Terror Night (1989) User Reviews

Bloody odd, but strangely entertaining, Movie!

[Coventry · 6/10 · 5 March 2020]

The optimist in me likes to believe that every cheap and low-rated horror movie must at least have one good reason to give it a chance! In case of "Bloody Movie" (or "Terror Night", if you prefer), there are several reasons, but the most obvious one is the massive time lapse between the wrap of production (in 1987) and the inconspicuous release (in 2004). The simple fact that the film remained shelved for nearly 20 years, allegedly due to issues regarding the legal rights of the used stock footage, already makes it intriguing enough for avid horror geeks to seek it out. It also means that, since "Bloody Movie" features a lot of ageing cult/horror actors in small cameo roles, practically half of the entire cast was already dead by the time the film finally saw the light of day officially; - including the uncredited co-director André de Toth!

That's interesting, to say the least, but even if you don't have a bizarre fetish for weird trivia, "Bloody Movie" is a fun, gory and surprisingly original slice of typical 80s horror. The basic premise of an actual (horror) film star going berserk and embarking on an actual killing spree has perhaps been done before ("Theater of Blood", "Frightmare", "Fade to Black", ...) but "Bloody Movie" definitely adds something unique. The killer - Lance Hayworth - is supposedly a 90-year-old idol from the silent film era, who mysteriously vanished 20 years ago already, but returned now that real estate sharks are planning to knock down his old but prestigious Hollywood mansion. Unfortunately for them, six youngsters and a horny biker couple also decided to perpetrate into Hayworth's old house the same night.

The murders are, apart from delightfully gruesome, very creative because each of them is meant to be a homage to one of Hayworth's silent film classics. He thus uses a variety of awesome weapons (spears, spikes, bow & arrow, picket fences, ...) and the murders are interspersed with stock footage and clips from old swashbuckler films, which I personally thought was a nice touch. The names of the B-movie legends in the cast are attractive, but don't be misled. Cameron Mitchell, for instance, is in the film for exactly three minutes (between minute 1h09 - 1h12) and also the appearances of Aldo Ray, Dan "Grizzly Addams" Haggerty, and Alan Hale Jr. are extremely brief. Even John Ireland, as the culprit, only steps in during the third act of the film and he's barely recognizable. One cast member who does show herself prominently, on the other hand, is the gorgeous Michelle Bauer with a long and joyfully gratuitous full-frontal nudity scene! Her ravishing body, the catchy opening song and the fair amount of good 80s gore make "Bloody Movie" a worthwhile and recommendable slasher!

enjoyable overlooked slasher-type film featuring clips from silent films

[FieCrier · 6/10 · 9 September 2005]

Released on an inexpensive DVD as "Bloody Movie" and an even cheaper DVD under its original title, perhaps people will get a chance to see this one. It's not bad!

A 1920s film star who never made it to sound pictures hasn't been seen for years, since he sold the rights to his films (he'd bought them all) to television. Think Errol Flynn, and in fact clips from his films are shown and his estate is thanked in the credits.

People get killed in ways people died in the star's movies. During the killings, clips from relevant pictures are shown, as well as the poster for the movie, and piles of still from it. The killer is dressed as "The Gaucho" and kills people with a Zorro-like blade, etc.

Two bikers, and a group of young people separately break into the star's estate, and they too get killed. The star would be 90 if he is still alive....

Really pretty enjoyable. The older stars in the movie: Alan Hale, Cameron Mitchell, etc. have only brief cameos.

Unreleased for twenty years, Terror Night delivers a fair slasher yarn

[LuisitoJoaquinGonzalez · 6/10 · 30 December 2008]

Produced in 1987, Terror Night became the slasher movie equivalent of the Holy Grail for horror enthusiasts after it never secured its expected release, which therefore kept fans searching for almost twenty years until it finally crept out almost unnoticed on to budget DVD. The movie was covered in various horror media and fanzines during its production, meaning that when a launch date never arrived, fans were left wondering what exactly had happened. Rumours of bootlegs kept people searching, but it wasn't until the late nineties when I came across a subtitled copy in an exchange store in Nuremburg that I actually believed that it even existed.

It is rumoured that copyright wrangles with additional footage - that was 'borrowed' from classic movies for inclusion into the story - prevented Terror Night from gaining public exposure. A few bootlegs saw the light of day, which were then copied privately and passed around on the VHS black-market, but up until very recently, the film had remained locked in a studio vault. Its unfortunate production problems admittedly gave the film a somewhat mysterious and alluring edge and on top of that it boasts an interesting premise, a good cast and directorial assistance from legendary horror filmmaker Andre De Toth.

A group of youngsters decide to spend the night in the dilapidated Hollywood mansion of one-time screen idol Lance Hayward. Hayward has been missing for over forty years and despite rumours that he emigrated to Europe, it is believed that he died many years ago. The teenagers soon learn that this is not true as Hayward begins stalking and slaughtering the group one by one, whilst donning costumes of the characters from his previous cinematic adventures.

Had Terror Night been released as had been intended by the production team, I predict that it may well have been a relatively popular addition to the category and a good seller on the VHS and drive-in markets. The film boasts almost all the essential ingredients that made its more successful genre counterparts household names, including a young and attractive cast, some decent bloody deaths, credible gore and intriguing cameos from screen veterans like Cameron Mitchell.

The use of black and white movie footage to accompany the murders was an interesting touch; even though it almost certainly proved to play a key part in the film's downfall and ruined any chance of the ongoing franchise that the producers during this period predictably craved. Despite sticking closely to the slasher rulebook, which was in regular use during the eighties, the key source of influence seems to stem from the nineteen-eighty thriller Fade to Black. The premise is inexplicably similar, although Terror Night fashionably decides to stay true to its slasher roots as where Fade to Black has never been noted as a genre entry.

