Tweet
Released by: Shout! Factory
Released on: November 19th, 2013.
Director: Thom E. Eberhardt
Cast: Robert Beltran, Catharine Mary Stewart, Kelli Maroney, Mary Woronov
Year: 1984
Purchase From Amazon
The Movie:
Thom E. Eberhardt's 1984 cult hit Night Of The Comet takes the familiar 'end of the world' scenario and gives it an enjoyably goofy mid-eighties spin - and it's got the styles and soundtrack to match.
The movie follows two teenage army brats, Samantha (Kelli Maroney) and Regina (Catherine Mary Stewart), who live at home with their nasty stepmother (Sharon Farrell) while their father is off serving his country overseas. When news that a comet will be passing over the Earth breaks, their step-mother, and countless others, throw parties to watch. Through a strange twist of fate, both Samantha and Regina wind up in a room lined with steel while everyone else is running around outside. Shortly after they emerge the next morning, they realize they're alone. There are clothes and other remnants about to remind that there were once people running about, but those same people are now nothing but piles of dust… save for a few that seem to have been turned into zombies.
The girls make their way to a local radio station. They figure if it's still on their air then there must be somebody there and there is, a man named Hector (Robert Beltran). He's suspicious that they might be infected and zombiefied but soon realizes they're safe and they form an alliance. In fact, he and Regina seem to be kind of sweet on each other. That's not going to stop him from driving home to find out what happened to his family, however. When he does, the girls go shopping and wind up in an altercation with some armed store employees that have taken over the place. Before you know it, some government scientist types (lead by Mary Woronov) have tracked the girls down, but of course, there's more to them and their motives than first seems obvious.
This one plays well with tongue kept firmly in cheek for most of its running time. Borrowing from fifties sci-fi films and seventies zombie movies the movie succeeds with the right mix of action, suspense and comedy. Populated by amusing characters, it's got a bouncy soundtrack and some decent effects work while the many empty, unpopulated locations can actually seem a little eerie at times. The two female leads are perfectly likeable and fun to watch. Maroney, who popped up in Chopping Mall and Fast Times At Ridgemount High, is about as cute as a button and completely believable as the bubbly, bratty cheerleader type. Catherine Mary Stewart as the older, more mature and slightly more serious of the two stole a whole lot of hearts as the love interest in The Last Starfighter. She too is quite well cast here and delivers fine work, serious when she needs to be but not so far removed from the more comedic elements at play here to succeed in her take on the character. It's also fun to see Mary Woronov show up, while Robert Beltran is also quite likeable as the male lead in the picture.
Reasonably stylish if obviously low budget, Night Of The Comet is very much a product of its time but fans of eighties pop culture should see that as a positive. Yes, it's a bit dated but time hasn't really taken away from its entertainment value, if anything it's added to it. This one is a kick, it's a movie that's very easy to like. It doesn't take itself too seriously and it works both as a parody of what came before it and as a unique mix of sci-fi, horror and comedy in its own right.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Night Of The Comet hits Blu-ray in an AVC encoded 1.85.1 widescreen 1080p high definition transfer. If you've seen the movie before you'll no doubt remember that the movie is bathed in red light pretty much any time the action goes outside, and as such, it has a softness to it that is inherent in the intended look of the picture. That's carried over to this high definition transfer and as such, we don't get eyeball melting detail in some scenes but by and large, this is a pretty good looking picture. Detail, even if the softer scenes, is a nice step up from what standard definition can provide and both texture and color reproduction seem pretty solid here too. There's some minor print damage here and there but nothing too serious, and the film's grain hasn't been messed with in any obnoxious ways. Night Of The Comet looks quite good on Blu-ray, all things considered.
English language audio options are provided in DTS-HD Master Audio in both 5.1 and 2.0 mixes, with removable subtitles available in English only. Purists will opt for the 2.0 track and find that it sounds quite good and very true to form. The 5.1 mix spreads things out a bit, mostly just the effects and the score, it doesn't go too crazy with the remixing but does add depth throughout the movie. Both tracks are clean, clear and concise without any issues in relation to audible hiss or distortion. Levels are properly balanced and dialogue stays easy to follow and discern.
The first of three audio commentary tracks on this disc is a chat with writer/director Thom Eberhardt who talks about where the ideas for the story came from based on some discussions with his kids. He also talks about some of the budgetary limitations he ran into on the shoot, casting the picture, some of the locations used and some of the effects work. It's a pretty decent talk, not much in the way of dead air to complain about and fairly packed with information. Another track features actresses Kelli Maroney and Catherine Mary Stewart, which isn't quite as technically interesting but which is, in many ways, a lot more fun. These two ladies obviously had a blast working on this picture despite some difficulties and listening to them stroll down memory lane together is quite enjoyable. They talk about their characters, point out some of the amusing period details in the picture and discuss working with the cast and crew members. The third track sits down with the film's Production Designer, John Muto. As you'd probably gather, it's more specifically geared to what he was involved with on the shoot and so the focus is on the production design aspects of the movie. So he talks in great detail about getting the sets right and achieving that certain look that has gone on to be more or less instantly recognizable, you know, with all the reds and the empty streets and buildings and what not. He comes off as amiable and while this track won't have as broad an appeal as the other two, it's still a great source of technical information on the making of the movie.
Kelli Maroney and Catherine Mary Stewart also appear in a featurette called Valley Girls At The End Of The World that clocks in at fifteen minutes. Here the two actresses each give us a run down as to how they got into the movies, what their careers have been like, and then of course some memories of working on this picture. It covers some of the same ground as their commentary track does but if you're a fan, you already know you want to watch this, just to catch up with them. In The Last Man On Earth? leading man Robert Beltran talks for just over twelve minutes about his experiences working on the picture, working on the cult hit Eating Raoul and about landing the role in the first place. He's amusing to listen to and as he wasn't involved in the commentary, having him here is a nice plus. The third and final featurette is called Curse Of The Comet and it interviews Special Make-Up Effects Creator David B. Miller for seven minutes. Here he discusses some of the effects work that is featured in the film and how some of those scenes were handled on the set.
Round out the extras are two still galleries, the film's original theatrical trailer, animated menus and chapter selection. As this is a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack release, we also get a DVD version of the movie with the same extras included inside the case.
The Final Word:
Night Of The Comet is a lot of fun. It's not particularly scary, but it's not setting out to terrify anyone. It offers up some amusing characters in some interesting situations but it also showcases a unique visual style, a great soundtrack and some good effects work as well. Add to that the fact that the cast are all game and that the movie is paced quite well and yeah, this is pretty entertaining stuff. Shout! Factory have really rolled out the red carpet for this one, offering up the movie in very nice shape and going above and beyond with the extras. A really fun, well rounded release.
Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
