Ok. Went into this hoping for the best as I like Anthony Michael Hall, Daryl Hannah and Shirley Jones. I also can accept that a 'TV' movie will be a bit more dialed-down to appease the masses and the censors. Which is the only reason I gave it 4 stars...I could look at Daryl Hannah all day. What I can't accept is complete, and utter stupidity on the part of the characters. That, and the fact that all of the characters were eminently unlikeable and irritating, from Shirley Jones' blind mother to the petulant teenage boyfriend to Anthony Michael Hall's protective father character, they all come across as utterly unprepared for something as mundane as an empty peanut butter jar... "WHAAAT? There's NO peanut butter ? How am I going to make a P&J without peanut butter????" From leaving perfectly working automobiles, wondering if they can 'hotwire' a car when one member's car is in their garage to taking shelter in a SEE-THROUGH flimsy plastic structure to the family looking at someone as if they had just massacred a village for locking a hysterical person in a bedroom, the movie just irritates to no end...well...there IS an end, fortunately. But it takes a lot longer to get there than the stated run time.
66 Reviews
Zombie Night: Meh!
Platypuschow6 October 2018
Made a full decade after Zombie Night (2003) which I'd consider one of the worst zombie movies ever made, the title is recycled and we're presented with another zombie piece.
I was conflicted what to expect initially, it's a Scyfy original and I actually think the Scyfy channel do horror quite well. However on the flipside it's made by the rather infamous The Asylum and they seldom make anything even remotely watchable.
So a zombie outbreak occurs, a town becomes panicked and crazed and we follow a group of survivors of whom you'll recognise quite a few.
Anthony Michael Hall, Daryl Hannah and Alan Ruck demonstrate here with their inclusion just how low their careers have sunk. Remember when Hannah was a prominent Hollywood star? Those days are well behind her.
Directed by horror legend Clu Gulagers son he does a decent enough job here in fact the whole thing has clear influences from both Romero and the Return of the Living Dead series (And in competent fashion).
It feels like an old school zombie movie and though it staggers in the centre it is actually better than you'd expect all things considered.
However, zombies have certain "Rules" present in their lore and here they decided to tweak a couple and that damages the movie more than I can express here.
Zombie Night would have been a passable affair if the writer hadn't decided to go into business for himself.
The Good:
Old school zombie movie
The Bad:
Some poor music choices
Zombie "Rules" changed
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
During the zombie apocalypse the police need to be vigilant with looters
Little known fact, zombies enjoy playing fetch
Warning: Parked cars can randomly explode for absolutely no reason
I was conflicted what to expect initially, it's a Scyfy original and I actually think the Scyfy channel do horror quite well. However on the flipside it's made by the rather infamous The Asylum and they seldom make anything even remotely watchable.
So a zombie outbreak occurs, a town becomes panicked and crazed and we follow a group of survivors of whom you'll recognise quite a few.
Anthony Michael Hall, Daryl Hannah and Alan Ruck demonstrate here with their inclusion just how low their careers have sunk. Remember when Hannah was a prominent Hollywood star? Those days are well behind her.
Directed by horror legend Clu Gulagers son he does a decent enough job here in fact the whole thing has clear influences from both Romero and the Return of the Living Dead series (And in competent fashion).
It feels like an old school zombie movie and though it staggers in the centre it is actually better than you'd expect all things considered.
However, zombies have certain "Rules" present in their lore and here they decided to tweak a couple and that damages the movie more than I can express here.
Zombie Night would have been a passable affair if the writer hadn't decided to go into business for himself.
The Good:
Old school zombie movie
The Bad:
Some poor music choices
Zombie "Rules" changed
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
During the zombie apocalypse the police need to be vigilant with looters
Little known fact, zombies enjoy playing fetch
Warning: Parked cars can randomly explode for absolutely no reason
No one in this movie is acting.
bxhanx26 October 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Horrible... Atrocious..Anemic..Vanilla...
I find it surprising that Anthony Michael Hall did this film. He had his niche series with The Dead Zone, which his acting was acceptable for the genre and for the other producers and directors associated with it. It was low budget but had a good story line.
You have a pretty good character actor in Alan Ruck whose talent is wasted and covered by the horribly poor acting of Shirley Jones and Darryl Hannah. We expect that from Shirley and Darryl though. Ruck and Hall were the only two actors that had the ability to somewhat carry this movie but the plot line is so thin and the movie only concentrates on gore, which the FX dept fails to help.
This movie is low budget, has a horrible story line and is so bad that I expected Lou Diamond Phillips to make a cameo in it at some point. 2 families attacked by zombies at night. The attack miraculously ends with daybreak so they're like zombiepires or Vamzoms...
I could have dipped my big toe in an ink well, taken an ambien and gone to sleep and woke up with a better script written in blurry ink on my bed sheets.
No one in this movie is acting. The actors that are supposedly zombies don't act much like zombies in the traditional sense. One man could have opened his panic room, let the other family in, and they could have all survived.
