Night of the Comet (1984)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Thom Eberhardt

Writer:

Thom Eberhardt (written by)

Release Date:

16 November 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

It was the last thing on earth they ever expected.

Plot:

A comet wipes out most of life on Earth, leaving two Valley Girls to fight the evil types who survive.

Plot Keywords:

Comet | Scientist | Radio Station | Dead | Killer Child

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Robert Beltran	...	Hector
Catherine Mary Stewart	...	Regina
Kelli Maroney	...	Samantha
Sharon Farrell	...	Doris
Mary Woronov	...	Audrey
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Carter
Peter Fox	...	Wilson
John Achorn	...	Oscar
Michael Bowen	...	Larry
Devon Ericson	...	Minder
Lissa Layng	...	Davenport
Ivan E. Roth	...	Willy
Janice Kawaye	...	Sarah
Chance Boyer	...	Brian
Andrew Boyer	...	Rogers
Stanley Brock	...	Mel
Marc Poppel	...	Danny Mason Kenner / DMK
Raymond Lynch	...	Chuck
Bob Perlow	...	TV Reporter
John Stuart West	...	Monster Cop
Alex Brown	...	Monster in Alley (as Alex A. Brown)
Dick Rude	...	Stock Boy
Chris Pedersen	...	Stock Boy
Karl Johnson	...	Guard #1
Joel Levine	...	Guard #2
Wilson Camp	...	Party Guest
Anna Mathias	...	Party Guest
Tim Hannon	...	Party Guest
Bobby Porter	...	Monster Kid
Steve LaBeau	...	DJ (voice)
Michael Hanks	...	Narrator
Chris Chesser	...	Radio Spot Announcer
Dale E. House	...	Helicopter Pilot (as Dale House)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Helen Kelly	...	Girl at the theater (uncredited)

Directed by
Thom Eberhardt

Writing credits
Thom Eberhardt		(written by)

Produced by
Thomas Coleman	....	executive producer
Wayne Crawford	....	producer
Nancy Israel	....	associate producer
Andrew Lane	....	producer
Michael Rosenblatt	....	executive producer
Sandra Scheik	....	associate producer

Original Music by
David Richard Campbell

Cinematography by
Arthur Albert		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Fred Stafford

Casting by
Annette Benson

Production Design by
John Muto

Set Decoration by
David Wasco

Makeup Department
David B. Miller	....	makeup effects design
William Snyder	....	makeup artist

Production Management
William Fay	....	unit manager
Nancy Israel	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
H. Gordon Boos	....	first assistant director
H. Gordon Boos	....	second unit director
Gary A. Lowe	....	second assistant director
John Muto	....	second unit director

Art Department
Anne H. Ahrens	....	assistant art director (as Anne Huntley)
Paul Ahrens	....	property master
Don DeSimone	....	lead carpenter
Sherry Dreizen	....	art assistant
Vivianne Bertrand Gelbart	....	art assistant
Bernardo F. Munoz	....	construction supervisor (as Bernardo Munoz)
Bernardo F. Munoz	....	scenic artist (as Bernardo Munoz)
Bernardo F. Munoz	....	special props (as Bernardo Munoz)
John Myhre	....	assistant property master
Dave Peltz	....	art assistant
Stewart Russell	....	construction coordinator
Thierry Verrier	....	assistant set decorator

Sound Department
John L. Anderson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Doug Davey	....	sound re-recording mixer
Björn Emilsson	....	boom operator (as Bjorn Emilsson)
Lois Freeman	....	sound editor
Bill Gentry	....	sound editor
Carl Graham	....	sound editor
Chris Haire	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Christopher L. Haire)
Steve Nelson	....	sound mixer
Fred Stafford	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Rick Bugental	....	motion control camera operator
John O'Connell	....	motion control camera operator
Steven Wilzbach	....	motion control camera operator (as Steve Wilzbach)
John Eggett	....	special effects supervisor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
John Muto	....	visual effects designer
Ted Rae	....	visual effects
Mark Sawicki	....	opticals: CMI

