User reviews

Bob Clark was such a fantastic and visionary filmmaker during the early 70's and directed no less than three very important and hugely influential horror movies in a row. Unfortunately, he reverted to making lame & mainstream comedies during the 80's and 90's and - even more unfortunate of course - was his untimely death earlier this year 2007 as a result of a car accident. But back then he definitely was the man, because he was single-handedly responsible for one genre-defining slasher ("Black Christmas"), one playful yet creepy zombie classic ("Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things") and then this one: a unique and genuinely intriguing horror-sleeper. "Deathdream" is primarily an unsettling shocker, but it definitely also qualifies as a subtly powerful anti-war protest and even as a depressing middle-class family drama. Right from the excruciatingly sober opening credits, showing the frozen image of a soldier dying in agony after taking a bullet in the chest, you immediately realize this won't become just another outrageous splatter flick with zombie-soldiers and gratuitous massacres. Rightly so, because the story then cuts to the dinner table of a seemingly random American family who are very busy making plans for when their son Andy returns home from Vietnam, and you literally sense tragic news is about to knock them down. Andy is indeed reported killed in action shortly after, and the drama affects both the parents differently. Especially the mother refuses to accept her beloved son's departure and stays up entire nights, praying & wishing for Andy to come home. And then suddenly he DOES come home … but not as his family and friends remember him. Andy doesn't talk or eat, he spends the whole day in a rocking-chair whilst staring in the distance and his body rapidly starts decomposing if not regularly supplied with fresh doses of human blood!

Andy Brooks isn't just a pitiable character in a 70's horror gem. No, he presumably represents every young soldier who reluctantly enlisted to serve in Vietnam, only because their fathers and the small-town communities they lived in expected them to. Rather than to feast on the blood of innocent bystanders, Andy returns to raise feelings of guilt and anguish among his former friends and particularly his dad. "Deathdream" clearly features some harsh social undertones, and they're magnificently supported by the realistic characters (and, respectively, the terrific acting performances). The relationships between Andy's mother, Andy's father and Andy himself are perhaps the best achievement of the entire film. The pacing is quite slow, but it works efficiently, and the overall ambiance of "Deathdream" is very creepy. The images of Andy in his rocking-chair (complete with screeching sound) and his grimaces when chocking the family dog in front of several young children are unforgettable. Considering the main themes and, undeniably, the budgets Bob Clark disposed of, you shouldn't expect a lot of gore, but still there are some nasty and convincingly unsettling make-up effects to enjoy. If they weren't interested just yet, all horror fans will unquestionably want to see the film because it marked Tom Savini's debut as a SFX-guru. In my humble personal opinion the ending could have been a bit better and less abrupt, but that's just a small detail. This film ranks high amongst the best genre achievements of the 1970's and it's fundamental viewing for all fans.

A young soldier called Andy is shot and killed in action, not mentioned by name but presumably in Vietnam. His family are notified of his death but then he appears at their house, only his personality has been drained and he has a murderous craving for human blood. He has become some kind of vampire/zombie hybrid, he has no fangs and sunlight doesn't burn him up, however he physically deteriorates over time and towards the end he turns into a monster. Quite how this all came about is not explained, other than his mother wishing him to come home. This was my first viewing and despite an initial doubt I was very impressed, the movie is genuinely unsettling and frightening. Director Bob Clark also made the classic "Black Christmas", both released in 1974, and the two movies use the same creepy music. Tom Savini did the special effects, which are pretty gruesome. And I will point out that this was made several years before George Romero's modern vampire movie "Martin" (1977). Highly Recommended.

This is a horror film that expands the boundaries of the genre.

Put simply, it is a film about a dead man walking, but this dead man "died" in Vietnam before he returned home and his unexpected arrival opens many wounds within his family and amongst old flames and acquaintances.

Director Bob Clark is not satisfied depicting returned vet "Andy" as a zombie. Although he does crave human flesh and speaks infrequently, part of the film's charm is the reaction of people to the dead man's less-than-chipper mood.

