Search - Nightbeast on DVD

A Tromatic 80's Classic

Christopher W. Curry | Indianapolis, IN | 11/23/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"It's amazing how Troma manages to unearth some of America's most obscure and unrecognizable regional movie titles. This 1982 Sci-Fi potboiler from Maryland directed by Don Dohler is no exception to Troma's rule. NIGHTBEAST is far from an Emmy award-winner, and while it boasts zero plot and character development it does manage to squeeze 7 out of 10 `stars' for sheer balls to the wall drunken late night thrills.

Here it is, folks; a 6 or 7 foot tall alien armed with piranha teeth, a death ray gun and some mighty slick silver lamé threads manically tears its way across a small Northeastern town. Interestingly enough Michael Weldon (Psychotronic Movie Guide) wrote that the creature in question was actually manned by two separate people, which would certainly explain away the towering height of our space traveling antagonist. Moving on; No one is safe from this stylin' E.T. as he zips about zapping and ripping his prey apart with wild abandon, but why is this creature here, and why is it doing these things? We're not privy to that information.

NIGHTBEAST really is a `fly on the wall' kind of movie that delivers enough good stuff (i.e. nudity and gore) to entertain even the most jaded B-movie buff. However, I must warn you that this thing suffers from most all of the standard low-rent cinematic short comings: questionable acting, script, lighting, special effects and pacing but all in all, for the money, it holds up surprisingly well. Oh, it also stars George Stover from John Waters' Female Trouble and Desperate Living.

This Troma DVD also comes with audio commentary, out-takes, bloopers and the original theatrical trailer."