Written and directed by Fred Dekker, the same man who gave the world The Monster Squad, Night of the Creeps is a mishmash of everything one can think of and while some might think it could be nothing but a complete mess because of it, it is anything but and one of the best horror films to come out of the eighties.

The film begins in the past when some aliens let loose an experiment on Earth in the form of creepy crawlies that like to turn people into zombies once ingested. Thankfully, the first zombie was caught and put on ice by those in the know and the planet had remained safe for decades. Fast forward to the present, or at least the mid-1980s where a couple of guys let it out, all part of a test to get into a fraternity This was done so that one of the men might have a shot with a beautiful girl at a sorority. The creature is set loose, more people get infected, teenage hormones are on the rise, a party is thrown and a cop who worked the original case and is still on the force knew that the day would come when the monsters would return and he means to end it one way or another.

There are many movies from the decade in which this was released that could fit right alongside it or at least in the genre of comedy and horror, yet many of them are quite dated and not funny in the slightest. It is good to say that this picture happens to be as such while the laughs, what there are, never feel forced and that is all thanks to Dekker whose wit translates perfectly to the screen and is accessible to all. It shines through in the dialogue from the film’s leads and through the actions of others and all of it works which is just a little surprising given how many bad horror comedies are out there. As for the horror, there are quite a few scenes that will make a person squeamish, whether it is thanks to the alien slugs or the zombies whose faces either get ripped off or whose heads explode. The practical effects are extremely well done, especially when it comes to the walking dead and that too elevates this movie so that it is a cut above the rest. That all being said, it is extremely corny both in terms of the scares and the laughs but it is all in good fun and it is definitely that.

Starring Jason Lively and Steve Marshall as the two college freshmen, Jill Whitlow as the love interest and damsel in distress and last but not least is Tom Atkins as the hero cop who just wants to close this chapter of his life once and for all. In a bit of funny writing, Dekker gives each main character the last name of a famous director including Romero, Hooper, Landis, Raimi, Cameron, Craven, Bava and Cronenberg. B movie that it might be, everything about it is a hoot and will put a smile on the face of the audience. With nods to famous directors, slashers, sci-fi films of the past and more, Night of the Creeps is a great watch for a Halloween night.

4 out of 5