It's so bad that it can't be called "campy". I'd watch Ragin Cajun Redneck Gators 10 times before I'd watch this movie again, and I've watched the movie twice tonight just because I couldn't believe how bad it was the first time that I thought I had missed something.
Nope, it's that bad.
I find it surprising that Anthony Michael Hall did this film. He had his niche series with The Dead Zone, which his acting was acceptable for the genre and for the other producers and directors associated with it. It was low budget but had a good story line.
You have a pretty good character actor in Alan Ruck whose talent is wasted and covered by the horribly poor acting of Shirley Jones and Darryl Hannah. We expect that from Shirley and Darryl though. Ruck and Hall were the only two actors that had the ability to somewhat carry this movie but the plot line is so thin and the movie only concentrates on gore, which the FX dept fails to help.
This movie is low budget, has a horrible story line and is so bad that I expected Lou Diamond Phillips to make a cameo in it at some point. 2 families attacked by zombies at night. The attack miraculously ends with daybreak so they're like zombiepires or Vamzoms...
I could have dipped my big toe in an ink well, taken an ambien and gone to sleep and woke up with a better script written in blurry ink on my bed sheets.
No one in this movie is acting. The actors that are supposedly zombies don't act much like zombies in the traditional sense. One man could have opened his panic room, let the other family in, and they could have all survived.
It's so bad that it can't be called "campy". I'd watch Ragin Cajun Redneck Gators 10 times before I'd watch this movie again, and I've watched the movie twice tonight just because I couldn't believe how bad it was the first time that I thought I had missed something.
Nope, it's that bad.
A zombie night that was no delight
TheLittleSongbird1 November 2013
Zombie Night was always going to be one of those movies that people shouldn't expect that much from, but even when judging it for what it is you do want evidence of some sort of fun. You don't get that with Zombie Night, instead you get a complete failure on all levels with unintentional humour that gets more increasingly frustrating than anything else. The best thing about the movie is the make-up for the zombies, even when the least amateurish asset it still wasn't that good. With the rest of the production values you could tell that Zombie Night was made in a rush- especially in the editing- and with little signs of care or love. The dialogue is vomit-inducing in how inane it is, the timing is also sloppy and the line delivery flat. It does provide some unintentional humour to begin with but very quickly hearing so many what the...? gets frustrating, plus it does get needlessly convoluted at times. There is no real narrative to speak of, what there is shows lots of predictability, endless ridiculously dumb moments(the bunker and cemetery scenes for examples), no signs of life and the thrills, fun and horror elements are so empty and scrappily done with no signs of surprise that they feel non-existent. The less said about the dull and abrupt ending the better too. The characters are either irritating(Nana) or infuriatingly stupid(Karen), at no point do we root for them and their actions are so stupid beyond belief makes them even less likable. If there are any characters we do root for it is the zombies, unfortunately that is not saying much as they are under-utilised and personality-less. The actors don't or can't do anything with their characters or dialogue, very amateurish. It is ironic that the Oscar Winner Shirley Jones ties with Jennifer Taylor as the worst acting performance in the movie, and Anthony Michael Hall and Daryl Hannah are pretty much wasted. In conclusion, if you want any delights with Zombie Night you will be disappointed. It is not quite as bad as the abysmal Vampegeddon(doubt that many people have seen it and for good reason) but there is a big emphasis on the quite. 1/10 Bethany Cox
Gore aplenty, and five actors trapped in a terrible script.
suite9221 February 2014
Warning: Spoilers
The zombie apocalypse erupts in Pasadena, CA. At least that is where this was filmed. Supposedly it erupts everywhere else as well.
With a certain amount of courage, and ten times as much cowardice, some non-zombies try to survive the night. One of the conceits of the film is that the zombies will go inactive come sunrise.
The humans proceed with variable success, but mostly failure, to live until sun up. One wonders what will happen the next night.
How many will survive?
-----Scores-----
Cinematography: 8/10 Reasonable for a night picture.
Sound: 5/10 OK for the most part, but the anti-relevant sound track did not help.
Acting: 3/10 Shirley Jones was OK as an infirm old woman whose wailing caused another death, but her role was short. Anthony Michael Hall, Darryl Hanna, Alan Ruck, and Jennifer Taylor were reasonable; given the script, that is. With a decent script and an experienced director, any of these actors can give a nice performance. In contrast, the other people who were filmed were not recognizable as actors.
Screenplay: 0/10 Wall to wall nonsense, and one of the worst zombie films I've ever seen.
With a certain amount of courage, and ten times as much cowardice, some non-zombies try to survive the night. One of the conceits of the film is that the zombies will go inactive come sunrise.
The humans proceed with variable success, but mostly failure, to live until sun up. One wonders what will happen the next night.
How many will survive?
-----Scores-----
Cinematography: 8/10 Reasonable for a night picture.
