Dead of Night, a made-for-TV anthology film, first aired on NBC in 1977, takes viewers through three distinct horror tales, each more absurd and perplexing than the last. Directed by Dan Curtis, the film features a stellar cast that includes Ed Begley Jr., Anjanette Comer, and Joan Hackett. The film is based on stories written by Richard Matheson (aside from one segment adapted from Jack Finney) and, like many TV horror anthologies of the time, never manages to fully capitalize on its spooky potential. But, despite its pacing issues and bizarre choices, it’s a fun watch if you like cheesy 70s horror with more style than substance. Let’s break it down.
The “Second Chance” Time-Loop Conundrum
In the first segment, “Second Chance,” we meet Frank (Ed Begley Jr.), a college student obsessed with vintage cars and, apparently, the laws of time. He restores a 1926 Jordan Playboy, a car that was part of a fatal collision years before. But when Frank takes it for a spin, he suddenly finds himself zipping back in time – right before the car crash that killed the car’s original occupants. Naturally, the film takes a page from the Back to the Future playbook, only without the doc, the DeLorean, or any real scientific explanation. Instead, we get a lot of what the hell is going on moments as Frank slowly discovers that he’s the one who inadvertently altered history. I guess if you’re looking for an explanation, you’ll just have to roll with it.
Frank seems to spend more time having mild existential crises than doing anything remotely exciting, but the best part of this segment is when he realizes that by saving the McCauleys from the crash, he inadvertently caused the existence of his love interest, Helen. Time travel at its most… pedestrian. So, in true 70s TV movie fashion, Frank somehow manages to live out his happily-ever-after with Helen, a woman whose existence was directly impacted by the fact that Frank played traffic cop in the past. It’s like the universe gave Frank a second chance at love, though not for the reasons one might expect. A romantic tale, but one with so many time-warp hiccups it makes you want to ask, “Wait, what?”
“No Such Thing as a Vampire” – Except, Apparently, That Hypodermic Needle
Next up, “No Such Thing as a Vampire” is a tale that tries way too hard to be clever, blending Gothic vibes with psychological manipulation, but ends up feeling like a confused soap opera about bloodsuckers… without the fun fangs. The plot revolves around Alexis (Anjanette Comer), a woman who is tormented by strange puncture wounds on her neck – and naturally, everyone assumes she’s being bitten by a vampire. So far, so good. But in true Vampire Diaries style, we quickly realize that her husband, the utterly sinister Dr. Gheria (Patrick Macnee), is using some pretty unorthodoxmethods to deal with his wife’s “vampirism.” Instead of hunting down an actual vampire, he’s poisoning her with hypodermic needles (a classy move, honestly).
As the situation unfolds, Alexis’s husband goes full-on scheming sociopath, manipulating his way into getting rid of a guy named Michael (Horst Buchholz) who he believes is having an affair with Alexis. His cunning plan involves framing poor Michael as a vampire, tricking the town into thinking he’s some evil bloodsucker. The payoff is a ridiculous final act where Michael gets staked – but not before he gets locked in a coffin, an accidental victim of a rather elaborate scheme. The big reveal comes when we learn that Alexis’s husband was the true monster all along, proving yet again that it’s not always the vampires you need to fear – sometimes it’s the guy who’s been poisoning you with a needle while pretending to be your loving spouse. It’s a plot twist that leaves you more confused than scared.
“Bobby” – A Demonic Child Gets the Worst Reboot
Now, let’s talk about “Bobby,” which is easily the most batshit insane of the three stories. It involves Alma (Joan Hackett) attempting to bring her deceased son, Bobby, back from the dead after he drowned. She decides to raise him using a magic book, summoning dark forces – because that’s always a good idea, right? It turns out that Bobby doesn’t return as the sweet child she remembered but as something far worse: a demon in disguise. And oh what a demon he is. His face? A grotesque, monstrous mask that practically screams, “I’m not your sweet angel boy anymore.” Bobby’s mommy issues are taken to a new extreme as the demon-child begins terrorizing Alma, wielding a butcher knife and sledgehammer like he’s trying to win Child of the Year in the most disturbing way possible.
The final act in this segment goes from creepy to downright absurd. Alma, now fully realizing that she’s raised a demon instead of her son, tries to deal with this in a series of increasingly ridiculous scenarios. The moment she realizes that the “Bobby” in front of her is not her son but a demonic imposter who’s been torturing her with his new face, you can’t help but think, “Well, it’s about time she figured that out.” Bobby taunts her, saying, “Bobby hates you, Mommy,” and reveals his true demonic face – a visual that could only have been achieved through a very 70s special effects budget. It’s goofy in the best possible way and has the effect of making you laugh at how absurd this all is. When Alma finally hacks her “son” with an axe (because why not?) and the “demon” disappears, you can’t help but wonder if anyone was actually meant to take this segment seriously.
Overall Thoughts – A Delicious Mess of Oddities
Dead of Night is a film that wants to be a sophisticated mix of horror, drama, and mystery, but ends up being a tangled mess of jumbled genres and poor execution. The stories each have their moments – like the somewhat effective atmosphere in “Second Chance” and the undeniable absurdity of “Bobby” – but they all share one glaring issue: they’re utterly unhinged. From the bizarre time-travel romance in “Second Chance” to the convoluted “vampire” antics in “No Such Thing as a Vampire” and the demonic child shenanigans in “Bobby,” the film constantly leaves you scratching your head. Is it a thrilling horror anthology? Maybe. But is it also an exercise in confusion, over-the-top melodrama, and general weirdness? Definitely.
There’s something to be said for the charm of a movie that doesn’t take itself seriously – and in this case, Dead of Night manages to hit that sweet spot between “so bad it’s good” and “wait, what just happened?” If you’re looking for some unintentionally hilarious moments, awkward pacing, and a weird mishmash of horror tropes, then this film is an absolute treat. Just don’t expect it to make any sense.
