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Children of the Night (1991 film)

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Children of the Night
Directed byTony Randel
Written by
Produced by
  • Norman Jacobs
  • Steven Jacobs
  • Howard Nash
  • Damon Santostefano
  • Christopher Webster
Starring
CinematographyRichard Michalak
Edited byRick Roberts
Music byDaniel Licht
Production
company
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Children of the Night is a 1991 American comedy horror film directed by Tony Randel, and starring Karen Black, Peter DeLuise, and Ami Dolenz. Its plot follows a young woman and a local schoolteacher who attempt to rid their small community of vampires that have been inadvertently unleashed.

Plot

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Before going away to college, two childhood friends, Cindy Thompson and Lucy Barrett, decide to symbolically cleanse themselves of the "dirt" of their small town by swimming laps in a flooded, abandoned church crypt. Lucy drops her crucifix, which drifts down onto the submerged remains of an ancient vampire, Czakyr. Czakyr awakes and kills Cindy.

Mark Gardner (Peter DeLuise), a school teacher from a nearby town, gets directed to Allburg by an old friend of his, Father Frank Aldin (Evan Mackenzie). Once there he tries to help Lucy, as she has now become the target of a town-turned-vampires, due to her "virgin blood". Lucy, Mark, and a drunken preacher make camp in an abandoned building outside of town and make plans to fight the vampire army. Utilizing the preacher's "cross mobile" they battle Allburg's entire vampire populace, ultimately taking on the evil Czakyr. Once Czakyr has been killed, the town's folk return to normal, with some complaining of "splinters in their chests".

Cast

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  • Karen Black as Karen Thompson
  • Evan MacKenzie as Father Frank Aldin
  • Peter DeLuise as Mark Gardner
  • Ami Dolenz as Lucy Barrett
  • Maya McLaughlin as Cindy Thompson
  • David Sawyer as Czakyr
  • Garrett Morris as Matty
  • Shirley Spiegler Jacobs as Grandma
  • Josette DiCarlo as Officer Gates
  • Lloyd J. Kalicki as Billy

Release and reception

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Children of the Night had its world premiere at the 1991 Toronto International Film Festival as part of their Midnight Madness program.[2][3] Jay Scott (The Globe and Mail) referred to the film as a standout of the program, referring to the film as "a truly disgusting vampire film - imagine Karen Black in latex makeup, moaning through her rubber fangs".[2]

References

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  1. ^ Willis, Donald C. (1997). Horror and Science Fiction Films IV. Scarecrow Press. p. 81. ISBN 0810830558.
  2. ^ a b Scott, Jay (September 6, 1991). "Sweet 16 and Ready to Roll". The Globe and Mail. p. C1. ISSN 0319-0714.
  3. ^ Salem, Rob (August 15, 1991). "Midnight Madness Strikes Festival Again". Toronto Star. p. B3.

Further reading

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  • Jackson, Anna, Karen Coats, and Roderick McGillis. The Gothic in Children's Literature: Haunting the Borders. New York: Routledge. 2008. Print.
  • Kendrick, Charmette. "Horror in Children's Literature from the Nineteenth Century." The Goblins Will Get You! Volume 1. 2009:19-23.Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 February 2011.
  • Wilkens, Katharina. "Mary and the Demons: Marian Devotion and Ritual Healing in Tanzania." Journal of Religion in Africa 39.2009: 295-318.Religion and Philosophy Collection.Web. 15 February 2011.
  • "Review-Children of the Night." Fearscene. XOOPS, 6/15/2005. Web. 15 February 2011.
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