- Night of the Comet
-
Night of the Comet 
Original 1984 theatrical posterDirected by Thom Eberhardt Produced by Andrew Lane
Wayne CrawfordWritten by Thom Eberhardt Starring Catherine Mary Stewart
Kelli Maroney
Robert BeltranMusic by David Richard Campbell Cinematography Arthur Albert Editing by Fred Stafford Distributed by Atlantic Releasing Corporation Release date(s) November 16, 1984 (USA) Running time 95 min. Country 
United StatesLanguage English Budget $3,000,000 (estimated) (Director has stated $700,000) Box office $14,418,922 (USA) (sub-total) Night of the Comet is a 1984 film directed by Thom Eberhardt and starring Catherine Mary Stewart, Robert Beltran, and Kelli Maroney. It has elements of such diverse genres as science fiction, horror, zombie apocalypse, comedy, and romance.[1] The film was voted number 10 in Bloody Disgusting's Top 10 Doomsday Horror Films in 2009.[2]
Contents
Plot
The Earth is passing through the tail of a rogue comet, an event which has not occurred in 65 million years, the last time coinciding with the extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs. On the night of the comet's passage, large crowds gather to watch and celebrate the event.
18 year old Regina "Reggie" Belmont (Catherine Mary Stewart) is an employee at a movie theater in southern California. Annoyed that her #6 high score on the arcade game Tempest was beaten by someone with the initials "DMK", she decides to have sex with her boyfriend, the theater projectionist, in the steel-lined projection booth. Meanwhile, Reggie's 16 year old sister Samantha "Sam" (Kelli Maroney) argues with their stepmother, and she gets slapped in the face.
The next morning, a reddish haze covers everything. There is also not one sign of life, only small piles of red dust and empty clothes. Reggie and her boyfriend wake up, unaware that anything strange has happened. Her boyfriend steps outside behind the theater and is immediately killed by a zombie. When Reggie comes looking for her boyfriend, she finds the zombie eating him. The zombie tries to attack, but she escapes. Finding herself in an empty world, Reggie goes home to find her sister. Sam had spent the night in a metal yard shed after the fight and is also all right.
After figuring out what has happened, they hear a radio disc jockey and race to the station, only to find it is automated and just a recording. They do find another survivor there, Hector Gomez (Robert Beltran), who spent the night in the back of his steel semi truck. When Sam interrupts the recorded show and makes an announcement, the broadcast is heard by government researchers in an underground think tank. They call the station, telling the survivors that a rescue team is on the way. The scientists note that the zombies, though less exposed to the comet, will soon disintegrate into dust themselves. Reggie tells Hector that, as military brats, she and Sam were taught how to use firearms by their father. Hector then leaves to see if any of his family survived, while Reggie and Sam go foraging at a local mall. After a surprise firefight with some zombie ex-stock boys, the girls are taken prisoner but are saved by the rescue team from the think tank.
Reggie is immediately taken back to their base. Audrey White (Mary Woronov), a dying, disillusioned scientist, offers to remain behind with Sam to wait for Hector. Another scientist who stays with them believes Sam has been exposed and should be executed. However, Audrey realizes that Sam is actually healthy. After purportedly euthanizing Sam, she then kills the other scientist. When Hector returns, Audrey provides enough information for him and Sam to try to rescue Reggie. Audrey then gives herself a lethal injection.
The researchers had suspected and prepared for the comet's effects, but inadvertently left their ventilation system open during the comet's passage allowing the comet's deadly dust to permeate their base. Meanwhile, Reggie has become suspicious, escapes, and discovers that the dying scientists have hunted down healthy survivors and rendered them brain-dead, so they can harvest their untainted blood to look for a cure.
Hector and Sam find Reggie, along with a young boy and a young girl Reggie has rescued. Some of the researchers are killed in the escape, while the rest presumably perish from the comet's after-effects.
Eventually, rain washes away the red dust and the world is left in a pristine condition. The group becomes a conventional family unit, except for Sam who feels left out. When she ignores Reggie's warning and crosses a deserted street against the still-operating signal light, she is almost run over by a sports car driven by Danny Mason Keener, a teenager her own age. After apologizing, he invites her to go for a ride. As they drive off, the car is shown sporting the initials "DMK" on the vanity plate.
Cast
- Catherine Mary Stewart as Regina "Reggie" Belmont
- Kelli Maroney as Samantha "Sam" Belmont
- Robert Beltran as Hector Gomez
- Sharon Farrell as Doris, Reggie and Sam's stepmother
- Mary Woronov as Audrey White
- Geoffrey Lewis as Dr. Carter, the leader of the think tank
- Peter Fox as Dr. Wilson, one of the researchers
- John Achorn as Oscar
- Michael Bowen as Larry Dupree
- Devon Ericson as Minder
- Lissa Layng as Davenport
- Janice Kawaye as Sarah, the young rescued girl
- Chance Boyer as Sarah's brother, the young rescued boy
Home video
Night of the Comet was released on VHS cassette on August 30, 1985, and distributed by CBS/FOX Video.[3] A second US VHS printing, distributed by Goodtimes Video, was released on August 30, 1990. The film was officially released on Region 1 DVD on March 6, 2007[4], and on Region 2 DVD in the UK on January 18, 2010.[5]
Soundtrack
A soundtrack for the film was released on vinyl LP Record and Audio Cassette from Macola Records shortly after the movie was released. The soundtrack's "Learn to Love Again", a love duet performed by Amy Holland and Chris Farren, played in the final scene in the movie and in the closing credits. Other songs include "The Whole World is Celebratin'" (also performed by Chris Farren), "Lady in Love" by Revolver, "Strong Heart" by John Townsend, "Trouble" by Skip Adams, "Living on the Edge" by Jocko Marcellino, "Virgin in Love" by Thom Pace, and "Hard Act to Follow" by Diana DeWitt.
See also
Notes
- ^ DVD - Night Of The Comet - Play.com: "Night of The Comet mixes elements of sci-fi, horror, comedy, satire and action to great effect. A true cult gem of eighties, post apocalyptic cinema". Retrieved on 2-5-2010
- ^ The Top 10 Doomsday Horror Films!
- ^ A look back at NIGHT OF THE COMET
- ^ "Amazon.com". http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000MDFTHE.
- ^ "Amazon.co.uk". http://www.amazon.co.uk/Night-Comet-DVD-Robert-Beltran/dp/B002VD5RX4/.
External links
- Night of the Comet at the Internet Movie Database
- Night of the Comet at AllRovi
- Night of the Comet at Rotten Tomatoes
Films directed by Thom Eberhardt 1980s Sole Survivor (1983) · Night of the Comet (1984) · The Night Before (1988) · Without a Clue (1988) · Gross Anatomy (1989)1990s Captain Ron (1992)2000s I Was a Teenage Faust (2002) · Naked Fear (2007)Categories:- 1984 films
- 1980s comedy films
- 1980s horror films
- 1980s science fiction films
- American comedy horror films
- American comedy science fiction films
- American independent films
- American satirical films
- American science fiction horror films
- American science fiction action films
- Atlantic Releasing films
- Films shot in Los Angeles, California
- Post-apocalyptic films
- Zombie films
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
