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Catherine Mary Stewart, Kelli Maroney, Robert Beltran, Geoffrey Lewis, Mary Woronov ... see more see more... , John Achorn , Sharon Farrell , Michael Bowen , Ivan E. Roth , Chance Boyer , Stanley Brock , Devon Ericson , Peter Fox , Karl Johnson , Janice Kawaye , Lissa Layng , Raymond Lynch , Chris Pederson , Bob Perlow , Marc Poppel , Bob Porter , Chris Chesser , Joel Levine , Anna Mathias , Dick Rude , Wilson Camp , Dale E. House , John Stuart West , Andrew Boyer , Alex Brown

In this satirical sci-fi comedy, Samantha (Kelli Maroney) and Regina (Catherine Mary Stewart) are two sisters whose father was a hard-bitten Green Beret, but who've grown into typical Valley Girls. Th... read more read more...ey end up spending the night in a steel-lined room just as a comet passes close to the earth, vaporizing the people in its wake. When Samantha and Regina emerge, they discover that they have the city to themselves, and they begin the shopping spree to end all shopping sprees. En route to the mall, they discover Hector (Robert Beltran), the only survivor they've found so far, and they argue over who gets the last boyfriend on Earth. However, the mall holds an unpleasant surprise -- a small army of zombified stockboys who the gals must battle using an arsenal they shoplifted along the way (while lamenting that "Daddy would have gotten us Uzis!" after a MAC-10 fails to fire). Meanwhile, a cadre of soldiers from a special military experiment have come out of hiding, but it seems that they need fresh blood to survive, and Samantha and Regina look like just the refreshment they need. Cult figure Mary Woronov also appears in a supporting role as a scientist. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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57% liked it

8,382 ratings

Critics

85% liked it

20 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 35 min.

Directed by: Thom Eberhardt

Release Date: November 16, 1984

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DVD Release Date: March 6, 2007

Stats: 688 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (688)

  • flixsterman
    April 7, 2012
    flixsterman
    Campy cult classic that combines post-apocalyptic drama with flesh eating zombies and parachute pants.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    March 21, 2012
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Average tongue in cheek Sci Fi horror comedy, Night of the Comet is an underrated gem for 80's low-budget cinema. Night of the Comet may not be the best horror film of the 80's, nonetheless it's still worth your time. The concept is fairly simple, a comet flies by Earth killing e... read moreveryone aside for a few survivors. They go on a shopping spree, but they come face to face with Zombies, crazy criminals and mad scientists bent on survival. Night of the Comet is really a blend of different styles of horror. The question is, does it work? Yes, it does. But the film does struggle at times at delivering something effective. Despite the uneven script, Night of the Comet is still a fun cheesy sci fi horror comedy that will please fans of 80's horror flicks. Sure the film won't win any prizes, but if you're one of those horror fans that enjoy cheesy horror at its finest, then look no further than Night of the Comet. The film has the necessary elements to make it an enjoyable film, but there's some on-screen material that does fall flat. Despite this, director Thom Eberhardt crafts a good film that will appeal to cheesy horror film fans. Night of the Comet is flawed but loads of fun. If you're a die-hard horror fan and want to spend a night with friends and watch something that's pure cheese, then this is the type of film for you to watch. The plot may be ridiculous, but that goes for every type of film of this caliber. Night of the Comet along with Killer Klowns from Outer Space and Motel Hell is probably one of best examples of good cheesy horror. Don't pass up on this one.
  • ajv2688
    January 17, 2011
    ajv2688
    A teen version of the apocalypse, that's what this is, which may sound bad, but it's so bad it's good. I really liked this movie, and I highly recommend it.
  • lewiskendell
    November 24, 2010
    lewiskendell
    "Hey, I'm sorry if the end of the world makes me a little nervous."

    A lot of 80's movies just have this unique combination of camp and seriousness that I've never seen in flicks from any other era. Sometimes that combination results in a pretty good movie, sometimes it results i... read moren something that's hilariously (and enjoyably) bad, and occasionally the result is an unwatchable mess. I'd say that Night of the Comet is somewhere between the latter two categories. It certainly isn't good, but it had some moments that kept it from being a complete waste of my time.

    The story is amazingly cheesy. A comet approaches the earth (it's implied that the last time it came through, it was responsible for wiping out the dinosaurs). As our planet passes through the comet's tail, the people exposed to it are instantly turned to red dust, or turned into zombies, or they'll eventually turn into red dust. Unless they happen to be enclosed in a steel building as it goes by, like our protagonists are. A pair of teenage sisters find themselves seemingly all alone in Los Angeles the next morning, but they eventually meet both allies and enemies in this empty new world.

    Let's see, there are also evil scientists who want the blood of one of the girls for a vaccine to save themselves (we know they're evil because they wear dark glasses ALL THE TIME), a gang of evil, gun-toting zombies (we know they're evil because they wear dark glasses ALL THE TIME), a random trucker who joins up with the sisters, a bunch of guns and dynamite that comes from somewhere, the obligatory arcade scenes that legally had to be in any movies featuring teenagers in the 80's, and the required cheesy 80's soundtrack. There's your movie.