Shots of Andy rocking like an autistic child are priceless, as is a "conversation" Andy has with the mailman who laments the returned boys "we should have lost". The family pet is not exactly Andy's best friend anymore, either.

John Marley as Charles Brooks, Andy's dad, is really great here. Although he tries hard to accept the new Andy, we really experience his gradual realization and disappointment that Andy is not the same Andy anymore.

Jim Backus is brilliant as the undead vet. He uses his voice to convey Andy's apparent indifference to life back home and adopts a strange, somnambulistic gait.

Technically adequate for a low budgeter, the film's richness of character and situation never shifts our attention to any production deficits.

One of the best horror films ever.

Truly creepy and, ultimately, very sad.

When the twenty-one year-old soldier Andrew "Andy" Brooks (Richard Backus) is murdered in Vietnam, his mother Christine (Lynn Carlin) is summoning him asking him to come back home. Andy is the pride and joy of Christine that has eyes only for him. When the Brooks family is having dinner, they receive an Army´s letter telling that Andy died in the war. However a couple of days later, Andy arrives at home late night surprising his father Charles (John Marley), his sister Cathy (Anya Ormsby) and Christine. In the same night, a truck driver that is giving a rider to a hitchhiker is murdered in his truck. Soon Charles suspects that Andy is the killer and he has a conversation with his friend Doctor Allman (Henderson Forsythe) that agrees with him. Does Andy really come back home?

"Dead of Night" is a creepy and depressing horror movie directed by Bob Clark. The story is sad, with family, friends and girlfriend missing a twenty-one year-old missing in Vietnam. His return as an undead killer is depressing and bringing tragedy for those who loves him. Richard Backus is creepy in the role of Andy. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Sonho de Morte" ("Deathdream")

Before I get into the review, here are my ratings for the movie.

The story gets 1.25 out of 2: The Direction a 1.25: The Pacing receives a 1.25: While the Acting gets 1.25: And my Enjoyment level earns a 1.5 out of 2: This brings the total for Dead Of Night to 6.5 out of 10.

What a wonderful surprise this movie turned out to be. It's a basic story, filmed in an average style, with above-par acting. But it's so enjoyable. Dead Of Night is one of those films that has that particular indeterminable something, which you can't put your finger on, or name. I think it's the subtlety that oozes throughout the picture.

Charles, Christine, and Cathy Brooks are having dinner when the fateful knock comes at their door. It's the news they've been dreading. Their son, and brother, Andy has been killed-in-action in Vietnam. Charles and his daughter Cathy breakdown in grief while Christine fights to believe her son is still alive. That night, Charles and Christine awake to strange noises. Upon their nervous search of the property, they find Andy has returned and is waiting in the shadows. Everybody's delighted to welcome the returning hero. However, as the day's pass, it becomes evident that all is not right with Andy.

Alan Ormsby uses Andy's unfamiliar behaviour to create the eerie atmosphere. Brilliantly added to this are the perfect characterisations of the Brooks family. I know families like the Brooks. A strong father type. A mother who doesn't argue and stands by her family; until they do wrong. And, a sister who loves her parents and little brother: But who is realising her own decisions are becoming more important. These relationships keep you interested. You relate to them and become concerned in their lives. Ormsby drives in a nice deep wedge when Charles realises Andy isn't as good a boy as when he went to war. However, Christine is still trying to hide the truth from herself. These two opposite positions bring them to near all-out war. And, I know families like this too.

Bob Clark, does an okay directorial job on the story. For the most part, he keeps it average. Though, he does compliment the story perfectly with his shots. For example, when the lorry driver pulls in for a coffee, he informs the waitress that his hitch-hiker is a strange one. As this point, Clark gives us a shot out of the Pit-Stop's window at the cab of the lorry. We see a silhouette of a person, who is just a shadow in the darkness, sat high and starring unfalteringly forward. There's nothing iconic in the composition, and it's not a great shot, but it still makes your skin crawl. Most of the creepiness comes from imagery like this. The iconic and memorable footage comes when Andy dons his sunglasses. This guy is creepy at best, but in these black spec's he's freaky to the maximum.

