Night Fright is a 1967 US science-fiction horror film directed near Dallas, Texas, by James A. Sullivan from a screenplay by Russ Marker (who wrote a similar script for an unfinished project named The Demon of Devil’s Lake in 1964). Sullivan was a production manager and cinematographer on several Larry Buchanan movies and is credited as an editor on the infamous ‘bad’ movie Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966). It stars John Agar (Tarantula; Revenge of the Creature; The Brain from Planet Arous) and Bill Thurman (1966’s The Black Cat; Keep My Grave Open; The Evictors).
In the UK, the film was cheekily released on VHS in 1983 by porn producer David Grant on his World of Video 2000 label as E.T.n. The Extra-Terrestrial Nastie – with the tag line ‘What’s 12 ft tall and eats people’ to cash-in Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi family movie and the ‘video nasties‘ moral panic. British video renters were doubtless disappointed by the tame 1967 offering they rented on tape and, as Universal International Pictures threatened legal action, the opportunistic release was rapidly withdrawn. The following year, Grant was ridiculously imprisoned for distributing Nightmares in a Damaged Brain (1981) on video.
Plot teaser:
A Texas community is beset by a rash of mysterious killings in and around “Satan’s Hollow” involving some of the students from the local college. The sheriff investigating the deaths discovers the startling identity of the killer responsible for the murders. A NASA experiment involving cosmic rays has mutated an alligator into an ogre-like form and bullet-proof unstoppable killing machine with a thirst for blood…
Reviews:
‘Over-wordy and yet mildly amusing in places (especially the frugging to guitar music by The Wildcats scenes), Night Fright comes over as a vapid leftover from the late 1950s, although at least during that classic monster movie era filmmakers remembered now and again the audience needs to see at least a semblance of a creature from outer space. Here, all director Sullivan gives us are day-for-night shots of something we generally can’t quite see due to the poor lighting (dark VHS doesn’t help us either). Meanwhile, composer Christopher Trussel’s score is overly-dramatic to the point of ridiculousness. Alas, Night Fright is more Manos-like than Ed Wood fun.’ Adrian J Smith, Horrorpedia
‘The monster in this movie must be related to Robot Monster. It’s a gorilla with three-toed footprints and an alien head. We don’t see much of it but we do see a lot of John Agar … The Wildcats provide cool instrumental music and the kids wear V-neck sweaters and white boots.’ Michael J. Weldon, The Psychotronic Video Guide
‘An unimaginative and poorly-made monster-from-beyond entry.’ John Elliot, Elliot’s Films on Video
‘ …director brings no pace or style to the routine story. Instantly forgettable. John Stanley, Creature Features
Cast:
- John Agar as Sheriff Clint Crawford
- Bill Thurman as Deputy Ben Whitfield
- Carol Gilley as Nurse Joan Scott
- Ralph Baker Jr. as Chris Jordan
- Dorothy Davis as Judy
- Roger Ready as Prof. Alan Clayton
- Gary McLain as Wes Blau
- Darlene Drew as Darlene Scott
- Frank Jolly as Rex Bowers
- Bill Holly as Deputy Pat Lance
- Janiz Menshew as Carla
- Russ Marker as Mitch
- Toni Pearce as Betty the Waitress
- Christi Simmons as Annie
- Brenda Venus as Sue
- Byron Lord as Government Man
- Ronnie Weaver as Government Man
- Olivia Pinion as Partygoer
- Nancy Mann as Partygoer
- Lewis Helm as Partygoer
- Jeanie Wilson as Mary Bennett
- Rod Paxton as Buddy Williams
- The Wildcats as Themselves
Choice dialogue:
“Ooh, you dirty young man. C’mon, let’s get next to nature!”
Sheriff Clint Crawford: “Look punk, don’t ever call me fuzz!”
Offline reading:
Buy Regional Horror Films, 1958 – 1990 from Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
