Night Slaves

1970's "Night Slaves" is one of those curious little films that, on the one hand, probably won't go down as one of the greatest movies ever made but never the less, does seem to have something deeper going on under the surface. It all begins when businessman Clay Howard (James Franciscus) is seriously injured in an auto accident and as a result, is left with a metal plate in his head and the emotional scars that come from the experience. To make matters worse, he and his wife, Marjorie (Lee Grant), have been drifting apart for some time. So, in an attempt to rekindle, they go on a road trip and come to a small town, where they decide to spend the night. Trouble is, something strange is going on at night; the town's folks are roaming around town like zombies onto trucks and being driven off somewhere! It gets even more troubling when Clay's wife is caught up in the spell as well. He tries but fails to stop her and the next morning, nobody remembers a thing; nobody that is, except Clay. Night after night, this happens and things get even more interesting when a mysterious young woman keeps appearing to Clay while all this is going on. Rather than being scared, Clay finds himself falling in love with this mysterious girl and from there, Clay begins questioning his own life, about whether or not he is truly happy in this life and wondering if all this is the key to changing that. The movie is able to tell its story through good use of night filming, an effective music score, good acting on the part of Franciscus and Grant, and competent writing that examines love, one's place in the universe, and happiness. The film is certainly not perfect, but like I said, there does seem to be something underneath it all that is worth looking at. So, if you get the chance, check this one out on you tube because even small TV movies can have something to say about life. Also starring Leslie Nielsen as the town sheriff. 8 out of 10.

Although I only saw the film once and quite a while ago I remember it to be an entertaining film that had a very interesting premise.

From what I remember of it, I thought that it showed some interesting possibilities in the story line. That a marooned alien spacecraft would use local talent, so to speak, to effect repairs was to me a novel idea. And to have the locals be unaware of their being used was even better.

It put me in mind of "Strange Invaders" which as I recall had a similar idea but the people in that one I think were replaced by aliens who assumed their identities. I like this idea much more as the visitors seemed to be trying to have as little impact as possible on the hometown folks and it fell more in line with the non-interference provisions upheld throughout the Star Trek series and movies.

I would like to see it again, though not bad enough to buy it anytime soon.

Clay and Marjorie Howard (James Franciscus and Lee Grant) stop in a small town to stay at a hotel. When night falls, Clay observes the townsfolk, as well as Marjorie, acting very oddly. The next day, he believes he just had a bad dream. However, he soon discovers that something is really going on, but it defies imagination.

NIGHT SLAVES is a made-for-TV sci-fi movie with a nice mystery to solve. It's sort of an updated version of IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE, with Franciscus in the sleuthing everyman role. There's a conspiratorial atmosphere up until the truth is revealed.

A mostly forgotten film that deserves to be re-discovered...

I saw this movie again very recently for the first time in many years. It is not generally available for purchase. Anyone wishing to see it will have to search far and wide to locate a used copy, most likely recorded from television. The movie is little known and was probably never marketed for purchase.

The movie itself is unremarkable, in terms of its story and presentation. In both story and presentation, "Night Slaves" is similar to other films of the science fiction/paranormal genre that marked this period. Films such as "The People" and "The Stranger Within" are siblings of "Night Slaves," stylistically speaking. All three films have the added distinction of being "made for TV" adaptations. "Night Slaves" is directed in a style that reminds me of sci-fi thrillers of the 1950s. Watching this movie, I am especially reminded of the classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." In keeping with the boundaries imposed by television, the direction of "Night Slaves" is characteristically low-key. Consequently, "Night Slaves" story and style never made and never will make an impact on the viewer.

"Night Slaves" impact on the viewer is primarily in terms of nostalgia. It was first seen by many viewers in their childhood or young adulthood and may very well transport them back to a time many of them remember fondly. A time when, in addition to the ordinary pleasures of childhood, talk of UFOs and aliens from outer space generated a sense of expectancy and adventure not only in the children but in the adults in the family as well.

"Night Slaves" might also be worth viewing if you are a fan of one of the actors. Actors such as the underrated James Franciscus, the stalwart Lee Grant, and the lovely Tisha Sterling are here for viewers' entertainment.

"Night Slaves" is not a movie to shout praise about, but it will evoke often pleasant memories--even if they are corny--of an earlier era of life, when UFOs and beings from outer space caused quite a stir.

So this one middle class businessman seeming type named Clay Howard wants to drop out of the rat race, and after a little celebration, Splat! Ka-pow!, near fatal car crash. He winds up with a metal plate in his head and his wife and he go on a bit of a recuperation vacation. Stopping in a small town, they stay a couple of nights, enjoy pleasant rural company and good food at the local diner, purchase a lovely Art Deco lamp for a song at a local antiques store, then head on their way having experienced a delightful rest in rural Americana. Actually, there's weird sh!t going on. Sorry to disappoint fans of films about cookery and antiquing, this probably isn't for you. Though thinking about it, like cookery and antiquing it does offer some interest and mild thrills, so maybe it is a good recommendation. But yeah, weird sh!t is going on. I have to give Night Slaves some credit, it goes for some thing different to the many devil cult/political conspiracy/murder set up explanations so popular at the time, though not entirely original it does make a nice change. Also interestingly, the mystery of what's going on plays out with intrigue rather than menace, an enticing but inconsequential puzzle that largely avoids the standard escalating paranoid tension. It's a film favouring reason and acceptance, an approach that raises some moral problems that are never resolved but does give it a nicely unconventional yet very much of its time vibe. On the other hand the general lack of tension means that the film is far more likely to bore people, and the actors have to work harder. Happily the cast do well in selling events, James Franciscus may not bring much depth to Clay but his matinée good looks and easy charm make him a pleasant protagonist, and he is neatly balanced out by Lee Grant as his fretful and nervous wife, cagily watching a situation play out that she never even intended getting into in the first place. The two have good chemistry and an effective charge to their more dramatic moments, and the rest of the cast support them well, most notably Leslie Nielsen as the local Sheriff, a sturdy and realistic type who wants no trouble, just to get to the bottom of things, as well as oddball character acting legend Andrew Prine as a local weirdo who ends up playing a bigger role than expected and the lovely Tisha Sterling as a mysterious girl who may hold the key to proceedings. So the cast and the general interest of the film hold it together for a pretty solid 70 minutes or so, but it isn't the most memorable, thought provoking or exciting of films. Probably only recommended to science fiction and made for television buffs, and not at all bad as such, just a little above average.