Drive-In Dust Offs: NIGHT OF THE COMET (1984)

Post-apocalyptic films were a dime a dozen in the early ‘80s. They were almost always done on the cheap – a small cast of a few survivors, a barren desert and some rags for wardrobe, and voila! Throw it on HBO for a few years and call it a day. But sometimes ambition seeps in, and Night of the Comet (1984) is one of the best examples of low budget ingenuity, smart, sharply drawn characters, and a whole lot of heart. When the aliens return to take back the earth (do you want to claim responsibility for this freak show?) and wish to be shown a film indicative of the ‘80s, show them this – it represents all the best qualities of the decade’s filmmaking.

Distributed by Atlantic Releasing Corporation in mid-November, Night of the Comet brought in over $14 million against a $700,000 budget, making it an indie success with audiences and critics alike. And as sure as I was charmed by a super cute sales girl into spending fifty bucks on a pair of rope tied Guess Jeans during that time in my life, you’re guaranteed to be charmed by this disarming comedy that tips its hat to everything from The Omega Man to Dawn of the Dead to Valley Girl. (No Jethro Bodine jeans, though. That sales girl told me EVERYONE would be wearing them.)

Our story begins in L.A., shortly before Christmas, as Earth is about to pass through the tail of a comet, something that hasn’t occurred in 65 million years, since you know, the dinosaurs were eradicated. (Hint, hint.) Sisters Reg (Catherine Mary Stewart – The Apple) and Sam (Kelli Maroney – Chopping Mall) can’t be bothered with the worldwide hoopla; Reg, stuck at her job at the movie theatre, has sex with her boyfriend in the projection booth, and Sam heads for the shed after her nasty step mom socks her in the face during her comet party. When the two teenagers wake up the next morning, no one is around, and the sky has a lovely purplish hue (not one of the L.A. skyline’s normal colors, I don’t think). They head to an abandoned local radio station, where they run into another survivor, Hector (Robert Beltran – Eating Raoul), and accidentally transmit to a military base filled with sick scientists (Mary Woronov, Geoffrey Lewis) just itching to get their hands on some healthy specimens to create a cure. Before long our heroines have to deal with not only comet carnivores, but a government that wants them as guinea pigs. Can they fend off the zombies, and the imminently undead government officials (are there any other kind?), and get back to their normal life of boys and shopping?

That last statement may seem flippant or condescending, but those ideas are built right into the basic premise. Yet writer/director Thom Eberhardt (Sole Survivor) manages to raise the already shopworn “Valley Girl” trope above simple pandering to the teenage market for cheap laughs. How does he do it? Well, you may want to sit down for this – he makes them three dimensional characters. (I know, right?) Sam and Reg aren’t given the standard catch phrases of the day (“gag me with a spoon”, “grody to the max”), nor are they written as passive characters – make no mistake, these are your leads, and they are badass, trained in hand to hand combat and weapons use by their father currently serving overseas. (And if you think daddy is going to show up to save the day, you’ve once again stepped into the wrong film.)

Night of the Comet comes at you from a surprisingly humanistic and low key level; of course the budget is a factor – other than the magenta laced sky, we get some decent zombie makeup, a bit of action at the mall and the military base, and that’s that – but Eberhardt uses his limited funds to deal with the girls’ adjustment to the new world through humorous dialogue and character insights that wouldn’t be able to dig as deep if the screen was glutted with action. Which isn’t to say this is Masterpiece Theatre; we are dealing with the annihilation of the human race here, but in a Home Alone, rule the roost way catering to every ‘80s kid. Want to play that arcade video game until your fingers bleed? Knock yourself out. How about a shopping spree where money isn’t a concern? Dive in. This freedom caters specifically to the adolescent and teenage crowd – I’m sure I had thought what it would have been like once (or twice) if my folks turned to red dust – but plays just as well for grownups. Escapism isn’t just for the young; we all have the desire to indulge ourselves from time to time.

Happily, watching the film now isn’t just some nostalgia fueled, MTV trip. Yes, all the trappings are there; that fashion (I’m THROWING OUT those jeans, cute sales girl!), glorious wall to wall synth rock, and visuals inspired by (insert your fave band music video here). And if this was all the film offered it would be, well, Solarbabies. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) But Night of the Comet sets itself apart because it’s almost completely based around the characters and performances of Stewart and Maroney as Reg and Sam, respectively. Reg is the more emotionally reserved and guarded of the two; Stewart brings a real strength to the character – if you only know her from Weekend at Bernie’s or The Last Starfighter, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see her putting zombies down with a sure footed authority (and of course looking incredible while doing it – but that’s a given). Younger sister Sam is the showier part, with a more interesting story arc, and Maroney brings such life and giddiness to the role she practically twirls off the screen (and looking effervescent while doing it – but that’s a given too). The two actresses compliment each other brilliantly, and Eberhardt fills his roster with genre stalwarts like Lewis and Woronov, who each have strong moments, played beautifully.

Eberhardt’s background with PBS documentaries surely affected his filmmaking; Night of the Comet has a very clear idea of what it is, and isn’t gratuitous in the least – but boy oh boy is it a joy. The secret may be that he really loves these two young ladies; whether they’re dancing through the mall or kicking zombie ass, they’re never just symbols of their zeitgeist or flashy fodder for teenage boys (or girls) to ogle. Instead, they’re two of the most winsome characters to grace the decade, in or out of the horror genre. Nostalgia may draw you back to Night of the Comet; but when you get there you realize it’s just as fresh now as a timeless power ballad or the exhilaration of a first kiss - and considerably fresher than an overpriced pair of hillbilly jeans.

Night of the Comet is available on a Blu-ray/DVD from Scream Factory (US/CA) and Arrow Video (UK).