The cast do a good enough job with what they are given, especially the old-timers who seem to be having a ball with their small cameos. Cameron Mitchell turns up for a brilliant piece of scene-chewing and like all the senior screen veterans, he seems to be motivated to do more than just phone-in a few lines for the paycheque. The various choices of costume for the killer provide a good bit of fun (I especially enjoyed the maniacal knight-in-armour) and the murders are almost always energetic and gory. Popular screen queen Michelle Bauer comes along for her usual excuse to get naked and then viciously slaughtered and porn queen Jamie Summers is also included for a rare non-adult film role.

First (and last) time director Nick Marino creates little in terms of tension or suspense and his methods are that of the 'point and shoot' variety. Andre De Toth's involvement in the direction of a share of scenes is a rumour that has never been confirmed or denied and there's nothing exceptional here to be noted. However without the press package that would have accompanied Terror Night had it been released as intended, there is little way of knowing the exact percentage of his input.

Despite some excellent moments, Terror Night is knee deep in a puddle of flaws. It's inadequately lighted to the point of frustration in places and lacks the visual gloss and stylish direction/production that made its more popular counterparts memorable. The plot is also poorly handled and never gives a resolution to the mystery that it spends so much energy creating. We never find out what Lance Hayward actually is, or what was his motivation behind the murderous rampage? We never learn if the maniacal assassin is actually a ghost or just an extremely lucky ninety-year-old with the appearance of someone half that age. It could be argued that these problems would have been ironed out if the movie had been given the post-production that was intended and we will never know for sure when it was decided that Terror Night would not secure worldwide release. Perhaps the filmmakers never got the chance to add the finishing touches that would have given the film a more attractive sheen. However there is really no excuse for the laughable ending, which to be fair was perhaps typical of cheesy eighties slasher trash.

Terror Night is one of the few slasher movies that had the potential to be a lot better than it eventually ended up, but somehow lost its way between the months of production and its release some twenty years later. It's a shame that we'll probably never find out how it might have turned out if it was given a real chance and it looks as if it might have suffered a nightmare production. Still, for fans looking for an extremely rare genre-piece, it does deliver the goods on a few levels. It's packed to the brim with hokey gore and there's some excessive nudity that always interests fans of exploitation. It's a good film that could have been so much more.

Wanna see Michelle Bauer stark naked? Or how about Aldo Ray decapitated? Step right this way sir...

[Kurwa-Monger · 2 July 2004]

Lance Hayward's Terror Night was one of the surprisingly large amounts of slasher movies that inexplicably vanished from existence very soon after it was initially unleashed in the eighties. Actually, whilst trying unrewardingly to search out some information on the flick's production, I came across a statement from notorious B-movie mogul Fred Olen Ray - that said it never even acquired an US release. I guess that would of course, explain why it seems to have completely disappeared from cinema history. If it wasn't for the odd user comment posted on the IMDb or the fact that I managed to track down a copy (without a cover), I'd be inclined to believe that it was still laying in a vault somewhere, waiting for a label to pick it up for circulation. Information on whether or not it was shelved would be much appreciated from anyone who knows the facts of its history. I'm starting to believe that it may have surfaced briefly outside America only, which explains the reader's reviews and the fact that this copy has Dutch subtitles. If that is the case, and it was withheld in its country of origin, then it's pretty hard to imagine a reason why it never gained the exposure it deserved. It really isn't all that bad - certainly no worse than the majority of bottom-of-the-barrel genre-pieces that were appearing around '87. It's a damn site better than schlocksters like The Last Slumber Party or the incredibly awful Blood Lake turned out to be. On top of that, it's a lot more original.

Nick Marino's splatter opus even boasts one or two alluring qualities that may have allowed it to garner cult status, if it was given the proper chances. Firstly, legendary one-eyed filmmaker Andre De Toth supposedly shot a few scenes and offered his overall guidance to the director; and secondly it plays a great deal like a more successful and charmingly remembered horror film from the early eighties, Fade to Black. Although a few of the necessary trappings were firmly in place, FTB wasn't really a slasher movie by any length of chalk. It was mainly notable for a brief early appearance from Mickey Rourke, just before he hit the big time with Diner and Rumble Fish respectively. This on the other hand, is stalk and slash to the core, but chucks in a few winsome alterations to the traditional formula that I actually found fairly engaging. There's a few imaginative murders, some great disguises for the killer and even a brief cameo from grumpy old horror movie favourite, Cameron Mitchell. Amusingly enough, he's billed as the star, even though he turns up for two minutes tops, and then disappears quicker than a rabbit with an amphetamine addiction. He later made a lucrative habit of showing up and sodding off in slashers like Memorial Valley Massacre and Jack-O. In fact, the only genre movies that he could have rightly been credited as any kind of lead were The Toolbox Murders and The Demon. At least in both of those, he actually bothered to hang around for more than a snippet of dialogue or two.

After a neat credit sequence that's deliberately modelled on those of late '20s cinema, (it even includes a corny 'rag-time' melody a la Al Jolson!), we leap headfirst into the action. We're shown a dilapidated mansion that once housed legendary Hollywood screen star Lance Hayward. Hayward was immensely popular in his day, starring in a number of successful hit-movies before he retired and disappeared into seclusion. Attempts to track down the actor's whereabouts have been unsuccessful. Some say that he relocated to Switzerland and changed his name, while others believe that he must have passed on to the big IL' silver screen in the sky. It's unlikely that he's still alive and kicking, as nowadays he would be over ninety years old. Due to the authority's failure to track him down, a real-estate agent and a Lawyer have arranged to meet at the property and negotiate the building's sale. They plan to demolish what's left of the once beautiful abode, so that they can use the space to develop something more useful than the ageing eyesore.

