Feature #3: Night of the Comet (1hr 35mins; Rated PG-13)
Date of release: November 16, 1984
Written and Directed by:
Thom Eberhardt who's other works include 1983's zombie horror film Sole Survivor, another run at the "awkward teen trying to survive one crazy night genre" in The Night Before (1988)starring a young Ted from the local San Dimas band Wyld Stallyns, and 1993's Captain Ron starring everyones favourite patch wearing antihero Snake Plissken.
Starring:
Catherine Mary Stewart as Reggie the guardian of the highest scores on Tempest at the El Rey Cinemas concession arcade, and one of the last survivors in LA or possibly the world... You may also know her as Alex Rogan's girlfriend Maggie in The Last Starfighter (July 13, 1984). Oddly enough Alex was also a video game connoisseur. Aside from many appearances on TV she also had a role in that stupid, hangover nursing flick Weekend at Bernie's (1989).
Kelli Maroney as Sam, Reggie's younger cheerleader sister who's tired of her overbearing bitch stepmother and being in the shadow of big sis'. Maroney also played a cheerleader in 1983's monumental and groundbreaking tribute to contemporary juvenile life in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. She Probably wore the same cheer uniform to this films audition and the casting director said, "I like her, she looks like that cheerleader from Fast Times".
Robert Beltran as Hector the truck driver from San Diego. Hector's hobbies include fucking strange women, fighting off home invasions from zombies, strapping dynamite to bad guys vehicles and adopting orphaned children during an apocalypse. When not scavenging for food and weapons in the desolate streets of LA he also moonlights as first officer Chakotay on board the USS Voyager.
Mary Woronov as Audrey White, the scientist who becomes disillusioned with the current state of the world and any possiblility of survival. Woronov seems to be an institution within the horror/Sci-fi/campy/shlock film genre. According to the wonderful world of the internet Woronov began her career in films as one of Andy Warhol's Superstars. Most notably in Screen Tests and the Exploding Plastic Inevitable, the latter was a multimedia event which mixed visual art (experimental film and dance) and the music of The Velvet Underground and Nico, plus appearances from many of Warhol's factory models.
And - Geoffrey Lewis as Dr Carter, another scientist and think tank leader of the underground survivalists who is desperately trying to harvest as many bodies as possible in order to stop a zombie-blood mutation that the comet exposed most people to during the night. Mr Louis is a long time character actor that you could probably find in at least 1 or 2 movies every year since 1971.
Quick note: Actors Maroney, Beltran and Lewis have acted in a least one other film with Woronov aside from Night of the Comet.
Woronov/Beltran - Eating Raoul (1982)
Woronov/Maroney - Chopping Mall (1986)
Woronov/Lewis - The Devil's Rejects (2005)
Well we're back in 1984, and let me just say that my criteria for choosing films is vast and wide. But for the first few entries I'll probably be covering some that I've been meaning to review for a long time and I just want to get them out of the way before moving on to other pop-trash treasures.
1984 is the year that brought us the prediction of what might happen if astronauts and cosmonauts put aside their differences during the assumed continuation of the Cold War within the 21st century and finally found out why HAL went bat shit on board the Discovery back in old 2001.
Meanwhile back on earth, everyone is getting ready to see some shit float by in the sky as the earth passes through the tail of a comet. Supposedly the last time this happened was 65 million years ago and resulted in the extinction of the dinosaurs. Already we're headed for disaster.
Down at the local El Ray Cinema, Reggie, our female hero (cause the word heroine in just stupid, since she's an actress trying to stay in character pretending to survive an apocalypse then lets just call her methadone right?) is shown really taking her video gaming seriously and can't be bothered with clean-up duties which her boss insists that she get to so he'll be able to close up and check out the comet like everyone else. Reluctantly Reggie abandons her game and makes her way up to the projection booth to hook up with her fuck buddy and part time salesman of cinema property Larry. A throwaway cameo by Michael "Guy who can play a real dick in your movie" Bowen; his other credits include Buck "who came here to fuck" from Kill Bill vol.1 (2003), Tommy from Vally Girl (1983) and the male prostitute pimp enforcer Hop from Less Than Zero (1986).
While Reggie is busy with Larry at the cinema, Sam, Reggie's little sister, is learning boxing tips from her stepmother after accusing her of sleeping around while her and Reggie's father (a Green Beret) is off fighting communism. Sam avoids her mother for the rest of the evening by sleeping in a metal tool shed, while unbeknownst to her and anyone else who spent that night inside an insulated structure, the rest of (I guess) the people on earth were either disintegrated to dust or turned into zombified killers attacking people when they open doors and holding them hostage for dark comic relief.
Both Reggie and Sam meet up with Hector, the truck driver at a local radio station to see if they can contact any other survivors over the airwaves. Hector is dealing with the very possible recent loss of everyone he has know including the woman he slept with the night before, and tells both Sam and Reggie that he'll drive down to San Diego to find out if anyone from his family is still alive but promises to return.
While both sisters have a petty fight over who gets to be with possibly the last man on earth, a team of underground scientists are plotting to capture them and bring them back to their underground lab for "spare parts".
Throughout the rest of the film, we the audience are treated to a shopping montage to the music of a back-up studio singer performing Girls Just Want to Have Fun, a stand off between the sisters and some very bored zombie dickheads, Hector facing off with an pissed-off flesh eating kid and a team of scientists holed up in an underground base/lab/compound or whatever, attempting to collect as many survivors out there and utilise them to give themselves blood transfusions so they themselves won't turn into zombies. (Long isn't it). Collecting people and putting them into comas kind of reminds me of the film Coma (1978) by the great Michael Crichton. Always love his work.
Since this was an unusual mix of genres, there wasn't much else that could compare in 1984. However if you liked this one and want to see others cut from similar celluloid then check these out:
Five (1951)
The Last Woman on Earth (1962)
The Day of the Triffids (1962) ****CULTurally significant
The Omega Man (1971) ****CULTuarlly significant
Dawn of the Dead (1978) ****CULTurally significant
Liquid Sky (1982)
Above information courtesy of Wikipedia!
According to the tomato website and various other sources this one is rated very high with the critics. I personally think the film is pretty good up until the end when it just up and fucking dies with the Neo-LA post-comet family throwing the pigskin around while some really out of place shitty dentist-soft rock song plays over the credits. I guess production was strapped for cash and they needed something in the can immediately. Also I'm still not 100% on how some people became zombies and others didn't. But that's just nit pick shit. As for a mash-up of genres, Night of the Comet gives a decent execution. Unfortunately, just like Runaway, it too was released just after The Terminator barley surviving the slaughter of those in the wake of James Cameron.
VHZ Final Review: ***Check it out
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