Night of the Comet is a wonderful genre film of the early 80s. Whether you choose to see it as an intelligent homage or parodies to 50s and 60s B-movies or just a bit of a laugh to watch, it’s still a great film.
I watched it when I was about 14 and to this day I’ve not forgotten it but neither have I ever seen it again. It’s one of those films that you see once and never forget. I’m not even sure if it was ever on VHS and we’ve had to wait over 25 years for it to be released on DVD. But it was worth the wait.
Writer/director Thom Eberhardt’s script is clever and extremely well-informed with nods to, and borrowings from, the post-apocalyptic classics of the 50's and 60's.
It’s really got everything that you would want from an 80s movie – zombies, crazed scientists and hostile packs of ravaged survivors looking to loot, steal and kill.
As a comet passes the Earth two high-school teenagers who slept in the safety of a cinema projection room wake up the next morning to find radiation from the passing comet has killed everyone and turned them into little piles of red dust.
The girls are 80s valley girls through and though and as a result are still obsessed by fashion and musical tastes rather than survival! Wear a torn skirt? – I’d rather be dead! You might well be, watch out for that flesh-eating zombie you silly tart!
Catherine Mary Stewart and Kelli Maroney are a delight to watch and whilst I don’t think I’ve ever heard of them starring in anything else they are still good value for money in the lead roles. Plus the film also stars Robert Beltran – from Star Trek Voyager!
While it’s a homage to earlier films it’s also a template, or forerunner, of more recent films such as Shaun of the Dead, 28 Days Later or even 2009’s excellent Zombieland.
Indulge your passion for 80's B-movies. Let’s hope that someone releases Class of Nuke ‘Em High next!
