ONE DARK NIGHT Tom McLoughlin's classic ghost story (original) (raw)

ONEDARKNIGHT

Nominated for Best Horror Film of 1983 by the Academy of Science Fiction.

"The film does have a real good reputation and that surprises me because it was basically thrown together so fast. The movie was very different for its time. While every other film was slashing throats, One Dark Night contained a lot of Poe-style gross out horror and the audiences appreciated that." � director Tom McLoughlin (Fangoria)

While visiting the set ofa new horror film aimed at teenaged audiences_, Fangoria_ magazine�s Ellen Carlomagno called it "one of the most unusual horror stories since _Scanners_�.a throwback to the gothic horror movies of yesteryear. Though the effects are among the best Tom Burman has yet to come up with, they are not relied upon to mask a poorly written screenplay. To the contrary, the effects enhance and augment a fine piece of storytelling."

In fact, the effects are among the most realistic depictions of rotted corpses ever, far more authentic than any other living dead seen before � however, they don�t show up until the finale.

UPDATE:

2/1/06 It is out. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Cover art (changes may still be made):

From the back:

* Widescreen 1.85 transfer
* Commentary by Tom McLoughlin and Michael Hawes

Disc 2
* "R.I.P." featurette (behind the scenes)
* SURPRISE! (1.33:1)
* Photo Gallery
* Trailer
* TV Spots

11/15 OK so I forgot to update this sooner but by now most of you know that ODN has been delayed till December (hopefully no later than the 15th). But the good news is so good I don't even want to tell you what it is. I will give you two words to ponder: tax shelter. (And that you will see things you have never seen or never thought you'd see.)

9/15 Two months away from the DVD release. There is a temporary cover scheme on Amazon and a listingfor the two disc set. I believe there will just be one edition to get (the two disc) but things can still change. Best Buy has the two disc set listed only.

The race to unload bootleg copies and the old video cassettes on ebay is on!

8/05 Just rumor control update here. Looks like the ODN street date is set for November. It may be a two disc set. The same commentary that was recorded previously will be used.

6/13/05 Like that widescreen image there? Looks fuzzy because it's a crappy digital pic on the lowest quality setting. Do not give up on the DVD - it WILL come out. I just can't say who will release it just yet! Don't buy bootlegs in the meantime!

3/30/05 ODN will not be coming to DVD from Blue Underground just to clarify any rumors...one of the reasons I never mentioned the company here. However, another company IS working on it. Ebay bootleggers of the DVDs in the meantime should cease and not take this as a "go ahead".

6/6/04 Ever wanted to see how ODN came to be? While waiting for the DVD, check out co-writer Michael Hawes' brand new glimpse into ODN. This is the second site I have ever seen devoted to the film and closest thing to an official page from someone who would know more than any fan. On his site you can download a TV spot, see call sheets, a slide show for investors, reviews, and most of all download a PDF of the shooting script, etc. EXCELLENT job - thanks for the work done for any fans that may be out there. OK enough I'll shut up - here's the link.

5/2/04 Commentary track has been laid down for the DVD.

4/5/04 I have submitted some 'extras' in the way of memorabilia towards the ODN DVD. It will feature a commentary with the writers, featurette (shot on set in 1982), trailer, TV spots, script, pre-production slideshow, production photos (color and b/w), poster artwork.

"Dr. Sergeyev (of the A.A. Uktomski Physiological Institute, Leningrad) made another baffling discovery.
He set up his detectors some distance from the body of a clinically dead man. No brain waves, no heartbeat
could be recorded. but the detectors leaped in action. Four yards away from the man's lifeless body, the
electromagnetic force fields were pulsing. It seemed energy was being released."
- Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain, pg. 78

The story surrounds Karl Ramarsevic, an aging Soviet psychic, ridiculed by skeptics and the public alike. He is discovered dead in his apartment along with six young female corpses; fallen to his bizarre telekinetic experiments. To the public, his death seemed to be caused by a heart attack. But is he dead? "Raymar" as he is nicknamed, drained the bio-energy of his victims to gain adrenaline. His spirit enpowers on the very fear he is stimulating � he is a true psychic vampire.

Coincidentally, goody-goody Julie is being initiated by her high school girlfriends� clique, the Sisters (Carol and Kitty). The test is to spend one night in the Hollywood Mausoleum. But she is not going to be alone. The malicious girls plan to torture Julie through the test, scaring her with Halloween masks and making strange sounds. But they are not the only ones doing the scaring.

There is also the supernatural energy of the recently interred Raymar. His powers from beyond the grave dim the lights and locks the front doors. The crypts of the resident corpses are disturbed for his own evil purposes.

Thus befitting the shooting title was Rest in Peace. Intended as a back to the basics movement in horror, the concept for the film was devised in 1980 when Friday the 13th had been released and studios wanted �splatter�, or gory effects-laden horror. Young writer-director Tom McLoughlin and co-writer Michael Hawes researched psychic phenomena extensively in writing an original story of supernatural scares. They even consulted with Thelma Moss at UCLA. "I even went to the coroner�s" McLoughlin says. "I got a sense that there was nothing left in those bodies but that there was something hovering around those bodies."

McLoughlin's background in mime companies was apparent in the script: it had 80% visuals and 20% was dialogue. As a student in Paris in the late �60s�, McLoughlin once visited the catacombs of wall to wall human skeletons � under the city is how the French buried their dead centuries ago. This experience left an indelible mark on his young psyche. Not surprisingly, he envisioned a story entitled Mausoleum, a strong and claustrophobic-sounding word in itself. To research, McLoughlin visited dozens of mausoleums and cemeteries from San Diego to San Francisco. "We would go to the mausoleum and with some early corpse effects, we took pictures and made a slide show to show investors." Executive producer Thomas Johnson liked the concept and asked McLoughlin and Hawes "would you be ready in three weeks?"

CONTINUE to find out...

vaults have been opened by Ramar. Site maintained by ME

Remember to check out uneedamed.tripod.com and drlogan.tripod.com for more ghoulish fun.