‘Tonight, at sundown… the dead will live.’
Zombie Night is a 2013 American horror film directed by John Gulager (Children of the Corn: Runaway; Piranha 3DD; Feast) from a screenplay by Keith Allan and Delondra Williams, based on a story by Richard Schenkman. The Asylum production stars Anthony Michael Hall, Daryl Hannah, Jennifer Taylor, Alan Ruck, and Shirley Jones.
The film’s distinctive score is by frequent John Carpenter collaborator Alan Howarth (Halloween II; et al).
Zombies appear at night and two families must survive until morning. There are neighbourly conflicts…
Reviews:
“The ridiculous script would make a night in with friends a blast, and some great gore effects elevate this beyond pure B schlock. It’s not going to make the top of a favourite list, but this is a bloody head and shoulders above most of the zombie films out there.” The Film Reel
” …highlights the problem of placing all one’s focus into gore and the dead without giving the audience any reason to care about those upon whom they are feasting. Heck, even the background actors playing the zombies look like they’d rather be ambling elsewhere.” Brian Lowry, Variety
” …it wields a decent cast of veteran actors […] and the make-up is practical rather than all CGI. And the plot is as basic as rice and peas: the undead rise one night, people die, society collapses, survivors bicker, die and/or survive. How the hell do you screw that up?” Anything Horror
“While I appreciate a movie that jumps right into the action, just a tad bit of exposition never hurt anybody. I mean we get nothing in regards to this movie. No back story, front story, middle story, character development, humor, plot progression… nothing.” Christopher Armstead, Film Critics United
“The characters in this film are underdeveloped. The story does not offer much in the way of plot, so there is, unsurprisingly, very little time spent on characters. They all seem interchangeable and forgettable. Characters are not given any backstory, nor complexity. They all seem to just occupy space and scream at the correct moments.” Michael Allen, 28 Days Later Analysis
“The structure keeps the action flowing, and director John Gulager makes the most of it with a restless camera, pounding score and close-up, messy, traumatizing zombie-killing, done more with blunt instruments than with guns.” Andrew Dowler, Now
“The cast is an 80s dream with Anthony Michael Hall, Daryl Hannah, Alan Ruck, and Shirley Jones – Wait a minute! Shirley Jones, what are you doing here? Oh, you’re trying to break the world’s record for overacting? Good luck! Some of the zombie makeup is pretty good and some is really bad.” Doomed Moviethon
Main cast and characters:
- Anthony Michael Hall … Patrick
- Daryl Hannah … Birdy
- Jennifer Taylor … Karin
- Alan Ruck … Joseph
- Rachel G. Fox … Tracie Jackson
- Shirley Jones … Nana
- Tia Robinson … Janice
- Daniel Ross Owens … Perry
- Zoe Canner … Irina
- Daniel Moorehead … Dizzy
- Rogelio T. Ramos … Officer Lopez
