Review of Night of the Creeps (1986) by Jonny B — 30 Jun 2011

Over the years, a lot of films have tried to recapture the spirit and style of the 1950's horror films but none of them have succeeded quite as well as "Night of the Creeps". This is a fast-paced, goofy and highly enjoyable film, and despite the mostly unjust "R" rating, it's pretty old-fashioned. In this case, all of the credit goes to first-time director Fred Dekker who makes a big splash here with this funny and wildly entertaining homage to a bygone era.

The two young stars, Jason Lively and Steve Marshall, are very likeable and bring something different to the table. They definitely aren't your typical teen horror movie stars, and they are just one more reason this is such an unique winner. But it's the genre's veteran Tom Atkins who really makes this so memorable with his wonderfully campy, laid-back performance. He's been around for years and it's nice to see him finally get his dues in this cult favorite.

The movie's special effects are campy as well, but in this case, that only adds t the picture's charm. It's not bloody or gory but silly and fun, and it's why I love it so much. The plot is somewhat reminiscent of other pictures, most notably "The Hidden", but it takes the familiar story and makes it its own.

"Night of the Creeps" overcomes the familiarity and a horrible title to become a cult movie that never gets old. This was the start of something big for Dekker until he decided to do a "Robo Cop" film. It's a lot of fun.