Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

One Dark Night Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 27, 2017

“One Dark Night” is a horror film originally released in 1983. It is not R-rated. During a time when nearly every genre picture was trying to be the most gore-rific, angriest production around, this little movie plays it relatively calm, joining the likes of “Poltergeist” as a chiller that’s mostly chill, only raising hell periodically. It’s the first feature from co-writer/director Tom McLoughlin, who would go on to rated R shenanigans with 1986’s “Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives,” but here, in his debut, he hopes to channel the world of Roger Corman, trying to create something creepy with a limited budget, setting the effort inside a single location for most of the run time. “One Dark Night” takes an eternity to get where it needs to go, but it’s worth the wait, finding McLoughlin inventive with escalation, getting in a few genuinely eerie moments along the way.

Refusing to be bullied by her high school classmates, Julie (Meg Tilly) is eager to join school gang The Sisters, agreeing to a special initiation challenge that would have her spending the night inside a creepy mausoleum. Sisters leader Carol (Robin Evans) is jealous of Julie, who picked up her boyfriend, Steve (David Mason Daniels), after they broke up, hoping to exact revenge on the mousy teen with an evening of frights she’ll never forget. While Julie prepares for a long night inside eerie surroundings, she’s actually in deeper trouble than she’s prepared to handle, locked inside a building with recently deceased “psychic vampire” Raymar, who’s not ready to enter the afterlife, building up energy behind marble walls. Trying to decode the recent death is Raymar’s daughter, Olivia (Melissa Newman), who, despite protests from husband Allan (Adam West), is ready to confront her family curse, putting critical clues together.

While it definitely delivers a “Phantasm” vibe at times, “One Dark Night” plays mostly like an “After School Special,” more interested in depicting melodrama than hardcore unease. Julie’s real problem isn’t mausoleum exploration, but bullying, growing sick and tired of her classmates and her reputation of spinelessness. She wants to join her enemies in The Sisters, with members Leslie (E.G. Daily) and toothbrush-sucking Kitty (Leslie Speights) unsure what to do with the pledge, while Emily uses the moment to destroy her romantic rival, hoping to woo Steve back. The other side of the movie concerns Olivia learning more about her estranged father’s evildoing, discovering his death involved taking the “bioenergy” of six victims, with world domination on his to-do list. Allan begs her to walk away from the mess, but Olivia won’t listen, determined to get in touch with her own psychic abilities as she fights to uncover the truth.

It’s not a bad setup for “One Dark Night,” but McLoughlin and co-writer Michael Hawes don’t have the money to do much with anything in the picture. It takes 65 minutes for the movie to get going, with most of the viewing experience devoted to Olivia’s research, Carol’s scheming, and Julie’s experience inside the mausoleum, home to creepiness from one end to the other. The sets are impressive and McLoughlin has the right idea, but there’s too much padding, which doesn’t translate into suspense. Surely in such a weird setting, surrounded by the dead, Julie could find a little more to do than sleep and visit a chapel? And Olivia’s contributions are equally flat, engaging in some domestic drama with Allan while putting together a greater understanding of Raymar’s powers and oncoming threat.

One Dark Night Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

A short note from Code Red is included at the beginning of "One Dark Night," apologizing for the lack of pristine materials used to create the AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation. It's good to lower expectations, but the viewing experience is actually appealing with noticeable softness, providing reasonable detail throughout, helping to survey design accomplishments and make-up/undead effects. Facial particulars remain open for study, and costuming retains texture. Wear and tear is plentiful, but not distracting, finding damaged frames, rough reel changes, mild scratches, and speckling throughout. Delineation is adequate, never completely solidifying. Grain is thick but filmic.

One Dark Night Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix delivers a slightly muted listening event, with pronounced humming and popping carrying on throughout the run time. Dialogue exchanges aren't completely smothered, coming through with passable clarity, helping to pinpoint panicky performances. Music also lacks precision, but it supports with adequate volume. Sound effects are blunt but effective.

