'Wonder who that could be?'
Welcome back to my Dark Corner of this Sick World.
‘Believe me you’re gonna regret this’
We’re looking at Nightbeast, an early 80s alien rampage movie made on a shoestring budget,
‘I just can’t imagine who would do something like this’
I can,
‘George Michaels’
That seems like a long shot, I was thinking of…
This is the 3rd Don Dohler film we’ve reviewed
and there is always a measure of affection mixed with the condemnation because,
however bad the films are, God love him he’s trying.
And you do usually get a good-looking alien monster.
Now in the other Dohler films we’ve reviewed the alien motivation is a grey area –
there’s violence, but more going on.
By contrast.
Nightbeast isn’t messing about.
In just over 15 minutes the alien clocks up 13 onscreen kills - some gory,
others using a gun,
that fascinates Sheriff Cinder,
‘I don’t know what kind of weapon that thing is using but I want it – otherwise we don’t have a chance in hell’
I see your point, get the gun and he can’t kill anyone but… isn’t that also the case if he’s dead?
‘Why don’t you just blow the thing’s head off, Dad?’
‘Get the weapon 1st, then blow the thing’s head off’
Really seems like you’re making things hard for yourself.
Okay you got the gun, will that stop the creature killing people?
It will not.
‘I can’t handle this’
This movie takes place in Dohlerland, a corner of 1980s smalltown America that is forever a 1952 B movie,
a place where every make out session is interrupted by an alien,
‘Do you hear that’
Where scientists wear their lab coat out in the forest because, how else would you know they’re a scientist,
'Want me to take some these ashes and analyse them'
'No we don't have time for that now.'
Where every biker is a bad dude called Drago.
‘You know what I say Sheriff; go to hell’
Where the fact that...
‘Guns have no effect on that thing’
doesn’t stop you from shooting at it,
and where everybody splitting up to wander around on your own in the darkness waiting to get killed is a perfectly valid tactic.
It does display some influence of more recent films,
‘I’ve got this party for governor Emery here this afternoon’
Every post-Jaws horror film has a mayor with something better to do than worry about the gory deaths of large numbers of their citizenry.
in this case, a pool party.
Should also mention the subplot in which Drago kills hero Jamie’s girl,
Jamie tracks him down and…
Now we’re even. Because killing or arresting you would be inconvenient for the climax.
‘That’s not funny’
There’s also the obligatory love scene.
'What are you doing?'
'I'm going to get a shower.'
Well this is a very natural interaction between two people,
‘What the hell was that’
I think the problems with this and most Dohler films can be summed up by looking at one scene,
as a pair of doctors cower in the cellar from the creature above.
It breaks through the door.
Which is apparently made of kindling,
the creature enters the basement.
Okay, it doesn’t look to me as if they’re well hidden but as long as they keep quiet,
'I've got an idea, stay right here,'
I really feel like it should have noticed them,
certainly when he gets up and crosses the room.
At this point the creature is just politely waiting while he sets a trap,
Slowly.
Oh there you are.
Scary monster, people trapped in the basement, it’s not original but there’s no reason this shouldn’t be tense,
‘Hey, I’m scared to death’
And yet it’s not. And that’s Don Dohler, budget is an issue from time to time,
but really it’s the right idea, let down by the execution.
‘This isn’t my idea of fun’
Thanks for watching, see all our alien views here.
Who are the directors you know are bad, but you kind of like them anyway?