If you want to know my favorite film of all time, it has to be Night of the Comet. I have such fond memories of this zombie, apocalypse, B-movie. The aesthetic and world-building in this film are second-to-none. Released in 1984, this low-budget, sci-fi, horror, comedy was way ahead of its time. Is this film Oscar-worthy? Of course not, but let's spend some time appreciating Night of the Comet.
💀SLIGHT SPOILERS FOR NIGHT OF THE COMET BELOW 💀
Play the soundtrack while reading this review!
Night of the Comet is the essence of Vaporwave, Mallsoft, Synthwave, and Aesthetic
There has never been a film that can capture the nostalgia of the 80s better than this film.
I'm not gonna bore you with my description of the movie (go watch it instead). But if you need a synopsis here you go...
It's the first comet to buzz our planet Earth in 65 million years, and everyone seems to be celebrating its imminent arrival. Everyone except Regina Belmont, and her younger sister Samantha, two Valley Girls who care more about fashion trends than celestial phenomena. But upon daybreak, when the girls discover that they are the only residents of Los Angeles whom the comet hasn't vaporized or turned into a zombie, they would do what all Valley Girls do - they go shopping. However, with the help of a friendly truck driver, the girls save Earth and escape from flesh-eating zombies and blood-seeking scientists in hot pursuit.
Jaime Kidwell
If this description doesn't convince you, here are some visuals from the film.
Night of the Comet is Genre-Bending
No matter what type of movie you want to watch, Night of the Comet has you covered.
- Christmas movie - yup
- Horror movie - yup
- Zombie movie - yup
- A love story - yup
- Comedy - yup
- Sci-Fi movie - yup
- Action, Adventure, Apocalypse, Satire, Thriller - Yup
The Cast is F@cking Perfect
Every actor in this film is great. They make me feel like what they're experiencing is real.
Catherine Mary Stewart as Regina Belmont is the epitome of a female badass in this film. How can you be that tough with that much hairspray in your hair?
Kelli Maroni as Samantha Belmont is probably one of my first crushes. She might seem a little ditzy, but still a sexy badass as well.
Robert Beltran as Hector Gomez. He's always ready for date night in the Barrio.
Geoffrey Lewis as the lead big baddy, scientist dude. Man, this dude creeped me the fuck out. It made it worse that I knew him from 2 other movies that had him playing sidekick to Clint Eastwood and an orangutan. (I miss Clyde the orangutan).
How 80s is Night of the Comet?
Coming in as one of the first PG-13 rated films in history, (Red Dawn released in August 1984 is the first PG-13 film) this film is missing some key 80s elements. How does Night of the Comet stack up against other 80s cult films?
- There's actually not much violence for a zombie, apocalypse, horror film.
- You get one striptease but no blatant boob shot.
- The original motion picture soundtrack is flawless 80s music.
- GUNS! Why was the 80s obsessed with Uzi and Mac-11 submachine pistols/guns?
- You want one-liners? Night of the Comet has them.
- Neon, malls, and video games? Regina literally plays Tempest so often she has all the high scores (DMK in 6th place? When did this happen?)
- Fashion? the second act of the film ends with the sisters on a shopping spree and fashion show montage.
- Montages? Yup see above 👗
The movie is so low budget they used a cover of girls just wanna have fun for the montage!
Night of the Comet is infinitely Rewatchable
I rewatch movies a lot. Night of the Comet is a comfort film for me and I can watch it all the time. It's pure nostalgia. It brings me back to the 80s and early 90s every time I watch it.
If you're into Stranger Things, you'll love this movie!
Want to watch the greatest film ever made?
You can watch Night of the Comet for free on Youtube!
Want to hear more about the greatest movies I've ever seen?
I have a ton of films to review and share with the world. I'll try to stick to cult classics, the 70s, 80s, 90s films, and underrated movies. I don't think I have to waste time reviewing the latest Marvel or Disney film. I want to help people find films that are timeless even if they are a little cheesy.
What are your favorite classic or cult films?