DEAD OF NIGHT (1977) – Episode 252 – Decades of Horror 1970s

“The dead of night exists in all of us, and no one knows at what strange, unexpected moment it will make itself known. And so tonight, for your entertainment, three tales: one of mystery, one of imagination, and one of terror.” Yay! Break out the popcorn! Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Bill Mulligan, Chad Hunt, and Jeff Mohr – as they stay another night in TV-land and cuddle up with Dan Curtis’s Dead of Night (1977).

Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 252 – Dead of Night (1977)

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ANNOUNCEMENT
Decades of Horror 1970s is partnering with THE CLASSIC SCI-FI MOVIE CHANNEL, THE CLASSIC HORROR MOVIE CHANNEL, and WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL
Which all now include video episodes of The Classic Era!
Available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, Online Website.
Across All OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop.
https://classicscifichannel.com/; https://classichorrorchannel.com/; https://wickedhorrortv.com/

Synopsis: Three tales of mystery, imagination and terror.

• “Second Chance” (1st Segment): After buying an antique automobile, Frank restores the vehicle to its original condition. Along with the car, Frank is transported back in time to the year 1926.
  • Director: Dan Curtis
  • Writer: Richard Matheson (written by); Jack Finney (published story by)
  • Composer: Bob Cobert (all segments)(as Robert Cobert)
  • Cinematographer: Ric Waite (all segments)
  • Selected Cast:
    • Ed Begley Jr. as Frank Cantrell
    • E.J. André as Mr. McCauley
    • Ann Doran as Mrs. McCauley
    • Christina Hart as Helen McCauley (as Christine Hart)
    • Michael Talbott as Vinnie McCauley (uncredited)
• “No Such Thing as a Vampire” (2nd segment): Alexis, the mistress of an old mansion, is terrified of vampires. When her husband calls in a friend to examine her, a macabre scheme unfolds.
  • Director: Dan Curtis
  • Writer: Richard Matheson (written by) (story by)
  • Selected Cast:
    • Patrick Macnee as Dr. Gheria (as Patrick MacNee)
    • Anjanette Comer as Alexis
    • Elisha Cook Jr. as Karel (as Elisha Cook)
    • Horst Buchholz as Michael (as Horst Bucholz)
• “Bobby” (3rd segment): On a dark and stormy night, a boy, thought to be dead, surprises his despondent mother at the family beach house, bringing her both extreme joy and overwhelming terror.
  • Director: Dan Curtis
  • Writer: Richard Matheson (written by)
  • Selected Cast:
    • Joan Hackett as Alma
    • Lee Montgomery as Bobby (as Lee H. Montgomery)

The 70s Grue-Crew returns to the deep well of made-for-TV horror movies. This time, they cavort with a pair who feel like old friends: Dan Curtis and Richard Matheson. Dead of Night (1977) doesn’t sit at the pinnacle of its sub-subgenre, but it holds its own. The cast features some excellent actors: Patrick Macnee, Elisha Cook Jr., Ed Begley Jr., Joan Hackett, and Lee Montgomery. Matheson does his usual fine job with the screenplays, one of which is based on a Jack Finney story. The Crew have different ideas of the best and worst segments, but that’s what makes it fun. Be sure to stick around for the feedback section at the end of the episode. Some Grue-Believers chimed in with their favorite 70s horror movies, one for each year of the decade. (Hint, hint! You can still chime in on your faves for the next episode’s feedback. )

At the time of this writing, Dead of Night (1977) is available to stream from Hoopla and PPV on Prime. The film is also available on physical media as a Blu-ray formatted disc from KL Studio Classics (release date: October 28, 2025). 

Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1970s is part of the Decades of Horror two-week rotation with The Classic Era and the 1980s. In two weeks, the next ‘70s episode, chosen by Chad, will be Herschell Gordon Lewis’s The Wizard of Gore (1970). … Yikes?

We want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans: comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1970s podcast hosts at [e-mail].