    I didn't think Night of the Comet was that bad, though it never ascended to the heights of campiness that I hoped to see. The girls are cute in that spandex and heavy makeup kind of way, and once they get their hands on some weapons, the movie virtually turns into Rambo by way of Jem. If you happen to catch this on tv and would like a reminder of how random 80's movies could be, give it a shot.
  • 366weirdmovies
    October 2, 2008
    366weirdmovies
    After a comet destroys 99% of the world's population, a tough usherette and her pom-pom girl sister must fight off various zombies and armed survivors to make their way through a deserted Los Angeles. Fun adventure with a strong female action hero.
  • puffchunk
    May 26, 2008
    puffchunk
    Funny to laugh at the 80's, but one can only laugh at the 80's for so long before you pray for the ending. Still, there is something charming about government scientist's wanting to kill and suck out children's blood and telling them they will spend the rest of their life with S... read moreanta Claus.
  • Stinger839
    February 7, 2008
    Stinger839
    Great "end of the world" and "empty society" scenes. Low on zombies and no real gore, but the two lead actresses are dead-on playing teen sisters raised by a military nut soldier. The story lags a bit in originalty and form towards the middle, but the dialogue is great and the pr... read moreemise of what causes the "zombies" is interesting. Recommended for those who like the "End of the World" subgenre and odd eighties classics. Gorehounds will be disappointed, but the thinking zombie watcher will find some novel parts.
  • jjnxn
    August 4, 2007
    jjnxn
    goofy but kind of fun
  • YosemiteSamFan
    June 13, 2007
    YosemiteSamFan
    Once-forgotten 80's gem of a movie. A strange comet passes over Earth and turns most of civilization to dust, except for those who were shielded from the energy. Two sisters survived by the comet by chance. I love the eerie quiet morning-after scene. Those who were semi-shielded ... read morewere turned into zombie-like mutants. It's a short romp through the deserted streets and of Los Angeles, but then the girls move into an abandoned radio station and things slow down. A handsome dude hears the girls' broadcast and comes to their rescue. They run into gun-toting mall looters and a military research team who want to experiment on them, with a neat ending. I liked it.
  • fb100000440772572
    November 28, 2011
    fb100000440772572
    Nothing brings out the Christmas spirit like a zombie apocalypse. And who better than a pair of teenage high school girls to fight off the armies of darkness. It is, perhaps, the absurdity that makes Night of the Comet such a beloved cult classic. Catherine Mary Stewart and Ke... read morelli Maroney perfectly capture the lighthearted comedic undertone of this campy '80s horror/comedy. Night of the Comet is a fun adventure with thrills, scares, and laughs. "They Came. They Shopped. They Saved the World!"

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Critic Reviews

Variety Staff
June 6, 2007
Variety Staff, Variety

A successful pastiche of numerous science fiction films, executed with an entertaining, tongue-in-cheek flair that compensates for its absence in originality. Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

A good-natured, end-of- the-world B-movie, written and directed by Thom Eberhardt, a new film maker whose sense of humor augments rather than upstages the mechanics of the melodrama. Full Review

Ian Berriman
August 31, 2010
Ian Berriman, SFX Magazine

What really makes Night Of The Comet such a joy isn't the nostalgia rush it provides, but the two central characters. These girls just get on with it, dealing with the apocalypse with resourcefulness,... Full Review

Fernando F. Croce
March 14, 2010
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion

An ingenious, rather enchanting Reagan-era museum piece Full Review

June 6, 2007
TV Guide's Movie Guide

A terrifically witty, refreshingly unpretentious science-fiction film with the least likely and most likable heroines in memory. Full Review

Jeremiah Kipp
March 13, 2007
Jeremiah Kipp, Slant Magazine

his endearingly hokey low-budget B-movie comes with a high nostalgia factor from the Reagan era Full Review

January 26, 2006
Time Out

Suspecting that all this plus the cheerleaders might fail to excite, the film-makers also pack in twenty songs. Full Review

Widgett Walls
November 5, 2004
Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com

Excellent and tasty B-movie psuedo-zombie goodness.

May 24, 2003
Film4

A glorious B-movie that requires a certain amount of appreciation of the genre if you're really going to enjoy it. Full Review

Brian Mckay
March 18, 2003
Brian Mckay, eFilmCritic.com

Campy end of the world movie. Funny in places, but I'd rather see a serious "comet" movie.

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  • in which movie was the following line spoken..... "daddy would have got us uzis"  Answer »
  • She was the live interest in Last Starfighter and the heroine in Night of the Comet. Who is she?  Answer »
  • What was Catherine Mary Stewart's character's name in "Night of the Comet"?   Answer »
  • Catherine Mary Stewart starred in 'Weekend at Bernie's' as well as what following movie?   Answer »
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