Really Surprised!

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

I really like these 70's made-for-TV horror movies, perhaps because I saw a lot of them as an impressionable young kid. I never saw this one, but it was directed by Dan Curtis the master of small-screen suspense, who was behind both "Dark Shadows" and "Kolchack, the Night Stalker" and who directed several superior TV movies like "The Norliss Tapes" and "Trilogy of Terror" as well as the very scary theatrical film "Burnt Offerings". This is actually a failed pilot that is not quite at the level of the previously mentioned films--but then very few TV movies are. Like "Trilogy of Terror" this is an anthology of three tales, and as with "Trilogy" the quality of the three tales is rather uneven. Curtis' direction is pretty serviceable, and famed horror writer Richard Matheson's stories are all above par, but the length and some of the acting is a problem.The first story about an old car that transports its new owner back to a time when it's original owner was killed trying to beat a train is obviously intended to be more of a supernatural mystery tale than a horror. Still, it is overly long and hampered by a bland central performance from 70's douchebag, I mean actor, Ed Begley Jr. It does feature the very sexy Christina Hart in a regrettably small part (you can see a lot more of her--in every sense of the word--in 70's sex films like "The Games Girls Play"). The second story "There's No Such Thing as Vampires" is a period piece about a jealous brother who uses the local superstitions about vampires to get rid of his sister's paramour in a pretty imaginative way. This tale features performances by the late, great Elish Cook Jr. and the stunningly voluptuous Anjanette Comer (who they REALLY manage to waste by dressing her in Victorian garments and having her bedridden for most of the segment). While the first story is too long, this one unfortunately is actually a little too short.As everyone seems to agree, the last story "Bobby" is the best. It has elements of "The Monkey's Paw" where a distraught mother (Joan Hackett) wishes her drowned son (Lee Montgomery) back from the dead. It also has elements of "Prey" the final Matheson-scripted tale in "Trilogy of Terror" with "Bobby" taking the place of the African fetish doll. Imagine the ending of "Pet Sematary" some years later, but with GOOD acting and you'll some idea of the effectiveness of this tale. The three tales are definitely uneven, but I would still recommend the whole thing, especially if you like 70's TV movies.

Summary taken from IMDb.Com: This anthology tells three stories: a man (Ed Begley, Jr.) buys a car that takes him back and forth through time; a tale of vampires; and a distraught mother asks for her drowned son to come back to life and gets more than she bargained for.This film comes to us from director Dan Curtis and writer Richard Matheson. If you're not familiar with Matheson's name, you are missing out. His work with Roger Corman adapting Poe stories is legendary, he's the genius behind the various "I Am Legend" adaptations (and the original story) as well as other work (notably "Stir of Echoes"). Curtis is also a veteran horror director and his work ("Trilogy of Terror") is now classic in its own right.This collection starts off slow, with a time-traveling car. The story itself has no horror elements to speak of, but is interesting just the same. Those who like science fiction or time travel tales will be in love, though I don't suggest thinking too hard or you might find some serious plot holes.The second tale is weak, and offers little more than a buffer. While it certainly fits into the horror genre (it is about vampires, after all), there's not much of a story to tell. Perhaps if it had been expanded to feature length, but as is the story just doesn't seem to go anywhere and we don't get to know any of the characters well enough to care about them. If you're short on time, skip this middle section.The third and final section also happens to be the best without a doubt. Called "Bobby", it is a variation on the old "Monkey's Paw" story where a mother wishes her son back from the dead (not unlike Bob Clark's "Dead of Night", coincidentally), with not so amazing results. The difference here is that instead of wishes or prayers, the mother turns to black magic. I can't say I was scared by this story, though I rarely am. I can say, however, that this might terrify other people. The mother's performance was respectable, and the boy's was downright chilling. If you watch only one section, watch this one. It will burn into your memory.Dark Sky Films is fast becoming my favorite film distributor, bringing back old classics or films that time forgot. They're bringing back some impressive editions, and "Dead of Night" is no exception. The DVD includes another almost feature-length story on it worth seeing, and plenty of bonus features that have never been seen before by audiences. With horror being somewhat disappointing lately, it's great to see a company devoted to make the best years even better upon their return.

This is pretty cool!Richard Matheson and Dan Curtis(NIGHT STALKER,SCREAM OF THE WOLF)again collaborate.This was a failed pilot for a proposed tv series,but the movie can be enjoyed for what it is.There are 3 tales here,with "Bobby",the 3rd story,being the most chilling.Worth a look.

At the beginning of this film I noticed that title itself was part of the reason that I watched it. The first the story was about a young man(Ed Begley j.r.) whose auto mobile is stolen, but he later purchases another vehicle that is possessed.The second story is about a doctor (Patrick Macnee) who takes care of a patient who has a brush with death. However to his assumption he believes that a vampire was responsible for the problem of his patient. He soon invites an old friend (Horst Bucholz). He drugs him and pits falsely accuses him of being a vampire which leads him to have a stake driven through his heart.The final story is about a mother (Anjanette Comer) whose son Bobby (Lee Montgomery) accidently drowns in a lake but she makes a pact to have her son come back from the dead. He is revived, but he is not the child that he used to be.The first story was kinda off, the second story was merely confusing, and the third story was very frightening.