First of the two to turn up is the estate agent, only he's a little early, so instead of waiting with the amiable 'security guard' (who really doesn't look too reassuring); he decides inexplicably to drive out into the dense forest that surrounds the grounds and wait amongst the trees. Of course, in a slasher movie, lone-trips into the woodland usually mean that someone's about to suffer a painful death; - and this one certainly isn't trying to break the mould in that respect either! A psycho that's dressed in prohibition-era gangster attire, jumps out of the bushes and clumps the unlucky fellow on the back of the neck, effectively knocking him to the ground. He drags the unconscious guy over to a tree and ties his arms around the trunk, before attaching his legs to the rear bumper of his automobile. The luckless seller awakens just in time to learn that he's about to be ripped in half by a totally out of period Frank Nitti impersonator, with some serious animosities towards estate agents! The actual murder (which is nice and gooey) is mixed with stock footage that we later learn is a collection of scenes from Hayward's history of movie-making. As in the tradition of Fade to Black, each murder is themed by one of his fictional screen credits, and he wears a prominent guise for each bloody deed.

The Lawyer shows up and the security guard stops him to reminisce about a flick called The Mobster and The Lady, in which Lance's character killed a 'rat' using exactly the same methods that we just saw rehashed on that decidedly unfortunate visitor. It's beginning to look like the star has returned to forcibly reclaim his property, and he's not willing to negotiate the sale possibilities with any money-snatching property-developers. But admittedly, his reappearance does kind of beg the question: If this guy's meant to be in his nineties, then I can't really see him being too much of an agile homicidal maniac. 'The psychotic geriatric' doesn't exactly sound terrifying, does it? I know that Michael Myers' slo-mo stalking was creepy, but maybe a Zimmer-frame is taking things just a little bit too far?

Following the discussion, the guard is sent home and the attorney meets a sticky end courtesy of a spear through the stomach. Again, the slaughter is inter-cut with scenes from one of Hayward's previous cinematic successes, this time it was 'Pride of the Bengal Lancers'! Just so that no one thinks that we're watching a sequel to that cheesy old anti-estate agent slasher, Open House; we meet a gang of typical eighties teens - all hairspray and heavy metal - that chuck us into more formulaic and instantly recognisable territory. Every one of the six youngsters is little more than an overused cliché, from the nerdy movie-geek to the loud-mouthed insensitive pair that look certain to suffer a gruesome fate for their apparent over-brashness. They all meet up at an apartment where the six-O-clock news plays on the television, and the major topic is the fate of Lance Hayward's estate. One dim-witted bimbo that's sure to regret the extent of her imagination comes up with the idea that they should drive up to the house and take one last look around before it's bulldozed into oblivion. They all agree on the plan and pile aboard Todd's van for the journey. Unbeknown to them, there's already a pair of rowdy rockers with very similar motivation en-route to the mansion, which takes the body count possibilities up to a whopping eight should-be victims…

Whilst heading up to the foreboding mansion they bump into a drunken hobo (Aldo Ray) who's staggering around the grounds, giving us his best Crazy Ralph impersonation. He stops to incoherently warn the youngsters that there's a murderous psychopath roaming the woodland, before donating some corn syrup to Hayward, who this time is cunningly dressed as a Pirate. Of course, his warnings don't do much to discourage the eager beavers, and neither does the sure to be surviving girl's brief sightings of an ominous shape lurking suspiciously between the trees. They carry on up to the property and discover that a window has already been broken to summon them inside the intriguing location. Once they've entered, they find plenty of nostalgic memorabilia littering the vast foreboding rooms and a few patent signs that they're not alone, which (of course) they fail to take into account. Before long, each of them comes up with a comical reason to take a fateful stroll that (of course) only leads them back to their agent's hopeful waiting list. On their journey into obscurity, they meet up with the resident psychopath and suffer one of his fairly imaginative ideas for cinematic slaughter...

As I said previously, Terror Night is un-deserving of its impossible to locate status. To be honest, I found it to be a mindlessly diverting splatter romp, with a few authentic elements that work to its credit. It's fairly gooey in places and the killer's vast array of slaughter methods and themed-disguises were distinguished and actually quite enjoyable. I especially liked the armour, which was used to a similar effect by David Hess in that underrated slasher from 1980 - To all a Goodnight. The masked-desperado and Robin Hood were two other humorous camouflages, and there's a big enough bloodbath for him to don an impressive number of costumes. The use of old movies to accompany the murders was an interesting touch; although I must admit that I'm considering the fact that these additions may have had something to do with the flick's total disappearance. The end-credits do not acknowledge that the footage was borrowed from old Douglas Fairbanks movies, and one has to wonder whether Marino infringed a few copyright issues, which eventually resulted in the film being shelved? It's only an assumption, but I'm pretty sure that something must have landed this otherwise promising debut - deep into troubled waters. Although the synopsis of 'teens exploring a derelict abode' may sound tediously formulaic, things don't follow suit as closely as you'd expect from a regular genre-piece. Instead of just keeping the traditional surviving heroine, it takes a completely different root, which of course I won't spoil for you.

Unfortunately, it isn't plain sailing all the way through, and Terror Night does suffer a few too many conspicuous flaws. It's inadequately lighted to the point of frustration in places, and it lacks the visual gloss that made a few of its counterparts more memorable. The most obvious blemish that plagues this faded armour is the fact that it doesn't even bother to solve the mystery that was built throughout the runtime. We never get a comprehensible answer as to what Lance Hayward actually was. Even after the conclusion, we still never learn if he's a ghost, a zombie or just a normal bloke blessed with extremely youthful looks for a ninety-year-old? The intriguing cast looked about as inspired as a geriatric tortoise, which proved to be a real disappointment considering the strength of the possibilities. I mean, how many slasher flicks can you name that boast Michelle Bauer and porn starlet Jamie Summers stark naked as the eye candy, while regular cult slummers like Cameron Mitchell and John Ireland provide the grizzled leather? It seemed that even the more seasoned actors like Dan Haggerty and Aldo Ray had swallowed a lump of ham before reluctantly signing up for this little beauty. But no amount of sloppy dramatics or lazy lighting could prepare me for the shockingly miss-placed final scene, which breaks all boundaries of nonsensical narrative to helm a close that's…well, 'bizarre' just isn't a strong enough description. Obviously I won't be a pooper and ruin it all for you, so I'll just leave you with a little clue: What would a psychotic 'thespian' do that Jason Voorhees couldn't? It was 'jaw to the floor' time once again, I can tell ya!

