Children of the Night (1991)

   

Directed by: Tony Randel

Written by: Nicolas Falacci

Story by:
Nicolas Falacci, William Hopkins, Tony Randel & Christopher Webster

Starring:

Peter DeLuise .... Mark Gardner
Karen Black .... Karen Thompson
Ami Dolenz .... Lucy Barrett
Maya McLaughlin .... Cindy Thompson
Evan MacKenzie .... Frank Adlin
David Sawyer .... Czakyr
Shirley Spiegler Jacobs .... Grandma
Josette DiCarlo .... Officer Gates
Lloyd J. Kalicki .... Billy


Release Dates:
Toronto Film Festival: September 6, 1991; Fantasporto Film Festival: February, 1993; Febio Film Festival: January 24, 2004

 

Rating:

 

In a small peaceful town of Allburg where crimes were removed, two teenage girls named Lucy Barrett (Ami Dolenz) and Cindy Thompson (Maya McLaughlin) go to a crypt where the dead lies and decides to explore the place. But Cindy's necklace which is a crucifix awakens a vampire leader down there named Czakyr (David Sawyer) as he grabs a hold of her when Lucy escapes.
Suddenly the town is inhibited by vampires or helpless victims.
A school teacher named Mark Gardner (Peter DeLuise) rescues Lucy from her Grandma (Shirley Spiegler Jones) who has become a vampire herself while a precher named Frank Adlin (Evan MacKenzie) who has his daughter Cindy locked up as well as his wife Karen Thompson (Karen Black) as the two of them haven't been the same since Czakyr got a hold of Cindy and fearing for his life as well.
It's up to Mark and Lucy to hunt down Czakyr and try to put an end to him so their little town can be back to normal.

 

The story shows an impressive job blending both dark comedy and horror into one with all the scene's and the character's.
At first a scene with two town locals looked very off and extremely corny along with some other scene's but it does pick up.
There is a nice scene with the character's Lucy Barrett and Cindy Thompson swimming in a crypt as this scene will make you cringe wondering why they would be swimming there.
There's a good shot of a crucifix necklace floating down underwater lighting up and a great shot on a vampire with his eyes opening underwater and a great shot on him rising and grabbing Cindy.
There is a good shot on Karen Thompson caressing Cindy and about to bite her neck.
We have a nice dark setting with Mark and his Grandma in the house as it looks too still and quiet which is great formula with the moments involved with them as you know something is going to happen. While this is happening there's a great shot on Lucy acting nervous staring through a peep hole.
We have a nice battle with Mark andhis Grandma after she reveals being a vampire which was a great and suspenseful shot when she attacks and the humor looks good too during this moment.
A good setting on Mark and Lucy in their car while being pulled over and a nice shot on an officer peeking at their window talking to them.
There's a great discussion between Officer Gates and Lucy in the police car which looked peaceful.
A good shot on Mark when he crashes through a house window.
Good shots on the supporting vampires at a bar with their looks etc. but yet the whole scenerio with it looked way too cheesy.
There is a nice shot on a supporting character Gus Willman crashing through a floor and grabbing a hold of Lucy
A perfect shot on Karen's hand going underneath the door first showing claws and then her normal hand.
A nice shot on Karen with a white gown and the air breezing through looking angelic like.
There's a good discussion between Lucy and Cindy speaking to one another through a window as there's a nice navy blue shot on them.
A perfect shot on Czakyr with his head swimming towards Lucy.
Bottom line is that this film had both comedy and horror tied into one which works well as it almost used the same chemistry as The Midnight Hour.There's good dark setting adding alot of tongue and cheek too with some low budget settings too which was well done. However, the story almost doesn't get to the point and starts to become bland too when you think something exciting is going to happen. However there are bits of interesting moments with some battling at the crypt etc.

We have some fairly good performances by the whole cast knowing their timing quite well.
Karen Black
(Karen Thompson) really knew how to act outrageous as a vampiress and had that Exorcist type of attitude to her character too.
There's nice and intense emotions with her chained to a bed trying to act like she's possessed and irritating.
Ami Dolenz
(Lucy Barrett) portrayed her role well as an innocent teenage girl trying to escpae the madness around her. Does well acting nervous in a certain scene too.
A perfect reaction on her when her fellow actor seems so concerned but psysically menacingly dragging her in the house. Really knew on how to panic later in in the story when someone tries to charge at her.
Evan MacKenzie (Frank Adlin) does his part well as an intense preacher in the film and showed great troubled actions. He really knew how to act intense and unstable when he was talking to someone else by what's going on.
David Sawyer
(Czakyr) really proved his point well as a freaky demonic head vampire with his evil looks.
Shirley Spiegler Jacobs
(Grandma) had her comedic timing perfectly as an elder vampiress bringing her words out well.
Josette DiCarlo
(Officer Gates) only had a few scene's in the film as a female cop but yet proved to be a natural character actress.
Child actor Lloyd J. Kalicki (Billy) as someone trying to help the vampires out was incredibly annoying and should've been played by someone else.

Many people are stabbed through the chest with a wooden stake and other deadly objects too.
A face is sliced off
.

The music was nicely and classically done composed by Daniel Licht who is especially impressive with the closing credits to the film.