Andy's weirdness comes from his characters resistance to talk and engage with others. Richard Backus was ideal for this role. As we progress through the story, Backus builds on Andy's traits, at first it's an unnerving slow smile. This builds to an unnerving slow smile with a growing deadness in his eyes. Then the madness starts to build within his stares, and his eyes haemorrhage. The thing I loved most about this was the slow evolving of Andy. When he first returns home, he's not evil. The wickedness comes on in slow waves. John Marley, who is the A-lister in this film, does a superb job of bringing Charles to life. The character fits him like a glove, and he is highly realistic in his portrayal. I felt a tad sorry for Anya Ormsby, who played Cathy, because in one scene Charles shoves his daughter away. And, he really does shove her away.

Lynn Carlin is great as Christine. Not only does she have one character to portray, but Christine's persona gets splintered and ripped apart, and Carlin handles it superbly. Though I will state that if you don't like high-pitched screaming and wailing women then be warned, there are a couple of scenes where Christine and Cathy get rowdy. Get the ear-plugs. Why does everybody in the horror genre think women act like this? It's the only unrealistic thing about the film. My mother would slap both of them for behaving so foolishly. I've never known a woman act in such a manner when stressed or anxious. I detest this stereotype.

Dead Of Night is a definite watch for all the horror fans and newbies to the genre. It's not a gore-fest though, so all you gore-hounds should stay away. Though I do have to say there's a couple of quick shots of Andy's hands when they're starting to rot and they are great. The FX people even added maggots to the wound. Awesome. The film is one for the Friday Night Fright-Fest. A great movie to grab a brew and put your feet up to watch.

Once, you've clawed your way out of your grave come and visit my Absolute Horror and see where Andy finally buried himself in my rankings.

Take Care & Stay Well.

A very interesting movie by Bob Clark who has just passed away.Gore and special effects are kept to the minimum,the director and the screenplay focusing more on the family than on the dead man walking.

Bob Clark renewed a theme which French Abel "Napoleon" Gance had broached in the silent era (and remade as a talkie): "J'accuse" .Gance showed the dead soldiers rise from the grave and attack the profiteers of war .Too bad Clark did not follow suit and show the veteran attack those who sent him to war...but after all,it was this over possessive mother who made him join the army (that'll make him a man).The parents 'responsiblity is obvious here.The love the mother feels for her dearest son verges on monstrous -and becomes really monstrous in the final scenes,in every sense of the term.

An unusually inventive use of music creates a disturbing eerie atmosphere,a "something is not normal" feeling,some black humor (the drive in),and the hero swinging in his chair like a robot.All that makes "Dead of Night" a movie worth watching.

NB:Should not be mistaken for "Dead of night" (1946) a scary film made up of sketches.

Like this?Try these....

"Jacob's ladder" Adrian Lyne 1993

"The war at home" Emilio Estevez 1996

Excellent spooky variation on "Monkey's Paw" really plays on deep emotions in a crude (but effective) manner.

Low-budget, but fast-moving and scary. This is one of my favorites.

A distraught mother "wishes" her deceased Vietnam soldier-boy son home only to discover he isn't quite who he was when he left.

Many different horror archetypes (zombies, vampirism, cannibalism) are touched on without being confirmed, which makes the film that much more effective.

The film is also a sharp and dark commentary on the state of the returning GI. Andy sits for hours in his dazed "zombie-like" state and stares at the walls. He becomes violent and acts irrational. Many symptoms of post-traumatic shock syndrome.

Written by Alan Ormsby, who also collaborated with Clark on "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things" and would later go on to pen Paul Schrader's remake of "Cat People".

If you're looking for another solid Bob Clark spook-fest, check out "Black Christmas" (which bears an eerie similarity to the original "Halloween", though it predates it by several years!!) before "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things".

Many have commented on the *shocker* ending. If you are expecting something along the lines of the original "Carrie" - something to make you jump out of your seat - you will be disappointed.

The ending is more dour and stunning. I didn't see it coming, but it made perfect sense in line with everything that had happened. It's the kind of ending that a film would never have now. It's simply too honest. One of the better horror endings I've seen, actually.