Terror Night is one of the few slasher movies that had the potential to be a lot better than it eventually ended up, but somehow lost its way between the months of pre-production and the final days of shooting. It's a shame that we'll probably never find out how it might have turned out if it had achieved a better backing from a bigger studio. To be honest, this looks as if it may have suffered a bit of a muddled production, and the fact that it took two directors to finish it invites even more of a twist to the conundrum. Still, for fans looking for an extremely rare genre-piece, it does deliver the goods on a few levels. It's packed to the brim with hokey gore and there's some excessive nudity that always interests fans of exploitation. It's just that it never really manages to excel above moderately watchable. Shame really

If you want to see Grizzly Adams speared, this is for you!

[udar55 · 5/10 · 19 November 2010]

Three couples decide to party the night away at the abandoned estate of film star Lance Hayward. Hayward was a Fairbanks and Flynn type in the 1920s, but has been missing for the past 20 years so his place is scheduled to be demolished. The kids encounter an unruly biker couple (the female half being Michelle Bauer) just before Hayward starts killing them in methods patterned after his top films. This is another one of those "how did this get made" films, but is an easy way to pass 90 minutes. There is plenty of graphic gore and some nudity (from Bauer, naturally). The old Hollywood star angle could have worked better had they put more thought into it and the production benefits from use of several Fairbanks productions. It is never explained why he is still so agile in 1987 or how he can survive a huge fire with no problem. Top billed John Ireland (who is the last incarnation of Hayward) and Cameron Mitchell get rough 5 minutes of screen time. Also top billed Alan Hale, Aldo Ray and Dan Haggerty get roughly 3 minutes of screen time each.

Sat on the shelf

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 1 November 2021]

Cameron Mitchell, Alan Hale Jr., Aldo Ray and Dan Haggerty all in one movie? Are you trying to give Bill Van Ryn a heart attack, Nick Marino?

Actually, Marino may not have even directed this. Instead, it may have been a combination of Fred J. Lincoln (who in addition to playing Weasel Podowski in The Last House on the Left directed 310 movies like Garden of Eatin' and A Place Beyond Shame and also owner Plato's Retreat at one point) and the eyepatch wearing Andre DeToth, who shot House of Wax in 3D despite not being able to see it in three dimensions.

A bunch of no good kids - hey look, effects expert William Butler and there's Michelle Bauer and adult star Jamie "the Brat" Summers - sneak into the mansion of Lance Hayward (John Ireland), who has gone mad and loves to dress up as his old characters and kill people.

This movie sat and collected dust for twenty years before it finally escaped. All of the old footage in it had copyright issues, so it's back to no one talking about it. Seek it out, check it out, enjoy the old Hollywood killing.

Bad

[jeepers_creepers67 · 1/10 · 6 January 2004]

I decided to hire out this movie along with a few other old horror movies.This was the worst,some of the killings were good and theres a bit of humour but i couldnt stand this,everytime a killing happened they would show scenes of all these old movies that the killer used to be in,i give this 2/10.

Above Average Slice 'n' Dice That Pays Homage To The Oldies

[ObscureCinema101 · 7/10 · 24 May 2012]

TERROR NIGHT is a film that was made in 1987 but wasn't released until recently under an alternate moniker, BLOODY MOVIE. Both titles are correct, but I would have to say it's more bloody than it is terrifying.

Lance Hayward is a 1920's film star who disappeared a long time ago and is long believed to be dead. A group of teenagers decide to head up to his old estate before it gets torn down. They run across a biker couple who broke in as well, and soon, all of them are stalked and killed in gruesome ways by someone wearing Haywood's old costumes.

This film is filled to the brim with old stars making cameos, with most getting dispatched in gruesome ways. Among them includes Dan Haggerty (Grizzly Adams!), Alan Hale, Aldo Ray, Cameron Mitchell, and John Ireland. I felt their presence was fitting, considering the movie was about an old star no one remembers, so the whole thing felt like an homage to the films of yesteryear. In fact, it even incorporates clips from some old, sepia flicks to help the movie flow, and I think the cost it took to get the rights to these films was the reason it was never released theatrically or on video (until a few years ago).

The gore quotient is reasonably high, with people getting ripped apart, impaled on a spear, decapitated, chopped up, and more. This flick has a supernatural killer who likes to change costumes, like in FADE TO BLACK or TERROR TRAIN, but I feel it's done very, very well here with a pirate, a mobster, a knight, and more offing the teens in inventive ways.

The performances ranged from pretty good to really bad, with a lot of overacting taking place during some scenes.

The film was going along great with a good sense of humor, outstanding grue, a cool killer, and a zippy pace until the last couple of minutes. It makes zero sense, and worst of all, it's really, really boring. So close, yet so far. I love the opening and closing songs, though.

I would say that this film is most certainly worth checking out for fans of cheesy, oddball eighties slashers.

the Skipper should have gotten more screen time

[lee_eisenberg · 5/10 · 14 June 2005]

Every once in a while, someone decides that there needs to be another movie about horny teens going somewhere to get butchered. Still, "Terror Night" (also called "Bloody Movie") does put an interesting spin on that motif. In this case, the house of 1920s movie star Lance Hayward is getting repossessed by the city; Hayward disappeared from the public eye many years earlier. Anyway, some typical '80s teens opt to go there for the night, and...well, you can probably guess what happens to them, especially since two of them are fiddling around in the bathtub when they first appear in the movie.

What makes this slasher movie a little different is the fact that a number of old B-actors appear in it. John Ireland plays Lance Hayward, but Aldo Ray plays a homeless man and Alan Hale plays a security guard. Personally, I wish that Alan Hale could have gotten more screen time, so that he could have maybe assumed his Skipper persona. Maybe they could have brought in the other Castaways to irk him. Oh well.

