Night Life (1989)

Pretty Good

Must See Movie...

An Exercise In Nonsense

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Another poster called it the Citizen Kane of zombie movies. They were right. It's got some magic in it.If you heard the premise you'd judge this film in advance and in doing so you'd be missing a real horror classic. There's something about it that follows you out of the end. It's scored in a very interesting way, shot in a very interesting way and the whole thing has a dreamlike quality. Scott Grimes was superb in the lead. The very last bit really makes the film. Clever. The whole thing is well written. The dialogue is not hackneyed or trite, it's literate. Watching it I thought the director must have been really hungry because he spun this simple story into something gold.

There are never going to be enough zombie movies in the world. In the eighties it was at it's height, with everything from multi layered franchises to plenty of stand alone gory greetings that pack a punch and keep mutilating even after all these years. Scott Grimes leads the charge in a geeky way as he plays a dweeb in high school whose making ends meet by helping his uncle "Flanders" played by the unflappable John Astin, take care of a funeral home in small town middle of nowhere. His school is ruled by jocks with good genetics who have pounced on 99% of the prime real estate (chicks) in the entire school. One greasy haired diva Cheryl Pollak (pump up the volume) runs a tune-up gas station at the edge of town, she specializes in putting Scott Grimes heart on the lift. Things go wrong for the popular kids in this movie as their mangled in a horrible car wreck. But a little Frankenstein inspired lighting brings'm right back, and the outcome is AWESOME! Now from the point of the accident on, the audience is brought on a hell ride as the recently dead go on a killing spree! The special effects consist of guys wearing flame retardant gear and lots of split open dummy heads, and blood, poured on in the gallons! Lisa Fuller whose career consisted of posing in her bra and panties in plenty of eighties B movies makes an appearance, as do many other noteworthy lost in the fray artists. This one is not on DVD, it's probably online somewhere but i had to buy mine on VHS and it did cost me. Costly but worth checking out.

I have seen this film a few times, the first of which was the day I bought it for 99p from a video store that was closing down. Initailly bought on the back of Scott Grimes sterling work in the first two Critters movies. But what a treat. This not your A-typical zombie flick. Though a lot of the rules have been preserved from the other undead features that have gone before this one adds its own twist. Scott Grimes plays Archie, the assistant to a crotchety old undertaker. Being the loser that he is, naturally he falls for the hottest girl in town who happens to date the local jock, and Archie's sworn enemy. However following a car wreck things change and now Archie must spend the night running for his life as the undead are in pursuit. All in all a good, fun film. It never takes itself seriously without resorting to being stupid. Fans of Return of the Living Dead should check this out!If you liked this movie then I would also recommend another obscure zombie twist with THE VIDEO DEAD if you can find a copy.Also released under the title of GRAVE MISDEMEANOURS!

Forget everything you think this movie is going to be -- it's extremely great. John Astin gives the performance of his career...he doesn't push it at all. This is the Citizen Kane of horror. I'm not kidding -- it's a super terrific film. Don't miss it!