Night of the Creeps (1986)

Director:

Fred Dekker

Writer:

Fred Dekker (writer)

Release Date:

22 August 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

If you scream... you're dead.

Plot:

Alien brain parasites, entering humans through the mouth, turn their host into a killing zombie. Some teenagers start to fight against them.

Plot Keywords:

Breakup | Police Detective | Janitor | Prank | Tuxedo

Cast

Jason Lively	...	Christopher 'Chris' Romero
Steve Marshall	...	James Carpenter 'J.C.' Hooper
Jill Whitlow	...	Cynthia 'Cindy' Cronenberg
Tom Atkins	...	Det. Ray Cameron
Wally Taylor	...	Det. Landis
Bruce Solomon	...	Det. Sgt. Raimi
Vic Polizos	...	Coroner
Allan Kayser	...	Brad
Ken Heron	...	Johnny
Alice Cadogan	...	Pam
June Harris	...	Karen
David Paymer	...	Young Scientist
David Oliver	...	Steve
Evelyne Smith	...	House Mother
Ivan E. Roth	...	Psycho Zombie

Also Known As:

Homecoming Night (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

88 min | Germany:85 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Belgium:16 (video rating) | Finland:K-18 (1987) | Germany:16 (cut) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1989) | Iceland:16 | Australia:M | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Norway:18 (video premiere) (1988) | Norway:(Banned) (1986-2003) (cinema release)

Filming Locations:

University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Delphi V Productions

Trivia:

Grafitti on the wall of the men's room where J.C. is trying to escape a number of slugs reads, "Go Monster Squad!". The Monster Squad (1987) was also directed by Fred Dekker.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Cynthia is being dragged away by a zombie, she yells "Brad" over and over. The character she keeps calling out to is Chris.

Quotes:

[answering phone]
Detective Cameron: Thrill me!
Sergeant Raimi: Detective Cameron?
Detective Cameron: No! Bozo the Clown!

Movie Connections:

Features Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)

Soundtrack:

Teen Beat

You'll scream like a banshee!

As i sat with baited breath. Holding in my hand my newly acquired copy of Fred Dekker's directorial debut "Night Of the Creeps" i pondered to myself. I had first watched this wonderful little Sciience fiction horror masterpiece way back upon it's first release on video tape in 1986.

Could the movie still carry such a lofty reputation as it had done all those years since i had last watched it as a teenager hooked on horror movies. Well of course the answer was an unprecedented yes. Still as fresh and funny second time around. Memories lingered in my mind of the many scenes and hip and happening dialogue that sprung forth from the many characters that wandered through this little gem.

As we fade in, we find ourselves transported to an alien spaceship travelling through the galaxy, two little aliens carrying zapper guns chasing a third, who as it happens is possessed by something sinister and is about to launch a canister containing a lethal parasite off the spaceship and off into the unknown and so it begins.

Star of the show for me has to be Tom Atkins playing yet again another one of those grizzled cops, who in his time on the force has seen it, done it, could write a book about it. However for once, unlike his role in "Maniac Cop" He is given many wonderful lines of hard boiled dialogue to chew on.

Ably assisted by a then young and unknown group of young actors, Jason Lively who would later take the lead in one of Roland Emmerich's first movies "Ghost Chase" Also look out for the actress Suzanne Syder way before "The Return Of The Living Dead 2" and "Killer Klowns From Outer Space" in a small and very brief cameo.

Stranger to think that Fred Dekker's career appears to have found it's way into television land, sit back and scream like a banshee at this truly fast and furious romp form the 1980's Then think about this, why can't they make them like this anymore Without any hesitation, 10 out of 10!