Night Of The Creeps

[Romero&Juliet]

I've been getting into the more lighthearted genre flicks lately.. and Night Of The Creeps hit the spot!!
Its rare to see such an ambitious B-horror comedy.. Even in horror's Hay-day we didn't anything of this calibur: The smattering of in-genre humor wasn't at all forced (or dated, which is usually the case..).
Writer/Director Fred Dekker is very obviously a horror fan and nearly spoofed the genre itself with the OD of hilarious cliches... everything from a sixties flashback to "Lover's Lane," where the amourous couple are stalked by an insane mental patient, to the washed up cop who obsesses over his lost case.. (BIZZARE!).
Hell, the CHARACTERS were even named after genre greats: Landis, Raimi, Cameron, Cronenberg!!

The plot is pretty ridiculous, but its PERFECT for what Dekker's trying to do: An alien experiment lands on earth and terrorizes the Students at a college sorority..
Our hero, the hopeless romantic, is trying to bag the girl of his dreams, but those pesky alien slugs who nest in your brain AND the girl's Ex are making things pretty difficult for him... yup.. life is tough.
Gore.. well.. its was decent, but I didn't really need much: Exploding heads, nasty zombies.. ZOMBIE DOG (?!?!) were all pretty well done.. oh, and those slugs.. EWWW~!!!

The kicker was obviously that it was so much fun.. I could watch this OVER and OVER and never get sick of it...

a perfect 10!!! Go get it. NOW!

[countchocula]

I'm determined to see this film. It will happen. Chalk this one up with Scarecrows as a film that is in dire need of a DVD release. How is Tom Atkins in this flick?

[The Claw]

god damn D:

i want to see this god damn fucking movie so god damn bad.

theres not many horror films i care to see anymore but this is on the list.

god fucking damnit.

[Romero&Juliet]

Originally posted by countchocula
I'm determined to see this film. It will happen. Chalk this one up with Scarecrows as a film that is in dire need of a DVD release. How is Tom Atkins in this flick?

Oh yeah, this would be a GREAT freaking DVD.. a director's commentary would REALLLY be worth watching...

Tom Atkins was my favorite part of the movie....by a longshot..
what's wierd is that I've never ever taken note of him before and now that I look back, I've seen a LOAD of his movies.. His portrayal of the neurotic, alcoholic cop really made the movie for me.

[skantchweasel]

Well, I got Good news and bad news girls! The good news is that your dates are here...

Whats the bad news?

Theyre Dead!!!


MOVIE REVIEW - INCLUDES PERSONAL FEELINGS TOWARDS PLOT DIRECTION, HENCE COULD BE CONSTRUED AS SPOILER-IFFIC

Id imagine quite a bit of its due to the age i was watching Horrors, but its wierd the movies you take for granted. I saw this as soon as it was released for rental over here in the UK, kinda like the state of play over there in the states now, i cant say ive ever seen anything but the biggest blockbusters doing the rounds at the cinema, save for Chainsaw massacre doing its Cinema rounds prior to it getting a long belated video release...
Still, point of the matter, all the Horror flix we'd see in the pages of Fangoria and Gorezone (anyone else remember that? Fuckin gr8 mag!!), would end up getting the same sort of treatment and go straight to video, but would end up with a release on a pretty grand scale, and with some pretty big companies behind them. As a result of this, the latest offerings from the world of Horror, would end up in my VCR, thus becoming as much a piece of my education as Shakespeare and meaning I saw some rad stuff that has sunken into obscurity taking it for granted that everyone else would have been able to too - such it seems is the case with this little treat...

Back in the 50s, somewhere in space, a bizarre experiment is unleashed - Parasitic slugs escape to earth... doesnt sound so cool huh? OK - these parasitic Slugs turn people into ...ZOMBIES!!! Still, the arrival of the space slugs coincides with a homicidal axeman doing the rounds of a campus, hes already claimed a few victims and people are advised to stay indoors. The ex girlfriend of a young police officer and her new Man ignore this warning and go out to get better acquainted, but their session is interrupted by a falling star - The blokey goes out to investigate, while the woman gets better acquainted with the local loonie... Unfortunately for the blokey, the falling star is actually our space slugs! Zoom forward to today and the campus losers (i dunno, man the knucklehead came across a total bellend - niiiice line in Jumpers too) are trying to get initiated into a popular Fraternity. Their hazing prank just happens to envolve Half-inching a body which has been kept on ice since a certain night long ago... Needless to say, things dont go according to plan, and the space slugs are unleashed proper, into 80s Americana... Oh joy!