Stunts
Sandra Lee Gimpel	....	stunts
Debby Lynn Ross	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
David Birke	....	grip
Bruce Clarke	....	grip
Donne Daniels	....	key grip
John Esaki	....	second assistant camera
Chris Fenney	....	best boy
Philip Holahan	....	first assistant camera
Steve Jezewski	....	best boy grip
Shaun Madigan	....	gaffer (as Shaun McClelland)
Austin McKinney	....	plate photographer
Tom Richmond	....	camera operator: second unit
Diane Roderick	....	still photographer
Mike Townsend	....	grip
Elizabeth Webber	....	electrician (as Beth Webber)

Casting Department
Janet Cunningham	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Linda Linn	....	key costumer
Deborah Loft	....	wardrobe mistress
Regina Wrubel	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Bill Gentry	....	assistant editor
Carl Graham	....	associate editor
Joseph	....	color timer (uncredited)

Music Department
Tim Jaquette	....	music mixer
Tim Jaquette	....	songs mixer
Ross Pallone	....	music mixer
Ross Pallone	....	songs mixer
Tom Perry	....	music mixer
Tom Perry	....	songs mixer
Tom Perry	....	music supervisor
Bob Summers	....	music mixer
Bob Summers	....	songs mixer

Other crew
Nancy Battaglia	....	promotions
Rick Bugental	....	slit scan: Lumeni
Thomas Coleman	....	presenter
Dulanie M. Ellis	....	script supervisor (as Dulanie Ellis)
Dr. Gary Etting	....	specialist: contact lens
Diana Galvin	....	production coordinator
Dr. Ronald Guiley	....	specialist: contact lens
Susan Israel	....	production coordinator: New York
Richard Jenkins	....	neon
Philip Lieberman	....	video game consultant
Carla Madison	....	craft service
Gary Mascaro	....	choreographer
Peter Merwin	....	production assistant
John O'Connell	....	slit scan: Lumeni
Arthur Payne	....	production assistant
Steven Pomeroy	....	assistant to production manager
Dr. Peter Rosenberg	....	specialist: contact lens
Michael Rosenblatt	....	presenter
Peter Rutenberg	....	production accountant
Mark Sawicki	....	title opticals: CMI
Steven Wilzbach	....	slit scan: Lumeni (as Steve Wilzbach)
Harry Hauss	....	helicopter pilot (uncredited)

Thanks
Chuck Comisky	....	special thanks
Carol Geissinger	....	special thanks
Dave Hogan	....	special thanks
Ken Jones	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Thomas Coleman and Michael Rosenblatt Productions
• Film Development Fund (in association with)

Distributors

• Atlantic Releasing Corporation (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• Filmways Australasian Distributors (1986) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Norstar Releasing (198?) (Canada) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox (198?) (USA) (VHS)
• GoodTimes Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Oy Europa Vision AB (1986) (Finland) (VHS)
• Paramount Television (19??) (worldwide) (TV)

Special Effects

• Court Wizard Special Effects (as Court Wizard)

Other Companies

• One to One Sound  production sound
• The Time Lapse Company  time-lapse photography
• Lumeni Productions  slit scan/motion control (as Lumeni)
• CMI (II)  title opticals
• Ultra Film Services Inc.  negative cutting
• Otto Nemenz International  Arriflex camera (as Otto Nemenz Int'l, Inc.)
• Filmtrucks  locations
• Atari  Atari Tempest coin video game courtesy of
• Malibu Sport  additional sportswear
• Nike  additional sportswear
• Banana Republic  additional sportswear
• L.A. Air Force  radio jingles
• Ford Motor Company  vehicles
• Larry Edmunds Booksellers  special thanks (as Larry Edmunds Book Shop)
• Dream Quest Images  special thanks (as Dreamquest)
• Health Valley Natural Foods  special thanks
• Tenneco West  special thanks
• Western Bagels  special thanks
• Dean Foods  special thanks
• Thunderbird Marketing  special thanks
• Trader Joe's Markets  special thanks
• Pervo Paint  special thanks
• Hickory's Best  special thanks
• BDR Sound  songs recorded at
• Hollywood Sound  songs recorded at
• Studio Masters  songs recorded at

