{{Short description|2017 film directed by Bradford Baruh}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox film | name = Dead Night | image = Dead_night.jpg | alt = | caption = Poster | director = Bradford Baruh | producer ={{Plainlist| *Andy Meyers *Bradford Baruh }} | screenplay = Irving Walker | story ={{Plainlist| *Irving Walker *Bradford Baruh }} | starring ={{Plainlist| *Brea Grant *A.J. Bowen *Sophie Dalah *Elise Luthman *Joshua Hoffman *Daniel Roebuck *Barbara Crampton }} | music = Joseph Bishara | cinematography = Kenton Drew Johnson | editing = Meghan Leon | studio = M3 Alliance Limited | distributor = Dark Sky Films | released = {{Film date|2017|09|22|Fantastic Fest|2018|07|27|United States}} | language = English | country = United States | budget = | gross = }}
'''''Dead Night''''' is a 2017 horror film directed by Bradford Baruh, in his directorial debut, working from a screenplay written by Irving Walker, based on a story by Walker and Baruh. It stars Brea Grant, A.J. Bowen and Barbara Crampton. The film premiered at Fantastic Fest on September 22, 2017 before receiving a release date of July 27, 2018 in the United States from Dark Sky Films.
==Premise== Follows a dual storyline of two differing perspectives about a murdered family in the woods.
==Cast== {{Cast listing| *Brea Grant as Casey Pollack *A.J. Bowen as James Pollack *Barbara Crampton as Leslie Bison *Sophie Dalah as Jessica Pollack *Elise Luthman as Becky Lane *Joshua Hoffman as Jason Pollack *Daniel Roebuck as Jack Sterling *Joy Osmanski as Mika Shand *Kay D'Arcy as Lily Lane *Sky Soleil as Detective Walker *Dianna Miranda as Dr. Cynthia Ramsey *Alison Haislip as Jenni Whitmore *Ryan Schwartzman as Karl Durant *Shauan Case as Amanda Tate *Joshua Hinson as Emmanuel "Manny" Rothwell *Keana Marie as Kate Rothwell *Gina Comparetto as 1960's Girl *Chase Williamson as 1960's Guy }}
==Production== In the original iteration of the script by Irving Walker and Bradford Baruh, the film was broken in two parts; one half was a "true crime" television show, depicting the events of the family's murder, and then the "*real* events". Baruh claimed this approached worked great on the page, but would not translate well on the screen.<ref>{{cite web|last=Donato|first=Matt|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/559900/dead-night-interview/|title=The Cast And Crew Of ''Dead Night'' On Their "True Crime" Demonic Possession Creature Feature [Interview]|date=July 27, 2018|website=/Film|accessdate=December 11, 2021}}</ref> In April 2016, the film was announced under the title ''Applecart''. Baruh, a producer on ''John Dies at the End'', was slated to make his directorial debut with Don Coscarelli serving as an executive producer, and Brea Grant, A.J. Bowen, Barbara Crampton, Sophie Dalah, Elise Luthman, and Joshua Hoffman set to star.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Collis|first=Clark|url=https://ew.com/article/2016/04/07/barbara-crampton-aj-bowen-applecart/|title=''You're Next'' Stars Reunite for Horror-Thriller ''Applecart'' — Exclusive Images|date=April 8, 2016|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|accessdate=December 11, 2021}}</ref> Crampton was pitched the film by Coscarelli at the American Film Market while trying to generate interest for her film ''Beyond the Gates''.<ref>{{cite web|last=James|first=Jonathan|url=https://dailydead.com/interview-barbara-crampton-discusses-her-villainous-role-in-dead-night-and-the-upcoming-castle-freak-reboot/|title=Interview: Barbara Crampton Discusses Her Villainous Role in ''Dead Night'' and Gives an Update on the ''Castle Freak'' Reboot|date=July 27, 2018|website=DailyDead|accessdate=December 11, 2021}}</ref>
Production began on location in Lake Tahoe and Los Angeles, California by April 2016, as well as in Baruh's childhood home in Hillsborough, California.<ref>{{cite web|last=Miska|first=Brad|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/images/3386151/mc-creatives-applecart-gives-homage-shining-exclusive/|title=M3 Creative's ''Applecart'' Gives Homage to ''The Shining'' (Exclusive)|date=April 7, 2016|website=Bloody Disgusting|accessdate=December 11, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Hamman|first=Cody|url=https://www.joblo.com/coscarelli-crampton-bowen-and-grant-upset-the-applecart-185/|title=Coscarelli, Crampton, Bowen, and Grant Upset the Applecart|date=April 8, 2016|website=JoBlo|accessdate=December 11, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=James|first=Jonathan|url=https://dailydead.com/interview-barbara-crampton-discusses-her-villainous-role-in-dead-night-and-the-upcoming-castle-freak-reboot/|title=Interview: Barbara Crampton Discusses Her Villainous Role in ''Dead Night'' and Gives an Update on the ''Castle Freak'' Reboot|date=July 27, 2018|website=DailyDead|accessdate=December 11, 2021}}</ref>
Following criticisms at its debut at Fantastic Fest in September 2017, the filmmakers re-edited the film and retitled the film to ''Dead Night'' by February 2018.<ref>{{cite web|last=Miska|first=Brad|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3483419/applecart-heads-efm-new-title-dead-night/|title=''Applecart'' Heads to EFM Under New Title: ''Dead Night''|date=February 15, 2018|website=Bloody Disgusting|accessdate=December 11, 2021}}</ref>