Also, when the murders happen, they use scenes from Lance Hayward's movies to show the murders. Considering that horror veteran Andre De Toth (House of Wax) was involved in this movie, it makes sense that it would be a little different.

Obscure slasher fun.

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 28 June 2022]

Shot in 1987, trashy slasher Terror Night (AKA Bloody Movie) didn't see the light of day for almost two decades, most likely due to copyright issues (the film contains lots of clips from old movies). For this reason, it has probably flown under the radar of many a slasher fan, a shame because the film is quite a lot of fun, delivering plenty of grisly deaths plus gratuitous nudity courtesy of pornstar Jamie Summers and scream queen Michele Bauer.

The plot is basic: a group of twenty-somethings pay a visit to the apparently-abandoned mansion of silent movie star Lance Hayward, who mysteriously vanished in the 1940s. The old building is also visited the same night by a horny biker couple. Unfortunately for the trespassers, Hayward is still haunting the house, assuming the different identities of his film characters to slay those who dare venture into his home.

Director Nick Marino directs with little style or imagination, but the multiple murders are fun, Hayward despatching of his victims in a variety of ways whilst dressed as a gangster, Robin Hood, a knight etc. The first death is a doozy, as a man is pulled in two by a car, his legs dragged off by the vehicle leaving behind a bloody torso; other murders include Dan Haggerty skewered by a lance, a fairly decent decapitation, a woman falling into in a pit of stakes, and a guy thrown out of a window to become impaled on a picket fence!

The film is also notable for the fact that none of the protagonists make it out alive, Hayward sauntering off into the night, presumably still waiting for the sequel that never happened.

6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.

Vastly enjoyable and surprisingly original slasher.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 8/10 · 5 September 2009]

The plot of "Terror Night" is fairly simple:a group of film enthusiasts head to the old Lance Hayward estate before the landmark is torn down.A phantom haunting the mansion murdering the victims while dressed as Hayward's most famous screen characters."Terror Night" aka "Bloody Movie" was originally made in 1987 but wasn't released in the US until 2004.The film has some enjoyable cameos by famous B-movie actors including Cameron Mitchell,Aldo Ray and Dan Haggerty.Michelle Bauer provides some graphic nudity,which is always highly appreciated in slasher movies.The gore effects are pretty good for example one victim is ripped in half after being tied to a tree.There are some huge lapses in logic,but who cares.If you enjoy gore and nudity give "Terror Night" a look.8 out of 10.

Fun retro slasher with great cast, plenty of blood and nudity

[capkronos · 6/10 · 31 July 2006]

1920s film star Lance Hayward is missing to the world at large, but people begin mysteriously dying around his abandoned estate. Three teen couples (including a woman who is a huge fan of the presumably deceased actor) end up going there on an otherwise boring weekend and rummaging through the place. They find old movie props, a locked vault, nitrate movie cans (that come in handy during the fiery finale) and some other interesting things until they start disappearing one by one. There are also a few barely-seen Zoot Suit-wearing phantoms who lurk around the woods and use two cars to pull a guy in half. Director Nick Marino's contribution to the 80s slasher cycle does not fully overcome the familiarity of the premise, but stylistically he is trying something a little bit different, beginning with mock silent screen credits and a great song by Ian Whitcomb which is also an effective evocation of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Before each murder, we get a flurry of movie clips from anonymous films and comic-book like shots of movie stills and lobby cards, all edited with quick precision and all tinted monochrome, so it doesn't look as sloppy as it otherwise would have. The clips may also explain why this film did not find a wide release until about fifteen years after it was made (the filmmaker may have come across some copyright problems when using this footage). The special effects are certainly bloody enough and there are a variety of murders here. A man is pulled apart by two cars, a hand is chopped off, someone is impaled on a picket fence and there's a pretty good decapitation (followed by a bloody head on a platter gag). Other deaths involve everything from a bow and arrow to fencing sword. The sets are minimal, but effective. But the screenplay could have definitely used another polish; the stereotyped characters are thrown into the mix with a killer who is not only wholesale boogie-man material but whose motivations and reason for existing are so hopelessly muddled that you never know for sure just what he is or why he is doing what he's doing. The clarity is almost non-existent, but I assumed the man is a ghost since he pops up all over the place and appears in both youthful and elderly forms. But, hell, by the time it's all over with, you can't totally hate this one. After all, somehow it ends up letting the cultured heavy and lone female survivor do some passionate Shakespearian stage work somewhere in limbo!

Now get ready for some major name dropping. The credits on this film read like a who's-who of exploitation of the 1980s. As with most slasher films from the period, the performances are highly variable. The veterans in the cast all have about one scene each and get through BLOODY MOVIE with a bare minimum of embarrassment. Aldo Ray is a wino who gets a hook in the head, Dan Haggerty is impaled, Cameron Mitchell is a detective who is strangled and hung and Alan Hale, Jr. (The Skipper from Gilligan's Island) is a wide-eyed security guard (and the only one without a death scene). John Ireland receives top billing as the killer, but he doesn't even materialize on-screen until the very end (though to his credit, it is still a creepy cameo). Of the younger cast, we have some familiar faces; Bill Butler (LEATHERFACE, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD remake), Ken Abraham (CREEPOZOIDS), Carla Baron and John Stuart Wildman (both from SORORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBALL BOWL-O-RAMA), and 'Denise Stafford' (that's her head on the platter on the DVD cover; Stafford apparently is a porn actress who goes by the name Jamie Summers). Though leading lady Staci Greason (who played the first victim in Friday THE 13TH, PART VII) is quite good and gives the most professional showing of the younger cast, it is Michelle Bauer who steals this film away from her co-stars with a full blown comedic performance. She carries on quite capably here and nails the most laughs as a drunken punker chick who ends up stumbling her way through the mansion with her annoying biker boyfriend before getting whipped and pushed down a flight of stairs. I appreciate the filmmakers for having the common sense to keep her around until near the end. Though I am sad to report that sleaze great Jay Richardson, who is in just as many of the schlock horror films as Michelle, is barely visible as one of the forest-lurking phantoms.

