Nightfall (1988)

Nightfall (1988) – Once every thousand years, the multiple suns on a distant planet leave the sky at the same time.  On a planet of eternal light, nothing is more frightenting than the fall of night.

Directed by Paul Mayersberg                        Starring David Birney

Science fiction fans beware!  Movie fans beware!  This may be the worst science fiction movie of all time.  You have been warned.

What lures you in is that it is based on what is often called “the greatest science fiction short story of all time”, Isaac Asimov’s “Nightfall”.  They retain the title, the names and general description of the two primary characters and the concept of “nightfall”.  Everything else in that brilliant story goes right over the side.

This movie is dreadful.

I think it has three gratuitous sex scenes.  I say “I think” because there is one scene that I think is a sex scene, but it is so badly written and shot that I’m not sure what is going on.  It’s possible the characters just have gas.

No, seriously.  That kind of awful.

Produced by Roger Corman’s New Horizons studio, it lacks any of the genius of his classic low budget movies.  Made by people who neither understood nor loved science fiction, it is appalling.

Terrible script, terrible acting, terrible directing.  A defacing of a great piece of writing that stands unparalleled in my memory.  You will require eyebleach.  To cleanse your soul from this movie will require a long stay in a high secluded place.

If you like to torture yourself watching really bad movies, this one should be on your list.  If you prefer movies with some kind of redeeming value, cross it off your list.

Why You Will Like It: You won’t.  And if you do (other than for it’s deep awfulness), then you’re dead to me.

Rating – ZERO STARS  Just Don’t Do It