Evils of the Night

The 1985 film Evils of the Night is a fascinating blend of science fiction, horror, and teen exploitation that mixes genres in captivating and unconventional ways. It stars the legendary actors Neville Brand, Aldo Ray, and Tina Louise. This B-Movie holds its own, reveling in its cool vibe exhaustively and embodying everything that was wild and wacky about 80’s cinema.

Evils of the Night kicks into gear with a unique narrative that induces an impassioned mix of fear and intrigue. Banks of an idyllic lakeside camping planet become the playground for a group of fun-loving college students who plan to spend their summer vacation relaxing and partying. Unbeknown to them, their holiday spot is being coveted by an unlikely menace. An alien duo lurking in a neon-soaked spaceship has chosen this area as their hunting grounds. Weaving together the threads of a good old-fashioned summer vacation plotline with a sinister extraterrestrial twist, the movie dives headfirst into an eerie thriller.

The cool and retiree auto mechanics, played by Neville Brand and Aldo Ray, offer some of the most entertaining scenes in the movie. They provide an interesting yet strange subplot that interestingly intermingles with the main narrative.

Tina Louise adds her magic in the form of a doctor with a cold heart and ruthless ambition. As these characters add their own quirks and idiosyncrasies to the movie, the audience witnesses a fascinating mix of comedy, dread, and suspense in equal measure. The character arcs, while grounded enough to feel familiar, are inventive and eccentric, adding an enjoyable unpredictability to the story.

The filmmakers behind Evils of the Night had a radical approach to genre mash-ups and weren't afraid to explore uncharted territories. The surprising blend of genres shapes the film into a roller-coaster ride, where elements of classic B movie horror meet with a cheeky teen comedy, and everything is cloaked with a layer of sci-fi intrigue.

One can’t help but marvel at how the movie employs classic 1980s horror tropes. The director of Evils of the Night, Mardi Rustam, relies on atmospheric tension, dark cinematography, and shadowy woods to create a genuinely creepy ambiance. The shots, aided by dramatically warm and glowing neon lights, contribute to its kind of "stranger things" ambiance. Complete with sinewy synth scores, the film has that 80s nostalgia weaved into every inch of its celluloid, which makes it even more appealing to the fans of this era.

Every aspect of Evils of the Night is beautifully embellished with 80’s pop culture. From skimpy clad teens to MTV styled alien wardrobe, from rocking hairstyles to flashy convertibles, the movie displays the era's unabashed and uninhibited audacity. Beyond the layered aesthetics, the movie fires away on all genre cylinders, trying to give audiences a hodgepodge of summer camp exploits, alien abduction narratives, and a light peppering of sci-fi.

Visually masterful and cinematically audacious, Evils of the Night stands as a time capsule of its era, and despite its pulp-movie status, it makes for a uniquely entertaining cinematic experience. It demonstrates what becomes possible when indie filmmakers have the freedom to experiment ruthlessly, bending, blending, and at points, completely breaking genre conventions.

However, viewers coming into the movie seeking out a traditional horror film may find themselves both surprised and puzzled by the odd combinations of genres and tones. For those who appreciate eccentric movies and 80's kitsch, this movie is a goldmine. It is important to approach this movie as a true product of its time; with its indelible link to the 80s, celebrating the campy, the crazy, and the downright lovable peculiarity of the era.

Without revealing too much of the plot, suffice it to say that Evils of the Night is a full-throttle exploitation film that exhilaratingly showcases the bizarre. It is a nostalgic, cult classic, marking its place in the annals of B-movie horror and science fiction.