Children of the Night (1991 film)
| Children of the Night | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Tony Randel |
| Produced by |
Norman Jacobs Steven Jacobs Howard Nash Damon Santostefano Christopher Webster |
| Written by |
Nicolas Falacci William Hopkins Tony Randel Christopher Webster |
| Starring |
Karen Black Ami Dolenz Peter DeLuise Garrett Morris |
| Music by | Daniel Licht |
| Cinematography | Richard Michalak |
| Edited by | Rick Roberts |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release dates | 1991 |
Running time | 92 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Children of the Night is a 1991 American horror film directed by Tony Randel.
Plot
Before going away to college, two childhood friends, Cindy Thompson and Lucy Barrett (Ami Dolenz), decide to symbolically cleanse themselves of the "dirt" of their small town by swimming laps in an abandoned church crypt. Lucy drops her crucifix, which drifts down onto the submerged remains of an ancient vampire, Czakyr. Czakyr awakes and kills Cindy. Mark Gardner (Peter DeLuise), a school teacher from a nearby town, gets directed to Allburg by an old friend of his, Father Frank Aldin (Evan Mackenzie). Once there he tries to help Lucy, as she has now become the target of a town-turned-vampires, due to her "virgin blood". Lucy, Mark, and a drunken preacher make camp in an abandoned building outside of town and make plans to fight the vampire army. Utilizing the preacher's "cross mobile" they battle Allburg's entire vampire populace, ultimately taking on the evil Czakyr. Once Czakyr has been killed, the town's folk return to normal, with some complaining of "splinters in their chests".
Main cast
- Karen Black as Karen Thompson
- Peter DeLuise as Mark Gardner
- Ami Dolenz as Lucy Barrett
- Maya McLaughlin as Cindy Thompson
- David Sawyer as Czakyr
- Garrett Morris as Matty
Release and reception
Children of the Night had its world premiere at the 1991 Toronto International Film Festival as part of their Midnight Madness program.[1][2] Jay Scott (The Globe & Mail) referred to the film as a standout of the program, referring to the film as "a truly disgusting vampire film - imagine Karen Black in latex makeup, moaning through her rubber fangs[1]
References
- 1 2 Scott, Jay (September 6, 1991). "Sweet 16 and Ready to Roll". The Globe and Mail. p. C1. ISSN 0319-0714.
- ↑ Salem, Rob (August 15, 1991). "Midnight Madness Strikes Festival Again". Toronto Star. p. B3.
- Jackson, Anna, Karen Coats, and Roderick McGillis. The Gothic in Children's Literature: Haunting the Borders. New York: Routledge. 2008. Print.
- Kendrick, Charmette. "Horror in Children's Literature from the Nineteenth Century." The Goblins Will Get You! Volume 1. 2009:19-23.Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 February 2011.
- Wilkens, Katharina. "Mary and the Demons: Marian Devotion and Ritual Healing in Tanzania." Journal of Religion in Africa 39.2009: 295-318.Religion and Philosophy Collection.Web. 15 February 2011.
- "Review-Children of the Night." Fearscene. XOOPS, 6/15/2005. Web. 15 February 2011.