Now, besides a simple Nostalgia trip, like R&J says, this movie is remarkably easy going and highly entertaining even now! Being fortunate enough to have acquired a copy back in the day for a paltry £2, i was able to give this a viewing, barely a month back and it was able to keep me awake till about 2am on a work night! Tom Atkins turns in an awesome performance as the hard boiled gumshoe Dt Cameron, getting all the best lines and Hell, Jill Whitlow used to be pretty cute when i was 10 (or however old i was then) even if she looks like Mutton dressed as lamb now, oh yeah, we get the Bristols... ;) Unfortunately the Hero Chris, is a bit of a nobber, (well i thought he was) and altho he was from the Underdog school of Hero, i found it real easy to find out why he was so loathed by his peers, altho his mate J.C. was quite amusing and had a total LOL-able exchange with the leader of the Fraternity

why don't you go practice goosestepping or something...

prolly funnier in the film, but there ya go... Oh and watch for the King of cameo Dick Miller as the Police Armourer - always a guy to deliver the goods!

One critcism i will throw into the mix - The in-joke names. Now, ive gotta say that the occasional one is pretty cute, but to have endless background characters being name dropped just for the sake of it, is kinda offputting...
But to compensate for my ill feelings, there is a groovy subplot with Dt Cameron and his memories of that fatefull night, which end up coming back to haunt the proceedings in a pretty snazzy fashion...


****SPOILER ALERT*****
Overall, the movie is great B Movie fun, combine that with a healthy dose of zombie mayhem and were getting near to the truth. Although the main characters are pretty shitty, we do get a major treat from the more experienced hands. Tom Atkins is fabulously overflowing with one liners, with poor Dick Miller only getting a small role (AGAIN), but its a treat. Infact ive gotta say that this was one of them movies where i really wanted to see the main characters (Cynthia & Chris) bite the farm, infact, to have Tom die as a trade off, was pretty f@ckin abismal. Dammit, i hadnt been so pissed since Ole Tone bit it... (well maybe not that pissed)
Still, at the end of the day, the action is really cool and despite the Zombie mayhem not really starting in earnest untill the final reel, the Sorority zombie siege is well worth sitting around for, even if only to see Atkins kick some Zombie ass... Oh and a lawnmower kill... (dont get thinking Braindead - altho there are some messy bits the movie is pretty much splatter free :()

Although, id have to disagree on a perfect 10 score, i will heartilly recomend this movie to you poor unfortunates who are gonna have to wait for the DVD release to see it... Isnt it strange that Fred Dekkers other horror fave the vastly inferior Monster Squad (I watched that last week and it was winceworthy) is also in DVD release limbo?

A great piece of entertainment, and fun for all the family...

[MadmanMARZ]

I have this on laser disc and thinks it´s one of the better horrormovies of the 80´s

[teenkiller]

I have been wanting to see this movie for a long time and this thread has only upped my anticipation for it. I like zombies and I enjoy some camp too. Do you think this zombie film is more campy than say, Return of the Living Dead (if you have seen it)? As usual I am hoping for a dvd release (I'm looking in your direction Anchor Bay). Well thats all for now GOoD JOURNEY my fellow schmoes.

[Gluttony]

Ironically, I just saw this on Saturday, the flick is awesome to say the least. Right up there with Killer Klowns From Outer Space and schlocky stuff like Big Trouble in Little China.

the opening sequence with the aliens explains little but I thought it was the best way to describe the origin of this ridiculous plot.

The whole movie is well paced, funny, clever, action packed, and cheesy and that is what I think is important.

5/5

[spacemonkey]

This is one of my all time favorites!

It has everything from alien slugs...to zombies....to killers on the loose with an axe...to midget alien scientists gettin rid of their illegal experiments...

This flicks awesome, it satasfies in every department!

