Dead of Night (1974)

A young soldier killed in Vietnam inexplicably shows up to his family home one night.

Director:

Bob Clark

Writer:

Alan Ormsby (screenplay)

Stars:

John Marley, Lynn Carlin, Richard Backus

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Marley	...	Charles Brooks
Lynn Carlin	...	Christine Brooks
Richard Backus	...	'Andy' / Andy Brooks
Henderson Forsythe	...	Doc Allman
Anya Ormsby	...	Cathy Brooks
Jane Daly	...	Joanne
Michael Mazes	...	Bob
Arthur Anderson	...	Postman
Arthur Bradley	...	Army Captain
David Gawlikowski	...	Truck Driver
Virginia Cortez	...	Rosalie
Bud Hoey	...	Ed
Robert R. Cannon	...	Drunk (as Robert Cannon)
Raymond Michel	...	Policeman in Diner
Jeff Becker	...	Young Boy

Storyline

A young Soldier is killed in the line of duty in Vietnam. That same night, the soldier returns home, brought back by his Mother's wishes that he "Don't Die"! Upon his Return, Andy sits in his room, refusing to see his friends or family, venturing out only at night. The Vampiric horror is secondary to the terror that comes from the disintegration of a typical American family.

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Plot Keywords:

undead | hitchhiker | psychotronic film | grindhouse film | cult film | 

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Taglines:

Something unspeakable has come home.

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

Canada UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 August 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

Deathdream

Filming Locations:

41 Drive-in, Brooksville, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$235,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Quadrant Films, Impact Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min 98 min (video)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor) (uncredited)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Christopher Walken was considered for the part of Andy.

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Goofs

The sign over the cemetery gate is misspelled as "Brooksville Cemetary."

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Quotes

'Andy': I died for you, Doc. Why shouldn't you return the favor?

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Alternate Versions

The version released under the title, The Night Andy Came Home contains an additional snippet of dialogue during the final scene in the cemetery. After Andy buries himself and dies, his mother, kneeling over the grave, can be heard saying, "Andy's home. My boy came home." In the later Gorgon Video release under the title Deathdream, this dialogue has been intentionally muted so as not to reference the previous title.

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Connections

Referenced in Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters (2007)

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Soundtracks

Camptown Races
(uncredited)
By Stephen Foster
Whistled by Arthur Anderson

User Reviews

Scared the ---- out of me

So many horror films, both then and now, exist solely to provide cheap titillation to gore hounds and casual thrill-seekers. 'Dead of Night' (aka "Deathdream"), however, is serious business, and seriously scary. Comparable to 'The Exorcist' in its exploration of the parent-child dynamic when the child is given over to something sinister, I personally liked this more than I liked 'The Exorcist.' It's leaner, more suspenseful, and less pretentious.

Richard Backus is Andy, a soldier who returns from the war (presumably Vietnam) the very night his parents and sister are informed of his death in combat. The homecoming is not a happy one, however. Andy just isn't quite himself. Laconic, humorless and irritable, he doesn't want to go out and isn't interested in seeing visitors. Worse, there could be a link between him and the gruesome murder of a truck driver that occurred the night of his return.

Like 'The Exorcist,' 'Dead of Night' - a reworking of "The Monkey's Paw" -- aspires to be more than simply a horror film. It aspires to be a Vietnam allegory, and it aspires to be a family drama. Remarkably, it succeeds as all three. It makes a compelling statement about returning soldiers, is a truly frightening horror film, and also a harrowing family drama. John Marley, as a Andy's father, conveys torment and confusion effectively, and Lynn Carlin is especially good as Andy's mother, a woman who has disappeared completely inside of her denial. The suspense is unbearable, and there's skillful use of both sound and space in creating it. The chills are never cheap and are consistently hair-raising. The movie marches headlong into its inevitable conclusion and is utterly uncompromising throughout. That it was rated PG at the time is a shocker.

The movie has some flaws and lacks visual polish, but this is almost irrelevant given how brilliantly everything works. The director is Bob Clark, who would go on to direct the first two 'Porky's' films, 'A Christmas Story,' and 'Baby Geniuses,' and he has made a rare horror film, one that is intelligent, thoughtful, and damn scary.