October Horror Gauntlet Film #5

October Horror Gauntlet Film #5
Night of the Comet (1984)
Directed by Thom Eberhardt

It wasn't too long ago that there still a handful of genre favorites unreleased on the DVD medium. It wasn't but just a few years ago that we first got a favorite of mine, The Burning, on disc. A few months before they released The Burning, MGM put out the cult classic Night of the Comet for the first time on DVD. I had never seen the film, and have always meant to pick up the DVD and check out what I hoped was an eighties genre gem.

Does it live up to those high expectations? No, not really. Not in the same way that Night of the Creeps does, anyway. Don't get me wrong, Night of the Comet is a fun movie, that is very much a product of its time. The effects, the big hair, the all-around goofiness of the picture all really place the film in the eighties, but it's a fun trip back in time rather than a tedious one.

The picture stars Catherine Mary Stewart (The Last Starfighter) as Regina, a tough-as-nails 18 year old Los Angeleno vixen. She is actually a lot of fun to watch, and one of the best parts of the film. The story, such as it is, is about a comet that is going to be making a pass of earth (the same one that was last seen when the dinosaurs died!) and the havoc that ensues after said comet turns most of civilization into red dust. Yeah, just like the dinosaurs! Anyway, there are some zombified people in the movie, but it's really light on zombies.

Overall, I can recommend Night of the Comet as a fun movie to watch on a Friday night, preferably with a group of friends. Grab some popcorn and enjoy it as a trip back in time to watch some silly movie making.

6.5/10