The Dark (1979)

User Rating:

3.2/10   

Director:

John 'Bud' Cardos

Writer:

Stanford Whitmore (writer)

Release Date:

27 April 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

After fear...beyond terror...there is THE DARK!

Plot:

An alien mutilator stalks and kills human prey during the night.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Laser Beam | Police | City | Murder

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

William Devane	...	Roy Warner / Steve Dupree
Cathy Lee Crosby	...	Zoe Owens
Richard Jaeckel	...	Det. Dave Mooney
Keenan Wynn	...	Sherman 'Sherm' Moss
Warren J. Kemmerling	...	Police Captain Speer (as Warren Kemmerling)
Biff Elliot	...	Detective Jack Bresler
Jacquelyn Hyde	...	De Renzy
Casey Kasem	...	Police Pathologist
Vivian Blaine	...	Courtney Floyd
John Bloom	...	The Dark
Bill Derringer	...	Herman Burmeister (as William Derringer)
Jay Lawrence	...	Jim Hampton
Russ Marin	...	Dr. Baranowski
Vernon Washington	...	Henry Lydell
Mel Anderson	...	Policeman

Also Known As:

The Mutilator

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:16 (theatrical rating) (cut) | UK:18 (pre cert VHS) | Australia:M | Norway:18 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Film Ventures International (FVI)

Trivia:

The television station is KFVI. The last part "FVI" refers to this film's production company, Film Ventures International. When Shelley is by the movie theater at the beginning of the film, we can see three movie posters, Chi sei? (1974) (better known as Beyond the Door), Grizzly (1976) and _Power, The (1980)_. These films were produced by Film Ventures International.

Quotes:

Police Captain Speer: Zombie? Mangler? Now, I don't wanna hear those two words again!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Times Square (1980)

Maayybe something good, maayybe something bad

I was handed this 'golden garbage' DVD for my birthday (Moe!) and all I can say is paybacks are a bitch. The Dark definitely belongs in the "Plan 9 from outer space" category. If you seek serious horror then avoid this like a Chris Tucker 'movie'. However, if failed attempts of the past make you howl with laughter than look no further than this turkey. Failing test screenings as a zombie movie it was reworked into an alien menace movie with hilarious results.

It all starts with an apology (or prologue if you prefer) that attempts to convince the audience that if electric eels can shock than who knows what's out in space(!?) This amounts to freeze framing the 'zombie movie' and superimposing laser bolts from the creature's eyes and an explosion onto the victim. That's great but the characters solving the crimes keep describing horrible mutilations (!?) I would say the acting is terrible but the lines they are given to say are horrendous. We never actually see a spaceship so 'it' apparently fell to earth on it's own. I'm dying to know how and why it's dressed like a mailman (or a factory worker in his coat sans the lunch box). The addition of a mysterious psychic (?) that shows up at inexplicable times means you know your in beer-cinema country.

Take it or leave it. I'm already stuck with my copy.