Dead of Night
Reviews
John Chard
A weekend in the country? I should go. Architect Walter Craig arrives at Pilgrim's Farm for a weekend party held by what he hopes is a prospective client. Upon entering the farm house, Walter amazes everyone by telling them that he has a recurring nightmare about the house, the weekend and everyone in it. This sets off talk about the supernatural and each guest takes it in turn to recount their own strange tale... Dead Of Night is brought to us courtesy of Ealing Studios, somewhat a veer from the normal output associated with that bastion of British cinema, it is none the less one of the finest films to have come from the place that gave us The Ladykillers, Kind Hearts And Coronets and The Man in The White Suit. I often wonder if Dead Of Night sometimes wrongly gets marked down by the modern audience on account of its familiarity with creepy anthology shows such as One Step Beyond and The Twilight Zone? Or because of the numerous other movies with the same horror format that followed this, the best of them? There are five segments in Dead Of Night that are jointly directed by Alberto Cavalcanti (Went the Day Well?), Basil Dearden (Victim), Robert Hamer (Kind Hearts and Coronets) and Charles Crichton (The Lavender Hill Mob). In the cast we have Mervyn Johns, Googie Withers, Sally Ann Howes, Roland Culver, Frederick Valk and a stunning Michael Redgrave. The stories consist of "The Hearse Driver," "The Christmas Story," "The Haunted Mirror," "The Golfing Story" and the chilling crowning glory that is "The Ventriloquist Dummy" (the latter being responsible for my fear of talking dummies even to this day). In spite of my obvious love for this film (it "is" the greatest anthology spooker ever) I'm aware that it suffers from a variance of pace (the bane of anthology films), whilst the light relief in the form of "The Golfing Story" , whilst being a jolly bit of cinema, is in truth a segment that doesn't sit quite right. More so when you consider it precedes the film's acknowledged Dummy led high point. Yet dust off the terribly British cobwebs and you find a hugely influential picture in the pantheon of horror anthologies. A film backed up by two genuinely creepy episodes (RE: The Haunted Mirror as well as that damn Dummy one). Thankfully, as Ealing films have found a new audience on DVD, Dead Of Night has been subjected to worthy and complimentary re-appraisal. Especially in America, where confusion reigned back in the day as two segments were cut from the released picture (segment 4 Golf and segment 2 Christmas), I mean imagine trying to make sense of character continuity there! So turn off the lights, listen to the sharp dialogue, and always keep one eye on what's stirring in the shadows, especially at the Dead Of Night... 9/10
CinemaSerf
Ever since I was a small child I have loathed ventriloquist's dummies. They put the fear of death into me - and I am fairly certain that seeing this film in the 1970s is to blame. It's a compendium of four stories told by guests at a farmhouse, and is all kicked off by Mervyn Johns ("Craig") who has a recurring - and rather menacing - dream that predicts doom and gloom. Before he can finish his story, though, we hear from three of the others. One involves a married couple where the husband becomes drawn into the life on the other side of his mirror: a mirror that comes from a room with a grisly past. The second is a more light-hearted haunting mystery with Basil Bradford and Naunton Wayne before the third, featuring an effective Michael Redgrave, is the one with the ghastly puppet - and then it is all rounded off by Mervyn. Thing is - is any of it real? Is is prophetic? Well you have to get to the end, and even then... It is well written and editing together. The episodic nature of the stand-alone stories works well keeping them short and snappy and the swathe of character actors who pepper the whole hundred minutes are all well cast and deliver solidly as we build to quite a gripping - if short - denouement. Watch in the dark with a glass or two and the rain beating against the window and this is really quite effective!
Movie Recommendation
Martin1978-05-10A young man, convinced he's a vampire, goes to live with his elderly and hostile cousin in a small Pennsylvanian town, where he tries to suppress his bloodlust.More...
Passport to Pimlico1949-10-26When an unexploded WWII bomb is accidentally detonated in Pimlico, it reveals a treasure trove and documents proving that the region is in fact part of Burgundy, France and thus foreign territory. The British government attempts to regain control by setting up border controls and cutting off services to the area.More...
The Body Snatcher1945-05-25Edinburgh, 1831. Among those who undertake the illegal trade of grave robbery is Gray, ostensibly a cab driver. Formerly a medical student convicted of grave robbery, Gray holds a grudge against Dr. MacFarlane who had escaped detection and punishment.More...
Idiots and Angels2008-04-26Angel, a selfish rotter is hanging around in a local bar, groping the wife of the barman and dealing with weapons. One morning he wakes up finding a pair of wings growing at his back. These wings do good deeds against his nature. But suddenly he finds himself fighting those who want these wings for their own dark plans.More...
Mark of the Vampire1935-04-26Sir Borotyn, a prominent Prague resident, is discovered murdered in his home, with all indications pointing to a vampire assault. The victim's friend, Baron Otto, and the physician who analyzes the body, are certain that the vampire is the mysterious Count Mora or his daughter. Receiving little help from the law, Professor Zelen, an expert in the occult, is called in to assist with their investigation.More...
