Deathdream / Dead of Night (1974)

October 6, 2024 11:27 AM

[Trailer] A young soldier killed in the Vietnam War inexplicably shows up at his family home on the night of his death. -- IMDb

80% / 64% on Rotten Tomatoes.

posted by johnofjack (3 comments total)

This one is on Shudder (and has a recent Blu-ray release) under the title "Deathdream" but the title card says "Dead of Night." And it was released the same year as Black Christmas. I really like the characterization in those two films; I wish more horror films would take the time to make their characters feel like actual people.
posted by johnofjack at 11:52 AM on October 6 [1 favorite]

I really like the characterization in those two films

Same director for both, Bob Clark, which I think furthers that though this one is written by Alan Ormsby. Surprisingly I hadn't seen this until relatively recently and thoroughly enjoyed. It works better than I expected. Ormsby is notable for a couple classic cult films - his written and directed film Deranged (like Black Christmas and Deathdream shot in Canada) and the fun but cheap Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things.
posted by Ashwagandha at 6:50 PM on October 6 [1 favorite]

Bob Clark also made Porky's and A Christmas Story. The term "visionary director" is perhaps overused...

I remember being profoundly shaken by this movie when I first encountered it on Saturday afternoon UHF TV in Cleveland, probably around 1981, when I would have been starting grade school.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 8:43 PM on October 6 [1 favorite]