Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Evils of the Night Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 30, 2016

“Evils of the Night” is co-writer/director Mardi Rustam’s attempt to make a slasher film featuring teenage victims. Only here, there’s a pronounced sci-fi element, and Rustam’s depiction of adolescence appears to have originated from a magazine article on the demographic, basically paring down juvenile antics into two categories: having sex and not having sex. Oh sure, there are aliens and porn stars running around the movie, and the 1985 release is soaked in trends from era, keeping up with the competition as synth stings accompany bloodshed and bare breasts. Rustam may have a grander vision for the effort, but “Evils of the Night” is quite ridiculous in every way, which makes it an incredibly amusing bottom-shelf title that satisfies most requirements for sleaze and stupidity. There’s just something appealing about space vampires and hornball kids relaxing at a local lake. This isn’t a good movie by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s charmingly absurd.

It’s summer vacation for a group of youngsters looking to relax at the beach, retreating to a secluded lake to enjoy the time off. For Ron (Keith Fisher) and Nancy (Karrie Emerson), marriage is only a month away, but the pair is ready to consummate their union right now. Brian (Davis Hawk) is a luckless horndog trying to secure a sexual relationship with big-haired Connie (G.T. Taylor) and sensible Heather (Bridget Holloman). As the teens enjoy themselves, they’re being target for abduction by local mechanics Fred (Aldo Ray) and Kurt (Neville Brand), who collect young bodies, servicing the needs of a unit of space vampires who’ve arrived on Earth to find the cure to mortality, located in human platelets. As outer space scientists Cora (Tina Louise), Zarma (Julie Newmar), and Kozmar (John Carradine) debate procedure and quotas before the invaders are forced to return home, a few of their victims threaten to escape, triggering panic as the teens realize the danger they’re in.

“Evils of the Night” is a cheap-o production, and while the premise promises a certain volatility involving invaders from Mars, the actual film remains pinned down by a tiny budget. The aliens don’t work inside a space ship, they’ve taken over a local hospital, maintaining bed checks and lab work as involuntary blood donors are brought to them by local rubes, rewarded with gold coins they can’t spend until after the visitors are gone. The picture is sci-fi as far as the funky costuming will go, while the veteran actors try to keep a straight face while delivering exposition, including a weirdly elaborate discussion of the make-em-up science behind the vampire mission. Rustam and co-writer Philip Dennis Connors are determined to preserve narrative integrity, which is something to see when the rest of the movie is largely dedicated to photographing naked women.

Rustam knows his audience, and there’s a lot of nudity to keep the target demo satisfied, with much of the first half of “Evils of the Night” surveying couplings in and out of the water, teasing softcore extremes. To make sure there’s enough exploitive gas in the tank, Rustam even hires adult cinema stars Amber Lynn and Jerry Butler to appear in a subplot (which looks like a reshoot to give the picture more skin), spicing up the proceedings with simulated sex and long sequences of amateur sleuthing, with the dim-bulbs actively pursuing noises in the night. The parade of toplessness is right where “Evils of the Night” should remain, basically underlining its intent with a soundtrack cut titled “Boys Will Be Boys,” reinforcing the feature’s mission to titillate and frighten, though horror isn’t quite as prevalent as flung bikini tops. The aliens aren’t menacing, they’re analytical, leaving Fred and Kurt to do all the dirty work as local grease monkeys saving up gold coins to realize their dreams. Ray and Brand aren’t menacing types, keeping “Evils in the Night” low to the ground in terms of chills, but they are a perverted pair, wallpapering the garage with Playboy posters (and a picture of Sophia Loren), while debating if they have time to sneak in a quick sexual assault when they finally claim top dopes Brian, Connie, and Heather, tying them up in the back for later transport. The actors are appropriately loathsome, but they rare seem unstoppable. Then again, the teen trio is viewed earlier in the picture playing a game that involves keeping a hand inside a campfire for as long as possible, so we’re not talking about losing Harvard grads here.

Evils of the Night Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sourced from a 35mm original camera negative, the AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Evils of the Night" is remarkably bright and clear, delivering a clean view of the sci-fi/horror shenanigans. Detail is superb, preserving location distances and pulling out textures on costuming. Facial particulars are sharp and welcoming. Even gore is open for inspection, with misty arterial sprays detected during the viewing experience. Colors are refreshed with precise primaries, favoring heavy reds for bloodshed and greenery is lush. Delineation is stable. Grain is a filmic, with comfortable heaviness at times. Working their magic, Vinegar Syndrome makes the feature look like it was shot yesterday, giving fans a real visual treat.

Evils of the Night Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix goes about as far as technical achievements allow, often hearing the production have trouble separating voices from ambient noise. Dialogue exchanges maintain integrity, handling excited performances to satisfaction. Group activity is managed well. Scoring finds a proper groove, adding a heavier synth presence that doesn't overwhelm the performances. Soundtrack cuts are livelier, delivering welcome instrumentation and steady beats.

Evils of the Night Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview (9:22, HD) with co-writer/director Mardi Rustam is a brief conversation about "Evils of the Night," highlighting the USC grad's desire to make a movie of his own after working as a producer. The chat covers the feature's inspiration, "The Day the Earth Stood Still," and explores casting achievements, with Rustam looking for any names to help sell the feature overseas.

• Alternate T.V. Edit (93:24, SD) is taken from the 1987 video tape, presenting a longer cut of "Evils of the Night," but one that doesn't include the Amber Lynn/Jerry Butler reshoots.

• Isolated Score by Robert O. Ragland is offered.

• Outtakes (24:26, HD) collect set atmosphere and actor frustration with mistakes, presented without sound.

• A T.V. Spot (:32, HD) is presented.

• And a Work-in-Progress Theatrical Trailer (2:28, HD) is included.

Evils of the Night Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Evils of the Night" eventually gets around to outrageous gore and extended chases, with the entire final act devoted to the fates of Brian, Connie, Heather, and Nancy, who are fully exposed to space vampire horrors, racing to save their own lives. It's mildly exciting, but what's curious here is the lack of an ending. Rustam doesn't have a satisfying conclusion to share with the viewer, so the picture merely slaps together something vague before exiting, which is actually more of a blessing than a curse. Brevity is better than inertia, sending "Evils of the Night" off in a hurry, which is a perfect way to conclude a strange movie that's mostly about nubile actresses, the dissection of alien lab results, and Brian's complete inability to score during the trip with his third-grader sense of humor. Rustam is barely keeping this effort together, but it's admittedly fun to watch where it leads.