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Nightbeast
Directed byDon Dohler
Written byDon Dohler
Produced byTed A. Bohus
Starring
CinematographyRichard Geiwitz
Edited byDon Dohler
Music by
Distributed byTroma Entertainment
Release date
  • November 1982 (1982-11)
Running time
81 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$14,000[citation needed]

Nightbeast is an American 1982 science fiction horror film directed by Don Dohler. The story concerns a small town sheriff who must stop a rampaging alien from killing the residents of Perry Hall, Maryland.

Plot

[edit]

A small alien spaceship is cruising around the Solar System. When it reaches the vicinity of Earth, it is struck by an asteroid and crashes at night in the small town of Perry Hall. Some hunters hear the impact and alert the county sheriff, Cinder. When they go investigating on their own, however, the pilot emerges and kills them with a disintegrator ray. The beast also attacks a couple in their home, and a family out for a drive.

Cinder confronts the beast with his men and some armed residents including a man named Jamie. However, the beast appears invulnerable to bullets and they lose many men to the disintegrator. The next morning, they enlist the help of an expert marksman who shoots off the disintegrator, disarming the beast. However, the marksman's son and another officer perish during the shootout.

The police department begin evacuating the town. However, they are unable to convince mayor Bert Wicker to cancel his party for governor Embry. Meanwhile, a delinquent named Drago abuses his girlfriend, who has been sleeping with Jamie. The police then arrive to give her the evacuation order, and after they leave, Drago returns and strangles the girl. When Cinder's police find out that Wicker's party is in progress, Jamie bluffs that poison gas is escaping from a nearby mine and the partygoers flee in panic. Wicker and his secretary Mary Jane, dispirited by this turn of events, stay home and begin drinking heavily.

At the office of doctor Steven Price, the beast appears and kills a few men. Price and nurse Ruth hide in the basement, and devise a trap to electrocute the beast with some frayed electrical cord. It works, and the beast flees the building. The body of Drago's girl gets discovered and taken to Price; Jamie, suspecting Drago, goes out on his dirt bike and beats him. Soon after, Cinder and his deputy Lisa discover a mutilated corpse, and the beast shows up. Lisa and Cinder make their escape, and the sheriff injures his leg in the process. Lisa takes him to her house to heal, and they have sex.

Meanwhile, Wicker and Mary Jane have gotten very drunk. Price is sent to watch over them until they can be evacuated. However, the beast gets past Price and kills Mary Jane in the basement. Her screams wake Wicker, and the beast rips his head off when he investigates. Cinder arrives afterwards, and Jamie suggests electrocuting the beast with a high-voltage coil from the local power plant. Price, thinking back to his success with the electrical trap, supports this course of action, and the sheriff drives out to the power plant with his men. There, Drago assaults Lisa and Cinder, but is stopped when Jamie shoots him with a shotgun.

Cinder and his crew return to Wicker's house and begin setting up their trap, laying metal wire between the trees and connecting it to the coil, which will discharge when they throw the circuit breakers. The beast takes them by surprise, and Jamie must hold onto the wire to keep it inside the trap. They throw the breakers, and the surge makes the beast explode, and takes Jamie with it as well. The camera pans up to the stars overhead and the film ends.

Cast

[edit]
  • Tom Griffith as Sheriff Cinder
  • Jamie Zemarel as Jamie Lambert
  • Karin Kardian as Lisa Kent
  • George Stover as Steven Price
  • Don Leifert as Drago
  • Anne Frith as Ruth Sherman
  • Eleanor Herman as Mary Jane
  • Richard Dyszel as Mayor Bert Wicker
  • Greg Dohler as Greg
  • Kim Pfeiffer as Kim (as Kim Dohler)
  • Monica Neff as Suzie
  • Glenn Barnes as Glenn
  • Richard Ruxton as Governor Embry
  • Bumb Roberts as Bill Perkins (as Bump Roberts)
  • Don Dohler as Jimmy Perkins (as Don Michaels)
  • David W. Donoho as Uncle Dave (as David Donoho)
  • Richard Geiwitz as Pete
  • Larry Reichman as Berkeley
  • Christopher Gummer as Clay / Pool Party Guest / Beast (as Chris Gummer)
  • Dace Parson as Wilton
  • Richard Nelson as Krebs

Production

[edit]

Nightbeast features opening credit effects by Ernest D. Farino[1] and the creature was created by John Dods.[2]

J. J. Abrams worked on the film as a 16-year-old. Abrams became aware of Dohler from the latter's articles in a local film magazine, Cinemagic. After Dohler and Abrams exchanged correspondence, Dohler asked Abrams if he would be interested in scoring the film.[3] While the film was shot in Baltimore, Maryland, Abrams, who lived in Los Angeles, mailed the tapes to Dohler.[4]

Most of the cast of The Alien Factor reprise their roles in Nightbeast.[citation needed]

Release

[edit]

Nightbeast was first released on DVD on September 28, 2004, by Troma,[5] and was later reissued on DVD on February 24, 2009, along with Blood, Boobs & Beast, a documentary about Don Dohler's life and career.[6] since then, the film was released on Blu-ray by Vinegar Syndrome.