Middle-class family is informed by the military that their soldier son was killed overseas; the mother is adamant her son is still alive and will return to them...and so he does, to everyone's eventual dismay. Shuddery low-budget horrors given a stark simplicity by a pre-"Black Christmas" Bob Clark. The cast (including John Marley and Lynn Carlin from John Cassavetes' "Faces") is solid, and Alan Ormsby's script, loosely based on the uncredited short story "The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs, is compact and taut. Not a pleasant moment to be had, but aficionados of the genre should enjoy having their nerves jangled. ** from ****

One of Bob Clark's best and most thoughtful films. Deathdream is about a war veteran who returns home, but he's not how he used to be. Not only is he glassy eyed and quiet, but he's developed a need for human blood to survive. Lots of great anti-war sentiment throughout and the ending packs an emotional wallop I didn't expect.

Not as great as the Hammer of AFI horror classics of the era but certainly better than many of the B grade drive in type horror films that came out around that time.

The moral of this story is clear. You cannot claim what is not yours to claim. The forces of nature and the metaphysical will even it all out in the end giving in some places while taking from others. That the mother in this story refused to accept that her son was dead, he was nonetheless quite dead. And was dead all along. Only the perceptions changed, not this cold fact.

I think too there is a deeper message about war, and the living casualties of war, such as PTSD soldiers which I appreciated greatly being a war veteran. Good to know that someone gave this some thought 45 years ago.

In the end it was quite sad. The mechanics of the film were not always great. There were problems with pacing throughout. The visual effects in my opinion were quite satisfying however. All in all worth a viewing if you are a fan of 70s horror.

When I give a film like this a six I am saying that in the context of the era and genre, it is a descent film. Not great but definitely good.

I've heard about this movie for years and read the praise heaped on it, and I knew it couldn't be as good as all that. I could never get my hands on it anyway, so I figured I'd never know. But I just watched it yesterday, and it is as good as all that.

Though filmed in the early 1970s, Deathdream doesn't come off as hopelessly dated. Its themes resonate strongly even today.

As an allegory, the film makes its anti-war points bluntly. This war (thought it is never named it's obviously Vietnam) is killing too many of our boys and making zombies out of the ones that make it home. But the movie is not generally anti-war -- it manages to contrast Vietnam with WWII, represented as a good war (in the person and words of the mailman), where there was little doubt what we were doing was right and that our military forces were being led authoritatively to absolute victory. The same couldn't be said for Vietnam, and by 1972, no one really remembered what we were fighting for anymore. Deathdream was filmed before Vietnam ended and released after, making its timing perfect.

There are a few criticisms, hardly worth noting -- some scenes are poorly staged and lighted, and Clark doesn't always get the best out of his actors (and has little to work with in some cases). Early scenes are a bit stilted (Was the movie shot in sequence with the story? That might explain it), but the movie finds its groove at about the 30 minute mark.

Don't expect a slick production. It's a small, claustrophobic, personal movie with rough edges to spare. Some scenes of violence are cartoonish and others are brutal. Also, the effects and makeup are much better than we have any right to expect. Poor, rotting Andy is a heck of a sight, and a sad sight in the scene where he is led down the stairs by his mother.

Deathdream is an amazing accomplishment all things considered.

"Everything's fine, Bob."

I know this better as "Deathdream" - also so titled on the DVD cover. It's a creepy take on 'The Monkey's Paw' story, somewhat copied by Stephen King in his later "Pet Semetary." A young man named Andy (Backus)is killed in Vietnam. But his mother (Carlin) can't accept this so next thing we see is someone, a soldier, hitchhiking back to Andy's hometown; he or it looks like Andy, but we sense all is not right as, in strange p.o.v., demonic noises play on the soundtrack. The father (leathery Marley, who looks more like a grandfather) quickly catches on as the mild yet taciturn Andy displays homicidal tendencies. We gradually realize that nothing more than a walking corpse has returned home, with a need for blood to avoid decomposition. Director Clark's follow up to his "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things" is far more sinister and unsettling, becoming genuinely horrific by the end.

