It’s the start of the Fifth Wonktober Frightfest, it’s SPOOKY TIME!
The last visit by Halley’s Comet was in 1986 and the next visit will be in 2061. It was first documented in 240 BCE in China. As it reappeared through time around every 75 years, humanity has reacted to it with fear and awe, attaching special meaning to what most would only see once. But it wasn’t until 1861 that Edmond Halley noticed that this reappearance was cyclical.
But even as people began to understand what Halley’s Comet was, the fears, the awe, and the conspiracies still held the allure of this icy rock being divine or alien.
The Night Of The Comet opens with this monologue.
Since before recorded time, it had swung through the universe in an elliptical orbit so large that its very existence remained a secret of time and space; but now in the last few years of the 20th century, the visitor was returning. The citizens of earth would get an extra Christmas present this year as their planet orbited through the tail of the comet. Scientists predicted a light show of stellar proportions, something not seen on earth for 65 million years, indeed not since the time that the dinosaurs disappeared, virtually overnight. There were a few who saw this as more than just a coincidence, but most didn’t.
Night Of The Comet happens as Halley makes its 1986 fly-by of Earth, and most people are ready for a party. But a group of well-financed scientists has gone deep into an underground bunker as they prepare to survive the passing of the comet. They know some shit is about to go down but don’t bother to tell anyone outside their group. Maybe they’re hoping to rule over what is left. They kind of sound like techbros. As they wait below, the comet above turns everyone else to red dust. Well, almost everyone.
The comet’s effect seems to be stopped by the walls of a steel room — like the projection room at the local cinema where Regina is spending the night with her boyfriend. The boyfriend steps out and meets a friend for lunch leaving Regina behind to fight off a person who was only partially exposed, and is now a zombie.
Last week’s movie was about vampires that came from Halley’s Comet, this week it’s zombies from Halley’s Comet! Both movies are 1980s flicks.
The 1980s were a special time to be alive. Spoilers ahead.
Regina is a badass 18 year old and she manages to escape on the boyfriend’s motorcycle, heading home to find her younger sister Samantha. Sam has survived by spending the night in a steel garden shed. She is pretty clueless as to what is happening around her, but Regina finally gets through to her. They are both badass teenagers as daddy is a Green Beret and taught them all about self defense and weaponry. They get themselves some guns and head to the radio station where they hope to find another living person.
But they just find a recording. And a truck driver named Hector Gomez who was also looking for other humans. While playing around with the radio equipment they send a signal that is picked up by the scientists underground. Something is not quite right in their meticulously planned bunker, maybe these smart people did something really dumb.
The sisters go on a shopping spree in a mall because girls just wanna have fun of course, even during a zombie apocalypse. Meanwhile Hector has gone to find his mom but he promises to return. The girls run into some pyscho stock boys who have gone all Lord Of The Flies. Meanwhile the scientists are desperate to find the still living, because they need them for survival. They have tricked Regina into going underground but Regina figures out what the scientists are up to and works to escape.
Meanwhile Hector is back and with Samantha’s help they work to free Regina and destroy the mad scientists. They also rescue a couple of young kids. Once free they are ready to start life as a family.
Now humanity starts anew as the zombies have turned to dust and nature has washed it all away with the rain. I am guessing the sewers are going to be kind of gross.
That sort of leads into another 1980s monster flick that would work as a double feature. C.H.U.D. is available for free on all those channels with too many ads and also Prime.
Night Of The Comet stars Catherine Mary Stewart, Kelli Maroney, Robert Beltran, Sharon Farrell, Mary Woronov, Lissa Reynolds, and Geoffrey Lewis. Directed by Thom Eberhardt.
Night Of The Comet is available with subscription on MGM+; free with ads on YouTube, Tubi, and Pluto TV; $3.99 in the usual places.
To make requests and see the movie lists and schedules, go to WonkMovie.
The animated short is When The Day Breaks created by Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby for the National Film Board Of Canada.
Our next Movie Night selection is The Girl With All The Gifts, available for free with ads on YouTube, Pluto TV, Plex, and Fandango; $3.99 in the usual places. (Love And Monsters was originally scheduled but it has very limited availability.)
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BONUS TRIVIA:
Joss Whedon has cited this film as a "big influence" on his original film script of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992), and his famous television series adaptation, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997). Kelli Maroney (Sam) stated: "I remember when that movie came out, because I happened to be walking down Hollywood Boulevard and I saw the advertisement on the side of the bus. '
Buffy the Vampire Slayer'. I just went 'Hey, that's just like Samantha!' I knew it right away... I was asked to do a panel on 'How to Build a Buffy' at a WhedonCon. That's a big honor, to have that kind of influence on culture that goes for more than a decade." (From an interview, "'We Don't Need to Be Rescued' – Kelli Maroney Reflects on 'Night of the Comet' and Inspiring Buffy the Vampire Slayer" by Jason Jenkins for the website Bloody Disgusting, December 7, 2021)
And yes Joss Whedon is an asshole; before someone else says it. FIRST!
Did you see LL Cool J?