Fuji reviews Night of the Comet

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Fuji Vice

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Night of the Comet



After a comet passes by the Earth one night, two sisters awaken to blood red skies and the realization that the human race has been wiped out. They encounter a rebellious Native American man and take over the air waves at a local radio station in an attempt to get help. After he leaves to find his mother, the two head to the mall for some much needed shopping therapy, only to encounter other survivors with much more sinister plans in mind. They soon come to realize that to survive in this brave new world; you’ll need more than just good looks and a valley girl attitude.



Night of the Comet, released in 1984, is one totally awesome slice of 80’s deep dish pizza pie. No seriously, if you could eat a movie that tasted like the 80’s, it would almost certainly be this one. Full of the style, clothing, music and indeed the very attitude of the times, it exists as a near flawless snapshot of the greatest decade the world has ever known. Now, that doesn’t mean it’s one of the greatest movies ever, but it sure does it’s best to be one of the most memorable. It’s got top notch performances from the entire cast, a story that, while admittedly bizarre, actually works and a healthy dose of humour to boot. On top of that, it’s got FUCKING MONTAGES people! Yeah, that’s right, montages…as if it could possibly get any better than that right? Oh but it can, because it’s also got motorcycles, zombies and chicks with machine guns. Yep, I said chicks with machine guns and y’all better recognize how incredible that is. Holy shit, I changed my mind, I think Night of the Comet may just be the GREATEST MOVIE EVER MADE~! Alright, not really, but it still rocks like a hurricane baby!



"Now that's definitely not rad."

Written and directed by Thom Eberhardt, Night of the Comet is the follow up to his 1983 classic Sole Survivor, AKA the original Final Destination. He also went on to direct the Sherlock Holmes spoof Without a Clue and Kurt Russell vehicle Captain Ron, another pair of excellent little films. Here he abandons the seriousness of Sole Survivor and focuses more on the humourous aspects of a post-apocalyptic world. Sure there’s some survivor guilt going on from time to time, but more often than not it’s all about the fun one can have when they’re in a world that’s basically unoccupied. That alone is cool, but Eberhardt isn’t willing to settle for just that kind of fun. Nope, he also inserts the requisite amount of dangers into this world for our heroes to overcome, yet even these dangers have a mostly comedic edge to them. If ever there were an example of a movie that was totally made to not take itself seriously, it would have to be this one, but the best part is that’s what makes it so goddamn fun! On top of Eberhardt’s excellent script and tight paced direction, his casting was simply brilliant, as he chose some seriously talented people to play the zany characters that occupy the film.



"Robert Beltran...the man...the myth...the...wait, what the hell is he doing here?"

Catherine Mary Stewart is cast in the lead role as Regina, affectionately known as Reggie, and she’s not only hot but also damn believable. She’s always been one of my favourites from the 80’s; having also starred in The Last Starfighter and Weekend at Bernies, but here she does what I consider her best work. She’s got just the right amount of sass that an 18 year old should have, but beneath her tough exterior lies a conflicted person who’s just looking to find her way in the world. Of course that world is now nearly empty and with all of her friends dead, she’s also required to be a little forlorn, which she also handles with ease. Meanwhile, her sister is played by Kelli Maroney, who some horror hounds will remember from the instant classic, Chopping Mall. Maroney is the younger, cheerleader sister and while she’s not required to stretch her acting muscles as much as Stewart is, she still comes across totally believable. They’re joined by Robert Beltran AKA Raoul from Eating Raoul and eventual First Officer of the USS Voyager. Beltran has this undeniable charisma and a look that just won’t quit but he can also act, which he does here to great effect. Most of his work is pretty subtle, but you can’t help wanting to see what he does next; he’s just that cool. Support comes from Mary Woronov (who was also in Eating Raoul and Chopping Mall), Sharon Farrell (Lenore from It’s Alive), Peter Fox (Mother’s Day), Michael Bowen (Buck from Kill Bill) and Marc Poppel (Christine).



"Nothing says creepy clown like a....creepy clown."

When watching a film like Night of the Comet, inevitably the question that comes to mind is "what the hell is this movie all about?" Well, I'll tell you good folks, between the red dust, montages, odd zombie policeman, Santa Claus costumes, creepy mall dwellers, abandoned radio stations and secret underground bunkers, the film, at its core, is about youth empowerment. That's right, the good guys (young people) versus the bad guys (adults). Nearly every adult character has a totally nonchalant and uncaring attitude towards their predicament and that of the rest of the world. Meanwhile, the young people, led by Reggie, fight valiantly to both stay alive and attempt to make some semblance of life for themselves. If there's any sort of message in this movie at all, it's that you can't trust old people so if you're still young enough, step up and save the world, or at least make it better than what it already is. That's actually pretty damn deep for a movie that features everything I've already talked about, but it's clear that Eberhardt is a director that sees things just a little bit differently than the rest of us. It's a truly one of a kind movie that has never been duplicated (and thankfully not remade) so if that's your can of Pepsi Free then check it out and you'll never look back. 7/10.



"Next time...this ain't no ordinary house."
 

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It's my house. Good review Fiji. Haven't seen this in ages. Guess I know what I will be looking for.

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