Reception

[edit]

TV Guide panned the film, awarding it one out of four stars, stating, "Although the special effects (including some startling uses of gore makeup) are noteworthy, the actors aren't given much to do other than stand around and talk. The final result is disappointing".[7] Bill Gibron of DVD Talk rated it 2.5/5 stars and called it "an angry middle aged man's cry for attention".[8] Mark L. Miller of Ain't It Cool News wrote, "All in all, Nightbeast is drive-in, beer-swilling, audience-heckling fun."[9]

Nightbeast was featured in the 2013 Halloween episode of Red Letter Media's Best of the Worst. Among other things, the group discussed the film's similarity to Dohler's other work, hokey acting, and improved special effects. Mike Stoklasa called Nightbeast, "just a terrible film."[10]

In August 2016, Nightbeast was featured on Rooster Teeth's Theater Mode web show.[11][12]

Legacy

[edit]

Nightbeast has become a cult film.[13] It is briefly seen playing on a television in Panos Cosmatos' 2018 film Mandy.[14]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Nightbeast is a 1982 American independent science fiction horror film written and directed by Don Dohler. The story centers on a rural East Coast sheriff who leads efforts to stop an extraterrestrial killer, known as the Nightbeast, after it crash-lands near the town during a meteor shower and unleashes a rampage with its advanced weaponry. Produced on a modest budget of $14,000 and shot on 16mm film, Nightbeast stars Tom Griffith as Sheriff Jack Cinder, alongside Jamie Zemarel, Karin Kardian, George Stover, and Don Leifert in supporting roles. Dohler, a pioneer in low-budget genre filmmaking, drew inspiration from his earlier works like The Alien Factor (1978), making Nightbeast a loose spiritual successor that expands on themes of alien invasion in small-town settings. A notable aspect of the production is its electronic soundtrack, composed by a 16-year-old in collaboration with Robert J. Walsh, marking Abrams' first credited before his rise as a prominent director and . The film premiered in 1982 and has since garnered a among fans of independent horror and sci-fi, praised for its enthusiastic low-fi effects and earnest storytelling despite technical limitations.

Synopsis

Plot

The film opens with a meteor shower streaking across the night sky over Perry Hall, Maryland, which heralds the crash-landing of an alien spaceship in a remote wooded area. Local hunters investigating the site are the first victims, swiftly disintegrated by the emerging extraterrestrial creature known as the Nightbeast, an invulnerable being armed with a powerful disintegrator ray gun that leaves behind charred, silhouette-like remnants of its targets. Sheriff Cinder, responding to reports of the disturbance, discovers the wreckage and attempts to confront the alien, but its advanced weaponry and resilience force him into retreat, marking the beginning of a night of terror for the isolated small town. As the Nightbeast rampages unchecked, it escalates its attacks on unsuspecting , killing a family in their car, a couple in their home, and others in graphic displays of violence, including point-blank disintegrations that vaporize bodies and ignite surroundings. The creature's methodical pursuit highlights the vulnerability of the rural community, cut off from immediate outside aid, as Sheriff Cinder rallies deputies and locals in desperate defense efforts that result in further casualties. With the death toll mounting and panic spreading, state authorities order a full evacuation of Perry Hall, though some resist, underscoring the theme of small-town isolation where everyday people must confront an otherworldly horror with limited resources. In the climax, Sheriff Cinder, along with Deputy Jamie Lambert and other survivors, devises a plan to exploit the Nightbeast's apparent weakness to by luring it to a nearby power plant. They rig high-voltage lines as a trap to overload the alien's defenses, drawing it into a confrontation where the creature's ray gun is turned against it in the ensuing chaos. The plan succeeds as the Nightbeast explodes in a burst of , ending the rampage, but not without cost—Deputy Jamie Lambert perishes in the sacrificial effort to ensure the town's survival. The resolution emphasizes human resilience against an extraterrestrial threat, employing low-stakes horror tropes of a relentless monster terrorizing a close-knit until ingenuity prevails.