Originally titled TERROR NIGHT, this was worked on by a lot of prolific and familiar Z-movie production people. It was co-scripted by Kenneth J. Hall (who also helped cast the film), was co-produced by Nancy Paloian (producer of DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR?, hence the misleading packaging) and shot by Howard Wexler. The special effects are by Cleve Hall (who was also the 2nd unit director, along with porn purveyor Fred J. Lincoln) and John Vulich helped shoot and edit it. Given special thanks in the end credits are Andre de Toth (the director of the original version of HOUSE OF WAX; he lent directorial assist to Marino and is actually listed on here as being the co-director), David DeCoteau and Fred Olen Ray.

Good Slasher Stuff.

[drhackenstine · 5 May 2006]

The empty mansion of a legendary movie star who hasn't been seen in twenty years is set for demolition. A biker couple and a group of teenagers decide to give the place a visit. Once inside the old place the characters meet grisly deaths at the hands of a killer dressed as the movie star's film's characters. I found this to be a pretty enjoyable '80's slasher film, likable due to the fact that there is a lot of messy killings, a tight pace, creative kills, better than average acting from some of the actors, a creepy enough setting, and some out of place cameo appearances. If your only a fan of current horror movies then you probably won't like this, but if your an '80's slasher fan and you haven't seen this, then put this on your to-do list. Features chopped off heads and hands, a guy torn in two, impaling on a wooden fence, woman falling on spikes, and lotsa blood (hence, the title of the movie. It was filmed as Terror Night). The teen couple that makes it to the end of this movie is played by the same actor and actress who played a teen couple that gets murdered in the beginning of Friday The 13th Part 7. Three Stars.

Not the same old slasher movie

[lastliberal · 6/10 · 31 August 2008]

This film doesn't waste any time with gruesome murders. Two occur withing the first 10 minutes, and they are tied to roles played by movie star Lance Hayward, on whose estate the action takes place. Hayward has disappeared and his mansion is falling into ruin, but something is going on.

This is an interesting take on slasher murders that I have not see before. Tying them to movies was interesting. Too bad Aldo Ray got the hook before he could finish.

As a motorcycle pair and a group of young people sneak into the mansion, and some comedy ensues as they think each other are ghosts. Seeing Michelle Bauer running through the halls naked was a real bonus. Even better than seeing Jamie Summers in the tub earlier. More murders will occur with different movies as their theme and different costuming. It was really interesting.

Highly underrated effort

[slayrrr666 · 9/10 · 23 June 2008]

"Terror Night" is a fine and impressive slasher entry.

**SPOILERS**

After hearing a strange news report, friends Jake Nelson, (Alan Hale Jr.) Kathy, (Staci Greason) Chip, (William Butler) Todd, (John Wildman) Greg, (Ken Abraham) Sherry, (Jaime Summers) and Lorraine, (Carla Baron) decide to head over to investigate. Realizing it's the house of old-time movie star Lance Hayward, (John Ireland) they rummage through the house looking for a good time. Realizing they are not alone, they into Angel, (Timothy Elwell) and Jo, (Michelle Bauer) also hanging out at the house. Slowly dawning that they're disappearing one-by-one, they come across a killer killing them off in the inspiration from several of the actors biggest films, and they race to get away before becoming prey for the madman.

The Good News: This one here was actually pretty good. The fact that there's a really enjoyable and unique storyline to this, which is a little off-the-wall, manages to derive some fun parts to it. As it's about a famous Hollywood actor trying to regain his past through using his best-known gimmicks as the basis for killing people off, there's a lot to this one which sticks out. This one has some nice stuff to come along with that, as the killer in this does tend to dress up appropriate to the kill, dressing up like a samurai when he uses a knife or a jungle explorer to kill them using bows and arrows, which is really well-done for what's happening in the scene. That also means that the kills in here are actually rather good and gory, which always helps. There's a great decapitation, an impaling in the back with a spear, one grabbed around the neck and forced backward, breaking the neck, another is thrown out a window and lands on a picket fence, a meat hook to the head and the highlight, being tied to a tree with a rope attached to a car that then snaps the person in half. It's a fantastic way to open in the film and serves as a really great introduction to the rest of the film, which is just as bloody and brutal. This one also has a great amount of suspense in this, which comes from several superb stalking scenes that deserve some good points. The main one through the house has a great air to it, with the first realization of the killer being there is actually good, searching for the group and stumbling upon the other friends is all good stuff. There's also the film's high quality nudity, which is always nice and here comes through with two great scenes, where a couple take a bath together and a later one where another couple are stumbled upon sleeping with each other. They both provide nice nudity, and along with the other factors, provide the film's good points.

The Bad News: There wasn't much to this one that didn't work. The ending here is the biggest one in the film, as it has a couple points wrong with it. The main one is that it forces the ending in the house to feel really cheated, ending before it has a chance to get going. There's not even a fairly decent chase through the house from the killer, as it just bursts into fire before there's anything done with it. That's probably the biggest part of this, as there's no real reason why this one had to be done in such a manner without including at least one chase for this. That would've also eliminate the really uncomfortable ending that plagues the film, which here is really terrible. There's the rather painful and confusing addition of the policemen into the story, plus there's the just plain confusing manner in which the film ends, with the costumed re-enactment of a play with each other, and it leads to perhaps one of the lamest and bloodless deaths in the history of the genre. It's just really flawed and doesn't make much sense. The other flaw to this is that there's too much of the old-time advertisements to this, and it's hard to enjoy this because of that. These here are the film's bad points.

The Final Verdict: An incredibly enjoyable slasher that has a lot going for it and manages to mostly make up for it's few flaws. Recommended for fans of the style of 80s slashers or find this one relatively interesting, though those who aren't big on slashers should heed caution with this one.

Rated R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, Full Nudity and a sex scene

Tough to track down, but surprisingly worth the efforts...