I.D.1995-05-05Four policemen go undercover and infiltrate a gang of football hooligans hoping to route out their leaders. For one of the four, the line between 'job' and 'yob' becomes more unclear as time passes . . .More...
A Canterbury Tale1944-08-21Three modern-day pilgrims investigate a bizarre crime in a small town while on their way to Canterbury.More...
Carry On Doctor1967-12-02Francis Bigger, a notorious charlatan who tours the country lecturing on the subject of mind over matter, slips off the platform in the middle of his performance and ends up in hospital under the care of Dr Tinkle. The hospital is about to enter a period of total chaos.More...
Hold Me Back2020-12-18Mitsuko Kuroda is 31 years old and single. She enjoys her life as a single woman. A big reason why she enjoys her single life is that she has counsellor "A" in her mind, which is her other self. Whenever she does not know what to do, "A" gives her the right answers. She believes her happy and peaceful single life with "A" will continue, but she falls in love with Tada-kun. He is a salesperson and younger than her.More...
Hard Luck1921-03-14A down on his luck young man makes several attempts at committing suicide but fails them too. He then finds himself becoming more confident through a series of petty adventures, to such an extent that this becomes his undoing.More...
Manhunt of Mystery Island1945-03-17Claire Forrest seeks her kidnapped scientist father, hidden somewhere on Mystery Island. He is held and forced to work on diabolical inventions by Captain Mephisto, a costumed villain.More...
The Commune2009-06-05When Jenny Cross has to spend summer vacation with her deadbeat dad in his creepy commune, she thinks clean living and boredom will kill her. But some fates are worse than death.More...
The City of the Dead1960-09-09In Whitewood, Massachusetts, a presumed witch places a curse on the town before she is burned at the stake. 300 years later, a college student arrives and checks into the mysterious Raven's Inn to research the town's history with witchcraft.More...
Gigantic2008-09-09Young mattress salesman Brian decides to adopt a baby from China but is distracted when he forms a relationship with quirky, wealthy Harriet whom he meets at his mattress store. As their relationship flourishes, unbeknownst to them, a hitman is trying to kill Brian.More...
Supervixens1975-04-02Clint must flee after his wife is killed by a psychopathic cop, who tries to pin the murder on him.More...
Ballad of a Soldier1959-12-01During World War II, earnest young Russian soldier Alyosha Skvortsov is rewarded with a short leave of absence for performing a heroic deed on the battlefield. Feeling homesick, he decides to visit his mother. Due to his kindhearted nature, however, Alyosha is repeatedly sidetracked by his efforts to help those he encounters, including a lovely girl named Shura. In his tour of a country devastated by war, he struggles to keep hope alive.More...
A Night in Casablanca1946-05-10The Marx Brothers are employed at a hotel in postwar Casablanca, where a ring of Nazis is trying to recover a cache of stolen treasure.More...
Dr Terror's House of Horrors1965-02-23Five train passengers are joined by a mysterious fortuneteller who offers to read Tarot. A quintet of stories unfold: an architect returns to his ancestral home to find a vengeful werewolf; a doctor suspects his new wife is a vampire; an intelligent vine takes over a house; a jazz musician plagiarises music from a voodoo ceremony; and a pompous art critic is pursued by a disembodied hand.More...
Hoop Dreams1994-09-12Every school day, African-American teenagers William Gates and Arthur Agee travel 90 minutes each way from inner-city Chicago to St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, a predominately white suburban school well-known for the excellence of its basketball program. Gates and Agee dream of NBA stardom, and with the support of their close-knit families, they battle the social and physical obstacles that stand in their way. This acclaimed documentary was shot over the course of five years.More...
Sometimes They Come Back1991-05-07Desperate for a job to help him support his family, Jim Norman takes a position teaching high school in the town where his brother was murdered in front of him by teenage bullies twenty-seven years before. The teens who committed the crime are long dead, but now the kids in Jim's new class keep dying and being replaced by new students who look like the deceased hoodlums.More...
Similar Movies
Sleeping with the Ene...
1991-01-13A young woman fakes her own death in an attempt to escape her nightmarish marriage, but discovers it is impossible to elude her controlling husband.The Man Who Knew Too ...
1934-12-09While vacationing in St. Moritz, a British couple receive a clue to an imminent assassination attempt, only to learn that their daughter has been kidnapped to keep them quiet.The Lookout
2007-03-09Chris is a once promising high school athlete whose life is turned upside down following a tragic accident. As he tries to maintain a normal life, he takes a job as a janitor at a bank, where he ultimately finds himself caught up in a planned heist.Meghnadbodh Rohoshyo
2017-07-21A professor mysteriously vanishes, leaving behind a host of suspects, a shadowy history and a clue: the anonymous birthday gift of a Bengali classic.No Country for Old Me...