Sound: 5/10 OK for the most part, but the anti-relevant sound track did not help.
Acting: 3/10 Shirley Jones was OK as an infirm old woman whose wailing caused another death, but her role was short. Anthony Michael Hall, Darryl Hanna, Alan Ruck, and Jennifer Taylor were reasonable; given the script, that is. With a decent script and an experienced director, any of these actors can give a nice performance. In contrast, the other people who were filmed were not recognizable as actors.
Screenplay: 0/10 Wall to wall nonsense, and one of the worst zombie films I've ever seen.
Not the worst zombie movie ever.....but really close!
brechan27 March 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I would first like to say, that the comprehension skills of the individuals depicted in this movie rank right up there with a snail...in fact, a snail would probably catch on quicker. The main protagonist hits a man with his car, but when he gets out to check him, the injured guy attacks one of the girls in the car...she screams for 15 seconds or so, yet when the driver turns to look it's as though this is the first time he's seen her...is he deaf? The few cops that you see in the movie are so un-cop-like that they are more like parodies than actual police. You couldn't possibly be that stupid, and live as long as they have. Wooden acting by the 'stars' of this movie simply enhance the trite foolishness of the entire film...but the crowning jewel is still the staggeringly mindless inability of the people in the movie to comprehend any of the events going on around them. The events in this movie take place, I assume, sometime in this century and one would imagine that somebody in this film would have seen a zombie movie...they've been making them for 40+ years...after all how long would it take you to figure out what was going on?
Every Bit As Bad As You Expect
gavin694224 February 2014
Zombies come out at night and two families must survive until morning.
By now, I think we all know to expect bad things from the SyFy Channel and the movies they show. And if you are familiar with the Asylum, who makes these movies, you know that they spare every expense in order to pump out low-grade, low-budget fluff. Some of it is entertaining (I confess), but none of it has ever been good.
Somehow they managed to get some real actors on board for this one. Not just one washed up actor (I am looking at you, Eric Roberts) but some decent names -- Anthony Michael Hall and Daryl Hannah. Alan Ruck may not have the name recognition, but everyone recognizes him from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" or "Spin City".
The most unfortunate thing is that the director is John Gulager, who is a legitimately talented man -- "Feast" was incredible, and I absolutely loved "Piranha 3DD". Somehow not even he could save this picture... how did they all get roped into working for the Asylum?
By now, I think we all know to expect bad things from the SyFy Channel and the movies they show. And if you are familiar with the Asylum, who makes these movies, you know that they spare every expense in order to pump out low-grade, low-budget fluff. Some of it is entertaining (I confess), but none of it has ever been good.
Somehow they managed to get some real actors on board for this one. Not just one washed up actor (I am looking at you, Eric Roberts) but some decent names -- Anthony Michael Hall and Daryl Hannah. Alan Ruck may not have the name recognition, but everyone recognizes him from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" or "Spin City".
The most unfortunate thing is that the director is John Gulager, who is a legitimately talented man -- "Feast" was incredible, and I absolutely loved "Piranha 3DD". Somehow not even he could save this picture... how did they all get roped into working for the Asylum?
Yuck
cmiyamoto27 October 2013
Warning: Spoilers
This is probably not a valid review because I turned off the movie after the first 15 minutes, it was so awful. Reading some of the advance reviews, I thought it might have a chance, but no.
Then I thought, a movie with Shirley Jones can't be all that bad, right? But all I saw was a hysterical Nana character screaming and being hysterical.
The exploding car at the start. What's with that? What caused it to explode? And how come they conveniently (for the film makers, apparently) were right next to a cemetery? I know, I know ... for the zombies to arise from their graves.
I couldn't see subjecting myself to two hours of people trapped in a house, waiting for the dawn, screaming and fighting with each other. If I wanted that, I'd just have to remember when my kids were small and fighting on a rainy day.
Nope, I changed the channel.
Then I thought, a movie with Shirley Jones can't be all that bad, right? But all I saw was a hysterical Nana character screaming and being hysterical.
The exploding car at the start. What's with that? What caused it to explode? And how come they conveniently (for the film makers, apparently) were right next to a cemetery? I know, I know ... for the zombies to arise from their graves.
I couldn't see subjecting myself to two hours of people trapped in a house, waiting for the dawn, screaming and fighting with each other. If I wanted that, I'd just have to remember when my kids were small and fighting on a rainy day.
Nope, I changed the channel.
Another 85 minutes wasted
forgeandrew15 February 2014
Warning: Spoilers
How can I say this as bluntly as I can, this movie was a major waste of time to even watch. Aside from the appalling non attempt at actually acting, the movie was filled with stupid people who make such stupid choices that your I.Q. lowers by the end of this film. Honestly I did not know any of these actors before hand, and if anyone told me they had a shining moment I would not believe it. I am a horror movie fanatic and this is an embarrassment, and these reasons below will explain why.
1. As I mentioned before the acting was terrible it was like watching a high school play with a bunch of teenagers who could care less about putting on a good show.
