6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A simple love affair becomes a deadly game of cat-and-mouse... Katherine Atwell has come up with a foolproof plan: she will kill her rich husband, have her lover take his place, and no one will be any the wiser. Trouble is, she hasn't factored stetson-wearing investigator Donner into the equation, and when he gets wind that something is wrong, there's little that can put him off the trail.
Starring: Jaclyn Smith, Robert Mitchum, Mike Connors, James Franciscus, Fritz WeaverHorror | 100% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit)
BDInfo
None
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Here’s one problem with “Nightkill”: the first character to die in the film is murdered during the day. It’s a small detail, for sure, but an important one that identifies the general lethargy of the event, which isn’t even titled correctly. It’s meant to be a sinister thriller, a Hitchcockian endeavor with Euro chiller interests, also presenting Jaclyn Smith with a starring role that begins to inch the actress away from her “Charlie’s Angels” television success. And yet, while the story details murder, betrayal, and deception, large chunks of the movie are simply devoted to Smith acting agitated and teary, groaning as her character struggles to figure out an impossible situation of guilt and homicide. “Nightkill” is quite dull and somewhat unsatisfying, with director Ted Post fumbling a growing sense of suspense, content to portion out shocks in brief reveals, which does nothing to build the effort’s fright factor.
Though listed as "Newly mastered in HD," it's a bit of a struggle to get excited about the AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation. Age is apparent throughout, with natural, vibrant colors struggling to come through what occasionally looks like a slightly sepia palette, with powerful primaries lost. More potent hues arrive with period costuming and decoration inside the Atwell household, and skintones are largely drained of natural appeal. Detail isn't strong, searching for the nuances of skin textures and southwestern outfits. Softness remains and contrast issues arrive periodically. Delineation has issues, with solidification common, hurting frame information. Source isn't riddled with damage, but speckling and mild scratches remain.
As with the visual experience, the 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix has issues with age, with hiss common throughout the listening event, along with periodic stretches of pops. Sharpness isn't available to the track, which delivers a muddier sound that challenges dialogue exchanges. Scoring cues are understood, but never defined to satisfaction. Sound effects are on the harsh side.
There should be more to "Nightkill," which has the expanse of Phoenix in the late 1970s to work with and a game star in Smith, who truly invests in Katherine's unraveling. The supporting cast is lively as well, finding Connors interestingly appalling as Wendell, understanding the production's need for a spark of life in the midst of sluggishness. Mitchum is reliable, but he's clearly taking this one for the paycheck, offering basic meatiness and threat, which Post is happy to work with. Also interesting are giallo-esque curves to the production, which teases some fascinating offerings of black-gloved threat, only to abruptly return to Smith crying, as though Post is trying to fill some type of emotional breakdown quota. There's not enough strangeness to "Nightkill" to keep it afloat, thought the ending deserves credit for its interest in the celebration of evil, offering the only identifiable risk Post is comfortable including. Surely there's a better film to be made with these basic ingredients (even Sybil Danning, who's impossible to miss, has nothing to do here), but the production doesn't try hard enough to disturb expectations or deliver a tighter dramatic feel.
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