A terrifying tale about a young man named Billy (Derek Rydall, Phantom Of The Mall) who claims that a respected member of his community, his history teacher (Allen Garfield, Mother, Jugs And Speed, Skateboard, Busting) is behind a series of horrific occult murders. Elliott Gould (Who?, The Silent Partner, The Long Goodbye) and Richard Roundtree (Shaft, Opposing Force, Earthquake) help sleuth out the satanic killer in this fast-paced demonic thriller that will keep you in its spell until its spine-tingling end. Can Billy get the cops to believe him, or will he and his girlfriend be the next victims? Also starring Shannon Tweed (Night Eyes, Of Unknown Origin), Michael J. Pollard (nominated for an Academy Award® for Bonnie and Clyde*) and Henry Gibson (Nashville, The Incredible Shrinking Woman). Now see this chilling 1989 cult horror thriller from a brand new 2019 HD master.
For thoughts on Night Visitor, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Night Visitor debuts on Blu-Ray with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer derived from a new 2019 HD master. The presentation holds its own throughout with only the occasional mark against it. Colors are one of the most impressive aspects with some of the vivid hues in the clothing and environment beaming off the screen. Instances of print damage have been cleaned up quite with only the occasional unsightly marks or splotches visible. Clarity and detail is pretty solid with skin tones that look natural, if not slightly on the warm side.
Discrete facial features are easily noticeable in closeup such as stubble and perspiration. Black levels could be a bit stronger when it comes to their depth. Some of the nighttime scenes lack some precise detail and look a touch milky. This transfer mostly maintains the natural film grain of the presentation which brings about a stronger level of detail. This film does have a soft look at times which makes moments less crisp than you might want. This new presentation from Scorpion Releasing is a good effort for a film never given the marquee treatment.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that handles this material as well as the source well allow. While not a threadbear production, this independent feature showcases some minor deficits in how the audio was captured in the first place. Dialogue comes through clearly even when it is fighting for prominence among the din of the classrooms. Environmental sounds such as engine noises and the waves of the oceans are rendered well alongside everything else.
The score and music used in the film provides an unsettling atmosphere for this story that maintains a capable fidelity. You don’t get a sense that this one is suffering from wear and tear as you have no instances of distortion or drop-outs. There is never a moment where it threatens to overwhelm competing sounds, as elements work together in harmony. Scorpion Releasing has given this film a decent audio presentation. This release includes English SDH subtitles.
Special Features
- Interview with Director Rupert Hitzig: A recent 11-minute interview with Hitzig in which he discusses how he became involved with the project, the innovative aspects of the production, memories of the ensemble, the shooting locations, the tone they were striving for and more that makes for a decent listen.
- Interview with Editor Glenn Erickson: A recent 14-minute interview with Erickson in which he discusses his background, how he came to be involved with this project, his interactions with the performers, interesting moments with stunt doubles, the ways in which the violence had to be toned down, the film’s cult reputation and more.
- Interview with Writer/Associate Producer Randal Viscovich: A 17-minute interview with Viscovich in which he discusses his background in television writing, his intention for the screenplay, the casting of the feature, memories of the performers, how the theatrical version of the film differs from what he initially intended, his feelings about the direction, the footage that was shot that had no creative input from him and more.
- Trailers: The two-minute trailer for Night Visitor is provided here. There are also trailers provided for Torment, King Of The Mountain and more.
Final Thoughts
Night Visitor is a bit too inconsistent with the tone it is trying to strike, as you have some clever tongue-in-cheek moments setting right alongside some thrilling sequences. This is not an impossible task, as movies such as Fright Night made it work brilliantly, but the execution here is not where it needs to be with the lackluster and amateurish script. There is a lot here that you have seen showcased more convincingly in other movies. It does not help that the “powers that be” at the time forced this film to be sanitized from its original hard-R intent. The adult actors are the highlight of the film even if some of their scenes can feel a bit extraneous. Scorpion Releasing and Ronin Flix have released a new Blu-Ray with a strong A/V presentation and some fun special features. This movie has long been difficult to find, so fans who have been clamoring for this one should be satisfied.
Night Visitor is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Scorpion Releasing and Ronin Flix have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.