2. How the hell does a zombie Apocalypse just suddenly end at sun rise I mean if anyone could please tell me how this just happens id love to know. I can't say it any better then the first review did.
3. One thing i noticed specifically is a car magically exploding (crappy effects by the way) and there was no apparent cause to it, just happened to happen.
4. You can't relate to these characters in any way possible, I mean what kind of moron mistakes cop car lights with road signal lights, that is the dumbest block head move of all time. An even more do you really believe there are gonna be cops alive anymore now? Seriously.
5. Its ironic how the sewer tunnel didn't even look like a sever tunnel, there was no imagination put in it at all, unless I'm mistaken and it was not a sewer but seriously, once again the poor acting and stupid choices and miraculous survival at the end of the movie against all odds made this movie the worst.
All in all this Zombie movie was awful this makes me want to re-watch zombie strippers ten times and over to get the bad taste out of my mouth.
1. As I mentioned before the acting was terrible it was like watching a high school play with a bunch of teenagers who could care less about putting on a good show.
2. How the hell does a zombie Apocalypse just suddenly end at sun rise I mean if anyone could please tell me how this just happens id love to know. I can't say it any better then the first review did.
3. One thing i noticed specifically is a car magically exploding (crappy effects by the way) and there was no apparent cause to it, just happened to happen.
4. You can't relate to these characters in any way possible, I mean what kind of moron mistakes cop car lights with road signal lights, that is the dumbest block head move of all time. An even more do you really believe there are gonna be cops alive anymore now? Seriously.
5. Its ironic how the sewer tunnel didn't even look like a sever tunnel, there was no imagination put in it at all, unless I'm mistaken and it was not a sewer but seriously, once again the poor acting and stupid choices and miraculous survival at the end of the movie against all odds made this movie the worst.
All in all this Zombie movie was awful this makes me want to re-watch zombie strippers ten times and over to get the bad taste out of my mouth.
Arkham Asylum
petra_ste13 July 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Anyone who watches Asylum-distributed Zombie Night expecting a fine movie is, of course, delusional. However, there are fun bad horror movies and garbage bad horror movies. This one falls in the latter category and is the cinematic equivalent of a greasy hamburger purchased at a grimy kiosk: nauseating, still part of the group it claims membership of (food, movies), just barely.
Without the charming naivety of stuff made by people who were genuinely trying, these lazy flicks are awful in the most tiresome way. Their zombies or monsters are never scary, but the reptilian greed you glimpse behind the project is unsettling in a Lovecraftian sense.
Here, the people cashing their paychecks are California Mountain Snake, Ferris Bueller's best friend and Johnny Smith - not Christopher Walken (who is not above terrible movies himself, but prefers them with a little more spirit), but the one from the Dead Zone TV series. They face a zombie invasion. Cue gore, abysmal dialogues, tedium.
Searching for fun horror movies you might have missed? Look elsewhere: Neil Marshall' Dog Soldiers, Jaume Balaguero's REC, the Pastor Brothers' The Last Days, Bong Joon- ho's Gwoemul, John Fawcett's Ginger Snaps, George Romero's Diary of the Dead, John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars, Dario Argento's The Cat o' Nine Tails.
That greasy hamburger is looking less and less inviting by comparison.
2/10
Without the charming naivety of stuff made by people who were genuinely trying, these lazy flicks are awful in the most tiresome way. Their zombies or monsters are never scary, but the reptilian greed you glimpse behind the project is unsettling in a Lovecraftian sense.
Here, the people cashing their paychecks are California Mountain Snake, Ferris Bueller's best friend and Johnny Smith - not Christopher Walken (who is not above terrible movies himself, but prefers them with a little more spirit), but the one from the Dead Zone TV series. They face a zombie invasion. Cue gore, abysmal dialogues, tedium.
Searching for fun horror movies you might have missed? Look elsewhere: Neil Marshall' Dog Soldiers, Jaume Balaguero's REC, the Pastor Brothers' The Last Days, Bong Joon- ho's Gwoemul, John Fawcett's Ginger Snaps, George Romero's Diary of the Dead, John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars, Dario Argento's The Cat o' Nine Tails.
That greasy hamburger is looking less and less inviting by comparison.
2/10
I want that time wasted back !
DiCaprio746 July 2014
This movie was an absolute train wreck! When you start rooting for the zombies, that's how you know you could care less about any of the characters surviving.
Their choice in characters... They picked the best not to star in the best? Is that what we do know? Anthony Michael Hall ... Loved him way better when he played the nerd and geek (Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles). It's as if he was money hungry so he played this role. Darryl Hannah... Way better playing Elle (Kill Bill Vols). And lastly Shirley Jones, who was given such a bad script that I was actually rooting for a zombie to kill her. Why would any of these actors even take an offer that had to deal with Syfy?
