Night of the Creeps Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Night of the Creeps Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 27, 2016

Fred Dekker's "Night of the Creeps" (1986) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Australian distributors Umbrella Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; audio commentary with director Fred Dekker; audio commentary with cast members; deleted scenes; making of featurette; trivia track; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

"So fire when I do, okay?"

Fred Dekker’s directorial debut, Night of the Creeps, feels like one big exotic cocktail. It blends a lot of different flavors and the end result simply isn’t something that can be recommended to everyone. Still, at the right time and with the right company one could end up enjoying it.

In the short prologue, which is set sometime during the ‘50s, an alien ship releases a large container with some dangerous slugs in it. The container lands on earth and the slugs enter the body of a notorious killer. Ray Cameron (Tom Atkins), a rookie cop, shoots the killer and a group of scientists freeze his body in a laboratory.

During the ‘80s, college nerds J.C. (Steve Marshall, Justice Denied) and Chris (Jason Lively, National Lampoon's European Vacation) decide to join a popular fraternity in order to impress the beautiful sorority girl Cindy Cronenberg (Jill Whitlow, Ghost Chase). Shortly after, they are asked to steal a corpse from the same laboratory and place it in front of the fraternity house. With a bit of luck the two friends get in and then accidentally unfreeze the body of the killer -- and with it the dangerous slugs that have been hiding in it. In the ensuing chaos, Detective Cameron, who now has a serious drinking problem, is called to restore order.

There is energy in this film that reminds of Quentin Tarantino’s work. Indeed, it quickly changes its tone and heads in different directions without worrying much about the classic genre rules most similarly themed films try to respect. This makes it look somewhat attractive even when these changes become predictable.

What is missing is the quality writing that makes Tarantino’s work memorable. Dekker, who also wrote the script, borrows elements from five, possibly even six classic films but rather than producing something special basically ends up rearranging them in a variety of different ways until the final credits roll. The fact that Dekker did not have a massive budget to work with is also difficult to ignore. Especially during the third act, where the majority of the more graphic action sequences are, the special effects frequently look very cheap.

Atkins’ alcoholic is the only character that is truly worth rooting for, but he does not get the respect he deserves. Instead of following closely J.C. and Chris, Dekker should have made him the star of the film and given him the freedom to go crazy with his rifle. It is odd that Dekker did not realize it because he is the only person who repeatedly has the best lines and makes everyone around him look much better.

The diverse soundtrack features a number of top tracks that work great for the intended atmosphere. Amongst them are “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” by The Platters, “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” by Paul Anka, “Let Go” and “Flame On” by Intimate Strangers, “Blue Kiss” by Kane Wiedlin, and “Drive, She Said” by Stan Ridgway.

Umbrella Entertainment’s Blu-ray release of Night of the Creeps features the Director’s Cut of the film, which is approximately 90 minutes long.

Night of the Creeps Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Fred Dekker's Night of the Creeps arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Umbrella Entertainment.

The release has been sourced from a pre-existing master -- almost certainly the same master Sony Pictures used a few years ago for its Blu-ray release in the U.S. -- but the film looks quite good in high-definition. Excluding some very small fluctuations during the darker sequences where shadow definition could be better, depth and clarity are typically quite good. Fluidity is also very nice. Contrast and sharpness levels remain balanced. Grain is visible and does not appear manipulated, though ideally it should be better exposed and resolved. Colors are stable and natural, but some nuances could be expanded. Overall image stability is excellent. There are no age-related imperfections -- large debris, cuts, damage marks, and stains have been removed as best as possible. So there is some room for marginal improvements, but the film does have a stable organic appearance and looks very healthy. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to access its content regardless of your geographical location).

Night of the Creeps Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I thought that the lossless track opened up the film quite well in all the right places. Perhaps some minor rebalancing adjustments can address some sporadic flatness, but overall balance and dynamic intensity are very good. The dialog is clean, stable, and always easy to follow. There are no pops, audio dropouts, or digital distortions to report in our review.

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

• Trailer - original theatrical trailer for Night of the Creeps. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Deleted Scenes - a gallery of deleted scenes. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Original Theatrical Ending - in English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Fred Dekker Interview - in this long and very informative interview, Fred Dekker recalls how the idea for Night of the Creeps emerged, the profiles of the different characters (with some excellent comments about the the alcoholic played by Tom Atkins), the balance between comedy and horror, the visual style of the film, etc. In English, not subtitled. (32 min).

• Tom Atkins: Man of Action - in this video interview, Tom Atkins discusses his acting career and his involvement with Night of the Creeps. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).

• The Making of the Creeps - this long documentary feature focuses on the production history of Night of the Creeps. Included in it are clips from interviews with Fred Dekker, Jill Whitlow, Steve Marshall, Tom Atkins, editor Michael Knue, and producer Charles Gordon. In English, not subtitled. (60 min).

• Trivia Track - the track can be accessed through the special features section.

• Audio Commentary with Fred Dekker - in this archival commentary, director Fred Dekker discusses in great detail how various sequences where shot, the different special effects and editing choices, the stylistic influences (Hitchcockian overtones), the diverse soundtrack, etc.

• Audio Commentary with Cast - in this archival commentary, Steve Marshall, Jill Whitlow, Tom Atkins, and Jason Lively discuss the characters they play, how different sequences were shot, the film's reception, etc.

• Cover - reversible cover with original poster art.

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

Fred Dekker should have made Tom Atkins' alcoholic detective the star of Night of the Creeps. He would have ended up with a more cynical film, but a much better one as well. As it is the film feels a bit uneven -- it seems to have a vague idea of what it wants to be, but at the end only its energy leaves a lasting impression. This new Blu-ray release of Night of the Creeps from Australian distributors Umbrella Entertainment features the Director's Cut of the film and has a very nice selection of supplemental features. Its fans will be thrilled. RECOMMENDED.