Nightbeast (1982) is a slice of Z-grade monster cheese by cult director and publisher Don Dohler. The film is a reboot/sequel to Dohler’s first film The Alien Factor, while also being a remake of an unfinished project that Dohler fired the director on. The Troma title is getting a deluxe re-release and remaster thanks to Vinegar Syndrome, who did a new 2K scan from the original 16mm camera elements for this Blu-ray/DVD release. The film’s mainstream claim to fame is that it was the first gig for a young J.J. Abrams (billed as Jeffrey Abrams here), who was a mere 16 years old when he did the supplemental score for the film. In an archival special feature, a fresh off Mission Impossible 3 Abrams confesses how Dohler and his films helped spark his love for genre.
Nightbeast is the story of an alien monster that terrorizes primarily the basements of a small backwoods town. He also appears during the day, which makes it odd that the film is called “Nightbeast.” And he’s technically an alien, not a beast, but you get where I am going here. The film lacks a genuine protagonist, so instead we experience this narrative though a series of awkwardly acted surreal scenes by a cast of non-actors that all seem to run two minutes longer than they should. The film, however, is a bizarrely compelling watch thanks to its total sincerity and its surprisingly competent gore and practical effects. It’s an odd mix for sure, which ultimately works in the film’s favor and had me hooked as it takes some very unexpected turns. One of which is what is possibly the worst love scene in a non-porn film that literally comes out of nowhere, giving The Room a run for its money.
Nightbeast is the kind of madness I have begun to expect from a Vinegar Syndrome blind watch. The transfer here is stunningly crisp, and after digging through the robust special features you have a whole new appreciation for the insanity you just witnessed on screen. You quickly find out it really was a small town getting together to make a film, as the director lets loose a fascinating gem about the female deputy being his aunt’s hair dresser. The story then evolves into in how to get another nude scene to make the film more commercial; they had to convince the woman, shortly before the day of, to do the love scene mentioned above. Simply put, Nightbeast is a film that transcends its Z-grade creature feature pedigree into legit outlaw art with the pure passion it unleashes on screen.