its the 80s there is zombies like creatures wandering around and on the ground you see big piles of red dust and cyndi lauper playing somewhere in the background ... welcome to NIGHT OF THE COMET!!!!
After a comet destroys 99% of the world's population, a tough usherette and her pom-pom girl sister must fight off various zombies and armed survivors to make their way through a deserted Los Angeles. Fun adventure with a strong female action hero.
More of a comedy/satire than a horror film, Night of the Comet is actually pretty fun. No real gore here but everything in this movie is so 80's you can't help but enjoy it, at least a little.
I love discovering 80's movies that I have never seen. They're like a forgotten part of my youth. No matter how I feel about the movie, I love seeing that era on film, it captures a time when the world seemed limitless. How Night of the Comet escaped my attention for so long, I'll never understand. A dark-comedy about the end of the world, made during the zenith of the decade, 1984; I really couldn't find a better undiscovered gem. Unfortunately the film didn't live up to my high expectations.
Regina's your typical 80's teenager, she works in a movie theater, prides herself on her video game skills and doesn't mind spending the night with the theater's projectionist in his projection room. Luckily the room is lined with lead, for when a comet passes by the earth that night, it turns almost everyone into cosmic dust. Those it doesn't, it turns into murderous-mutants. When Regina returns home, she's lucky to find her little sister Samantha still alive, who spent the night in the shed (also lined with lead), while her step-mom and friends were having a comet party. They soon find they're seemingly the only ones left alive in L.A..
They travel to a local radio station to see if they can find anyone over the airwaves. Soon a lone guy, Hector, comes calling. And unknown to them, someone else is listening in, a group of scientists who expected the aftereffects of the comet, and are hiding out in a bunker off in the desert. There's a great scene after the girls leave the radio station, they head straight for the local mall, and start trying on clothes; I could have done without the 80's clothes montage, but when a gang of psyched-out store employees attack the girls with machine guns, it's a lot of fun. Hector's gone off to find out if any of his family has survived, running into a crazy-mutant boy instead. At this point I had a lot of hope for the film, it was carrying a great tone between apocalyptic-horror and dark-comedy. There had been a few cool mutant scenes, and I was expecting a lot more.
When the scientists show up to kidnap the sisters, the film starts to lose it's touch. It turns from these girls discovering their new world, into a rescue mission from an underground bunker. Bunker's just don't excite me. I know it's a way for the filmmakers to keep costs down. They set up a few "sci-fi" props in these dark-gray tunnels and call it a film set. I've seen too many movies, especially post-apocalypse types, made in these boring tunnels. Anyways, Hector comes to the rescue, the scientists get whats coming to them, and the gang's back together to enjoy the empty world together.
I really loved Kelli Maroney's performance as little sister Sam. She has this undeniable spunk that lasts throughout the film, from her beginnings as a naive teenager, to a true apocalyptic warrior. Unfortunately the performances by Catherine Mary Stewart (who also played the girlfriend in 1984's The Last Starfighter) as Regina, isn't nearly as memorable, she doesn't take anything off the table, but also doesn't bring much too it either. Robert Beltran as Hector is completely forgettable, they needed an actor with much more charisma in this role. The film really hinges on these three characters and the bond that they form, but even while Regina and Hector are becoming a couple, they never seem to be on the same page. Three great leads would have tremendously helped this film.
It's so hard for films to keep the energy that is initially set-up through the entire film. Night of the Comet is another casualty of this all-too-common film-making problem. The first half of this film really rocks, the excitement of discovering this apocalyptic 80's setting, a few crazy-mutants, and an empty L.A. all to themselves. But once they're taken to the bunker, the film loses all momentum. Samantha is also missing during this section of the film, which doesn't help, as she's by far the most entertaining character.
But even as I write about these problems, I have a feeling that I'll give the film another chance in the future. It has enough good stuff going for it to make it a worthwhile film. If they had thrown out the scientists, and had a lot more mutants, I think I would have heard of this film long before I did. Not a forgotten classic, but a misplaced, rusty toy car whose wheels still spin.
omg my favorite movie sense i was little!!! i've tried to find it on dvd, but it's out of print!! BUT i have it recored on my dvr, so as long as I pay my cable bill I have it...lol
Just as "Night of the Creeps" which I saw very recently was a perfect example of 80s cheesetacular horror/comedy done right, "Night of the Comet" is a perfect example of 80s cheesetacular horror/comedy gone wrong.
The plot has obviously been done a zillion times before and this is honestly the worst use of it I've seen to date, which is made all the worse for how this film has blatantly stolen the plot out-line from those other films/books.
