**_Entertaining sci-fi/horror “lost gem” from the mid-80s_**

During a frat initiation, two buds at a SoCal university (Jason Lively and Steve Marshall) inadvertently unleash something creepy that results in the walking dead. Tom Atkins plays the detective on the case while Jill Whitlow draws the attention of one of the boys.

“Night of the Creeps” (1986) is sci-fi/horror with a wink of amusement that features bits from previous movies, like “The Blob” and zombie flicks, to forge its own unique concoction. The writing is creative, the characters are fleshed-out and the director has a good eye for women in a few quick spots (not talking ’bout nudity or sleaze). The detective especially is an interesting character while Whitlow’s voice is to die for.

This would obviously influence “Slither,” which came out two decades later, but “Creeps” is the superior film, by far (there’s something distasteful & ugly about “Slither,” but that’s just me).

The movie runs 1 hour, 28 minutes, and was shot entirely in Los Angeles.

GRADE: B+/A-