COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - NIGHT FEEDER (SRS CINEMA BLU RAY)
When it comes to understanding a certain time and place in history, films do a great job of filling us in. Horror films specifically channel our collective societal fears, angst, and pain into macabre narratives intended to help us confront them safely by surfacing them through entertainment. While I don’t think films are a replacement for therapy, they can tell us a lot about what the hell was going on when they were made. It’s why both horror fans and non-horror fans tend to watch older movies over newer ones. It takes you back to either a time and place you experienced firsthand, or something foreign that you are experiencing in hindsight older movies trigger nostalgia because they provide us with something familiar and comforting. In the same way, they inform younger generations about the culture and societal values of the time. And if you think about how just wild the 1980s were, it isn’t surprising that people want to either recall it or get familiar with it. Lost films from this decade still appear to this day, and that includes today’s film from the crypt, NIGHT FEEDER. From 1988 and out on BLU RAY from SRS CINEMA, is NIGHT FEEDER a blast from the past worth taking or a nostalgia trip you should skip?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Fear chokes the free-wheeling underbelly of San Francisco's punk scene as a killer stalks the night to feed an unspeakable appetite. Community suspicion focuses on Disease, a band that is tainted by groupie deaths allegedly induced by the drug DZS, and on "The Creeper" a misshapen outcast from the bowels of the city. A writer probes the gruesome murders and the story hits close to home, as the web of death devours neighbors, friends, and lovers.
HOW IS IT?
My enjoyment of NIGHT FEEDER comes with a heavy heap of bias. I’m a sucker for SOV horror films and NIGHT FEEDER gives off heavy SOV vibes, but some of the classiest and best shot stuff I’ve ever seen in the genre. While it is far from a perfect movie, and may not win everyone over, those who admire lower-budget fare from the late-80s will likely get a kick out of just how well-made this is. Its biggest flaw is that it holds back for too long before doling out the goods, which makes it somewhat of a slog even if it is worthwhile.
Even though this looks like SOV, I’m not entirely sure if it actually is. If it is, I’m impressed and have a new bar of quality for the medium, and if it isn’t I won’t be all that surprised. Aesthetically, everything about this screams new wave / 80s punk horror. If you’re familiar with LIQUID SKY, this gives off similar vibes if you take out the absurd and experimental stuff. In fact, I’d go so far as to say this is like the LIFETIME horror movie version of LIQUID SKY for about 95% of the runtime. The performances are better than you’d imagine even if they aren’t going to blow your mind, especially considering just how many late 80s late-night tropes are thrown in here. While it’s all very predictable, it’s still made far more competently than it deserves, especially at the end. This is a real shame since such a strong ending is relegated to the final minutes when they could have benefited from appearing sooner.
NIGHT FEEDER’s biggest problem is that it just takes too damn long to get to its point. The superb ending I referred to in the previous paragraph is marred by heaps of melodrama and amateur detective work that really isn’t that interesting. While it’s likely due to having a low budget, the film doesn’t really ramp up the tension much until the end and the only thing keeping the whole thing together is the technical prowess and the music which is again, better than a film-like this usually gets. Boredom is the death of decent horror movies, and I wouldn’t throw NIGHT FEEDER out on the street because of these errors, but it does hurt the viewing experience when you’re kinda waiting for something interesting to happen after 70 minutes. However, if you’re an apologist for this decade of film, the low-budget aesthetic, or just really dig the new wave / 80s punk SF vibe, NIGHT FEEDER is well worth feasting on.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
SRS CINEMA brings NIGHT FEEDER to blu ray in 1080p maintaining the original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (4:3) which means you’re getting black bars on the sides of the picture. Not as much of a distraction as one might think, and better to keep it in its original form rather than to change it to accommodate windscreens. The picture looks good given the age and format of the film, and you can see images from the disc used throughout this review and seen below:
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
NIGHT FEEDER has a standard 2.0 Stereo track in English with no subtitle options. The sound is clear and the levels are good considering the production, just don’t go in expecting full surround sound.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
Not much to write about here aside from a Director’s commentary. I didn’t watch it with this during my viewing and couldn’t do so before writing this review. I may go back at some point to watch it since I’m quite curious about why this film never really got much attention. It also has three directors, and I’d be keen to hear more about their process. One thing to note is that SRS provides trailers on these discs and I implore you to either watch the SON OF DEVIL trailer on the disc or on YouTube. A full list of special features is listed below:
BONUS MATERIALS
Director's Commentary
Slide Show
SRS Trailers
Reversible Art
LAST RITES
NIGHT FEEDER is a lost gem from the late 80s that is drenched in new-wave 80s punk vibes and some really proficient technical work. Sadly, it’s not as interesting as it could be, but if you’re a fan of SOV and lost classics, NIGHT FEEDER should fill you up!
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy of NIGHT FEEDER for the crypt. NIGHT FEEDER is available NOW via MVD DIRECT!
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