I mean, what kind of movie was this anyways? This didn't even fit the cliché version of zombies nor the modernized versions! This movie got more and more frustrating as it went on. I strongly recommend not watching this movie, for life is too short for these types of movies to even consider watching.
Their choice in characters... They picked the best not to star in the best? Is that what we do know? Anthony Michael Hall ... Loved him way better when he played the nerd and geek (Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles). It's as if he was money hungry so he played this role. Darryl Hannah... Way better playing Elle (Kill Bill Vols). And lastly Shirley Jones, who was given such a bad script that I was actually rooting for a zombie to kill her. Why would any of these actors even take an offer that had to deal with Syfy?
I mean, what kind of movie was this anyways? This didn't even fit the cliché version of zombies nor the modernized versions! This movie got more and more frustrating as it went on. I strongly recommend not watching this movie, for life is too short for these types of movies to even consider watching.
Uniquely Powerful and Original Existential Horror Film
dianerpessler-461644 July 2015
Uncompromisingly horrific, unflinchingly realistic, and unrelentingly intense, this is one of the finest films of utter terror to have been produced in quite some time. Director John Culager has created a cinematic experience that relies upon an intelligent script, haunting imagery, and themes of family devotion to grip the audience like a vice. It is that caring and love that truly distinguishes this motion picture from the average horror film and gives it so much heart. These are people we care about and they are played superbly by a superior cast. Anthony Michael Hall is extraordinary as a father fighting to save his family as he struggles to retain his humanity. Alan Ruck and Daryl Hannah are also superb and their presence brings a great deal of gravitas to the film. Shirley Jones is stunningly effective in a moving role she gives incredible depth. This is indeed a difficult movie to watch at times for one can not feel themselves asking the most important question presented in this film,"What would I do?" Truly powerful cinema that uses the horror genre only as a pretense to broach existential and moral issues that Hollywood too often ignores. The difficult choices made in the name of survival are vital ones and they are explored as only director John Culager has the courage to do.
Zombie Lite...
poe42621 March 2015
I must screw my courage to the sticking place on this one. Being a fan of everything else he's done, I was expecting quite a bit more for my money from John Gulager. (I paid for the TV I saw it on, the electricity it took to get through it, and the outrageous monthly satellite bill that brought it to me, so, yeah, I paid- out the f---ing a--...) I was expecting something along the lines of Dan O'Bannon's THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD: Gulager has in past instances shown that he's more than capable of rising to the Low Budget occasion (with everything else he's done)- but, this time around, for whatever reason(s), he simply didn't deliver. At the very least, I was expecting a cameo by his father (and it would've been extra cool if said cameo had been tied into his role in THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD). Again, no such luck. I'm far from consigning Gulager to the list of Has Been Directors: he has more talent in his little toe (left foot) than most directors (p)lying their trade these days. Maybe next time he'll come through for us.
A complicated movie that makes us think(sarcasm)
ashwinnair9920 December 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Warning : The following paragraph is sarcastic. The movie is very complicated.It makes us think and wonder in many ways: 1.The zombies suddenly rise out of the ground on one day.Where were they till now?Playing Poker or something?What the hell?Why did they come up? 2.A girl gets attacked by a zombie in the middle of a road.Where does she run off to for safety? - A cemetery. What the hell? 3.Usually horror movies make us want the people to survive and escape the horror. But this one. It actually makes us want the characters who are acting dead so that we don't want them to live anymore to make us suffer. 4.I was alone in the big theater(Here in India), and I still didn't get scared.It had comedy,adventure and all other crap but it missed the one thing it needed most-Horror. 5.In the movie it lasts for one night and when the sun comes up the zombies died. But what happens when it turn night again? Zombie Night 2 ? What the hell?
The movie is a waste of time and energy and just sucks the joy out of your life. PS. Why did they have that old lady in the movie? She just made me wanna rip the screen off.
The movie is a waste of time and energy and just sucks the joy out of your life. PS. Why did they have that old lady in the movie? She just made me wanna rip the screen off.
Yeah, It's Pretty Darn Bad
Michael_Elliott30 October 2013
Zombie Night (2013)
* (out of 4)
The Asylum are back and this time they're brought an Oscar-winner with them. The "story" is pretty simple as a zombie outbreak happens but the good news is that people just have to survive until the sun comes up. It turns out that these zombies are just out for one night so a group of people must try to survive not only the zombies but each other. ZOMBIE NIGHT certainly isn't NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD but I personally didn't expect it to be. You've gotta have rather low expectations when it comes to these films to appear on SyFy but there's certainly no excuse for a film to be this bad. There are all sorts of issues with this movie but the real criminal is the screenplay, which is just downright confusing and boring. The "plot" deals with about three different families who find themselves battling the zombies and then each other. I'm guessing this was originally meant to tell three separate stories and then bring them together (ala PULP FICTION) but it fails horribly. The entire film is just very sloppy in regards to the story and quite often you're sitting there dumbfounded trying to figure out what's going on and why so many humans are acting so stupid. Horror movies need characters to do dumb things but these here are just too dumb for their own good. The direction really doesn't add any excitement as the entire thing just has a rather slow feel to it. The shocking thing is that even the zombies are rather lame because they just don't have anything that sets them apart from the countless other films in the genre. The gore level is pretty high and there are a few nice death scenes, which at least keeps the entertainment going a little. Daryl Hannah and Anthony Michael Hall are the main stars here and it's nice seeing both of them even if their talents are wasted. Oscar-winner Shirley Jones (ELMER GANTRY) appears here briefly and even gets to spit out some blood. Rachel G. Fox rounds out the cast and is fun to watch. ZOMBIE NIGHT is about as bad as you can get but sadly it doesn't reach a "so bad it's good" level like many other films from The Asylum.
