Filthy Review - 'Night of the Comet'

Night of the Comet (1984)

Review by Jude Felton

Once again Scream Factory step up to the plate and deliver a shiny new edition of a cult classic. This time it is the turn of Night of the Comet, a film with quite the following, not to mention one that is firmly stuck in the 80s. Hell, I doubt it could be more 80s if it tried. But then again, it is a product of its era, and one that was due for an updated release.

Stuck somewhere between Romero’s Dawn of the Dead and Kevin Smith’s Mallrats, Night of the Comet focuses on two sisters, Regina and Samantha, who are both gearing up, as the rest of the world is, to enjoy the passing of a comet. It’s party time, although not in a cemetery, except that this party will end on a bum note.

It would appear that the passing comet had quite the negative effect, and when morning comes there’s barely a soul about. Instead, where people once stood there is now but a pile of sand. Some were lucky, and did survive the night, and some survivors were not so lucky, having been turned into zombie-like creatures.

What should be said about Night of the Comet is that you should not approach it expecting a full-on zombie flick. Yes, there is the odd undead critter wandering about, but this is a film that deals more about the two sisters, and there hopes for survival, which of course involves a trip to the mall, and their inevitable collision course with a nefarious agency.

Night of the Comet is purely a fun film, one that should not be taken too seriously, which in all honesty is refreshing to see again. Even though the film basically deals with the end of the world, so to speak, it is not a mean film; it’s a film from an era past, and of a style we rarely see now.

I personally don’t think it is the best film ever made, and to tell the truth I have to be in the right mood to watch it; as there’s only so much 80s music and fashion I can handle. Seriously, the soundtrack to this film never lets up, and don’t even get me started on the haircuts and fashion!

Fun is the name of the game though, and this is something that Scream Factory seem to understand. They’ve given it a great new release, complete with Blu-ray and DVD, some shiny new artwork from Nathan Thomas Milliner and plenty of extras, including an audio commentary, to work through.

Films like this aren’t made any more, even those that try their hardest to evoke the spirit of the 80s. It’s like these faux grindhouse flicks that were so popular; you just can’t replicate what went before. Watch Night of the Comet and you will know exactly what I mean; it’s a product of its time, and a damned good fun one at that.

So, the question remains as to whether this edition is worth your time picking up? Of course it is; if you can’t have fun with this movie, and its lovely HD release, then you are probably already dead.

Night of the Comet is released by Scream Factory on November 19th.