Night of the Comet is available to own now on Blu-ray and DVD
But what makes Night of the Comet stand out above its peers, would be its unique female lead characters, wonderfully played by Catherine Mary Stewart and Kelli Maroney. This is a film driven by its female characters. It is those characters who anchor the film, who give the film the heart which makes it so much more than a string of homages: the fun is balanced by the genuine emotional connection the audience develops with our heroines. Even if they have the occasional ditzy moment, this is a very genuine portrayal of two teenage girls and the film likes both of them far too much to mock. Although much of the surface details date it to a very specific era – the tinny synth ‘n’ saxophone music and that big hair!– the heart of the film still feels fresh because its two lead characters are so well drawn, so well played and so damn likeable.


Intriguingly, for a film with such obvious antecedents, Night of the Comet has proved to be extremely influential, inspiring a number of other films which attempt the same trick of placing unlikely characters inside a foursquare genre format and sweetening the mix with humour. Most obviously, there’s Tremors (1990), in which a couple of good ol’ boys do their best to deal with an underground monster straight out of a ’50s creature feature. Writer/director Joss Whedon has professed admiration for Night of the Comet too, citing it as partial inspiration for Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992 on film, 1997-2003 on TV). More recently, there’s Shaun of the Dead (2004). It doesn’t take much to see Night of the Comet as one of that film’s (numerous) influences, most obviously in the graceful juggling of comedy, character moments, and genuine genre thrills.

Such things are only to be expected of a film with such a pronounced cult following. If it’s smart, witty handling of the genre was a little too sophisticated to meet with general approval upon original release in 1984, then it has ensured a strong afterlife, and its reputation continues to grow. Far more than ‘just’ a pastiche, Night of the Comet both celebrates the genre and contributes to it, updating the concerns of the golden age science fiction films for a new era and a new generation. Far more importantly, it remains thoroughly entertaining; and in an age like ours, when the world again feels increasingly apocalyptic (war, terrorism, environmental collapse... take your pick), such things are welcome indeed.

The movie will make its UK Blu-ray debut on 22nd September 2014 in a newly restored transfer with a host of extra features including interviews with stars Kelli Maroney, Catherine Mary Stewart, Robert Beltran and Mary Woronov. The disc will also feature an audio commentaries with writer/director Thom Eberhardt, stars Kelli Maroney and Catherine Mary Stewart and production designer John Muto

Alongside this, the Blu-ray disc will also feature the original theatrical trailer, a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin and a sizable collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic James Oliver

Special Features:
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of the feature, transferred from original film elements by MGM
- Original Stereo 2.0 audio (uncompressed PCM on the Blu-ray)
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Audio commentary with writer/director Thom Eberhardt
- Audio commentary with stars Kelli Maroney and Catherine Mary Stewart
- Audio commentary with production designer John Muto
- Valley Girls at the End of the World – Interviews with Kelli Maroney and Catherine Mary Stewart
- The Last Man on Earth? – An interview with actor Robert Beltran
- End of the World Blues – A brand new interview with Star Mary Woronov
- Curse of the Comet – An Interview with special make-up effects creator David B. Miller
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin
- Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by James Oliver illustrated with original archive stills and posters