I missed out on Night of the Comet in theaters around 1984 but enjoyed the hell out of it when it made its debut on Showtime the following Christmas. I think the film was whipped together to take advantage of the Halley’s Comet fuss for 1986.
The story and execution still holds up. Sure the fashion is trapped in the early Eighties but it’s pretty impressive to see LA when it’s relatively quiet/empty. A friend from work who moved to Austin told me his old residence doesn’t operate 24-hours a day like NYC. Anyway, the one element I never recalled from my high school years was how the two female leads are the heroes. Before there was Furiosa and Lara Croft, there was Regina and Samantha defending what was left of civilization with their badass fighting skills. Having two B-movie legends (Mary Woronov and the late Geoffrey Lewis) as members of the secret society out to take their blood gave the story stronger credibility.
Somara and I watched the 30th anniversary features too. I learned through them that the target-practice scene was partially ad libbed to save money on takes; the weapons really did jam on the actresses.
I’ve always loved Night since I first saw it. Back then it was a common teenage fantasy right? Most people (especially the older ones) are stupid and you’d wished they’d go away, then you could have the world to yourself without all the crowds! Mellowing comes with aging, more often than wisdom.
Contrary to the zombie element, Night of the Comet isn’t truly a zombie flick. To me it falls more under the End-of-the-World category. The partially exposed survivors/victims have more in common with Rage Virus sufferers who will eventually finish disintegrating like the majority who died instantly. Zombies are indefinite if you follow Romero’s rules. The real plot revolves around what a pair of teenage sisters would do when 99.9% of the population is vaporized and civilization’s rules fall away. They could be frivolous as per the stereotypes. Instead they try to make the best of an awful situation with their wits and the comedy happens more plausibly.