Night (2005)

These days, it's fairly simple- and cheap to make a movie.  All you really need is a camera, people to act in the movie, decent editing software for video and sound, and directing skill.  Often, it's acting or the directing skills that make the difference between a Good, Bad, or Ugly movie...

Detective Jimi Cannon's friend has stopped coming into work, and hanging out with him.  Jimi must find out why... and find a way to save his best friend from the seductive violence of the night...

I actually quite like the premise, since it provides a lot of potential for interesting character interaction, action, suspense, and gore.  The love triangle between Mike (Jimi's partner), Tonia, and Konatsu is an interesting subplot- and is fortunately, not done the same way as in the "Twilight" books.  This combined with the main plot of Jimi trying to save Mike from the vampires could've made for a really enjoyable and entertaining movie.

The characters are also a great basis for engaging dialogue and action.  All of the members of the vampire "family" were unique, but blended well into a neat family dynamic.  I was especially intrigued by Konatsu and Nathaniel, and would've loved to have learned more about them.  While I wasn't as interested in Mike, I did find Jimi to be a character that I could cheer for, and watch more movies about.  His name, Jimi Cannon, helped in my opinion.

The acting was a bit of a problem, sad to say.  Most of the actors were rather exaggerated and over the top, and it detracted a bit from the feel of the movie for me.  I will say though, that I did enjoy Shawn LeTang as Jimi and Kelly Weaver as Nathaniel.  Their acting was a bit more fluid and natural than the remaining cast, and made their characters more "real".

The main problem with "Night" is the camera work.  There are some decent shots that are used to set the scene, but for the rest of the film, the director relies too much on skewed angles and rapid, unnecessary cuts.  I was actually getting annoyed with the editing of this movie.  I was also quite disappointed by the warehouse set where a gang gets wiped out.  It consisted of ripped garbage bags hanging from the ceiling of a storage room, a couple of cardboard boxes, and green lighting.  There is also little in the way of blood until the final action sequence, where Jimi gets pretty much showered in vampire grue.

My final verdict hurts me, because I really DID like the premise and characters.  But due to overacting on the part of the cast, and the simply horrendous camera direction, I have to put a stake in this film's heart and bury it in The Ugly.

Special Shout Out:

I'd like to thank everyone that voted in the January 9th "What Movie Wednesday", and especially those that voted for "Night" (2005):

Leona Biron-Coulter
David Stewart
Jenny Deol
Ashley-Tony Burrows-Lawrence

The next "What Movie Wednesday" takes place 23 January, 2013!