Cast

The cast of Nightbeast features a ensemble of primarily local Baltimore-area performers, many of whom were newcomers or amateur actors drawn from the regional scene, reflecting the production's low-budget, ethos. No major appear, emphasizing director Don Dohler's reliance on community talent to bring the story of an to life. Tom Griffith stars as Sheriff Cinder, the determined protagonist who rallies the townsfolk and coordinates the defense against the extraterrestrial menace. Jamie Zemarel plays Jamie Lambert, a young deputy who provides crucial assistance in the escalating confrontation with the creature. Karin Kardian portrays Lisa Kent, a local resident who encounters the alien early on and becomes entangled in the chaos. In a supporting role, George Stover appears as Steven Price, the town doctor who collaborates on devising a strategy to trap the invader; Stover was a recurring collaborator in Dohler's films, appearing in multiple projects like The Alien Factor (1978) and Fiend (1980). Richard Dyszel plays Mayor Bert Wicker, the harried town leader responsible for organizing the evacuation efforts. Don Leifert is cast as Drago, a local antagonist who falls victim to the beast's rampage.

Production

Development

Nightbeast originated as Don Dohler's third , following his directorial debut in 1978 and Fiend in 1980, marking his continued focus on low-budget independent horror and science fiction productions. Dohler, a native who had built a reputation in the film enthusiast community through contributions to and by publishing the special effects Cinemagic from 1972 to 1983, drew on his experience with to craft the project as a loose and spiritual sequel to . The script, written by Dohler, centered on a simple premise of an alien rampage in a rural town, designed to leverage minimal locations and effects to control expenses while evoking the exploitative of earlier decades. The production was self-financed by Dohler using proceeds from Cinemagic and local resources in the area, with an estimated of $14,000 that emphasized cost-saving measures like in familiar rural settings. Dohler shared co-directing credit with David Geatty, who provided logistical support for the independent effort aimed at building a regional through quick-turnaround horror. For the cast, Dohler hired local non-professionals, many from his prior films, to fill roles without high salaries. Key pre-production involvement included effects artist Ernest D. Farino, who handled graphic and miniature work to create the film's alien visuals on a shoestring.

Filming

Principal photography for Nightbeast was conducted in Perry Hall and , , over several weeks in 1982, drawing on local forests, abandoned buildings, and rural sites to convey the story's isolated small-town atmosphere. The production was captured on 16mm film by cinematographer Richard Geiwitz, who also portrayed a in the film, utilizing a small crew typical of Don Dohler's independent, guerrilla-style filmmaking. Dohler took over directing duties midway after the initial director, Dave Geatty, fell behind schedule and exceeded the budget on early scenes. Challenges included coordinating night shoots with limited equipment and resources, as well as interruptions that disrupted outdoor sequences. To fit the film's nocturnal theme, the crew relied heavily on day-for-night techniques and natural for a raw, unpolished aesthetic. The tight budget restricted takes, often resulting in improvised performances during action sequences involving the , a modified outfit. Safety issues arose during practical stunts, such as actors fleeing the suited performer across uneven terrain.

Post-production

Following principal photography, the post-production of Nightbeast (1982) emphasized resourceful, low-budget techniques to enhance its science fiction horror elements. Visual effects were handled primarily by Ernest D. Farino, who created miniature spaceship models and ray gun blasts using stop-motion animation and optical printing processes, contributing to the film's opening credit sequence and alien attack scenes. These effects, produced on a shoestring budget, added a layer of otherworldly spectacle despite their rudimentary execution. The , central to the alien antagonist's rampaging role, was designed and built by John Dods in 1979 as his first paid filmmaking gig. Dods crafted a , full-body suit that restricted the actor's mobility, necessitating quick cuts during scenes to conceal its limitations while emphasizing the monster's menacing presence through partial reveals. Editing duties fell to director , who assembled the film in using fast-paced cuts to mask the production's modest values and maintain momentum across its erratic structure. was incorporated for key sequences, such as the meteor shower depicting the alien's arrival and the explosive finale, helping to pad the runtime without additional shooting. The final cut ran 81 minutes, with basic applied to heighten the creature's eerie, otherworldly green hue against the night settings. Sound design relied on practical, cost-effective methods, including for disintegration effects and dubbed screams to amplify the creature's attacks. The film's score, a notable highlight, was composed by 16-year-old (credited as Jeffrey Abrams) in collaboration with Robert J. Walsh, blending synthesizer tones with orchestral swells to build tension; Abrams, based in the area, mailed cassette tapes of his contributions to Dohler for integration.

