Thrill Me!
Writer/Director Fred Dekker is a hero of mine when it comes to making memorable films. From Night of the Creeps to Monster Squad, Dekker has created some of my all-time favorites. It would be hard to imagine my upbringing without his wicked sense of humor and stylish wit. Thankfully, after waiting a bit longer than I would have preferred, we FINALLY have the Collector’s Edition of Night of the Creeps and, man, it doesn’t disappoint.
But, first, the movie itself. Night of the Creeps begins with an alien shootout in space as two aliens rush to stop a third alien from jettisoning an experiment into space. After several minutes, we come crashing down to earth in 1959. All black-and-white style as a couple watches the experiment come blazing across the sky. Put your head on my shoulder no more! The couple goes off in search of whatever zipped across their field of vision.
And then there is a newsflash as a mental patient, armed with an axe, has escaped from the hospital. Yes, there is a convergence of sorts as the psycho goes after Johnny’s date and Johnny, mouth open, accidentally swallows the alien experiment. Heads will roll!
But that’s only the beginning.
Jump to 1986 as Jason Lively as Chris Romero and Steve Marshall as J.C. wander a college campus and spot Jill Whitlow as Cynthia Cronenberg at a party. It is love at first sight for Romero. And he is willing to do anything to get a chance to talk to her. Even if it means joining a damn fraternity, stealing a corpse, and, well, it sort of ends there . . .
. . . because the cadaver is very much alive. The teens flee in terror, but that doesn’t stop this alien zombie thing from going back to where his night of terror began. You see, the cadaver is, in fact, the boy who picked up the girl in the car so many years before. And he has, of course, that alien experiment inside him. Still.
When Tom Atkins as Ray Cameron is called in to investigate the break-in and the removal of the cadaver, all bets are off. Nailing the wacky spirit of this horror comedy, the cast – including Atkins (who simply kills this performance) – understands EXACTLY what kind of bonkers film they are in. Night of the Creeps is spirited and timeless and, thanks to a witty script, never stops delivering laughs and big, big gore points. The town is on edge and now, thanks to Cameron and his tracking of Chris and JC, only four people know what is going down. Aliens. Zombies. And they must put an end to the chaos.
And now, thanks to Shout Factory’s excellent 4K upgrade, fans of the cult classic have a 2-disc version to scoop up and watch over and over again. Included in this release is the Theatrical Version of the movie and the Director’s Cut, a five-part making of the film, NEW interviews, NEW commentaries, a special look at the career of Tom Atkins, and so much more!
Night of the Creeps has great characters, great chemistry, and great laughs. It is pitch-perfect and, now, thanks to Shout Factory, it has the slip-covered, special supplemental release it so richly deserves. This film is a certified classic of the horror genre.
Amen and hallelujah, this bad ass B-movie finally gets some love in 4K!
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray / Collector's Edition
Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - March 25, 2025
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; three-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free; blu-ray locked to Region A
When an alien experiment goes awry, it crashes to Earth in 1959 and infects a young college student. Twenty-seven years later, his cryogenically frozen body is thawed out by fraternity pledges ... and the campus is quickly overrun by alien creatures whose victims turn into zombies! Fred Dekker's thoroughly enjoyable throwback chiller deftly blends multiple genres and is rightfully hailed as a true cult classic.
VIDEO
With a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, Shout Factory gives fans of this little zombie/alien/slasher genre something to celebrate. The images are crisp and detailed and retain their edges. Framed in a tight 1:85:1 aspect ratio, this 1080p transfer is good, good stuff. Colors are bold. Shadows run deep and the crisp textures in the walls and in the backgrounds of this slasher are focused.
AUDIO
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround sound is perfectly suited for the film. Lots of gooey creature sounds, so be prepared!
Supplements:
There is literally no complaint to be filed here with this release! Check it out below:
Commentary:
- See below for details
Special Features:
DISC ONE (4K UHD — DIRECTOR'S CUT):
- NEW 4K Restoration From The Original Camera Negative Approved By Writer/Director Fred Dekker
- Presented In Dolby Vision
- Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo
- NEW Audio Commentary With Actor Suzanne Snyder And Filmmakers Jackson Stewart And Francis Galluppi
- Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Fred Dekker
- Audio Commentary With Actors Tom Atkins, Jason Lively, Steve Marshall, And Jill Whitlow
DISC TWO (BLU-RAY — DIRECTOR'S CUT):
- NEW 4K Restoration From The Original Camera Negative Approved By Writer/Director Fred Dekker
- Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo
- NEW Audio Commentary With Actor Suzanne Snyder And Filmmakers Jackson Stewart And Francis Galluppi
- Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Fred Dekker
- Audio Commentary With Actors Tom Atkins, Jason Lively, Steve Marshall, And Jill Whitlow
- DISC THREE (BLU-RAY — SPECIAL FEATURES):
- NEW "A New Breed Of Terror: The Films Of Fred Dekker" – A Career Retrospective Interview With The Writer/Director
- Original Theatrical Ending
- "Real Good Plan" – An Interview With Actor Jason Lively
- "The Bradster" – An Interview With Actor Allan Kayser
- "I Vote For That One" – An Interview With Actor Ken Heron
- "Worst Coroner Ever" – An Interview With Actor Vic Polizos
- "Answering The Door" – An Interview With Actor Suzanne Snyder
- "Final Cut" – An Interview With Editor Michael N. Knue
- Horror's Hallowed Grounds – Revisiting The Locations Of The Film
- "Thrill Me!" – The Making Of Night Of The Creeps – A 5-Part Exploration Of The Film
- Tom Atkins: Man Of Action
- Deleted Scenes
- Theatrical Trailer
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 88 mins
Director: Fred Dekker
Writer: Fred Dekker
Cast: Jason Lively; Tom Atkins; Steve Marshall
Genre: Horror | Comedy
Tagline: The good news is your dates are here. The bad news is... they're dead.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Zombies, exploding heads, creepy-crawlies... and a date for the formal. This is classic, Spanky."
Theatrical Distributor: TriStar Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: August 22, 1986
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: March 25, 2025.
Synopsis: Alien brain parasites, entering humans through the mouth, turn their host into a killing zombie. Some teenagers start to fight against them.
