Children of the Night (1991) Review: A Bloody, Campy Blast from the VHS Era

Children of the Night (1991) Review: A Bloody, Campy Blast from the VHS Era

Rating: 🍕🍕🍕  (3/5 Slices of Leftover Pizza)

Welcome to the retro-fueled musings of Cap’n Retrovania, where we dig into the VHS vaults for some gloriously nostalgic horror gems. Today, we’re sinking our fangs into Tony Randel’s 1991 vampire flick, Children of the Night—a B-movie that’s equal parts cheesy, gory, and unapologetically '90s. Grab a slice of cold pizza, dim the lights, and let’s rewind to a time when practical effects ruled and vampire movies didn’t take themselves too seriously.

The Setup: A Small-Town Vampire Bloodbath

Children of the Night drops us into the sleepy, all-American town of Allburg, where things are about to get a lot less wholesome. Directed by Tony Randel (fresh off Hellbound: Hellraiser II), the film follows a pair of young friends, Cindy (Ami Dolenz) and Lucy (Maya McLaughlin), who unwittingly unleash an ancient vampire, Mark (Garrett Morris), from his underwater prison in a flooded church crypt. What follows is a blood-soaked romp as Mark and his growing vampire brood wreak havoc, forcing a ragtag group of locals—including a drifter named Matty (Peter DeLuise) and a booze-soaked teacher, Karen Black—to fight for survival.

The plot is as straightforward as a stake through the heart: small town, big evil, predictable beats. It’s not here to reinvent the vampire genre, but it doesn’t need to. This is B-movie horror at its finest—low budget, high energy, and dripping with early '90s charm.

The Good: Camp, Gore, and Practical Effects Glory

Let’s start with the standout: the practical effects. If you were flipping through Fangoria #103 back in the day, you’d have seen Children of the Night hyped for its grotesque vampire makeup, and it delivers. The vamps, with their gnarly, bat-like faces and oozing sores, are a love letter to the pre-CGI era. These aren’t your sparkly Twilight bloodsuckers; they’re nasty, toothy creatures that look like they crawled out of a nightmare. The gore is plentiful—think arterial sprays, decapitations, and some gloriously squishy kills that scream “we had a blast making this.”

The cast is where the campy magic happens. Karen Black (House of 1000 Corpses) chews the scenery as the town’s alcoholic schoolteacher, delivering lines with a wild-eyed intensity that’s both hilarious and unsettling. Peter DeLuise (21 Jump Street) brings a scruffy, everyman charm as Matty, the drifter with a heart of gold, while Ami Dolenz (Pumpkinhead II) serves up perfect scream-queen energy as Cindy. Their chemistry keeps the film grounded, even when the script veers into absurdity. Garrett Morris (Saturday Night Live) as the head vampire Mark is a surprising treat, playing the role with a mix of menace and weird charisma.

The vibe is pure '90s horror, complete with grainy visuals, synth-heavy music, and that unmistakable direct-to-video aesthetic. It’s the kind of movie you’d rent on a Friday night, pop into the VCR, and watch with a pile of pizza boxes on the coffee table. For fans of retro horror, it’s a nostalgic time capsule that captures the era’s unpolished, anything-goes spirit.

The Not-So-Good: Predictable and Thin

As much as I love this movie’s heart, it’s not without its flaws. The plot is paint-by-numbers vampire fare: ancient evil awakens, infects the town, heroes band together, yadda yadda. There’s little depth to the characters or their motivations, and the script leans heavily on clichés. The pacing drags in the middle, with some scenes feeling like filler to pad the runtime to a lean 87 minutes.

The dialogue can be clunky, even for a B-movie, and some of the supporting performances are forgettable. While the practical effects are a highlight, the low budget shows in the lighting and set design—Allburg feels more like a soundstage than a real town. If you’re looking for nuanced storytelling or complex themes, you won’t find them here. This is a movie that knows exactly what it is: a fun, bloody romp, not a profound meditation on vampirism.

Why It’s Worth a Watch

Children of the Night isn’t trying to be Dracula or Near Dark. It’s a love letter to the B-movie horror flicks that lined the shelves of Blockbuster’s horror section, sitting proudly next to Waxwork or Vampire’s Kiss. Its charm lies in its simplicity and enthusiasm—every over-the-top death, every hammy line, every grotesque vampire face feels like the filmmakers were having the time of their lives.

For fans of practical effects, this is a must-see. The makeup work by KNB EFX Group (who’d later dominate with From Dusk Till Dawn) is a masterclass in low-budget ingenuity. The vampire designs, especially in the climactic showdown, are gnarly enough to make you wince and grin at the same time. Pair that with Karen Black’s unhinged performance and a killer '90s vibe, and you’ve got a movie that’s perfect for a late-night horror marathon.

Final Verdict: A Cheesy, Gory Treat

Children of the Night earns a solid 3 out of 5 slices of Leftover Pizza. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a damn good time if you love retro horror, practical effects, and campy performances. It’s the cinematic equivalent of a greasy, delicious slice of pizza—maybe not gourmet, but oh-so-satisfying when the mood strikes. Fire up the VCR (or your streaming app of choice), invite some friends, and let this bloody little gem take you back to the glory days of VHS horror.

What’s your favorite '90s vampire flick? Got a soft spot for practical effects or B-movie cheese? Drop a comment below or hit me up @RetrovaniaLand on X, and let’s talk all things retro horror!

Until next time, keep the pizza warm and the stakes sharp.
—Cap’n Retrovania






Comments

  1. Never hear of this movie before but i want to watch it, its looks remidns me a lot Tales from the Crypt

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