Night of the Comet is the kind of movie you would fall in love with after stumbling across it at a video store, catching it on TV late at night, or (if you were really lucky) watching it in theaters when it was released in 1984. I first watched the movie in high school, on a DVD from Netflix. I had recently seen George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, and discovered that Night of the Comet was considered something of an unofficial remake. Homage may be a more appropriate term, as the film shares some key plot elements, but is markedly different in tone and story than Romero’s 1968 film.
The film starts with a voiceover straight out of a 1950s sci-fi movie, explaining that a comet is about to pass Earth; the same comet that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Meanwhile, most of the people on Earth seem to be taking the comet’s return as a reason to celebrate. While most of the population is outside in anticipation of witnessing the comet pass, 18-year-old Reggie (Catherine Mary Stewart) spends the night inside the projection booth of the Los Angles movie theater she works at. The next morning, she discovers that those directly exposed to the comet’s radiation have been turned into red calcium dust. Those who received smaller doses of the radiation are slowly decaying, but in the meantime are degenerating into zombie-like savages. Reggie does manage to find her 16-year-old sister Sam (Keli Maroney) alive, having spent the night in their family’s steel-lined storage shed. Soon the girls decide to head downtown in search of other survivors, befriending a truck driver named Hector (Robert Beltram). Meanwhile, a secret organization of scientists starts tracking the girls, though their search for a cure might not necessarily mean keeping the girls alive.
What makes Night of the Comet consistently entertaining is its willingness to buck conventions while simultaneously embracing the kinds of tropes familiar to the horror genre. Writer-director Thom Eberhardt has an obvious affection for horror films, and while Night of the Comet pays homage to past films from that genre, it manages to maintain its own identity. The opening voiceover is an obvious homage to B-movies of the past, but where the film hooks me is during the early scenes in the movie theater. Not only is it a blast to see some old projection equipment on screen, but Eberhardt throws in some very enjoyable pop culture movie references. Movie posters that line the theater walls relate to the film, and a conversation between Reggie and her occasional-fling Larry (Michael Bowen) makes for a clever way to later explain how people managed to survive the comet’s radiation. Larry, the theater’s projectionist, is exactly the type of sleazy moron who would work at the semi-decrepit theater featured in the film; trying to make an extra buck loaning worn-out prints to other theaters and spending the night with Reggie in the booth.
The film features quite a few strong performances. Most notably Stewart and Maroney make for compelling leads with a palpable sisterly connection. Their relationship comes through strongly, even in their first scene talking together over the phone. Eberhardt balances real emotions with humor, making the girls tough enough to know how to shoot semi-automatic weapons, but still reckless enough to take advantage of the recent apocalypse to go on a shopping spree. The casting of Beltram, a self-described Chicano, is perhaps the most interesting example of the film’s willingness to go against the grain. That the primary male character in a film with two female leads is a minority whose race is never called into question or used for much more than a characterization is an interesting choice. It’s as if the filmmakers decided to cast Beltram not because of his race or even his movie-star potential, but simply because he was the best choice for the film. A few other side performances are enjoyable for what they are, but Mary Woronov, as one of the head scientists, doesn’t ever come off quite as menacing as she should.
Night of the Comet is classic 80s science fiction horror. It already has plenty of fans, but Scream Factory’s recent collector’s edition Blu-ray should earn it a few more. Though it is obvious that the film was shot on a budget, the picture quality here looks excellent. Fans of film grain will appreciate the absence of any noticeable DNR, and although the picture occasionally sports elements of dust or dirt, it only adds to the film’s charm. The set features not one, but three commentary tracks, featuring Stewart and Maroney, Eberhardt, and production designer John Muto. There are also three short featurettes, the most interesting of which features Beltram talking about his experience on the film. Two photo galleries and the theatrical trailer round out the features. Fans of the film will likely already know about this release, as Scream Factory has become the go-to home video label for horror favorites such as this, but anyone unfamiliar will at least want to check out their catalogue, which you can find at the Shout! Factory website.