Release

Theatrical and initial distribution

Nightbeast premiered in November 1982 at local theaters in the area, including screenings in where the film was produced. The low-budget production enabled a quick rollout, with Dohler leveraging his regional connections for an initial limited theatrical release through , focusing on drive-ins and midnight screenings across the Northeast U.S. Marketing emphasized the film's exploitation elements, positioning it as a "blood, boobs, and beast" horror experience through posters that prominently featured the alien monster and promises of gore and to attract drive-in audiences. Dohler handled much of the self-distribution himself via his company, Amazing Film Productions, booking venues in the region and nearby areas to capitalize on his growing reputation in independent horror circles. The film's performance was minimal, reflecting its small-scale indie origins and limited playdates primarily in local theaters before transitioning to video store rentals by , where it began gaining modest traction in regional horror fan circuits. It received an R rating for violence and nudity but faced no significant cuts, allowing its graphic content to remain intact for early screenings that drew curious local crowds interested in Dohler's DIY style.

Home media releases

''Nightbeast'' was first made available on in the early 1980s through VHS releases distributed by Paragon Video, which became widely available in horror sections of video stores across the . In the early 1990s, acquired the distribution rights and issued re-releases on VHS, some of which featured edited cuts to comply with retail standards for gore and violence. The film received its DVD debut on September 28, 2004, from , presented in a basic edition with minimal extras including a commentary track by director Don Dohler and George Stover. A followed on February 24, 2009, as a two-disc set paired with the documentary ''Blood, Boobs & Beast'', which explores Dohler's career in independent filmmaking; this release included additional features like a blooper reel and trailers. In 2019, issued the first Blu-ray edition, featuring a new 2K restoration from the original 16mm film elements, along with a DVD combo pack. This release, available in standard and limited slipcover variants, incorporated an with Dohler and Stover, the making-of ''Nightbeast Returns'', new interviews such as ''An Electric Performance'' with actor Tom Griffith, a gallery, and a trailer gallery, with reversible artwork options. followed with its own Blu-ray release on February 23, 2021, presented in a single-disc edition with basic audio and video transfer. No significant new physical home media updates have occurred since 2021 as of November 2025. Internationally, limited releases appeared in during the , including versions in the and the . By the , ''Nightbeast'' became accessible via streaming on platforms such as and , expanding its availability to global audiences without physical media.

Reception

Critical response

Upon its limited 1982 release, Nightbeast received mixed but predominantly negative reviews from professional critics, who highlighted its technical shortcomings while occasionally noting its earnest low-budget ambition. awarded the film 1 out of 4 stars, criticizing the "atrocious" acting, "wooden" dialogue, and "amateurish" , though acknowledging that the gore makeup was "noteworthy" in places; the overall verdict deemed it more "silly than scary" and ultimately "disappointing." Early coverage in horror enthusiast publications echoed these flaws but praised the film's unpretentious enthusiasm and DIY spirit, with one review calling it entertaining despite clichés, poor effects, and stiff performances. In the DVD era, critiques began to appreciate Nightbeast's campy appeal as a regional B-movie artifact. Bill Gibron of rated the 2004 Troma DVD release 2.5 out of 5 stars, describing it as "an angry middle-aged man's or a fun and furious genre deconstruction" that delivered "beer-swilling, audience-heckling fun" through its over-the-top energy and gore. Similarly, Mark L. Miller of (2009) emphasized its "drive-in" vibe, lauding the B-movie enthusiasm despite amateur elements, and recommended it for fans of low-budget horror revelry. Modern assessments have solidified Nightbeast's reputation as a "so-bad-it's-good" oddity, often celebrated for its flaws rather than in spite of them. In a 2013 episode of Red Letter Media's Best of the Worst, the hosts selected it as the "Worst of the Worst" among three films but mocked its wooden dialogue and visible effects seams with affectionate humor, ultimately praising its chaotic charm and the passion evident in director Don Dohler's grassroots production. On , the film holds an score of 35% based on 27 ratings as of November 2025, with aggregated commentary noting its enduring regional appeal among East Coast horror enthusiasts for capturing the era's independent filmmaking ethos. Across reviews from release to retrospectives, common criticisms target the stilted , inconsistent , and rudimentary effects—like obvious seams in the and miniatures—that betray the $14,000 , often rendering tense scenes unintentionally comedic. Conversely, praise frequently centers on Dohler's evident dedication to the genre, which infuses the film with a sincere, scrappy vitality, as well as the score by a teenage , whose early contribution has drawn retrospective interest for its raw, atmospheric quality.

