Writer/Director Tom McLoughlin is probably best known as the man who brought Jason back to life in “Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives.” That fun little entry was the only film in the entire series that felt like someone had bothered to write a script. “Jason Lives” was a smart, subversive take on the “Friday the 13th” mythos and should have been the vehicle that launched McLaughlin’s film career. Sadly, after his poorly received comedy “Date with an Angel,” he virtually vanished from the big screen. He went on to a successful career in television (even writing/directing a few episodes of the “Friday the 13th” TV series). “One Dark Night” was his first directing (and co-writing) endeavor and remains a promising debut. It did marginally well in a quick drive-in, saturation release in 1983 but is primarily remembered as one of Jennifer Tilly’s first films.

“One Dark Night” is a variation on the teen initiation formula - which was a popular plot device in early ‘80’s horror films. Teens forced to spend the night in some creepy mansion/mausoleum/mall are stalked by both their initiators and a real menace. (See “Hell Night or “The Initiation” for a couple of the more stronger entries of the sub-genre.) “One Dark Night” features a high school bad girl trio called The Sisters who are anxious to give pledge Julie (Meg Tilly) a night she wont forget. Carol (Robin Evans) and her two best friends Kitty (Leslie Speights) and Leslie (‘80’s it girl Elizabeth Daily) have no intention of inviting the squeaky clean Julie into their clique. It turns out the hazing is retribution for Julie who is now dating Carol’s former boyfriend, basketball jock Steve (David Mason Daniels). Though Steve sees through plot and even warns Julie about a potential set-up, she’s determined to break free of her good-girl image and become part of the rambunctious clique. Carol decides that Julie’s test will be spending the night at the local mausoleum; certain that the very thought will scare her away. Much to The Sisters’ surprise, Julie decides to take the dare and finds herself inside the creepy mausoleum… one dark night. Unbeknownst to Julie, and the bitchy clique, is that the body of world famous psychic Raymar (a, uh, psychic vampire) was laid to rest inside the crypt just days ago. Dead from unknown causes, the celebrity psychic was found in his apartment with the dead bodies of several women. Left alone in the in mausoleum with only a flashlight and a Quaalude, Julie must fend off not only costumed ghosts, but the electromagnetic wrath of Raymar as well. Giving the film a slight dramatic edge is a subplot featuring Raymar’s tortured daughter Olivia (Melissa Newman – cousin of Randy). Possessing her father’s psychic (and telekinetic) abilities, Carol foresees the tragic events to come and makes her way to the mausoleum in an attempt to stop the carnage.

“One Dark Night” is a solid little thriller with some good performances and genuinely gruesome effects (by Tom Burman). The screenplay by McLoughlin and Michael Hawes is surprisingly mature; especially when compared to most teen horror films from the period. The requisite high school shenanigans are kept to a minimum and the lazy satirical tone that would permeate (and eventually ruin) the genre had yet to rear its ugly head. Both McLoughlin and Hawes would point to ‘70’s hits like “Carrie” as their inspiration for the script, explaining the more serious tone. The horror trappings are also a breath of fresh air. Though the psychic vampire idea is a tad ludicrous, and not a little ambiguous, it’s an unusual twist on the typical zombie formula. The not-so-dead Raymar uses the dead bodies in the mausoleum as inanimate weapons. They levitate slowly through the darkness; surrounding and cornering their victims. Appearing in all manner of decomposition, they spurt fluid, rot and maggots onto the unfortunate teens. The victims are eventually pummeled onto the ground where they are enveloped in layers of putrification. Fun. Though this is a PG film with little bloodshed, Burman’s corpse make-up and effects are wonderfully gruesome and still pack an eerie punch.

What is most surprising in this little cult favorite is the performance of Tilly. She delivers an unsure and rather passive reading as the protagonist Julie. Granted, it’s not a very well defined part, but her presence throughout the first half of the film gives no indication of her career to come. Her wonderful performance in “Psycho 2,” released the same year, gave that film its emotional resonance. Here she’s a giggly school girl one moment, an angry mess the next. Once she’s alone in the mausoleum and drugged out and hysterical, she seems to find a momentum, but it’s difficult to ever care about her character’s outcome. Far more interesting is the supporting cast including Newman as the troubled daughter and Evans as the requisite bad girl (a la Nancy Allen). A random cameo by Adam West as Newman’s husband is a nice addition. It’s novel to see the actor playing a dramatic role for a change. Also, Elizabeth Daily, who has had the most eclectic of careers, shows up as a Sister. Daily had a supporting role in everything from “Valley Girl” to “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” and even enjoyed a career as a pop star. More recently she has enjoyed success a premiere voice-over artist in the hit cartoons “Rugrats” and “The Power Puff Girls.” It’s too bad her character doesn’t make inside the mausoleum. She would have certainly brought some extra panache to the intense third act.

This double disc special edition from Shriek Show is a great little Valentine to fans of this cult favorite. The anamorphic widescreen 1.85:1 presentation of the film is far from perfect, with artifacts and marginal color and lighting blemishes throughout. Though the print is far from pristine, the entire package almost makes up for it. The Dolby Digital mix of the sound is far superior to the picture; Bob Summers’ eclectic score is clear and present. In addition to the film, disc one contains a spirited commentary with McLoughlin and Hawes. Both men are very proud of their first film venture and share some great anecdotes about working on the low-budget set and the post-production changes that were imposed upon their cut. Also included on this disc are four trailers for new Shriek Show releases. The original promos for drive-in staples “The Being” and “Just Before Dawn” are provided as well as the infamous “Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror” and the campy TV favorite “Devil Dog: Hound of Hell.” Strangely, the trailer for “One Dark Night” is missing completely.

Disc two features R.I.P., a video montage of behind-the-scenes footage, sometimes showing a scene by scene comparison. It’s an interesting look into low-budget filmmaking in the early ‘80’s, but would have greatly benefited with some voiceover and tighter editing. Far more engaging is the original director’s cut of the film, titled “A Night in the Crypt.” It’s a more engrossing version, at least visually, and a shame that it’s presented as a full screen work print. Still, this version is invaluable to fans of the film and a nice extra for a title so obscure. Also included on this disc are four more Shriek Show trailers including a well-made promo for “The Dark” and a not-so-great one for “Anthropophagus.”

“One Dark Night” is a superior teen horror film from the early ‘80’s, one of the last to feature high schoolers fighting the undead without a tongue-in-cheek tone. This Shriek Show release certainly does the cult favorite justice – though the source print leaves much to be desired.