Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideToronto Int'l Film FestivalSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
8 suggestions available
Watchlist
Sign in
Sign in
New customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Night of the Creeps

  • 1986
  • R
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
28K
YOUR RATING
Jason Lively and Jill Whitlow in Night of the Creeps (1986)
In 1959, a college couple see an object plummet to Earth. The boy accidentally swallows a space-slug that shoots out. In 1986, two freshmen roam the campus and stumble across the corpse of the boy who swallowed the space-slug. Once thawed out, the corpse comes to life.
Play trailer1:27
12 Videos
99+ Photos
B-HorrorBody HorrorParodyTeen ComedyZombie HorrorComedyHorrorSci-Fi

Alien brain parasites, entering humans through the mouth, turn their host into a killing zombie. Some teenagers start to fight against them.Alien brain parasites, entering humans through the mouth, turn their host into a killing zombie. Some teenagers start to fight against them.Alien brain parasites, entering humans through the mouth, turn their host into a killing zombie. Some teenagers start to fight against them.

  • Director
    • Fred Dekker
  • Writer
    • Fred Dekker
  • Stars
    • Jason Lively
    • Tom Atkins
    • Steve Marshall
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    28K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Fred Dekker
    • Writer
      • Fred Dekker
    • Stars
      • Jason Lively
      • Tom Atkins
      • Steve Marshall
    • 194User reviews
    • 190Critic reviews
    • 62Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Videos12

    Night of the Creeps
    Trailer 1:27
    Night of the Creeps
    Night of the Creeps
    Clip 1:03
    Night of the Creeps
    Night of the Creeps
    Clip 1:03
    Night of the Creeps
    Night of the Creeps
    Clip 1:31
    Night of the Creeps
    Night of the Creeps
    Clip 1:00
    Night of the Creeps
    Night of the Creeps
    Clip 1:54
    Night of the Creeps
    Night Of The Creeps Director's Cut: It Was A Zombie
    Clip 0:58
    Night Of The Creeps Director's Cut: It Was A Zombie

    Photos116

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 109
    View Poster

    Top cast58

    Edit
    Jason Lively
    Jason Lively
    • Chris
    Tom Atkins
    Tom Atkins
    • Ray Cameron
    Steve Marshall
    Steve Marshall
    • J.C.
    Jill Whitlow
    Jill Whitlow
    • Cynthia
    Wally Taylor
    • Detective Landis
    Bruce Solomon
    Bruce Solomon
    • Sgt. Raimi
    Vic Polizos
    Vic Polizos
    • Coroner
    Allan Kayser
    Allan Kayser
    • Brad
    • (as Allan J. Kayser)
    Ken Heron
    Ken Heron
    • Johnny
    Alice Cadogan
    Alice Cadogan
    • Pam
    June Harris
    • Karen
    David Paymer
    David Paymer
    • Young Scientist
    David Oliver
    David Oliver
    • Steve
    Evelyne Smith
    Evelyne Smith
    • House Mother
    Ivan E. Roth
    Ivan E. Roth
    • Psycho Zombie
    Daniel Frishman
    Daniel Frishman
    • Alien Zombie
    Kevin Thompson
    • Alien Pursuer #1
    Joseph S. Griffo
    Joseph S. Griffo
    • Alien Pursuer #2
    • Director
      • Fred Dekker
    • Writer
      • Fred Dekker
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews194

    6.727.8K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    10BrandtSponseller

    Underrated, too little known comedy horror gem

    After an "experiment" is accidentally released from a spaceship in a tube, it crashes on Earth where it infects a youth in the 1950s. Flash forward to the mid 1980s, and the youth is now cryogenically frozen in a university lab for study. At least until Chris Romero (Jason Lively) and J.C. Hooper (Steve Marshall) release him, and he begins infecting countless members of a small college town.

    Director and writer Fred Dekker, who has had a lamentably short career as a helmer, wrote Night of the Creeps in seven days. He told himself that if he did not get to the end of the script by that self-imposed deadline, the whole thing would go into the garbage. If this is what one can come up with in such a flurry, maybe more scripts should have time limits. We should also be glad that he sold the script with a caveat: if he wasn't allowed to helm the film, he wasn't going to sell it. He's said that he didn't care if it sold or not at the time.

    Why Dekker has received so little recognition and respect in the industry is difficult to say. Night of the Creeps didn't have the wide release and promotion that it deserved, especially given its $5 million budget (it's curious that TriStar didn't push more to make its money back). Both this film and Dekker's 1987 effort, The Monster Squad, are currently only available on bootleg DVDs in the U.S.

