Dead of Night Movie Review 369

Dead of Night or Deathdream is a 1974 horror movie directed by Bob Clark and starring Richard Backus, John Marley,Lynn Carlin and Henderson Forsythe.

Andy Brooks(Backus) is a young man who is in Vietnam fighting when he is shot. He dies and his family are notified of his death by the army. His father is Charles(Marley). His mother is Christine(Carlin) and his sister is Cathy(Anya Ormsby). They are devastated by the news, especially his mother. She is in denial. Cut to a trucker who gives a young soldier a ride when he gets killed by the soldier. The cops are looking into the case. In the Brooks house there is consternation when Andy arrives home. How is this possible? Did the army make a mistake? We suspect that there is something weird going on here. Did Andy not die in Vietnam. His family are overjoyed to see him and he seems different somehow. He is very quiet and his behaviour has changed.

Everyone in the neighbourhood is delighted to see Andy back. He won't talk to his family about his experiences in the war. He goes out alone at night. One day, he chokes the family dog and kills it. Charles begin to think that his son is crazy.Christine won't listen to him. She doesn't want to hear anything bad about her son. Charles tells his friend Dr.Allman(Forsythe) about Andy and his weird behaviour. The doctor decides to go and see Andy.Andy is very hostile towards him and they don't get on well.The doctor begins to wonder if Andy was the killer of the truck driver as he realises that the truck driver met a soldier coming home at the same time that Andy was coming home. Andy becomes suspicious of the doctor and he pays him a visit. He kills the doctor and injects himself with the doctor's blood. Andy has no heartbeat or pulse so this means that he is dead! He is a zombie and he needs blood to keep going or he will perish.

Andy goes on a double date with his sister and her boyfriend. Andy begins to deteriorate in front of their eyes. He needs some blood. They are horrified when they see the real Andy. He wants to kill his sister and everyone else. He goes home to his mother. Charles pulls a gun on him and he is going to shoot him but Christine stops him. Charlie shoots himself instead. Christine tries to escape with Andy as the cops come to get him. Christine and Andy end up in the local graveyard where Andy goes to a grave where he has scratched his name and the date of his death. He perishes in the grave as his mother cries.

This was very entertaining and fun movie. I loved Bob Clark's Black Christmas so I knew that I would enjoy this and I did. It is simple but there is a lot to like about it. I recommend it. I will give it a 6/10.