2007-11-09Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon dead bodies, $2 million and a hoard of heroin in a Texas desert, but methodical killer Anton Chigurh comes looking for it, with local sheriff Ed Tom Bell hot on his trail. The roles of prey and predator blur as the violent pursuit of money and justice collide.Making Contact
1985-11-21A nine year old boy named Joey, who after the tragic death of his father, begins to experience psychic powers such as allowing him to move inanimate objects with his mind, set things on fire, and even communicate with his dead father. However, not everything is good for Joey as his newly gained powers accidentally awake an evil supernatural force that is contained inside the body of an old ventriloquist's dummy that Joey found in an abandoned house. The supernatural Dummy shows similar powers to Joey's, and soon he puts the lives of everyone near Joey in danger as the evil Dummy has dark plans for Joey's special powers.Vampire's Kiss
1989-06-02A publishing executive is visited and bitten by a vampire and starts exhibiting erratic behavior. He pushes his secretary to extremes as he tries to come to terms with his affliction.Dusk
2008-01-01When a series of unexplained events begin to echo across time, one woman finds herself at the center of a threat that refuses to stay buried. As the past bleeds into the present, she is forced to confront a presence that seems to follow her across lives, memories, and moments she can’t fully explain. DUSK is a psychological horror film that blends suspense and supernatural elements, exploring the idea that some darkness doesn’t end—it returns. Starring Laura Bailey (Critical Role), alongside Bruce DuBose and Todd Haberkorn, the film delivers a character-driven descent into fear, where survival means recognizing what’s been hunting you all along.Perfect Stranger
2007-04-11A journalist goes undercover to ferret out businessman Harrison Hill as her best friend's killer. Posing as one of his temps, she enters into a game of online cat-and-mouse.Violent Trash
2006-01-01Jimmy lives through a nightmare of blood and violence. Surreal images are replaced by brutal splatter. An inferno from which Jimmy is only too eager to wake up. Young director Lars Cramer presents his first work, accompanied by dark Italian sounds.The Hitcher
1986-01-17On a stormy night, young Jim, who transports a luxury car from Chicago to California to deliver it to its owner, feeling tired and sleepy, picks up a mysterious hitchhiker, who has appeared out of nowhere, thinking that a good conversation will help him not to fall asleep. He will have enough time to deeply regret such an unmeditated decision.Blood Work
2002-08-09Still recovering from a heart transplant, a retired FBI profiler returns to service when his own blood analysis offers clues to the identity of a serial killer.The Legend of Sleepy ...
1999-10-23Ichabod Crane, a Yankee wanderer, arrives in Sleepy Hollow and becomes the new schoolmaster. He meets Katrina Van Tassel, and blissfully fantasizes about how can marry her, ultimately, inherit her father's rich estate. Her suitor Brom Bones, the blacksmith, wants to scare him away and dresses up as the legendary Headless Horseman. During the prank, the real ghost appears and drives Ichabod offThe Negotiator
1998-07-29The police try to arrest expert hostage negotiator Danny Roman, who insists he's being framed for his partner's murder in what he believes is an elaborate conspiracy. Thinking there's evidence in the Internal Affairs offices that might clear him, he takes everyone in the office hostage and demands that another well-known negotiator be brought in to handle the situation and secretly investigate the conspiracy.The Return
2006-11-10Joanna Mills has a successful career but feels her personal life is spinning out of control. She has few friends, an estranged father, and a crazy ex-boyfriend who is stalking her. Joanna begins having terrifying visions of a woman's murder, and it seems that she is the killer's next target. Determined to solve the mystery and escape her apparent fate, Joanna follows her visions to the victim's hometown and finds that some secrets just do not stay buried.Gone
2006-10-26A contemporary psychological thriller in which a young British couple travelling through the Australian outback become involved with a mysterious and charismatic American whose motive for imposing his friendship upon them becomes increasingly suspect and sinister.Ring Around the Rosie...
2006-03-21While spending time at her grandparent's secluded summerhouse to clean up the place after her grandmother's death, a young woman is plagued by horrible visions and dreams of tragic past events.Fine Dead Girls
2002-07-24Iva and Marija, a young lesbian couple, rent an apartment in Zagreb, in a building that seems to provide a quiet and safe environment for their love, but over time the atmosphere in the building becomes more and more threatening. The elder landlady Olga dominates the building. Other tenants include her calm husband, her grown-up son Daniel who has a crush on Iva, the prostitute Lidija, an abused housewife, a widower keeping the corpse of his newly deceased wife, a gynecologist performing abortions in one flat of the house, and an ex-soldier who regularly plays martial music at night. After Olga finds out that Iva and Marija are lesbians, the situation escalates .A Nightmare on Elm St...
1988-08-19Freddy Krueger returns once again to terrorize the dreams of the remaining Dream Warriors, as well as those of a young woman who may be able to defeat him for good.A Nightmare on Elm St...
1989-08-11The pregnant Alice finds Freddy Krueger striking through the sleeping mind of her unborn child, hoping to be reborn into the real world.