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:

He was a madman on a orgy of blood curdling terror...

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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

The biggest prop built for the film was the Brooksville Cemetery gate. It was, of course, created to be smashed during the climatic car chase sequence.

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Goofs

As the shot of Andy's mom in the chair fades into the truck which picks up Andy, you can see the shadow of the movie camera pass across the front of the truck.

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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

References Deathmaster (1972)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Coming home

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