The picture plays on the concept of refusing to let go of the dead. It's something most viewers can relate to. When we lose someone we've known for a long time and the love is so fierce, the thought of going on without the deceased may be unbearable. Most of us get through that early period, painful as it is, but there are the exceptions. The pain here springs from the mother, a feeling that gives way to a kind of madness; Carlin is quite good in the role and is uncomfortable to watch. Marley always brings an edge to his characters and his father figure combines an uneasy mixture of strength and helplessness. This is a low budget feature, of course, and some of the scenes have a crude flow, but the make-up FX are very good. Overall, it's a very eerie exploration of an almost taboo theme, offering no explanations, just hinting at how some thoughts should not be let loose.

Andy (Richard Backus) is reported killed in Vietnam to his parents (John Marley, Lynn Carlin). His mother refuses to believe he's dead and prays for him to come back. He does--but he's not the same. He's unemotional and has a craving for blood...

Good movie but not the cult classic it's called. It's also not exactly a horror film--it's about a family being torn apart about something that happened to their son over in Vietnam. The film isn't really political as some people say. The script is good and the acting superb--Marley and Carlin are right on target and Backus is incredible--he shows no emotion but you see his rage through his eyes--some shots really scared the hell out of me!

It's a quiet, somber film. There's next to no blood and gore--in fact, the film originally had a PG rating! (The R it has now is ridiculous). The low budget shows (even in Blue Underground's DVD) and I found the film a little too slow. But it does work on you--and there are some VERY unsettling moments that sort of creep up on you. The ending packs a punch.

It's good--but no classic. I give it a 7.

This is a very good film for what it is. If you don't expect Shakespeare or a film from the Criterion Collection, then you may also find that it's an amiable little film.

A family is at home when they receive a visit from a friend in the military. The man came by to personally inform them that their son was killed in Vietnam. However, the mother insists that a mistake has been made and she spends the night praying for her son's return--and she get's her wish. But, like the Garth Brooks son "Unanswered Prayers", the family ultimately realizes that sometimes it's best when you DON'T get what you want. Why? Because the young man is undead and has a frightful habit of killing people and taking their blood! And, he even kills the family's poor doggy just because that's the sort of thing zombie-vampires do! As I said, this is not a fancy schmancy film but a horror film. Campy, silly but fun. The film won't change your life, but you also won't be disappointed if you are looking for a good chill! Well worth seeing.

By the way, you may recognize the father but aren't sure where you saw him. That's John Marley--the guy who was the recipient of a horse's head in "The Godfather".

Between the time that he made his delightfully campy debut film Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things (1972) and his horror masterpiece Black Christmas (1974), Bob Clark made this under-mentioned little horror gem.

Vietnam soldier dies during battle, but then inexplicably returns home to his family who soon enough discover that there's something very wrong with their now-ghoulish loved one.

Known under numerous titles (Deathdream, The Night Andy Came Home, The Veteran, The Night Walk) Dead of Night is one effectively haunting low-budget horror film. The story serves up not only scenes of shocking violence, suspense, and scares, but actually manages to strike some strong emotional notes as well. Aside from it's unsettling storyline, director Clark creates an atmosphere of eerie dread that energizes this smart horror film. The unnerving music score by Carl Zittrer (who also created the warped music score for Black Christmas) strongly adds to the tense atmosphere. Also great are the makeup FX of a young Tom Savini. Dead of Night marked his cinematic debut as a makeup artist.

The cast is quite good. Richard Backus delivers a creepy performance as the haunted young soldier. John Marley is strong as Backus' understandably troubled father and Lynn Carlin is sympathetic as his unstable mother.

Dead of Night is another of those low-budget horror gems of the 70's that got lost after the death of the drive in. But horror fans owe it to themselves to resurrect this forgotten film from the late-great Clark.

*** 1/2 out of ****

After reading other reviews that compared elements of the film to John Carpenter's 'Halloween' and the mention that the film had deeper connotations regarding Vietnam veterans returning home from the war, my curiosity got the better of me.