* (out of 4)
The Asylum are back and this time they're brought an Oscar-winner with them. The "story" is pretty simple as a zombie outbreak happens but the good news is that people just have to survive until the sun comes up. It turns out that these zombies are just out for one night so a group of people must try to survive not only the zombies but each other. ZOMBIE NIGHT certainly isn't NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD but I personally didn't expect it to be. You've gotta have rather low expectations when it comes to these films to appear on SyFy but there's certainly no excuse for a film to be this bad. There are all sorts of issues with this movie but the real criminal is the screenplay, which is just downright confusing and boring. The "plot" deals with about three different families who find themselves battling the zombies and then each other. I'm guessing this was originally meant to tell three separate stories and then bring them together (ala PULP FICTION) but it fails horribly. The entire film is just very sloppy in regards to the story and quite often you're sitting there dumbfounded trying to figure out what's going on and why so many humans are acting so stupid. Horror movies need characters to do dumb things but these here are just too dumb for their own good. The direction really doesn't add any excitement as the entire thing just has a rather slow feel to it. The shocking thing is that even the zombies are rather lame because they just don't have anything that sets them apart from the countless other films in the genre. The gore level is pretty high and there are a few nice death scenes, which at least keeps the entertainment going a little. Daryl Hannah and Anthony Michael Hall are the main stars here and it's nice seeing both of them even if their talents are wasted. Oscar-winner Shirley Jones (ELMER GANTRY) appears here briefly and even gets to spit out some blood. Rachel G. Fox rounds out the cast and is fun to watch. ZOMBIE NIGHT is about as bad as you can get but sadly it doesn't reach a "so bad it's good" level like many other films from The Asylum.
No, this IS the worst zombie movie ever
orionhi24 October 2020
Why does this movie even exist?
ten-thousand-marbles19 June 2020
Despite having a promising second string all star cast (they really must have needed the paychecks.) this movie is a steaming pile of plotless garbage. I was hoping it would be one of those "it's so bad it's good" zombie flicks, but it managed to be even worse than that. I wish I could say it's your typical, predictable zombie movies, but that would be an insult to all the typical, predictable zombie movies. The characters are the absolute worst, and the writing is so bad it's not even laughable. The only thing that could have saved this mess is if the Shirley Jones zombie had more screen time and managed to kill everyone else. The End.
I just had to write this :)
brooke_gaylene28 December 2013
I wasn't going to write a review but I just wanted to comment on what one reviewer said.
He said he only watched the first 15 minutes of movie then went on to mention about the car blowing up near the start, well that car was around 65 minutes into the movie no where near the start and obviously he watched more than the first 15 minutes if he saw that lol.
He also mentioned about he couldn't sit through 2 hours of the movies, well... he is right no-one could quite simply because the movie was only 85 minutes long lol.
Oh well, I have to say that Asylum do seem to make decent zombie movies probably because the other movies in this genre are usually very low budget and Asylums 1 million budget is one of the bigger ones compared to other Zombie movies so they tend to look quite good in comparison.
Anyway I do agree with one comment the reviewer made and that was Shirley Jones playing Nana was very annoying. Overall there was plenty going on in the movie, the Zombies were quite good even though the acting and story was little cheesy I was entertained.
That's another Zombie/Infected movie seen and added to my ever growing list. :)
He said he only watched the first 15 minutes of movie then went on to mention about the car blowing up near the start, well that car was around 65 minutes into the movie no where near the start and obviously he watched more than the first 15 minutes if he saw that lol.
He also mentioned about he couldn't sit through 2 hours of the movies, well... he is right no-one could quite simply because the movie was only 85 minutes long lol.
Oh well, I have to say that Asylum do seem to make decent zombie movies probably because the other movies in this genre are usually very low budget and Asylums 1 million budget is one of the bigger ones compared to other Zombie movies so they tend to look quite good in comparison.
Anyway I do agree with one comment the reviewer made and that was Shirley Jones playing Nana was very annoying. Overall there was plenty going on in the movie, the Zombies were quite good even though the acting and story was little cheesy I was entertained.
That's another Zombie/Infected movie seen and added to my ever growing list. :)
So beyond awful I couldn't look away...
