Children of the Night (1991 film)

Last updated
Children of the Night
Children of the night.jpg
Directed by Tony Randel
Written by
Produced by
  • Norman Jacobs
  • Steven Jacobs
  • Howard Nash
  • Damon Santostefano
  • Christopher Webster
Starring
CinematographyRichard Michalak
Edited byRick Roberts
Music by Daniel Licht
Production
company
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
Language English

Children of the Night is a 1991 American horror film directed by Tony Randel, and starring Karen Black, Peter DeLuise, and Ami Dolenz. Its plot follows a young woman and a local schoolteacher who attempt to rid their small community of vampires that have been inadvertently unleashed.

Contents

Plot

Before going away to college, two childhood friends, Cindy Thompson and Lucy Barrett, decide to symbolically cleanse themselves of the "dirt" of their small town by swimming laps in a flooded, abandoned church crypt. Lucy drops her crucifix, which drifts down onto the submerged remains of an ancient vampire, Czakyr. Czakyr awakes and kills Cindy.

Mark Gardner (Peter DeLuise), a school teacher from a nearby town, gets directed to Allburg by an old friend of his, Father Frank Aldin (Evan Mackenzie). Once there he tries to help Lucy, as she has now become the target of a town-turned-vampires, due to her "virgin blood". Lucy, Mark, and a drunken preacher make camp in an abandoned building outside of town and make plans to fight the vampire army. Utilizing the preacher's "cross mobile" they battle Allburg's entire vampire populace, ultimately taking on the evil Czakyr. Once Czakyr has been killed, the town's folk return to normal, with some complaining of "splinters in their chests".

Cast

Release and reception

Children of the Night had its world premiere at the 1991 Toronto International Film Festival as part of their Midnight Madness program. [2] [3] Jay Scott ( The Globe and Mail ) referred to the film as a standout of the program, referring to the film as "a truly disgusting vampire film - imagine Karen Black in latex makeup, moaning through her rubber fangs". [2]

Related Research Articles

Ami Bluebell Dolenz is an American former actress.

<i>Dracula: Dead and Loving It</i> 1995 film

Dracula: Dead and Loving It is a 1995 comedy horror film directed by Mel Brooks and starring Leslie Nielsen. It is a spoof of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula and of some of the story's well-known adaptations.

<i>Dracula</i> (1958 film) 1958 horror film directed by Terence Fisher

Dracula is a 1958 British gothic horror film directed by Terence Fisher and written by Jimmy Sangster based on Bram Stoker's 1897 novel of the same name. The first in the series of Hammer Horror films starring Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, the film also features Peter Cushing as Doctor Van Helsing, along with Michael Gough, Melissa Stribling, Carol Marsh, and John Van Eyssen. In the United States, the film was retitled Horror of Dracula to avoid confusion with the U.S. original by Universal Pictures, 1931's Dracula.

<i>The Lost Boys</i> 1987 American horror film

The Lost Boys is a 1987 American supernatural comedy horror film directed by Joel Schumacher, produced by Harvey Bernhard with a screenplay written by Jeffrey Boam, Janice Fischer and James Jeremias, from a story by Fischer and Jeremias. The film's ensemble cast includes Corey Feldman, Jami Gertz, Corey Haim, Edward Herrmann, Barnard Hughes, Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland and Dianne Wiest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles L. Grant</span> American novelist

Charles Lewis Grant was an American novelist and short story writer specializing in what he called "dark fantasy" and "quiet horror". He also wrote under the pseudonyms of Geoffrey Marsh, Lionel Fenn, Simon Lake, Felicia Andrews, Deborah Lewis, Timothy Boggs, Mark Rivers, and Steven Charles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midnight movie</span> Film genre

The term midnight movie is rooted in the practice that emerged in the 1950s of local television stations around the United States airing low-budget genre films as late-night programming, often with a host delivering ironic asides. As a cinematic phenomenon, the midnight screening of offbeat movies began in the early 1970s in a few urban centers, particularly in New York City with screenings of El Topo at the Elgin Theater, eventually spreading across the country. The screening of non-mainstream pictures at midnight was aimed at building a cult film audience, encouraging repeat viewing and social interaction in what was originally a countercultural setting.

<i>Nosferatu the Vampyre</i> 1979 film by Werner Herzog

Nosferatu the Vampyre is a 1979 gothic horror film written and directed by Werner Herzog. It is set primarily in 19th-century Wismar, Germany and Transylvania, and was conceived as a stylistic remake of F. W. Murnau's 1922 German Dracula adaptation Nosferatu. The picture stars Klaus Kinski as Count Dracula, Isabelle Adjani as Lucy Harker, Bruno Ganz as Jonathan Harker, and French artist-writer Roland Topor as Renfield. There are two different versions of the film, one in which the actors speak English, and one in which they speak German.