[RareSlashersReviewed · 28 April 2004]

Lance Hayward's Terror Night was one of the surprisingly large amounts of slasher movies that inexplicably vanished from existence very soon after it was initially unleashed in the eighties. Actually, whilst trying unrewardingly to search out some information on the flick's production, I came across a statement from notorious B-movie mogul Fred Olen Ray - that said it never even acquired a US release. I guess that would of course, explain why it seems to have completely disappeared from cinema history. If it wasn't for the odd user comment posted on the IMDB or the fact that I managed to track down a copy (without a cover), I'd be inclined to believe that it was still laying in a vault somewhere, waiting for a label to pick it up for circulation. Information on whether or not it was shelved would be much appreciated from anyone who knows the facts of its history. I'm starting to believe that it may have surfaced briefly outside America only, which explains the reader's reviews and the fact that this copy has German subtitles. If that is the case, and it was withheld in its country of origin, then it's pretty hard to imagine a reason why it never gained the exposure it deserved. It really isn't all that bad; - certainly no worse than the majority of bottom-of-the-barrel genre-pieces that were appearing around '87. It's a damn site better than schlocksters like The Last Slumber Party or the incredibly awful Blood Lake turned out to be. And on top of that, it's a lot more authentic.

Nick Marino's splatter opus even boasts one or two alluring qualities that may have allowed it to reach cult status, if it was given the right chances. Firstly, legendary one-eyed filmmaker Andre De Toth supposedly shot a few scenes and offered his overall guidance to the director; and secondly it plays a great deal like a more successful and charmingly remembered horror film from the early eighties, Fade to Black. Although a few of the necessary trappings were firmly in place, FTB wasn't really a slasher movie by any length of chalk. It was mainly notable for a brief early appearance from Mickey Rourke, just before he hit the big time with Diner and Rumble Fish respectively. This on the other hand, is stalk and slash to the core; but chucks in a few winsome alterations to the traditional formula that I actually found fairly engaging. There's a few imaginative murders, some great disguises for the killer and even a brief cameo from grumpy old horror movie favourite, Cameron Mitchell. Amusingly enough, he's billed as the star, even though he turns up for two minutes and then disappears quicker than a rabbit with an amphetamine addiction. He later made a lucrative habit of showing up and sodding off in slashers like Memorial Valley Massacre and Jack-O. In fact, the only genre movies that he could have rightly been credited as any kind of lead were The Toolbox Murders and The Demon. At least in both of those, he actually bothered to hang around for more than a snippet of dialogue or two.

After a neat credit sequence that's deliberately modelled on those of late '20s cinema, (it even includes a corny 'rag-time' melody a la Al Jolson!), we leap headfirst into the action. We're shown a dilapidated mansion that once housed legendary Hollywood screen star Lance Hayward. Hayward was immensely popular in his day, starring in a number of successful hit-movies before he retired and disappeared into seclusion. Attempts to track down the actor's whereabouts have been unsuccessful. Some say that he relocated to Switzerland and changed his name, while others believe that he must have passed on to the big ol' silver screen in the sky. It's unlikely that he's still alive and kicking, as nowadays he would be over ninety years old. Due to the authority's failure to track him down, a real-estate agent and a Lawyer have arranged to meet at the property and negotiate the building's sale. They plan to demolish what's left of the once beautiful abode, so that they can use the space to develop something more useful than the ageing eyesore.

The first guy arrives a little early, so instead of waiting with the amiable 'security guard' (who really doesn't look too reassuring), he decides inexplicably to drive out into the dense forest that surrounds the grounds and wait amongst the trees. Of course, in a slasher movie, lone-trips into the woodland usually mean that someone's about to suffer a painful death; and this one certainly isn't trying to break the mould in that respect either. A psycho that's dressed in prohibition-era gangster attire, jumps out of the bushes and clumps the unlucky fellow on the back of the neck, effectively knocking him to the ground. He drags the unconscious guy over to a tree and ties his arms around the trunk, before attaching his legs to the rear bumper of his automobile. The luckless seller awakens just in time to learn that he's about to be ripped in half by a totally out of period Frank Nitti impersonator, with some serious animosities towards estate agents! The actual murder (which is nice and gooey) is intercut with stock footage that we later learn is a mix of scenes from Hayward's history of moviemaking. As in the tradition of Fade to Black, each murder is themed by one of his fictional screen credits; and he wears a prominent guise for each bloody deed.

The Lawyer arrives and the security guard stops him to reminisce about a flick called The Mobster and The Lady, in which Lance's character killed a 'rat' using exactly the same methods that we just saw rehashed on that decidedly unfortunate visitor. It's beginning to look like the star has returned to forcibly reclaim his property, and he's not willing to negotiate the sale possibilities with any money-snatching property-developers. But admittedly, his reappearance does kind of beg the question: If this guy's meant to be in his nineties, then I can't really see him being too much of an agile homicidal maniac. 'The psychotic geriatric' doesn't exactly sound terrifying, does it? I know that Michael Myers' slo-mo stalking was creepy, but maybe a Zimmer-frame is taking things just a little bit too far?

After the discussion, the guard is sent home and the attorney meets a sticky end courtesy of a spear through the stomach. Again, the slaughter is intercut with scenes from one of Hayward's previous cinematic successes, this time it was 'Pride of the Bengal Lancers'! Just so that no one thinks that we're watching a sequel to that cheesy old anti-estate agent slasher, Open House; we meet a gang of typical eighties teens - all hairspray and heavy metal - that chuck us into more formulaic and instantly recognisable territory. Every one of the six youngsters is little more than an overused cliché, from the nerdy movie-geek to the loud-mouthed insensitive pair that look certain to suffer a gruesome fate for their apparent over-brashness. They all meet up at an apartment where the six-o-clock news plays on the television, and the major topic is the fate of Lance Hayward's estate. One dim-witted bimbo that's sure to regret the extent of her imagination comes up with the idea that they should drive up to the house and take one last look around before it's bulldozed into oblivion. They all agree on the plan and pile aboard Todd's van for the journey. Unbeknown to them, there's already a pair of rowdy rockers with very similar motivation en-route to the mansion, which takes the body count possibilities up to a whopping eight should-be victims!

