The Night Flier (1997)

A reporter is on the trail of a vampiric murderer who travels by plane.

Director:

Mark Pavia

Writers:

Stephen King (story), Mark Pavia (screenplay),

Stars:

Miguel Ferrer, Julie Entwisle, Dan Monahan

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Miguel Ferrer	...	Richard Dees
Julie Entwisle	...	Katherine Blair
Dan Monahan	...	Merton Morrison
Michael H. Moss	...	Dwight Renfield
John Bennes	...	Ezra Hannon
Beverly Skinner	...	Selida McCamon
Rob Wilds	...	Buck Kendall
Richard K. Olsen	...	Claire Bowie (as Richard Olsen)
Elizabeth McCormick	...	Ellen Sarch
J.R. Rodriguez	...	Terminal Cop #1
Robert Leon Casey	...	Terminal Cop #2 (as Bob Casey)
Ashton Stewart	...	Nate Wilson
William Neely	...	Ray Sarch
Windy Wenderlich	...	Henry Gates
General Fermon Judd Jr.	...	Policeman

Storyline

Two investigative reporters for a tabloid magazine track down across country "The Night Flier", a serial killer who travels by private plane stalking victims in rural airports. One of the reporters, Richard Dees, begins to suspect that "the Night Flier could perhaps be a vampire".

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Plot Keywords:

reporter | tabloid | vampire | serial killer | airport | 

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Taglines:

Never believe what you publish...Never publish what you believe.

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for horror violence, gore and strong language

Details

Country:

USA Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 February 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Stephen King's The Night Flier

Filming Locations:

Wilmington, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$91,549 (USA) (6 February 1998)

Gross:

$91,549 (USA) (6 February 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Amsterdam Entertainment, Stardust International, Medusa Produzione

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Mark Pavia wanted Stephen King to make a cameo appearance as a morgue director, but King was busy on a book tour and hence couldn't work it into his schedule.

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Goofs

Richard is leaving a small rural airport when he swerves to avoid hitting an oncoming car. As he does this you hear the squealing tires but he is driving on a dirt road.

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Quotes

Ezra Hannon: What paper you say you're from?
Richard Dees: Inside View, you know it?
Ezra Hannon: Oh yeah. My wife Martha reads your paper. After she's done with it, I use it to line our kitty's toilet box. Soaks that cat piss real good.

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Connections

References Superman (1978)

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Soundtracks

"Disease"
Performed by Sister Machine Gun
Written by Chris Randall
Published by KMFDM Ent. (BMI)
Courtesy of Wax Trax! Records / TVT Records

User Reviews

An interesting, though slightly flawed take on King

I'm not going to say that this is a great movie, or even a great horror movie. A more appropriate way of saying it might be that it's an interesting movie. Those poor filmmakers, they're starting to run out of Stephen King novels to make into movies, so they have to turn to his short stories. Usually this means what should have been a 30 minute movie is drawn out into an hour and a half or longer. But in the case of Mark Pavia's "The Night Flier", story works because Pavia is able to expand on King's original story, and he also seems to have a bit of talent as a director.

Most people complain that Miguel Ferrer's character, Richard Dees, is too mean, or something like that. QUIT COMPLAINING PEOPLE! He's suppose to be an utterly heartless, sleazy, sorry excuse of a person. You're not suppose to feel sorry for him at all as he descends to insanity. Instead having such a terrible lead character is suppose to pose the question whose the real monster? Or, actually I think it'd be more accurate to say, whose the real hero? Is there a hero? Ferrer pulls off the performance perfectly, making a character that could make James Woods or Clint Eastwood whimper in fear. Unfortunately the rest of the cast doesn't do so well, and this pulls in the movie down a little way.

Anyway, Pavia himself has a talent for gloomy atmosphere, with his overcast, gray skies and quiet music and always just slightly-off-angle photography. He expertly subdues the beginning 2/3s of the movie and then throws a bloodbath at us. It's a very well planned and a shocking move on his part.

"The Night Flier" kicks into major gear towards the end. The final, final conclusion is a little weak, but it really couldn't have ended any other way.

Overall, the couple flaws drag "The Night Flier" down to a good but not great movie, but the really cool climax and other elements make up for it, and make it a good time. Be warned, it won't leave you feeling happy or good.