==Release== The film, then known as ''Applecart'', premiered at Fantastic Fest on September 22, 2017. After a retooling, now ''Dead Night'', the film was purchased by Dark Sky Films at the European Film Market.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://culturecrypt.com/movie-reviews/dead-night-2017|title=''Dead Night'' (2017) - CultureCrypt|date=August 13, 2018|website=CultureCrypt|accessdate=December 11, 2021}}</ref> The new cut of the film was first shown at Cinepocalypse.<ref>{{cite web|last=Farrow|first=Kevan|url=https://www.screamhorrormag.com/applecart-gets-new-title-dead-night-ahead-efm/|title=''Applecart'' Gets New Title ''Dead Night'' Ahead of EFM|date=February 21, 2018|website=ScreamHorrorMag|accessdate=December 11, 2021}}</ref>
===Home media=== ''Dead Night'' was released on DVD on September 11, 2018.<ref>{{cite web|last=Halen|first=Adrian|url=https://horrornews.net/135408/dark-sky-films-announces-release-dead-night-dvd/|title=Dark Sky Films Announces the Release of ''Dead Night'' on DVD|date=August 31, 2018|website=HorrorNews|accessdate=December 11, 2021}}</ref>
==Reception== On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, ''Dead Night'' holds an approval rating of 63% based on 16 reviews, with an average rating of 5.60/10.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dead_night|title=''Applecart'' (2017)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=December 11, 2021}}</ref>
===Initial Fantastic Fest reviews=== For ''Birth.Movies.Death'', Jacob Knight criticized the "faux true crime show" segments with Daniel Roebuck, regarding them as "hokey" and tonally confusing.<ref>{{cite web|last=Knight|first=Jacob|url=https://birthmoviesdeath.com/2017/09/24/fantastic-fest-review-applecart-is-rotten-to-its-core|title=Fantastic Fest Review: ''Applecart'' Is Rotten To Its Core|date=September 24, 2017|website=Birth.Movies.Death|accessdate=December 11, 2021}}</ref> Kalyn Corrigan of ''Bloody Disgusting'' wrote "it barely even manages to serve as a fun slasher".<ref>{{cite web|last=Corrigan|first=Kalyn|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/reviews/3461620/fantastic-fest-review-barbara-crampton-deserves-better-applecart/|title=[Fantastic Fest Review] Barbara Crampton Deserves Better Than ''Applecart''|date=September 28, 2017|website=Bloody Disgusting|accessdate=December 11, 2021}}</ref> Trey Hilburn III of ''iHorror'' praised the film's meta aspects, acknowledging it as "a bit jarring" but it "ultimately allows the film to find its own fun and self-aware footing".<ref>{{cite web|last=Hilburn III|first=Trey|url=https://ihorror.com/fantastic-fest-review-applecart/|title=Fantastic Fest Review: ''Applecart''|date=October 5, 2017|website=iHorror|accessdate=December 11, 2021}}</ref>
===Re-edit reviews=== For ''HeyUGuys'', Ben Robins called the film " a full-on adrenaline shot of pure madness that makes little-to-no sense at all".<ref>{{cite web|last=Robins|first=Ben|url=https://www.heyuguys.com/dead-night-review/|title=''Dead Night'' Review – FrightFest 2018|date=August 25, 2018|website=HeyUGuys|accessdate=December 11, 2021}}</ref> Cheryl Eddy, writing for Gizmodo, highlighted Crampton's performance and said "though the mystical elements of Dead Night are rather vaguely explained, some delightfully gross creature effects do most of the talking on that front".<ref>{{cite web|last=Eddy|first=Cheryl|url=https://gizmodo.com/a-horror-icon-elevates-the-quirky-killer-in-the-woods-t-1827980606|title=A Horror Icon Elevates the Quirky Killer-in-the-Woods Thriller Dead Night|date=August 3, 2018|website=Gizmodo|accessdate=December 11, 2021}}</ref>
Abbey Bender, of ''Village Voice'', wrote "''Dead Night'' ends up being muddled, never committing to either solemn supernatural horror or its elements of camp."<ref>{{cite web|last=Bender|first=Abbey|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2018/07/25/clever-structure-and-a-good-villain-cant-save-the-generic-horror-flick-dead-night/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725175716/https://www.villagevoice.com/2018/07/25/clever-structure-and-a-good-villain-cant-save-the-generic-horror-flick-dead-night/|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 25, 2018|title=Clever Structure and a Good Villain Can't Save the Generic Horror Flick ''Dead Night''|date=July 25, 2018|website=Village Voice|access-date=December 11, 2021}}</ref> ''RogerEbert.com'''s Peter Sobczynski said "It has a couple of interesting ideas, a certain degree of style and one impressive performance but never manages to pull them together into a cohesive or satisfying whole."<ref>{{cite web|last=Sobczynski|first=Peter|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dead-night-2018|title=''Dead Night'' - RogerEbert.com|date=July 27, 2018|website=RogerEbert.com|accessdate=December 11, 2021}}</ref>
== References ==
{{reflist}}
Category:2017 films Category:2017 horror films Category:American supernatural horror films Category:2017 English-language films Category:2017 American films Category:English-language horror films