Amy Heckerling, Bruce McGill, Carl Gottlieb

While caught up in the scandal resulting from the accident on the set of The Twilight Zone movie that killed actor Vic Morrow and two children, director John Landis (An American Werewolf in ...( read more  read more... )London) made this manic nighttime L.A. thriller with rising stars Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Pfeiffer. Goldblum plays an office worker with a dead-end job, an unfaithful wife, and a bad, bad case of insomnia. Unable to sleep, his midnight wanderings take him to the L.A. airport, where beautiful jewel smuggler Pfeiffer literally lands on his car. Fleeing Iranian terrorists (one is played by Landis), the two hit the road, and their adventures lead them to murder, mayhem, one scary hit man (David Bowie in a lurid, terrific cameo), and, of course, romance. Perhaps because of--or in spite of--the turmoil going on in his life, Landis fashioned a film unlike any of his previous (or later) safe Hollywood products; this is inventive, darkly comic, sincerely romantic, and L.A.-style sultry all the way. Landis's greatest success is perhaps in the mood of the film: he manages to convey that weary, dreamlike insomnia feeling of adrenaline bordering on exhaustion. Goldblum is at his deadpan best and, despite a bad haircut and '80s wardrobe, Pfeiffer shows the spark and beauty that would later make her a star. In support of Landis during his time of trouble, numerous directors, including David Cronenberg, Paul Mazursky, Don Siegel, Jonathan Demme, Lawrence Kasdan, and Jim Henson, made cameo appearances. --Mark Englehart

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51% liked it

2,519 ratings

R, 115 min.

Directed by: John Landis

Release Date: February 22, 1985

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DVD Release Date: September 2, 2003

Stats: 101 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (101)


  • March 15, 2008
    This film dates from that early period of Michelle Pfeiffer's career when she seemed incapable of starring in a decent movie, no matter how solid her director's previous track record. Having failed to produce a successful sequel to the perennially popular "Grease", she proceeded ...( read more)to make mediocre films with Brian De Palma ("Scarface"), John Landis ("Into the Night") and Richard Donner ("Ladyhawke"). A comedy thriller that isn't funny or exciting, "Into the Night" is a plotless shambles, solely of interest to Landis or Pfeiffer completists. Following the (mostly) nocturnal exploits of an unwitting, white-collar adventurer, the film ought to be some sort of L.A. equivalent to Scorsese's "After Hours" -- released later the same year -- but it's nowhere near as quirky as it seems to think it is, and tedium rapidly sets in. Ironically, Jeff Goldblum charmlessly sleepwalks through the role of a cuckolded insomniac, but Pfeiffer is on fine form, as ever. The movie is littered with pointless cameo appearances, mostly by film directors, although David Bowie makes an excellent contribution as a creepy hitman.
  • September 13, 2006
    Excellent movie! David Bowie steals his scene. Dark, dark comedy.
  • April 22, 2009
    Pretty dumb...not worth watching again.
  • August 16, 2008
    Even though it has too many cameos to count (my favorite is Bowie as a hitman), it still manages to be a fun ride.
  • February 7, 2009
    a good adventure from the 80's
  • November 22, 2008
    Bizarre and offsetting...full of strange and quirky characters
  • March 11, 2008
    Dark thriller-comedy with a young Michelle Pfeiffer.
  • December 18, 2007
    I totally forgot to review this! Saw it a couple of months ago and totally fell in love with the picture. It's a unique, fun, totally Landis movie - and that makes it worth seeing! One of those weird, "just gets worse and worse" situation type movies that's hilarious and jaw-drop...( read more)ping at the same time. Couple of grim moments I'm sure hurt the film when it was released, but it's pure John where he makes ya confused by the thin, blurry line of contrast between humor and horror. Wow, I sound like a pretentious prick. But, still, great movie!
  • November 11, 2007
    this was really a good movie and i like how it shoed how nice la looks at night

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Into the Night Trivia


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