The acting is what you'd expect from a B-movie, so I don't have any beef with that. The writing however is terrible. It's a comedy, how about some humour? At least try and be a bit scary then? No?
It starts out somewhat promising but the whole last act is an absolute mess which destroys what the film had going for it. This bizarre-o plot about some laboratory full of scientist survivors trying to create a cure for themselves using children that they're turning brain-dead kicks in, and it's not needed nor does it add anything to the film.
There are many worse films like this, but that doesn't mean this is good. Watch "The Last Man on Earth", "The Omega Man", "I Am Legend" or just read "I Am Legend" instead. Those are the official versions of the story and even "The Omega Man" is better than this.
Personal enjoyment: 5/10
Actual quality as a film: 4/10
This is a bad movie from the eighties, but how much I loved it back then, with Catherine-Mary Stewart, the end of the world, zombies... I really thought Thom Eberhardt would become one of my favorite directors.
A childhood favorite, I recently re-watched this 80s horror for the first time in probably 20 years. Accepting that this is a mediocre zombie-esque horror full of flaws and cheese.. it's really not a bad time.
Funny to laugh at the 80's, but one can only laugh at the 80's for so long before you pray for the ending. Still, there is something charming about government scientist's wanting to kill and suck out children's blood and telling them they will spend the rest of their life with Santa Claus.
cool "girlie" i am legend/zombie movie, girls survive haleys comet turning everyone who sees it to dust or zombies & go on a shopping spree, only to be stopped by evil scientists & zombies, will they get that nice pair of shoes, or will they die?
I'll be giving this a bigger review later, but for now I just wanted to say this is a total slice of fried gold wrapped up in a stylish `80s handbag while totting a Mac10 that realistically jams like a sonofabitch. Awesome movie, so glad I finally saw it. :D
Really Entertaining...
i can't say its the best zombie film i've seen cause there aren't that many zombies...
BUT its definitely the funniest most absurd apocalyptic type movie i've seen
A terrible & stupid 80's Sci-fi film with the most annoying music throughout the entire film.The dialog & acting was also horrible.I'm surprise that some people enjoy this film which isn't scary or funny at all.Once the comet hit land,not sure why some people disappear,others turn into zombies & then some still stay normal.I just don't get it & at times found myself being bored with this film.
I m not sure why is this Movie so highly rated. Though its really not a bad Movie. But I wouldnt rate it too high. I caught it on TV late night and although I m not a huge 80`s SCI/FI fan for some reason it really stole my attention. I mean its entertaining. It make s you think about what you would do if you were one of the few people left in the world.
Reminds me of the say/question "What if he/she was the only one you were stucked with on an Island and you never have chance to get back home. lol. So they chose Robert Beltran.
It has Zombies, a lil bit blood. Girl kicking asses in a cheesy way. lmao. Its worth watching once if you see there is nothing better on TV.
Plot Two girls from the Valley wake up to find that a passing comet has eradicated their world and left behind a mysterious red-dust and a pack of cannibal mutants. With the help of a friendly truck driver, the girls save the earth from a villainous "think tank," karate chop their way through flesh-eating zombies, and, of course, find time to go to the mall.
Great "end of the world" and "empty society" scenes. Low on zombies and no real gore, but the two lead actresses are dead-on playing teen sisters raised by a military nut soldier. The story lags a bit in originalty and form towards the middle, but the dialogue is great and the premise of what causes the "zombies" is interesting. Recommended for those who like the "End of the World" subgenre and odd eighties classics. Gorehounds will be disappointed, but the thinking zombie watcher will find some novel parts.
I love this movie. It is one of my favorites. Zombies, weird scientists, end of the world, and teenagers at the mall in the 80's. You can't get much better than that
I do enjoy this movie quite a bit. A piece of pure 80s horror/comedy fun that is both zombiesque and valley girl comedy. It scared the crap out of me as a child, but now I find it a great little gem.
A delightful wedge of cheese, this movie has not aged well; but to be fair thats a good thing. This film is excellent for all the wrong reasons, there is a modicum of horror mixed in with a good chuckle fest. Made in 1984 (and boy does it show it!), I took a trip down memory lane and really enjoyed it. Perhaps with the right casting this could have been a 5 star movie (I'm thinking Arnie and one or two other hams of the era). I would love to see if a remake could do justice to this film; maybe it could work?
This is a great sci fi/horror movie from the 80s. What happens when a comet crashes to Earth and kills almost everyone (except the few that become zombies)..watch and find out..
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