet to Earth like a meteor. The boy accidentally swallows a space-slug that shoots out. In 1986, two freshmen roam the campus and stumble across the corpse of the boy who swallowed the space-slug. Once thawed out, the corpse comes to life. |
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| THE REVIEW Finally after years of fans clamoring for it, the long awaited DVD/Blu-Ray release of Fred Dekker's 1985 Horror classic, NIGHT OF THE CREEPS has arrived, and things have never looked better. This Horror film with a unique comedic flair begins in 1959 on a night in which a young loving couple witness a meteor fall to the earth, but what they didn't know was that it was no ordinary meteor. Sent to earth within the meteor are giant slithering space slugs, one in which the boy ends up swallowing which presumably kills him instantly. Flash forward to 1986 a time more frantic, this is where we meet two fun seeking college students, and best friends, Chris and J.C.. The two buds feel out of the loop with the popular kids so to get in with them, and more so in with the ladies on campus, the two boldly embark on joining a Fraternity ran by the obnoxious Brad(who is also the boyfriend of the girl Chris adores, Cynthia. With the membership of the Frat full, Brad decides to make an exception on the grounds of on condition, Chris and J.C. are to finish an assignment, one that could be tricky. That assignment, the boys are to find a cadaver and dump it on the doorstep of the rival frat. Well, they find a body alright, except it comes in the form of one that just so happens to have been frozen for years - yes it's the boy from 1959. Upon thawing out, the space slug escapes his body and plummets into someone else and before long the slugs start multiply and spread across campus, first killing their victims and then, resurrecting them as members of the living dead. Both Chris and J.c. along with Cynthia, fight to stay "slug free" as they join forces with a wise-cracking Officer named Ray Cameron, who is still plagued with memories of an axe murder that he took down on the night of the meteor. The first thing to say about NIGHT OF THE CREEPS is that this is such an entertaining and fun film from the 80s! For years, even more so as DVDs became popular, NIGHT OF THE CREEPS has probably become of of the most bootlegged Horror films of all time, if it doesn't take the top spot, it definitely has to be in the top 5. Until now, all we've had are old VHS copies and maybe some laserdiscs, even some bootlegs featured both of the film's ending, which are also included in this release - I for one am glad that we can now throw the less than stellar versions away and now get on with something more suitable, as does this film deserve. On the surface, NIGHT OF THE CREEPS is a Horror movie about an alien invasion as we watch a whole campus be overturned by space slugs ingested orally. But on the other hand why have your raunchy 1980's teen comedy, filled with your typical jokes, mostly pertaining to women, sex, partying and losing one's virginity. NIGHT OF THE CREEPS is the product of mixing the two together and surprisingly, it works, and it works well....what's even more surprising is that in 2009 it still holds up as if it were made yesterday. Like so many other Horror and Comedy films from the 80s, this is a film that I have seen multiple times, and it's one that never gets old. Just when you expect a film like NIGHT OF THE CREEPS to have things about it that are dated and lost with the times, it stands on it's own being as good or even better than anything being released today. NIGHT OF THE CREEPS is a great example as to why there is no necessary need for remakes of any kind, with original films this entertaining left still to be discovered by newer audiences, why update them with ridiculous "new" ideas? The debut film of Fred Dekker, the Director who went on to later direct another unsung Horror classic, THE MONSTER SQUAD, and then films like ROBO COP 3 got off to a great start with this film, one he also wrote. The story here is fun almost immediately as it's not overly complicated, it's sans the twists and turns, it gets straight to the point and into the action, it's about alien slugs and zombies...it's as fun and as silly as it should be. So many Horror movies are being produced these days. ones that mix both Horror and Comedy, yet I have seen very few of them that I actually care for as I feel they seem unnatural and forced( when people couldn't get enough of SHAUN OF THE DEAD, I was hoping to get as little of it as possible), but a film like NIGHT OF THE CREEPS is one that I can truly appreciate, It's a Horror film, that does have some comedy to it, yet it doesn't force the funny on the audience to the point where it's just just so childishly stupid. I'd say that what keeps this film together are it's great performances basically by all. Jason Lively, Steve Marshall and Jill Whitlow all shine as the central characters. Lively and Marshall create a very believable relationship as best friends Chris and J.C. respectively, while Whitlow, is the pretty, almost unattainable love for the "maybe a little geeky" Chris. They're all great here, but i'd have to say that this show definitely belongs to legendary genre man, Tom Atkins. Tom Atkins, is without a doubt, awesome, the guy is a great and very underrated actor, who has been everywhere over the years it seems. His character in this film, ray Cameron could be considered somewhat iconic, he's definitely one of the coolest characters in the film, and his lines the most memorable.....Atkins himself goes on to cite Cameron as being his favorite role to have portrayed. NIGHT OF THE CREEPS is just a great 80's B-Movie that is relatively simple, but it delivers in all aspects; story, acting, direction, dialogue, gore it's all here and it's all very entertaining. Just sit back, turn your brain off and enjoy! <\/td> | ||||
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| GORE
METER 6.5/10 Splitting heads, hacked up bodies, gushing wounds and nasty slugs are all within, I also have to say that the make-up effects here are amazing - some of the best zombies to be seen. |
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| MUSICAL
SCORE 5.5/10 There are some 50s and 80s pop tunes, as far the rest of the score it's atmospheric and eerie, in my opinion it fit the film when it was needed. |
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| OVERALL
IMPRESSION OF THE FILM After having to deal with a fairly poor bootleg of this film for the last couple of years, I for one am glad that I can finally add this Horror gem properly to my collection, as i'm sure are many other fans. The picture on the standard DVD is the best that I have ever seen the film, so I could just imagine how it looks in it's Hi-Def counterpart. If you haven't seen this film before, then you're in for a treat with NIGHT OF THE CREEPS, if you're familiar with it and love it, well then get ready to have fun all over again, except this time with a much better picture and as Fred Dekker intended it with his Director's Cut. I haven't had the chance to check out all of them yet, but here are the disc's special features. Special Features include : * Commentary with Writer/Director Fred Dekker * Cast Commentary * Original Theatrical Ending * Deleted Scenes * Thrill Me: Making Night of the Creeps: o Birth of the Creeps o Cast of the Creeps o Creating the Creeps o Escape of the Creeps o Legend of the Creeps * Tom Atkins: Man of Action * Trivia Track * Original Theatrical Trailer |
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