AndyVanScoyoc20 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Stupid , STUPID people, making even stupider decisions.
They couldn't die fast enough...
Gods, was this movie just AWFUL!
It started out well enough and then just turned to crap.
The only one with any sense was Alan Ruck's character (and honestly the only reason I watched it) but everyone else got exactly what they deserved... especially the stupid boy waiting for his even stupider girlfriend.
How'd that work out for you?
For Pete's sake, do these film makers not bother to read their own scripts before they film them?
WHO would film such a horrible thing?
Obviously these people.
Avoid...seriously...AVOID.
Go have your teeth extracted without the use of novacaine.
It'll be less painful.
They couldn't die fast enough...
Gods, was this movie just AWFUL!
It started out well enough and then just turned to crap.
The only one with any sense was Alan Ruck's character (and honestly the only reason I watched it) but everyone else got exactly what they deserved... especially the stupid boy waiting for his even stupider girlfriend.
How'd that work out for you?
For Pete's sake, do these film makers not bother to read their own scripts before they film them?
WHO would film such a horrible thing?
Obviously these people.
Avoid...seriously...AVOID.
Go have your teeth extracted without the use of novacaine.
It'll be less painful.
A real 'Could have been good' !
deanwisme20 April 2014
3 stars for the gore effects, quite obviously the majority of the limited budget went into them. If the writers would have tried to make this a humorous affair, the appalling acting, script writing and storyline might just have worked. In fact, it could have been good if the film didn't try to take itself seriously. The film almost titters on the brink of humour before you realise it's a very serious affair failing badly.
Even Zombie fans should be upset with the film. We all know Zombies don't care, they just amble directly at their target. No moving obstacles out of the way or bypassing defenses or defending themselves from attack. All of which the Zombies do in this film... ruins the 'Mindless Zombie Killer' effect we all know and love.
In the end we are left with a film that has you thinking "that would have been funny if...." and "some of the effects are not too bad" and... "Wow ! I could drop a piece of paper in a cage full of Monkeys and find a better script written on it ten minutes later. Then hire the Monkeys to act it out".
Even Zombie fans should be upset with the film. We all know Zombies don't care, they just amble directly at their target. No moving obstacles out of the way or bypassing defenses or defending themselves from attack. All of which the Zombies do in this film... ruins the 'Mindless Zombie Killer' effect we all know and love.
In the end we are left with a film that has you thinking "that would have been funny if...." and "some of the effects are not too bad" and... "Wow ! I could drop a piece of paper in a cage full of Monkeys and find a better script written on it ten minutes later. Then hire the Monkeys to act it out".
Terrible direction, poor acting!!
sauravjoshi8524 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Zombie Night is a zombie horror film directed by John Gulager written by Keith Allan and Delondra Williams starring Anthony Michael Hall, Daryl Hannah, Jennifer Taylor, Alan Ruck, Rachel G. Fox and Daniel Ross.
The plot of the movie is based on the life of two families who must survive an attack of Zombies till sunrise.
This is one of the most stupid film i have seen in recent times and there is no doubt the writer must be drowsy while writing the screenplay as the scenes are full of stupidity. The film is awful and full of non-sense scenes just like in one of the scene the maid is trying to run away from home and open the window and saw a zombie standing in front of her and now instead of closing the window it seems that she is inviting the zombie in the room. In another scene a scary old lady calls police station and the police officer is giving her his introduction.
The editing, screenplay and acting is bad, people are dying here and there. Please avoid this crap.
The plot of the movie is based on the life of two families who must survive an attack of Zombies till sunrise.
This is one of the most stupid film i have seen in recent times and there is no doubt the writer must be drowsy while writing the screenplay as the scenes are full of stupidity. The film is awful and full of non-sense scenes just like in one of the scene the maid is trying to run away from home and open the window and saw a zombie standing in front of her and now instead of closing the window it seems that she is inviting the zombie in the room. In another scene a scary old lady calls police station and the police officer is giving her his introduction.
The editing, screenplay and acting is bad, people are dying here and there. Please avoid this crap.
o my god
Brendanflynn519 October 2016
Warning: Spoilers
semi spoiler alert. After stopping this film several times i finally watched it and boy am i sorry. other reviews get it bang on regarding the fact that absolutely none of the characters deserve to live as they have to be the most stupid annoying people in the world. they have iPhone's but have never heard of zombies and oh by the way shoot them in the head, the policeman was a waste of time and you kind of think that in a zombie apocalypse it would be the psychopaths and bikers who would survive as if all suburban people where like these they would be dead in seconds. the writers must have written this in 30 minutes as no thought and direction was given to any of the characters which were wooden and frankly ridiculous and very annoying. yeah lets run into a glasshouse? hmm. so many zombie movies are made on the cheap but i would rather watch a zombie movie made for 5ooo dollars with a great script than a million dollar turkey.
