Night of the Creeps - Underrated brilliance or just a well-executed B-movie?

Okay, so I finally got around to watching Night of the Creeps after years of hearing about it, and I'm... conflicted. On one hand, it's clearly a low-budget affair, the acting's a bit uneven, and the special effects, while charming in their own way, are pretty dated. But on the other hand, something about it REALLY works. The blend of sci-fi horror, zombie flick, and even a little teen comedy is surprisingly effective. What I'm really curious about is how intentional the whole thing is. Was the director (allegedly Fred Dekker, though the credits don't say) deliberately aiming for this kind of B-movie aesthetic, or did it just happen that way? I mean, the dialogue is often hilariously cheesy, but it also has moments of genuine wit. And the whole Chris Romero/John Carpenter naming thing – is that just a clever inside joke, or a meta-commentary on the genre itself? And can we talk about Detective Ray Cameron? Tom Atkins absolutely kills it. Like, he elevates the entire movie. That 'Thrill me' line? Iconic. But even beyond that, his character is surprisingly complex and sympathetic, given the absurd situation. It's a shame his performance is probably lost on a lot of casual viewers. I think my biggest issue is the ending; the film is building this crazy tension and then it just kind of... stops. It's very abrupt. That may have been to cut costs, and it's my understanding there's an alternate ending that wasn't used - what did people think of this? So, is Night of the Creeps a genuinely clever and subversive genre film, or just a fun and cheesy ride? I'm genuinely curious to hear what other more discerning viewers think, because I'm leaning towards the former, but I could easily be convinced otherwise. Anyone else feel like there's something surprisingly sophisticated bubbling under the surface of all the cheesy special effects and over-the-top acting?