In this '80s zombie horror-comedy, a bullied teen mortuary assistant thinks his problems are over when his tormentors die in a crash-until lightning reanimates them as unstoppable undead jerks.
Night Life also known as Grave Misdemeanours (and not to be confused with the vampire movie Nightlife of the same year) is a 1989 high school bully/undead oddity. Directed by David Acomba and written by Keith Critchlow, the film is clunky at times and tonally mismatched, often unsure whether it wants to be a horror comedy, or straight undead thriller.
The film stars Scott Grimes in the lead as Archie, with John Astin turning up in a memorable supporting role. Cheryl Pollak lights up the screen as Archie's friend Charly. Memorable faces include Darcy DeMoss from 1986's Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives and Lisa Fuller from The Monster Squad (1987). The supporting cast also includes the likes of Anthony Geary and Mark Pellegrino.
The score is fitting enough, but it lacks that punchy, unforgettable soundtrack that defined many of its genre peers.
Where Night Life really comes alive is in its third act. After a fatal accident, the dead begin to rise-not as mindless ghouls, but as thinking, car-driving corpses with unfinished business and a taste for the living. Once reanimated, the film finds its feet. The zombies draw clear inspiration from The Return of the Living Dead-intelligent, articulate, and unsettling in ways slow shamblers aren't. At times they're genuinely creepy, helped enormously by strong practical makeup effects, stunts, and an effective on-location atmosphere that gives the film a grimy, after-hours feel.
Flawed but oddly endearing, this is one of those VHS-era undead films that rewards patience. If you enjoy The Video Dead, Night of the Creeps, Night of the Comet, or The Return of the Living Dead, there's no reason not to get a kick out of this-whatever title you happen to find it under. A truly forgotten, imperfect undead gem that deserves rediscovery.
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