From the very beginning of the film it is abundantly clear that the production is very low budget and the film looks dated. The war scene looks like it has been filmed in the local woods and there are glaring inaccuracies to their uniforms. However, what the film does well is to create a very creepy atmosphere from the moment he is shot and you hear Andy's mother reminding him of his promise to return home.

The acting is often wooden and sometimes quite strange which actually adds to the film's creepiness. The sound and camera work is lacking at times but occasionally it excels with a number of unconventional shots that are surprisingly effective. There is also some interesting use of sound used to convey Andy's confused and primal state that reminded me of 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' (1974).

I felt the film started to drag a little in the middle but picks up again as it draws to a close. There are some memorable scenes with Andy that appear to be metaphors for PTSD in war veterans. It also touches on other issues such as alienation, depression and the Oedipus complex. The violence itself is not particularly gory or emphasized by today's standards and the film tends to focus rather on Andy's disposition and the effect it has on his family.

The film's conclusion is disturbing and unsettling. It left me feeling depressed but with a greater understanding of the loss experienced by victims of the war and their families. I was initially concerned that the film might reinforce prejudice towards war veterans that struggle to readjust to civilian life but the anti-war sentiment is so strong that I think the film is worthy of merit, even if it makes for difficult viewing.

After returning home from the war, a young man's sudden change of behavior alarms his parents who slowly realize the monster he's becoming and try to stop his insatiable blood-lust causing him to run wild throughout town.

This one was quite a disappointing effort as there's really not a whole lot right here. What this one really does well is the rather innovative use of dealing with the subject matter at hand, detailing the condition afflicted here without really over-exposing it all that much. By going with the symptoms here for PTSD as a lynch-pin for the change in behavior here, this manages a pretty remarkable feat of giving the film a realistic-based back-story motivation for the horrific behavior but also a thoroughly unique and creative one that doesn't seem all that far-fetched here to possibly happen. Unfortunately, the only other working part here is the film's two horror scenes, where he traps and stalks a doctor in his office after realizing the truth, and the finale where a thrilling encounter at a drive-in leads to a frantic car-chase through the streets of town with a flaming car and a nice crash-stunt that makes this one all the more enjoyable as it's really the main part of this that works. Despite the originality of going with the back-story explanation for the film, the biggest problem is that nothing of interest is done with it. The film tries to make it seem like being cold, distant and completely devoid of interest in interacting with family or friends is cause for being the creepiest tactics imaginable, and yet all they do is drag the film out with scene-after-scene of the same behavioral tendencies and nothing is done about it, either his parents or anyone around him. Nothing about these are scary, and when combined with the majority of time spent here detailing the family life where the dad becomes convinced something's wrong and the mother is in absolute denial about everything doesn't help matters by focusing on drama rather than horror because what's shown isn't that scary which makes her behavior seem overblown and needless while his just drags the film along lifelessly. This is furthered by the fact that the supposed mystery about the mysterious soldier being responsible for the early off-screen death here is so clumsily done that it's impossible to come to any other conclusion here other than he did it as the evidence is so clear-cut and delivered in such a clumsy manner that the police look like incompetent fools for not seeing it, making these go on for what seems like forever. The last big problem is that the film really only deals with horror elements in two scenes which are completely unscary that their effectiveness is really questionable, especially the finale with the laughable make-up effects used here. These here are what really hurt this one overall.

Rated PG: Violence and Language.

An imponderably dull, slow moving, and inept "shocker", this movie has very little going for it other than it has an ending.

At 1 1/2 hours, it's rather long, and punctuated by outstretched moments of mundane dialog by incapable and tedious actors. Not much is said, nor even shown on the film. The texture is mediocre at best, resembling an unvaried, drudging, low-budget horror piece from the 1970's, complete with too many close-ups and bad lighting.

The make-up is atrocious, it looks like caked-on powder in some scenes. I can not understand how it is rated so highly other than the fact that most people are gullible.

One can surely understand the undercurrents and metaphors for the Nixon-era crony scandals and the Vietnam war, but that is hardly enough to regulate it to horror masterpiece.

Avoid this unless you want to be bored.