"Night For Day" Review - Written by Anthony Thurber

Night For Day
Year: 2008
Director: Russ Camarda
Stars: Russ Camarda, Vicki Baum, Carolyn Morrison
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Acting Gym Productions
Running Time: 102 Mins
Official Website: http://www.nightfordaymovie.com/


Victor (Russ Camarda) is a musician, who has lived in the dark his whole life, while protecting a deadly secret about his past. He spends his night, playing the guitar at a nightclub realizing that he’s afraid of what could happen, if his past comes out. His life begins to change, when he meets a young beautiful woman (Carolyn Morrison), who’s different from all the other women that he met, in the past. She gives him the chance to live a normal life and feel happy, if he so chooses. But his dark past that consists of sex, murder, and addiction come back to haunt him, when a deadly and mysterious woman (Vicki Baum), who ‘s looking to avenge something that Victor did and a charismatic leader of a criminal circle come back into his life. Victor is now forced to revisit his past and pay for everything that he’s done, in order to get that moment of happiness with his girlfriend.

This is one of those horror films that surprised me, because going into this film; I thought I was going to see an action vampire film. Instead, I saw a well-crafted horror film that focuses more on drama than horror.

“Night for Day” is a very well crafted and well-acted gothic horror film. The film’s success has to go to actor/writer/director Russ Camarda, who does a great job making the flow of the film move at a reasonable pace, considering that this is more drama based horror. It makes you interested, in the story without being bored. What also contributed to the pace was the editing. The editing in this was very good, as it helped move the action along while going into flashback mode. It makes everything visual and it keeps your eyes glued to the screen. He also does a great job with the death scenes, as they were very bloody and well worth sitting through all the plot development that goes on. Camarda also does a great job with his actors. The lead performances help carry this film, as he does a great job getting the chemistry, between each of the actors down. This leads to some very entertaining performances from the film’s leads.

The screenplay written by Camarda and Linda Hanson does a very good job developing the story throughout the film. The dramatic action is handled very well. One of the reasons, they take their time developing each of the characters and back-stories. This may turn off the causal horror fan that’s looking for a lot of action, but they make the story and gothic tone, the central focus. This also allows, the writers to convey a message that doesn’t get loss in all the violence that takes place. It helps the story not become one of those senseless horror films with all blood and no story. Another thing that they did very well, the way handle the flashbacks and dreamlike sequences. That helps make the central relationship work, as it makes you invested with everything that goes on. Also, it makes the film very dark and visual. That what makes films like this, entertaining. There is also enough action to keep the horror fan interested, with the twists that the story has. It makes the film entertaining to those horror fans that are willing to sit through and give this film a chance.

“Night For Day” is very dark chamber drama that has enough action and entertaining performances that makes it well worth your time.

Review Rating Four Stars.