Also Known As:

Teenage Mutant Horror Comet Zombies (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:16 | Iceland:12 | Finland:K-16 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #27376) | Australia:M | UK:15 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

5515 Wilshire Blvd., Hancock Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Thomas Coleman and Michael Rosenblatt Productions

Trivia:

When cheerleader Kelli Maroney (Samantha Belmont) is playing at the radio station as a disk jockey, she says that she is taking requests from "all you teenage mutant comet zombies". This was the working title of the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Regina flees the theater alley on a motorcycle, she pulls up next to an empty Mercedes and turns on the bike's headlight. In following scenes riding to her house, the headlight is off again.

Quotes:

Samantha: So you guys are geniuses?
Audrey: Yeah - or we thought we were.
Samantha: We had a couple of geniuses at school...
Samantha: ...they're both wimps.
[Passes out]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

Soundtrack:

Lady in Love

It's, like, the end of the world and I don't have anything to wear!

"Night of the Comet" is a truly fun and engaging little genre effort of the 80's, but surely some of its hardcore fans are slightly overestimating the value and significance of this film. I've encountered reviews stating that "Night of the Comet" is a quintessential gem of 80's horror and that it's easily one of the most intelligent tributes/parodies to older B-movies ever made. Okay, the script is quite clever and writer/director Thom Eberhardt definitely knows a lot about all the post-apocalyptic classics of the 50's and 60's, but I honestly doubt it ever was his intention to direct the ULTIMATE homage. "Night of the Comet" is more like a miniature-tribute! All the obligatory story lines and sub plots to create an end-of-the-world epic are present, but Eberhardt's only disposed of a limited budget and thus the elaboration is only small-scaled and rather cheesy. There are mutated zombies, crazed scientists and hostile groups of survivors on the rampage, but all just in small doses. The movie opens during a bright summer evening, when the entire world is preparing to see a mesmerizing and once-in-a-lifetime ecological phenomenon, namely the passing of a comet. Two high-school teenagers who missed out on the event (sisters, moreover, what are the odds?) wake up the next morning and slowly realize that the comet's radiation killed every human being in L.A, only leaving behind small piles of red dust. They entrench themselves in an abandoned radio station, meet up with another sole (and male) survivor, battle the occasional mutated zombie and – of course – go shopping without credit cards. Things get slightly more dangerous when a bunch of dying scientists, who predicted the extinction of the human race, try to abduct the survivors to steal their still uncontaminated blood. The tone of "Night of the Comet" is continuously light-headed, still director Ebarhardt manages to maintain a more or less sinister atmosphere which never allow you to forget that the whole of mankind just got wiped out. The girls, although mostly concerned about fashion trends and pop music, understand the seriousness of the situation and deal with it the best way they possibly can. There are still a handful of creepy sequences (the confrontation in the mall) and well-developed Sci-Fi ideas (the diabolical scientists), but the emphasis largely lies on the two girls and their typically 80's pop-culture life-styles. I've never heard this many campy pop-songs in one movie, not even in a musical, and the special & make-up effects are kept to a minimum. The acting performances of Catherine Mary Stewart and Kelli Maroney are more adequate than you'd expect, as it certainly isn't easy for young actresses to portray teenage character that are stereotypical, ignorant, fashionable and yet likable at the same time. "Night of the Comet" certainly isn't brilliant, probably even a bit overrated by its fans, but still worth a peek in case you have a weakness for 80's cinema.