    Night of the Creeps is one of the better horror/comedies of the 1980s. The script is clever, paying homage to everything from 1950s sci-fi horror to the zombie craze started by George Romero to 1980s slasher films and even John Hughes. Just in case one couldn't catch the homage angle, Dekker has a lot of character and place names that are tributes to various genre directors. Dekker's dialogue is witty and memorable--there are a few classic diatribes in the film that would be worthwhile and a lot of fun to memorize. Dekker's writing is self-conscious and self-mocking, predating Scream (1996) by 10 years (there is actually a whole class of 1980s and early 1990s flicks that were doing everything Scream was credited with revolutionizing). Dekker is not afraid to be joyously silly, as with genre character actor favorite Tom Atkins' response when asked if he's Detective Cameron--"No, Bozo the Clown". Dekker even gives us the 1980s high school classic of the hand-cranked middle finger.

    But Night of the Creeps isn't just a comedy. The serious horror aspects of Night of the Creeps are extremely well done. The film is suspenseful, the effects are good, and there is plenty of gore for fans. Dekker could have easily made an effective retro horror film--most of the first five minutes are set in the 1950s, shot in black and white, and have an authentic feel, with just a dash of tongue in its cheek. He smoothly transitions from The Blob (1958) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)-styled sci-fi (with heavy Alien (1979) touches) to early 1980s slasher material, then to a more complex and fantastic collage of zombies, slugs and detectives seeking revenge.

    While the film isn't likely to be appreciated by those who dislike mixing their horror with comedy, and especially won't be appreciated by viewers who don't even realize that it's supposed to also be a comedy, neither type is very likely to watch it in the first place--at least not for long. For those with the appropriate mindset and love of horror (it's a lot more fun if one is familiar with everything being referenced), Night of the Creeps is a gem that deserves better recognition. We should at least be able to buy it on an official DVD (and please put both endings on the disc).
    7utgard14

    "What is this, a homicide or a bad B movie?"

    College freshmen Chris and J.C. (Jason Lively, Steve Marshall) are trying to join a fraternity and are given the initiation challenge of stealing a body from the morgue. In attempting to do this, they unfreeze a cryogenically-frozen body that was inhabited by parasitic alien slugs in 1959. Now the alien slugs are free and attacking the college campus, turning people into zombies. After his friend is killed, Chris tries to stop the slugs & zombies with the help of a detective (Tom Atkins) whose tragic backstory ties into the alien attack in 1959.

    This terrific '80s horror comedy from Fred Dekker is one of the most underrated movies from that decade. Steve Marshall is great fun as the handicapped best friend of 'the hero.' He gets many of the movie's best lines. Jason Lively and beautiful Jill Whitlow are both good. Allan Kayser (Bubba from "Mama's Family") is the Zabka-esque jock villain. The movie's highlight is Tom Atkins, who gives a memorable performance as the tough and sarcastic detective. The movie's filled with in-jokes and references that genre fans will enjoy. The movie itself is a sort of homage to classic B sci-fi/horror flicks of the '50s. By the way, in one scene Jill Whitlow is making cookies or something in the kitchen with her sorority sisters. She drops a wooden spoon and kicks it under the refrigerator. Then she picks it up and proceeds to put it right back in the bowl. Eww, how gross is that? That made me want to vomit far more than any of the movie's special effects! Give it a shot and I'm sure you'll agree it's great fun and years ahead of its time. Any movie with a Dick Miller cameo can't be that bad.
    8Sleepin_Dragon

    A comedy, horror gem.

    An alien parasite is sent to Earth; it lays dormant for some years but soon begins transforming people into killer zombies.

    I watched this for the first time today; I had never heard of it before, and I genuinely hope this is considered something of a cult classic. It is very much a B-movie, but don't let that sway you against it.

    If 1980s horror movies are your thing, then I'm sure this one will have bags of appeal. At times it's outrageous, and at times it's absolutely hilarious.

    Most of the hallmarks of an 80s horror movie are there: goofy dude gets the girl, female nudity, dumb mean jocks; it's as you'd expect.

    There is some rather decent makeup, and for the time, some pretty good special effects. One thing this film definitely has is atmosphere.

    I thought Jason Lively was rather good.

    8/10.
    8bowmanblue

    So much better than the title suggests

    I'm guessing that if you like 'B-movies' then the title will tip you off towards everything you really need to know about this film. It's cheesy as hell... but great fun (if you like that sort of thing).

    For what is effectively a teenage zombie black comedy horror, it starts off squarely in the 'science fiction' territory as some revolting aliens (with unreadable subtitles!) eject a pod of - er something - out into space, which then ends up in a small American town. Guess what... this intergalactic goo doesn't go down too well with us humans and, before long, the town is infested with alien zombies and mutant brain-slugs.