Audience reception

Upon its 1982 release, Nightbeast found initial appreciation among local audiences, who enjoyed its graphic gore effects and the film's depiction of a small-town regional setting that resonated with Baltimore-area viewers during limited screenings. A modest following developed through word-of-mouth recommendations and the circulation of tapes in underground horror circles, helping sustain interest in the pre-internet era. In the online era, the film maintains a 4.2/10 rating on from over 2,600 user votes as of 2025, reflecting a polarized but dedicated fanbase that values its campy flaws. On , where it averages 2.7/5 stars, users frequently praise its naive charm and so-bad-it's-good entertainment, with one reviewer calling it "an absolute blast" for its unintentional humor and another highlighting its "stupid mess" that nails B-movie essentials like gross kills. Horror forums like Reddit's r/troma community echo this sentiment, discussing Nightbeast as quintessential '80s Z-grade horror held together by "hopes, dreams, and ," with fans appreciating its schlocky fun and corny sci-fi elements despite the low budget. The film has appeared at cult events such as the Hellfire Club's birthday , where group viewings elicited positive reactions to its practical effects and lo-fi ambition. It primarily appeals to B-movie enthusiasts and completists—drawn to his teenage composition of the score—with audiences rating it mixed for genuine scares but high for overall entertainment value. This grassroots enjoyment contrasts with low critical scores, underscoring its enduring draw as a for genre fans.

Legacy

Cult status

Nightbeast gained traction as a favorite in the among VHS collectors, who prized its rare Paragon Video release for its low-budget charm and regional appeal, often trading it in enthusiast circles as a hidden gem of independent horror. The film's visibility surged following the death of director from cancer on December 2, 2006, at age 60, which prompted retrospectives highlighting his contributions to Maryland's indie scene and solidified Nightbeast as a landmark of local . These tributes emphasized Dohler's roots in self-published fanzines, where he began creating comic books at age 15, fostering a DIY spirit that permeated Nightbeast and exemplified the enduring niche of regional horror produced outside mainstream Hollywood. Preservation efforts further cemented its cult status, with boutique label releasing a 2K restoration in 2019 from the original 16mm camera negative, restoring Dohler's intended vision of the film's practical effects and atmospheric tension that had degraded in earlier and DVD editions. This edition, praised for its clarity and inclusion of new interviews, helped introduce the film to newer audiences and earned spots in "best bad movies" compilations, such as those celebrating its so-bad-it's-good appeal on sites like Red Letter Media's Best of the Worst. The film's community thrives through dedicated fan sites, blogs, and podcasts that laud its DIY ethos, including Trash Film Guru's in-depth analyses of Dohler's resourceful production techniques and channels like Brandon's Cult Movie Reviews, which highlight its enthusiastic low-fi energy. Ties to Troma Entertainment's catalog of schlock cinema, where Nightbeast was distributed and later re-released on Blu-ray, amplified its reach among fans of irreverent fare, blending regional authenticity with broader cult accessibility. Home media releases like Vinegar Syndrome's have since boosted its availability, sustaining ongoing appreciation.

References in media

A brief clip from Nightbeast appears in the 2018 film Mandy, where protagonists Mandy and Red watch it on television at home while sharing a , introducing the obscure low-budget horror to a broader audience. The film has been referenced in online media sketches and reviews for its absurd elements, including a 2013 episode of Red Letter Media's Best of the Worst series, which featured Nightbeast alongside other horror titles and highlighted its chaotic alien rampage. Similarly, in August 2016, Rooster Teeth's Theater Mode web show screened and discussed the film, praising its DIY charm within the sci-fi horror genre. Nightbeast influenced subsequent low-budget films through its emphasis on practical effects and small-town terror, serving as a template for independent filmmakers tackling extraterrestrial threats on limited resources. Director Don Dohler's later work, The Galaxy Invader (1985), echoes Nightbeast's themes of stranded aliens and rural confrontations, filmed in the same Baltimore-area locations with overlapping cast members like George Stover. No official sequels were produced, but these stylistic continuities underscore the film's niche impact on regional horror cinema. The film's score, partially composed by a 16-year-old in his first professional credit, has been noted in film biographies and retrospectives as an early milestone linking Dohler's project to Abrams' later blockbuster career, including (2009). Nightbeast receives ongoing mentions in analyses of horror, such as in Bloody Disgusting's coverage of Troma releases and cult classics, emphasizing its gore and vaporizing effects. As of 2025, it remains available for streaming on platforms like Shudder and AMC+, sustaining its visibility among horror enthusiasts.

References

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