Good movie silly characters
MahyarErshad4 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This is what a zombie movie is about! It's scary enough and the story is good and new. Zombies are neither too dumb nor too smart and they walk slowly not running. The make up for zombies are good because zombies in other movies are humans with red color on their faces! The only problem is the characters in this movie do stupid things!! For example they make noises while they know this noise can make trouble for them! They attract zombies while they can hide!! That girl is the most stupid character I've ever seen! Zombies are coming for them and she screams for her boyfriend!! Why can't she just shut up and hide? Why does she scream and talk too loud while they are hidden?! Why does she ask too many question while they must do something quick? These stupid things in this movie make you really mad!!!
The Asylum have finally struck gold...
paul_haakonsen22 December 2013
Seeing The Asylum was behind this movie as the intro credits came on the screen, I must admit that my level of expectation went from hopeful to next to none. But still, I decided to watch this movie because it is a zombie movie after all.
And now about 85 minutes later, I must admit that I was genuinely surprised here. And I can honestly say that this is without a doubt one of the better movies to make it from The Asylum's drawing board.
The story here, is much like most other zombie movies. A strange phenomena takes place world wide and the dead are returning to life to feast on the flesh of the living. There is no explanation why or how this is happening. A small group of survivors have to make it through the night, as the number of living dead continues to rise.
The storyline was good and well executed on the screen, which is a definite thumbs up to The Asylum. This is the way to go. And the zombies in the movie were actually quite good. Not like most other low budget movies where it is just people with their faces painted gray, splattered with some blood and having their clothing shredded here and there. The make-up department had actually gone all the way in here. And it was nice for a change.
The cast was doing a good job as well, and personally I was thrilled to have Darryl Hannah in a zombie movie. And she actually pulled her weight quite nicely here, despite being in a rather unfamiliar environment.
"Zombie Night" is good entertainment and fun to watch for everyone who enjoys the zombie genre.
The ending, with the sunrise and all, well... I didn't personally care much for that particular direction in the zombie mythology. But hey, the movie still worked out nicely.
I am giving "Zombie Night" 6 fingers up out of 10. I can't give anymore as zombies ate the remaining four.
And now about 85 minutes later, I must admit that I was genuinely surprised here. And I can honestly say that this is without a doubt one of the better movies to make it from The Asylum's drawing board.
The story here, is much like most other zombie movies. A strange phenomena takes place world wide and the dead are returning to life to feast on the flesh of the living. There is no explanation why or how this is happening. A small group of survivors have to make it through the night, as the number of living dead continues to rise.
The storyline was good and well executed on the screen, which is a definite thumbs up to The Asylum. This is the way to go. And the zombies in the movie were actually quite good. Not like most other low budget movies where it is just people with their faces painted gray, splattered with some blood and having their clothing shredded here and there. The make-up department had actually gone all the way in here. And it was nice for a change.
The cast was doing a good job as well, and personally I was thrilled to have Darryl Hannah in a zombie movie. And she actually pulled her weight quite nicely here, despite being in a rather unfamiliar environment.
"Zombie Night" is good entertainment and fun to watch for everyone who enjoys the zombie genre.
The ending, with the sunrise and all, well... I didn't personally care much for that particular direction in the zombie mythology. But hey, the movie still worked out nicely.
I am giving "Zombie Night" 6 fingers up out of 10. I can't give anymore as zombies ate the remaining four.
The Director hasn't got a Clu
hwg1957-102-26570415 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Zombie Nights is the story of zombies coming out for one night and various characters trying to avoid been bitten, eaten or generally killed off. Once dead the dead come back to life so you know people killed off early will re-appear later to add drama as they are killed again by a loved one poignantly. All this sounds good but unfortunately the film is a series of usual zombie tropes and an unsympathetic cast that are unconvincing in their roles so that one looks forward to seeing them getting eaten.
There are many hilarious moments as the characters behave in monumentally stupid ways. Hiding in a glass greenhouse? Not running away when they easily can? Putting their children in a coffin? There is a comical scene where a girl is up a tree so to distract the zombie below she drops her shoe which interests the zombie then to make him go away she tosses her other shoe which he follows. Is this the first example of a zombie with a shoe fetish? Well at least that's different.
The zombie make-up isn't too bad and the gore effects OK but apart from that this is a long night to sit through. It also wastes decent actors like Shirley Jones and Darryl Hannah. Ah, The Asylum.
There are many hilarious moments as the characters behave in monumentally stupid ways. Hiding in a glass greenhouse? Not running away when they easily can? Putting their children in a coffin? There is a comical scene where a girl is up a tree so to distract the zombie below she drops her shoe which interests the zombie then to make him go away she tosses her other shoe which he follows. Is this the first example of a zombie with a shoe fetish? Well at least that's different.
The zombie make-up isn't too bad and the gore effects OK but apart from that this is a long night to sit through. It also wastes decent actors like Shirley Jones and Darryl Hannah. Ah, The Asylum.
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