<i>Taste the Blood of Dracula</i> 1970 film by Peter Sasdy

Taste the Blood of Dracula is a 1970 British supernatural horror film produced by Hammer Film Productions. Directed by Peter Sasdy from a script by Anthony Hinds, it is the fifth installment in Hammer's Dracula series, and the fourth to star Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, the titular vampire. The film also features Geoffrey Keen and Gwen Watford.

<i>Dracula 3D</i> 2012 Italian film

Dracula 3D is a 2012 vampire horror film co-written and directed by Dario Argento and starring Thomas Kretschmann, Rutger Hauer, Marta Gastini, and Unax Ugalde. An Italian-Spanish-French co-production, the film is Argento's first 3D film. Kretschmann took the role of Dracula; he later played Abraham van Helsing in the Budapest-shot television series Dracula.

<i>Commander USAs Groovie Movies</i> American movie showcase series

Commander USA's Groovie Movies is an American movie showcase series that ran weekend afternoons on the USA Network.

<i>The House That Dripped Blood</i> 1971 British film

The House That Dripped Blood is a 1971 British anthology horror film directed by Peter Duffell and distributed by Amicus Productions. It stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Nyree Dawn Porter, Denholm Elliott, and Jon Pertwee. The film is a collection of four short stories concerning a series of inhabitants of the eponymous building. All of the stories were originally written, and subsequently scripted, by Robert Bloch.

Nicolas Falacci is a television writer and producer. Along with his wife and writing partner Cheryl Heuton, he co-created the television series Numb3rs (2005). Falacci and Heuton won the 2005 Carl Sagan Award for Public Understanding of Science award for the show's popularization of mathematics. Falacci also wrote the story and screenplay for the 1991 horror film Children of the Night, starring Karen Black and Peter DeLuise.

<i>30 Days of Night</i> (film) 2007 film by David Slade

30 Days of Night is a 2007 American action horror film based on the comic book miniseries of the same name. The film was directed by David Slade and stars Josh Hartnett and Melissa George. The story focuses on an Alaskan town beset by vampires as it enters into a 30-day-long polar night.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samantha Juste</span> British model and television presenter

Samantha Juste was a British model and television presenter who appeared in the mid-1960s as the "disc girl" on the BBC television programme Top of the Pops. In 1968, she married Micky Dolenz of the Monkees. Their daughter is actress Ami Dolenz.

<i>The Midnight Hour</i> 1985 American comedy horror film

The Midnight Hour is a 1985 American made-for-television comedy horror film directed by Jack Bender and starring Shari Belafonte-Harper, LeVar Burton, Peter DeLuise, and Dedee Pfeiffer. Its plot focuses on a small New England town that becomes overrun with zombies, witches, vampires, and all the other demons of hell after a group of teenagers unlocks a centuries-old curse on Halloween.

Deafula is a 1975 American horror film utilizing American Sign Language. A voice over was provided for those who do not understand sign language. The film starred Peter Wechsberg, who also serves as director and writer, under the pseudonym Peter Wolf. It was the first American Sign Language feature film ever made.

<i>Cooties</i> (film) 2014 American horror comedy film by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion

Cooties is a 2014 American zombie comedy film directed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion from a screenplay that was written by Ian Brennan and Leigh Whannell. It stars Elijah Wood, Alison Pill, Rainn Wilson, Jack McBrayer, Whannell, Nasim Pedrad, Brennan, and Jorge Garcia as a group of elementary school employees who fight to survive an outbreak among students that turn them into aggressive zombies when someone eats chicken nuggets that contain a virus.

<i>Preacher</i> (TV series) American television series developed for AMC

Preacher is an American supernatural adventure television series developed by Sam Catlin, Evan Goldberg, and Seth Rogen for AMC starring Dominic Cooper, Joseph Gilgun and Ruth Negga. The series is based on the comic book series Preacher created by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon and published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. The series was officially picked up on September 9, 2015, with a ten-episode order which premiered on May 22, 2016. The series was renewed for a fourth and final season, which premiered on August 4, 2019 and concluded on September 29, 2019.

<i>Vampire Hookers</i> 1978 Filipino film

Vampire Hookers is a 1978 sexploitation horror film directed by Cirio H. Santiago and written by Howard R. Cohen. An international co-production of the Philippines and the United States, the film stars John Carradine as a vampire named Richmond Reed, who recruits three female vampires who pose as prostitutes in order to lure victims to their lair. The other members of the cast include Bruce Fairbairn, Trey Wilson, Karen Stride, Lenka Novak, and Katie Dolan.

References

  1. Willis, Donald C. (1997). Horror and Science Fiction Films IV. Scarecrow Press. p. 81. ISBN   0810830558.
  2. 1 2 Scott, Jay (September 6, 1991). "Sweet 16 and Ready to Roll". The Globe and Mail . p. C1. ISSN   0319-0714.
  3. Salem, Rob (August 15, 1991). "Midnight Madness Strikes Festival Again". Toronto Star . p. B3.

Further reading