‘Pray for day’
Hell Night is a 1981 American slasher horror film directed by Tom DeSimone (Terror in the Jungle) from a screenplay written by Randy Feldman. The movie stars Linda Blair, Vincent Van Patten and Peter Barton. Dan Wyman (Without Warning) provided the soundtracks score.
Director DeSimone stated he wanted a “classic Gothic look” for the film: “I don’t like these horror films where people are walking around haunted houses wearing jeans and T-shirts. So we threw our heads together and I said I wanted Linda in a Gothic kind of wardrobe. And we came up with the idea to make the hell night party a costume party. And that way we were able to have everyone in those kinds of costumes that suited their personality.”
Peter, the president of Alpha Sigma Rho, decides that four new pledges should have initiation and spend the night in a supposedly “haunted” estate, Garth Manor, where murders occurred twelve years prior.
The house’s former owner, Raymond Garth, strangled his wife, Lillian, to death and killed his three deformed children before finally hanging himself. However, the youngest child, Andrew Garth, was never found and is rumoured to still be in the house…
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Blu-ray Disc:
New 4K scan of the film taken from the best surviving archival print
New interviews with actors Linda Blair, Peter Barton, Vincent Van Patten, Suki Goodwin, Kevin Brophy and Jenny Neumann
Audio Commentary with Linda Blair, Tom DeSimone, Irwin Yablans and Bruce Cohn Curtis
Original Theatrical Trailer and TV spots
Blu-ray Disc Exclusives:
New interview with Director Tom DeSimone
New interview with Producer Bruce Cohn Curtis
New interview with Writer Randolph Feldman
New – Anatomy of the Death Scenes with Tom DeSimone, Randolph Feldman, Make-up artist Pam Peitzman, Art Director Steven G. Legler and Special Effects artist John Eggett
New – On Location at the Kimberly Crest House with Tom DeSimone
New – Gothic Design in Hell Night with Steven G. Legler
Original Radio spot
Photo Gallery featuring rare, never-before-seen stills
Reviews:
“Hell Night is one of those early ’80s stalk ‘n’ slash quickies that—although almost universally despised at the time, despite the fact they made money—is actually quite endearing in retrospect.” Scott Stine, The Gorehound’s Guide to Splatter Films of the 1980s
“While it has so much going for it with its eerie ambiance, great score and some choice scares, it lacks what so many people watch these movies for and that’s gore. While it’s not without splashy effects (there’s a decapitation, impalements and a head twisted completely around among others), it doesn’t get overly extreme, but it doesn’t need to. The picture also benefits from an awesome climax.” Cool @ss Cinema
The murders for this movie were frequently carried out off screen and were cleverly worked to fuel the audience’s anticipation rather than cause frustration. The script then deliberately played down the juvenile sex and nudity of these films, choosing instead to flesh out the characters of the four pledges.”Peter Normanton, The Mammoth Book of Slasher Movies
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“…the setting is strong and this is one of the better dead-teen flicks, coming as it does near the beginning of the cycle.” Mike Mayo, The Horror Show Guide
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“Hell Night is able to get some extra mileage out of its willingness to play around with your expectations because of the effort its creators put into making most of its important characters more than just stock types. Final Girls are almost always depicted with relative care, so it isn’t surprising to see some layers to Marti’s character…” 1,000 Misspent Hours and Counting
“Hell Night strikes tried-and-true horror psycho notes like a well-tuned instrument. One girl is pulled screaming down into a hole (although my favorite hole-dragging is in The Unseen, 1980). The psycho seems indestructible. They shoot him, but he keeps ongoing… But there are also some surprises, which is no small feat in this tradition-bound subgenre.” Communist Vampires
“Hell Night is just tons of fun all around. It reminds me of being a kid on Halloween. In fact, this one is perfect for Halloween viewing. It’s a great throwback to the old Universal monster movies of the past and has that classic horror feel to it. This one is exciting, has tons of atmosphere, a great setting and everything one could hope for in a unique slasher.” Ronnie Angel, Slashed Dreams: The Ultimate Guide to Slasher Films
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“Although the actual gore content is low, the titillation content is high, an avenue DeSimone would continue to explore in his future exploitation movies.” TV Guide
“Hell Night is surprisingly compact; a couple of main locations and only four primary characters, but it works better for it. For a start, you can actually get to know the pledges, and they’re not instantly dismissed as sex hungry teenagers. They’re three-dimensional, which makes for a refreshing change.” Jim Harper, Legacy of Blood: A Comprehensive Guide to Slasher Movies
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