Night For Day (2008) - By Josh Samford

Film Reviews: Night For Day (2008) - By Josh Samford
Posted on Monday, February 02, 2009 @ 18:17:55 Mountain Standard Time by Duane

The 'vampire film' is a genre that has seen a lot of up and down movement throughout the years. There have been so many different takes on the genre and it has been romanticized in such a way that it's hard to do much in terms of originality. Literally, everything has been done. From day walking mixed breeds in Blade to the 'turning' of children in Interview With A Vampire. Hey, we've even had Eddie Murphy walking around Brooklyn and will soon be seeing the film Lesbian Vampire Killers, which god only knows will have in store for us. In steps The Acting Gym by way of director/actor Russ Camarda and they have taken a stab at creating something original within the confines of one of film's oldest horror subgenres. I guess you could say the first step at tackling this issue is the fact that the vampires are never actually referred to as "vampires", and by film's end - you'll be wondering just what exactly is real and what truly defines the term "vampire". As stated though, it's stilll almost impossible to come up with much in the way of complete originality - however, Camarda is able to give enough fresh twists to keep the film away from the simple and stale conventions the genre has been packaged and repackaged with. In the end, this is all I ask for in a filmmaker when attempting to work within genre staples. The zombie genre right now has all but became a stagnant cess pool of reinterpreted ideas that really weren't all that fresh even in their first conception. Night For Day proves that even as time has changed the landscape so much, there's still a lot that can be done within genre conventions - and with enough change you can even create something memorable.

Russ Camarda stars as Vincent, a vampire in hiding within our world. He fronts a band that plays locally and has a reputation for his guitar skills. He has also recently met a woman who has completely changed his life in every way. A beautiful and sweet woman who desperately wants to be with Vincent, but has no idea why he won't stay with her during the day time. She presses him on the issue, and gives him an ultimatum to meet her at a family home nearly across the state. She leaves him at the club he's playing at and tells him to just meet her there. Now Vincent has to figure a way to get to her before dawn, and things go even further south as Vincent's connection for fresh blood has been fired from the hospital. With no way to get plasma, Vincent is like an addict in desperate search for fluids - but will be break his own personal vow to not partake in human murder? You'll have to watch to figure it out!

When watching Night For Day, it was a bit shocking to see just how slick and well made the film is - in generally every way. As an author who has sat through many, many indie horror films - I am always prepared for the stilted acting, the plain-jane cinematography and the general disregard for all facets of stylistic filmmaking. However, if you judge these films on the same merits as you would something at your local cinemaplex, because it would simply be like shooting fish in a barrel. Night For Day however makes my job so much easier in the fact that it's such a competent and well made film that it doesn't share any of these previously mentioned distractions. The cinematography is very well done, with great use of lighting and color all throughout. The editing is sharp and on-point and gives the film a sharp pace at all times. The acting was a real surprise as not only are the actors competent - they're actually good! Mr. Camarda in the lead does a great job in crafting a character who is vulnerable and hides his own inner strength at all times and keeps this power dormant due to a promise he made to himself. Generall, the film just works. Featuring a plethora of good looking sets and a cast that brings a level of professionalism that gives the movie a touch of class and cinematic form. It doesn't hurt that the film also features a grand number of absolutely beautiful women (model territory here!) and even has some decent bloodletting! Genrefans will have their hopes fulfilled!

It's hard to determine just what will be the best audience for Night For Day, but generally I think older and more mature viewers will be attracted to this tale of love and the obstructions that might block it. There's definitely enough here to entice horror buffs such as myself, but overall this is a very mature and thoughtful work. At times it feels possibly larger than maybe necessary when dealing with a film that takes place over a short period of time - but by the end of the film's running time everything is tied together so well it's hard to complain. I definitely recommend the film and hope others will give it some time. You can read more about the film at its official site at NightForDayMovie.com.