I remember when I saw this in the theaters, they were handing out these bumper stickers, so you could put em over your mouth so the slugs wouldnt be able to come in to you. Cool little promotional gimmick.

Now I still cant fucking understand why films like Night of the creeps and Monster Squad dont get released on DVD.

[Draven2277]

this is definitely a fun movie. one of Tom Atkins's greatest roles ever. his one liners practically MADE the movie. tons of humor, and tons of B-movie fun. as far as horror comedies go, this is definitely a classic. release a DVD RIGHT NOW!!!!

[Nightbreed]

thanks for reccommending this movie to me i got it offa ebay, and its really good. thumbs up!

[Dignan]

Yes, this is a childhood favorite of mine. A true classic in every sense of the word, and homage that takes unorigional elements and does something origional with them. Movies like this and The Monster Squad remind me of all the talent and poetential Fred Dekker had before the debacle that is RoboCop 3. What happened Fred? How could you F that movie up like you did? Well, I don't blame you. I blame Frank Miller. And I forgive him. But I'm still angry. I'll just give this one a 10/10.


Poifect, something that Robo 3 could've been:mad: :mad: :mad: :o :(

[Inglorious]

WOW! I feel spoiled. I didn't know this was so hard to find for a few of you scmoes. I have watched about 20 minutes of this film (we own it), and I can never get into it. I find the beginning a little dull and boring. It's cursed too, every time I try to watch it (3) someone shows up and I don't get the chance to finish it. Hmmm, now I just don't want to watch it. :o

[Corpse Candle]

This film is pretty meidicore at best it follows that tired 80's horror flick formula and beleieve me you can get tired of anything.
As much as I liked the 80's and light hearted horror the thing about such films is that there were hardly any that were actuly funny.
NIGHT OF THE CREEPS contianed some good effects and a few jumpy moments but it really didn't go above the humour level of GHOLIES.
The film is quite forgetable and an example of how not to mix comdey and horror also the film hasn't aged all to well and unlike films like NEAR DARK is only going to look worse as time goes by.


4/10

[JasonX]

How can you compare Near Dark and Night of the Creeps! I mean just because they're both in the horror section at Blockbuster doesn't make them comparable movies. Near Dark is a good movie (nice DVD by the way) but Night of the Creeps is the pinnacle of 80's Cheesy Horror. I think the movie did everything it wanted to do absolutely perfectly. The movie is simply entertaining. And I think Night of the Creeps has aged pretty well because I pop in my VHS tape to this day and have a good laugh. I wish today's horror was 1/2 as entertaining as a lot of the stuff out of the 80's.(I'm a child of the eighties...possible bias.)
Oh yeah...10/10 for Night of the Creeps (because it is as good as anything in its horror sub-genre of Horror-Comedy) Near Dark 6.5/10 (it is slightly above average in its sub-genre of gritty-realistic horror).
This is all opinion, Im not calling anyone out of anything, just my opinion.

[The Claw]

cough werent you gonna tape this off for me joe cough


:(

[Romero&Juliet]

yeah, I know..

I will, dont vurry...

btw.. WHY is Hollis Harding your avatar? I'm telling her, mike.. she's gonna kick your ass in!

ps, do you know that she wore that shirt for 29 days in a row without washing it? Bitch got talent.. and a hot rack, too.. :D

[The Claw]

Hollis? Whos Hollis? An Avatar? What's an avatar?

TELL HER FINE!

she'll never find my hidden hideoiut (which is just a dumpster downtown, oops...)

[The Claw]

even though my old posts embarass the hell OUTTA me, i just feel the need to post again (i'm bored... and should be asleep) saying that i've fianlly seen this movie thanks to the wonderful bittorrent (i've also found tons of other shit.... but i wont mention them here... because what i download embarrasses even me) and have to say that this movie charmed the pants offa me. entertaining, funny, and enjoyable on the whole. recommened by me... and that means you MUST enjoy it.

[Romero&Juliet]

*sigh* that's what old posts are for.

Cool bump and I'm MUCHO glad you finally got to see NOTC(as it turns out, the vhs' from HBO are tapeguarded :( whcih sucks).

and its nice to see that some of the vintage horror schmoes are still around. WTF happened?

[evilzombie20]

I actually have a DVD of it if anyone's interested, I could make a few copies.