    So, if you've seen one horror B-movie then you probably have a rough idea of what to expect here. The acting isn't that great. The plot is daft and the gore is plentiful. So, if you like that sort of thing, you'll have a blast here. Especially as the characters are actually pretty good fun. You often get cardboard cut-outs who you have to force yourself to follow through the story, just so you can get to the next special effects-laden splatterfest, but here they're well-written and rather humourous. Tom Atkins is about the most famous name on the cast - he plays the cop in charge of investigating the weird sightings/murders on campus, but the younger cast-members are all very watchable, too.

    Because this was made in the eighties, all of us who like 'practical' effects, rather the computer-generated ones will have a blast at the fact that the brain slugs are beautifully animated and the aliens (for their albeit too small on-screen appearance) are up there with anything featured in 'Star Wars.' It's also quite a 'knowing' kind of film. Like 'Scream' did in the nineties, it - lovingly - mocks the genre it sits in and often nods towards the clichés you'd normally expect from film of this nature.

    If you like films full of ridiculous, cheesy black comedy horror, then definitely check this one out. I can't believe I've only just discovered it in 2020 (at least something good has come out of this year!).
    8l5rgm

    Wonderful, silly comedy/horror!

    Viewing this particular film as a straight horror movie is a mistake. When I first saw this film (in 1989 or so) I thought it was a terrible horror movie and shut it off about half way through. I was under the impression it was a straight up zombie movie from the box art. There where some attempts at humor that fell flat. My problem was I was expecting "Dawn of the Dead" (or at least Day). On second enconter (around 1995) I laughed myself silly. I got the joke. The script is actually a joyous tribute to 50's-80's "B-Movies", Mad science, aliens, couples necking in a convertable (in black and white no less) and a catchphrase spewing hard boiled gumshoe. With out the preconceived notions I found this film quite charming. While not the best of the comedy/horror mix (Scream, American Werewolf in London...) this is a decent attempt at the cross-genre and best enjoyed with freinds.

    More like this

    The Monster Squad
    6.9
    The Monster Squad
    Night of the Comet
    6.3
    Night of the Comet
    The Blob
    6.7
    The Blob
    Night of the Demons
    6.1
    Night of the Demons
    From Beyond
    6.6
    From Beyond
    The Stuff
    5.9
    The Stuff
    The Return of the Living Dead
    7.3
    The Return of the Living Dead
    Re-Animator
    7.1
    Re-Animator
    House
    6.1
    House
    Pumpkinhead
    6.2
    Pumpkinhead
    Demons
    6.6
    Demons
    Night of the Living Dead
    6.8
    Night of the Living Dead

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When Fred Dekker was asked during an interview why J.C. (Steve Marshall) is handicapped, he replied, "There's no reason aside except that we just don't see it. You can make a movie with a character who's handicapped without the story being about the fact that he's handicapped."
    • Goofs
      During the scene when Chris and J.C. are confronted, one shot shows the second-unit AD clearly in the background waving towards people off camera to stay out of the shot.
    • Quotes

      Detective Cameron: I got good news and bad news, girls. The good news is your dates are here.

      Sorority Sister: What's the bad news?

      Detective Cameron: They're dead.

    • Alternate versions
      German theatrical and VHS releases were cut for violence to secure "Not under 16" rating from FSK. All cuts have since been waived with the German Blu-ray release with the same "Not under 16" rating.
    • Connections
      Edited into Cent une tueries de zombies (2012)
    • Soundtracks
      Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
      Written by Jerome Kern (uncredited) and Otto A. Harbach (uncredited)

      Performed by The Platters

      Courtesy of PolyGram Special Projects, A Division of PolyGram Records, Inc.

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ22

    • How long is Night of the Creeps?Powered by Alexa
    • When Cameron is fighting off a couple of zombies, a sorority sister is kneeling behind him. When the camera focuses on her, she reveals herself to be under the influence of the slugs. How did she become infected? No slug is ever seen going after her.
    • How many different versions are available of this movie?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 22, 1986 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • El terror llama a su puerta
    • Filming locations
      • Griffith Observatory, 2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Tri-Star Pictures
      • Delphi V Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $5,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $591,366
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $220,800
      • Aug 24, 1986
    • Gross worldwide
      • $591,842
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 28m(88 min)
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Production art
    Photos
    Child Stars, Then and Now
    See the gallery
    Production art
    List
    August 2025 TV and Streaming Premiere Dates
    See the list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.