Nightbeast (1982)

User Rating:

2.0/10   

Director:

Don Dohler

Writer:

Don Dohler (writer)

Release Date:

November 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The Sci-Fi Thriller Made in Baltimore!

Plot:

Baltimore filmaker Don Dohler does an update on his 1979 film "The Alien Factor" this time only a single...

Plot Keywords:

Small Town | Alien | Camping | Murder | Monster

Cast

Tom Griffith	...	Sheriff Cinder
Jamie Zemarel	...	Jamie
Karin Kardian	...	Lisa Kent
George Stover	...	Steven Price
Don Leifert	...	Drago
Anne Frith	...	Ruth Sherman
Eleanor Herman	...	Mary Jane
Richard Dyszel	...	Mayor Bert Wicker
Greg Dohler	...	Greg
Kim Dohler	...	Kim
Monica Neff	...	Suzie
Glenn Barnes	...	Glenn
Rose Wolfe	...	Glenn's Girl
Jerry Schuerholz	...	Hunter
Hank Stuhmer	...	Hunter

Also Known As:

Night Beast (USA) (alternative spelling)
Terror from the Unknown (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:18 | USA:R | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Amazing Film Productions

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Blood Massacre (1991)

An overall inept affair but does have it's moments

Cult independent director Don Dohler, who also gave unto us such low budget flicks as Fiend and Alien Factor strikes again here with this mildly entertaining homicidal alien flick.

I actually remember my first encounter with this film (or at least the poster for said flick) many, many years ago when it first came out on video here in the UK. I was a wee lad at the time and can still vividly remember feeling a combination of fear and fascination at the site of this bizarre looking shiny suited monster crouching over a dead victim. Cut back to the present and purely by chance I came across the film again recently - well needless to say, I just had to check it out after all these years!

Now armed with adult eyes the first thing that struck me was that the alien featured in this, as another reviewer pointed out, looks not dissimilar to a hairless gorilla! (with a laser gun no less!) - A fact which in all honesty makes it rather hard to take said critter at all seriously or furthermore to emote any fear from (not that the film manages to evoke any sense of tension and/or scares whatsoever anyway).

Aside from said beasties somewhat unfortunate rendering, we are also treated to some pretty risible acting displays, bland characterisations and general tediousness of plotting/pacing. Sounds pretty bad eh? Well, yes it is but credit where credits due - the film somehow remains watchable throughout at least. In fact to be equitable, for a simple 'small town menaced by alien invader' flick, this works about as well as any and even has a healthy splattering of gore to lift the proceedings somewhat.

Certainly far from a classic but does nonetheless have a rather curious nostalgic charm to it, especially for me in fact as I had wanted for so long to find out exactly what the film was I had seen the poster for all those years ago.

Ah, the magic of childhood memories eh?