One Dark Night Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features co-writer/director Tom McLoughlin and co-writer Michael Hawes.

• Commentary #2 features McLoughlin and producer Michael Schroeder.

• Workprint (89:55, SD) presents an early version of "One Dark Night," titled here as "Night in the Crypt."

• Behind the Scenes (38:53, SD) is an impressive collection of on-set footage, showcasing the daily production vibe of "One Dark Night." It's real fly-on-the-wall stuff, capturing key personnel in work and decision mode, with McLoughlin leading the charge as shots are set up and executed, and crew camaraderie solidifies.

• Interview (16:15, HD) with McLoughlin is recorded at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery (where exteriors were shot), but the director doesn't spend much time discussing the ins and out of "One Dark Night." While production origins are shared, McLoughlin veers off into a discussion of his career, which began with theatrical releases detailing cinematic horrors (including "Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives") and ended up on television, where the helmer could offer his take on real-world horrors. McLoughlin seems in a hurry to justify his move to the small screen, playing up successes and artistic freedoms. He also shares his reserved spot in the mausoleum, waiting for his chance to join the community at the cemetery.

• Interview (32:03, HD) with E.G. Daily also doesn't spend much time on "One Dark Night," quickly becoming a career overview with the actress, who shares her "journey" with viewers. She discusses an enormous amount of her filmography, including "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure," "Street Music," "The Escape Artist," and her current run of work with Rob Zombie, including last year's "31." Daily also details her music career, which included a last-minute job opportunity for 1987's "Summer School," where she rerecorded a Debbie Harry song. And there's some discussion of her extensive voiceover accomplishments, which includes tutoring seminars she sells on her website.

• Interview (14:42, HD) with Schroeder is partially shot inside the actual studio space of the mausoleum set, with the producer sharing memories of the bustling shoot, with his actual job assignment occurring a short time before production began. Schroeder is a bit of a character, but he has a few amusing anecdotes, including a showdown with Meg Tilly over enormous monster contacts, agreeing to try on the painful lenses to coax her into compliance. There are a few stories about his time with Paul Bartel, who helped Schroeder with his directorial career. And Schroeder offers some choice opinions on millennial filmmakers who believe they're going to conquer the industry after one year of schooling.

• Interview (18:15, HD) with cinematographer Hal Trussel discusses the creation of mood on the "One Dark Night" shoot, locating mystery anywhere the production could find it. Tricks of the trade of offered, along with a celebration of cast and crew, who put in painful hours to finish the film. And Trussel discusses the brutality of the business, which inspired him to quit and return years later as a writer.

• Interview (10:53, HD) with actress Nancy McLoughlin covers her tiny part in "One Dark Night." However, being involved with the director at the time, McLoughlin stuck around as a P.A., and she shares a horror story about the retrieval of a Sisters jacket from actress Robin Evans, who wasn't about to let the costume go without a fight.

• Interview (10:40, HD) with Craig Stearns is also recorded at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, with the production designer sharing tales of technical challenges. His memory is jogged a bit by the voice of McLoughlin, who's conducting the conversation. Stearns also details his work on "Date with an Angel," which built an entire forest inside a soundstage.

• Interview (17:07, HD) with make-up effects artist Paul Clemens is a basic listing of technical achievements, explaining how ghoulish imagery was achieved.

• Scrapbook (3:28, HD) returns to Clemens, who shares images from his work on collectible horror icon masks and movie creatures.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:16, HD) is included.

One Dark Night Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"One Dark Night" finally explodes in the last act, and it's a glorious awakening of low-fi special effects and shadowy encounters with the recently deceased. McLoughlin comes alive in the finale, piling on gory encounters and Raymar's wrath, with his electrical influence causing all types of troubles for the character, forcing them to fight for their lives. It's a neat conclusion that delivers some reasonable scares and neat visuals, and for those who crave nightmares from the 1980s, the last punch of "One Dark Night" delivers impressive cinematic power. It's a shame it takes so long to get to all the face-melting insanity, but in a rare case for a horror endeavor, it's worth to wait.