After the gang has arrived, they bump into a drunken hobo (Aldo Ray) that's staggering around the grounds, giving us his best Crazy Ralph impersonation. He stops to incoherently warn the youngsters that there's a murderous psychopath roaming the woodland, before donating some corn syrup to Hayward, who's cunningly dressed as a Pirate. Of course, his warnings don't do much to discourage the eager beavers, and neither does the sure to be surviving girl's brief sightings of an ominous shape lurking suspiciously between the trees. They carry on up to the property and discover that a window has already been broken to summon them inside the intriguing location. Once they've entered, they find plenty of nostalgic memorabilia littering the vast foreboding rooms, and a few patent signs that they're not alone, which (of course) they fail to take into account. Before long, each of them finds comically inept reasons to take fateful lonesome strolls that only lead them back to their agent's hopeful waiting lists. On their journey into obscurity, they meet the resident psychopath, and suffer one of his fairly imaginative ideas for cinematic slaughter...

As I said previously, Terror Night doesn't deserve its impossible to track-down status. To be honest, I found it to be a mindlessly diverting splatter romp, with a few alluring elements that work to its credit. It's fairly gooey in places and the killer's vast array of slaughter patterns and disguises were a whole lot of fun. I especially liked the knight in armour, which was used to a similar effect by David Hess in that underrated slasher from 1980, To all a Goodnight. The masked-desperado and Robin Hood were two other humorous camouflages, and there's a big enough bloodbath for him to don an impressive number of costumes. The use of old movies to accompany the murders was an interesting touch; although I must admit that I'm considering the fact that these additions may have had something to do with the flick's total disappearance. The end-credits do not acknowledge where the footage was borrowed from, and one has to wonder whether Marino infringed a few copyright issues, which eventually resulted in the film being shelved? It's only an assumption, but I'm pretty sure that something must have landed this otherwise promising debut - deep into troubled waters. Although the synopsis of 'teens exploring a derelict abode' may sound tediously formulaic, things don't follow suit as closely as you'd expect from a regular genre-piece. The conclusion was somewhat authentic and it does at least try to add a new sheen to the woe-be-tired formula.



Unfortunately, it isn't plain sailing all the way through; and this does suffer a few too many conspicuous flaws. It's inadequately lighted to the point of frustration in places, and it lacks the visual gloss that made a few of its counterparts more memorable. The most obvious blemish that plagues Terror Night's armour, is the fact that it doesn't solve the mystery that it takes the time to build throughout the runtime. We never find out what Lance Hayward actually is, or what was the motivation behind his carnage. Even after the conclusion, we still never learn if he's a ghost, a zombie or just a normal bloke blessed with extremely youthful looks for a ninety-year-old? I won't mention the lamentable performances of the youngsters, or Cameron Mitchell's slumming ten seconds of screen time, simply because, slasher movies have never been noted for their competent dramatics. However I must note the final scene, which breaks all boundaries of nonsensical narrative to helm a conclusion that's, well, - 'bizarre' isn't a strong enough description. Put it this way, it is truly shocking... But for all the wrong reasons!

Terror Night is one of the few slasher movies that had the potential to be a lot better than it eventually ended up, but somehow lost its way between the months of pre-production and the final days of shooting. It's a shame that we'll probably never find out how it might have turned out if it was given the proper chances, and it looks as if it probably suffered a bit of a nightmare production. Still, for fans looking for an extremely rare genre-piece, it does deliver the goods on a few levels. It's packed to the brim with hokey gore and there's some excessive nudity that always interests fans of exploitation. It's just that it never really manages to excel above moderately watchable.

Nifty 80's slasher trash

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 8 February 2022]

Silent movie star Lance Hayward (robustly played by John Ireland) dons the guises of various characters he's portrayed as he embarks on a merry murderous spree bumping off assorted folks who've trespassed into his Hollywood mansion who naturally include the usual gaggle of annoying bonehead young people.

Director Nick Marino keeps the enjoyable story zipping along at a snappy pace, stages the elaborate kill set pieces with grisly aplomb, and delivers a handy helping of bloody gore. The sturdy cast of familiar B-flick faces in glorified bit roles helps a lot: Cameron Mitchell as the cranky Detective Sanders, Aldo Ray as drunken bum Captain Ned, Alan Hale Jr. As amiable security guard Jake Nelson, and Dan Haggerty as the non-nonsense Ted Michaels. As a tasty bonus, porn star Jamie Summers takes a bubble bath while foxy motorcycle mama Michelle Bauer goes gloriously full frontal when she runs buck naked down a hallway. A fun piece of slice'n'dice schlock.

Cracked Actor...

[azathothpwiggins · 11 April 2022]

1920's screen legend, Lance Hayward (John Ireland) has been missing for many years. In 1987, six young people visit Hayward's condemned mansion, only to be killed in grisly ways, including impalement and decapitation. A pair of randy bikers also show up, adding to the fun.

BLOODY MOVIE (aka: TERROR NIGHT) is a pretty grim film with a surprisingly downbeat ending.

Recommended for the slasher film fanatic...

Night Of The Living Haywood

[unpop · 7 May 2001]

Standard no-bud horror set-up - group of young adults providing the body-count after trespassing in old mansion - given enough quirk & energy to sustain interest. Plot centres around "Lance Haywood" former screen idol presumed dead: Haywood kills each person according to different film roles. Great cast - Jamie Summers in bubblebath - Michelle Bauer running around naked - body ripped in half during opening minutes - sepia flashbacks to killer's past screen glories - slashed-up headbanger fights to death with Haywood in knight's armour - movie posters of Haywood's films & confusing/indifferent ending. It's like FADE TO BLACK with great sub-Priest Metal Cheese from Surgical Steel!!!