SYNOPSICS
Dead of Night (1977) is a English movie. Dan Curtis has directed this movie. Ed Begley Jr.,E.J. André,Ann Doran,Christina Hart are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1977. Dead of Night (1977) is considered one of the best Horror,Mystery,Sci-Fi,Thriller movie in India and around the world.
This anthology tells three stories: one of time travel, one of vampires, and one of a mother wishing her drowned son back to life.
Same Actors
Same Director
Dead of Night (1977) Reviews
Have I got a story for you. Three actually.
From the team who brought us "Trilogy of Terror" comes a follow-up TV produced three part anthology by writer Richard Matheson and director / producer Dan Curtis. Not to be confused with the 1945 version with the same title (which is also an anthology), this TV feature was going to be a pilot for an up and coming TV series that didn't eventuate. The three stories that have been picked are all rather different in tone. Honestly the first two tales really do pale in comparison with the last one and if this one weren't tact on it would be quite a mediocre film. Curtis' sturdy direction is fine, without over-doing anything, but maybe could have used bit more spruce. Although saying that he comes into his own in the final story. Each story (adapted from Henry James' story) written by Matheson has its nice little touch and imaginative edge, but again it's the final one that only clicks and stands-out. There's no real wrap-around story holding these tales together, but it opens with quite an atmospheric beginning to kick off proceedings. 1/ "Second Chance" - (20 minutes) A young man buys an old vintage 1926 Jordan car, which he restores, every single feature, including the original number plates. He takes it out for a drive on an old back road and then finds himself transported back to 1926. There's nothing horrifying about this one, but there's a "Twilight Zone" spin on the material and how things play out. Rather slow-moving and sappy with Ed Begley Jr.'s musty narration adding to the ponderous pace in this stop and go affair. The robust music score was kinda off, but it was exceptionally well shot. Curtis seems to be directing from the script. It's not bad and has an endearing stroke to it, but its quite uneventful and far from intriguing. This one feels rather misplaced compared with the other two. I can't knock that this isn't a smart little fantasy, but it doesn't grip you either. 2/ "No Such Thing as a Vampire" - (20 minutes) A professor living in a mansion in the eastern Europe with his wife, finds out that his wife has bite marks on her neck. He doesn't believe in vampires, but his superstitious servants and the surrounding village think otherwise. A doctor is called in to see her and he notices that the husband also has marks on his neck. This broodingly unusual mystery is a tightly drawn up one idea concept and is shaped by its Victorian settings. It's more suggestive in its set-up and has things going on behind the scenes to throw you off course. Instead it gets rather clunky with a payoff that comes as quite a let down. Not that it wasn't good, just that I was expecting something more from this enliven mystery. Patrick Macnee is good in his sly performance, Elisha Cook Jr. equally so as superstitiously uptight servant. Horst Buchoiz and Anjanette Cormer are reasonably sound. The atmosphere is very bleak and is rallied up by the foreboding music score and flowing photography. 3/ "Bobby" - (30 minutes) A lady is staying alone in a beach house, while her husband is on a business trip. So during one stormy night she decides to perform a magic ritual to hopefully bring back her dead son who accidentally drowned. Nothing happens for a while, but then she hears a knock on the door and there sits a shivering and soaking-wet Bobby. Now this is more like it! Haunting, creepy and truly disquieting is the key to this one. This dark little item was indeed captivating by consistently tightening the screws with controlled suspense and lingering on some spine-tingling images. Curtis paces it briskly and milks it out nicely with sweeping camera movements and a selectively alienating music score. The distinct performances are very impressive by Joan Hackett and Lee H. Montgomery. Montgomery is downright eerie and Hackett is truly fitting as the unhinged mother. It made great use of clichéd devices, like the thunderstorm to generate atmosphere. The close quarters made it thrillingly taut with its encroaching shadows and quiet air. The mind-snapping premise has that ambiguous build up too it and plays around with that feeling where things aren't what they seem, like the second one. This one does leave a lasting impression with its genuinely macabre conclusion. I guess one out of three ain't bad, but again if it wasn't for the splendour packed final segment it wouldn't be worth your time in tracking it down. Still it's worth it if do happen to come by it.
An enjoyable 70s horror/fantasy trilogy
If you enjoy Twilight Zone and Night Gallery, this fine made-for-TV anthology will be right up your alley. It consists of three stories that each hit a different spot on the TZ spectrum, all with screenplays by horror/fantasy veteran Richard Matheson. 1. Second Chance. Ed Begley, Jr. plays a student who rebuilds an old car, which takes him back in time with unexpected results. This is one of those gentle, "what if" episodes that TZ did so well. Don't expect any scares. The original story is by Jack Finney, who wrote two memorable novels on the subject of time travel, and also the classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." 2. No Such Thing as a Vampire features a post-Steed Patrick Macnee as a doctor whose wife is suffering from the symptoms of vampire attacks. This has some scary moments and a very clever ending that would have felt at home on TZ or Alfred Hitchcock Presents. 3. Bobby is the story of a woman who can't cope with the loss of her young son, so she does everything in her power - including occult power - to bring him back. As anyone knows, you always get more than you bargain for when you make deals with the devil! This segment has a stalking terror element that may remind you of Matheson's "devil doll" segment in the earlier "Trilogy of Terror." Of course, there are goofs, and 70s production values (day-for-night photography, etc.). Also awful 70s shag carpets and very obvious stunt doubles. But it's still loads of fun to watch and holds up well. The DVD has loads of extras, including 36 music cues by Dark Shadows composer Robert Cobert, deleted scenes, and a complete, 50-minute pilot called "Dead of Night" that Dan Curtis pitched to ABC back in 1969. You can also Dan Curtis doing a pretty decent Rod Serling impression in his guide track for the opening narrator.
"Bobby" is the best of the three
I saw this movie when it originally aired in 1977. I was only a little intrigued with the first two stories, but it was the third, "Bobby," that gave me nightmares for years. Joan Hackett is excellent (as usual) as Bobby's mother, and Lee Montgomery is equally good as a boy who goes from sweet victim to hellish tormenter. When I saw it again in '82, I was older of course and more cynical, but I found the ending just as frightening as it was the first time I watched it. Damn scary for a T.V. movie, and worth watching when Halloween rolls around!
another cool Matheson-Curtis 70s flick!
This is pretty cool!Richard Matheson and Dan Curtis(NIGHT STALKER,SCREAM OF THE WOLF)again collaborate.This was a failed pilot for a proposed tv series,but the movie can be enjoyed for what it is.There are 3 tales here,with "Bobby",the 3rd story,being the most chilling.Worth a look.
Dead of Night: Below average horror anthology
From Dan Curtis the creator of the Trilogy of Terror movies comes another horror anthology movie and it's best anthology (Of what I've seen) that he did, though that's not saying much. The first tale stars Ed Begley Jr in a car themed time travel effort which is perfectly charming but certainly isn't a horror therefore out of place here. The second stars Avengers (1961) leading man Patrick Macnee in a tale called "No Such Thing as a Vampire" but is there? Fairly clever stuff, though nothing to write home about. The third tells the story of a woman who using the dark arts resurrects her dead son, but he doesn't come back quite the same. Interestingly Curtis remade this for Trilogy of Terror 2 scene for scene and unless I'm too much mistaken used the same audio track for the kid. If you like the Trilogy of Terror films you may enjoy this, for me I found it very underwhelming. The Good: First story is charming The Bad: First story isn't a horror Ridiculous blood color