Night of the Comet (1984)

"The last man on Earth is either a gentleman or a gay." - Sam

Two teenage girls try to survive the end of the world, and still find time to go shopping.
Starring: Catherine Mary Stewart, Kelli Maroney, Robert Beltran, and Geoffrey Lewis

Link to IMDB

As a rare comet passes by Earth, everyone around the globe is throwing parties to watch the spectacular night sky. Everyone except Regina and Sam, as their strict stepmother likes to ruin all their fun. Awakening the next day, the two sisters discover that everyone has been turned to dust by the comet's radiation! There's only a handful of humans left, and most of them have gone insane and wander around like zombies.

Sam and Regina

Hector

Regina and Sam head into Los Angeles to look for survivors, and there they meet a tough guy named Hector at a radio station, and he agrees to help the girls. While Sam plays with the radio she inadvertently hears from a secret underground bunker full of scientists who decide to attempt a rescue mission into the city.
The plot has been slow but steady, but here it comes to a standstill as the girls and Hector just talk about their feelings. Nothing. Is. Happening.
It takes a long time for some action, and there is only one real confrontation with any of the ghouls.
The tension builds when the scientists arrive because it's clear that they are hiding some secrets, and their plan to save humanity is going to put the girl's lives in danger!

Night of the Comet just didn't explode my hams like I thought it would. It's not about valley girls trying to avoid killer zombies, and it's not about badass chicks killing zombies with guns. It has about ten minutes of zombie action, and the rest of the story largely focuses on sentimental feelings. Despite the characters being quite likable with sharp dialog, they are in a movie that rarely finds them anything to do.

Scientist stuff

I guess my main complaint is that it's just too damn tame. It often feels like an afternoon special made for TV, instead of a wild B-movie. All that said, this is still a decent sci-fi story with good characters and a few zany situations that kept me laughing. I see why it has a large amount of fans and I'd be willing to watch it again, but it left a weak first impression on me.

Be sure not to miss:
- Larry is played by Michael Bowen.
- Sam's first concern when the world ends is getting her breakfast cereal. I like her style.

Internet review:
"A bit overrated by its fans, but still worth a peek in case you have a weakness for 80's cinema." - Coventry

Should I watch it?
Sure, but it is surprisingly uneventful.

Where can I find it?
Here on YouTube.

Night of the Comet gets...