Nightwatch (1997)

Director:

Ole Bornedal

Writers (WGA):

Ole Bornedal (film Nattevagten)
Ole Bornedal (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

17 April 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

He's the prime suspect in a terrifying mystery. The police are after him and so is the murderer.

Plot:

Ewan McGregor plays a law student who takes a job as a night watchman at a morgue. He begins to discover...

Plot Keywords:

Morgue | Student | Murder | Night Watchman | Corpse

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Ewan McGregor	...	Martin Bells
Patricia Arquette	...	Katherine
Josh Brolin	...	James Gallman
Lauren Graham	...	Marie
Nick Nolte	...	Inspector Thomas Cray
Brad Dourif	...	Duty Doctor
Alix Koromzay	...	Joyce
Lonny Chapman	...	Johnson, Old Watchman
Erich Anderson	...	Newscaster
Scott Burkholder	...	College Professor
Michael Matthys	...	Guy in Pub
Alison Gale	...	Girlfriend of Guy in Pub
Robert LaSardo	...	Pub Thug
Mongo	...	Pub Thug
Candy Ann Brown	...	Female Paramedic
Michelle Csitos	...	Prostitute
Lennie Loftin	...	Man in Theater
Bradley Gregg	...	Theater Actor
Nicholas Sadler	...	Theater Director
Jeff Davis	...	Stagehand
Nicholas Cascone	...	Male Paramedic
Ben Skorstad	...	Helicopter Pilot
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anais Evans	...	Leanne
Larry Cedar	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Sandra Hess	...	Student (uncredited)
John C. Reilly	...	Deputy Inspector Bill Davis (uncredited)

Directed by
Ole Bornedal

Writing credits (WGA)
Ole Bornedal		(film Nattevagten)
Ole Bornedal		(screenplay) and
Steven Soderbergh		(screenplay)

Produced by
Cary Granat	....	executive producer
Daniel Lupi	....	line producer
Michael Obel	....	producer
Bob Weinstein	....	executive producer
Harvey Weinstein	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Joachim Holbek

Cinematography by
Dan Laustsen		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Sally Menke

Casting by
Richard Pagano		(as Rick Pagano)

Production Design by
Richard Hoover

Art Direction by
Kathleen M. McKernin
Adam Scher

Set Decoration by
Brian Kasch

Costume Design by
Louise Mingenbach

Makeup Department
Jackie Caydam	....	special effects administrator: Steve Johnson's XFX, Inc.
Debra Denson	....	makeup artist
Janet Evaschuck	....	special effects technician: Steve Johnson's XFX, Inc.
Steve Johnson	....	special makeup effects
Leon Laderach	....	special effects technician: Steve Johnson's XFX, Inc.
Leonard MacDonald	....	prosthetic makeup artist: Steve Johnson's XFX, Inc.
Kenny Myers	....	prosthetic makeup supervisor: Steve Johnson's XFX, Inc.
Kenny Myers	....	special makeup effects
Christopher Allen Nelson	....	prosthetic makeup department head: Steve Johnson's XFX, Inc.
Christopher Allen Nelson	....	special makeup effects artist
Linda Kay Rendina	....	assistant makeup artist
Richard Snell	....	prosthetic makeup artist: Steve Johnson's XFX, Inc.
Sean Taylor	....	special effects production coordinator: Steve Johnson's XFX, Inc.
Matt Ullman	....	special effects production assistant: Steve Johnson's XFX, Inc.
Brian Walsh	....	special effects production assistant: Steve Johnson's XFX, Inc.
Gigi Williams	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Craig Markey	....	production manager
Richard Potter	....	executive in charge of production
Andrew Rona	....	executive in charge of production
Pamela Winn-Barnett	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tia Ardran	....	second assistant director
Craig Borden	....	additional second assistant director
Lisa Campbell	....	first assistant director
Fred Mandel	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
George Atamian	....	set dresser
George Capetanos	....	on-set dresser: reshoots
Harry Conrad Chitwood	....	construction coordinator
Lisa De Alva	....	property mistress: second unit
Paul Dowler	....	lead man
Kristen Gassner	....	set decorating buyer
Steve Joyner	....	property master
Martin Milligan	....	props
Aaron Newton	....	general foreman
Portia Perry	....	paint foreman
Steve Roll	....	propmaker
Julie Smith	....	on-set dresser
Alan Feffer	....	propmaker (uncredited)
Timothy Main	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Richard McConnell	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Mark Allen	....	sound effects editor
Paul Berolzheimer	....	sound effects editor
Paul Berolzheimer	....	special sound effects design
Stephanie Flack	....	supervising dialogue editor
Stephen Hunter Flick	....	supervising sound editor
Linda Folk	....	adr editor
Patrick M. Griffith	....	supervising sound editor
Dana Gustafson	....	foley editor
David Halbert	....	boom operator
Stephen Halbert	....	sound
Bruce M. Honda	....	foley engineer
Nino Jacobsen	....	sound re-recording mixer
Nicholas James	....	sound effects editor
Steve Kohler	....	dubbing recordist
Charles Maynes	....	sound effects editor
Jon Michaels	....	assistant sound editor
D. Chris Smith	....	sound effects editor
Ben Wilkins	....	sound editor
Ben Wilkins	....	sound effects editor
Linda Yeaney	....	first assistant sound editor
William Jacobs	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Tim Rakoczy	....	sound intern (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Vincent Montefusco	....	special effects supervisor: 2nd unit-pyro/mech/PT
Dale Newkirk	....	special effects
Beecher Tomlinson	....	special effects foreman (uncredited)

Stunts
Marla Casey	....	stunt double
Cliff Cudney	....	stunt coordinator
Hugh Aodh O'Brien	....	stunts (as Hugh A. O'Brien)

Camera and Electrical Department
Steven A. Adelson	....	Steadicam operator
Steven A. Adelson	....	camera operator
Keith A. Hascher	....	lighting technician
Nathan Hathaway	....	best boy electric
Bob Ivanjack	....	key grip
David Lee	....	gaffer
George Maxwell	....	lighting technician
Darren Michaels	....	still photographer
Sean Hunter Moe	....	camera loader
Al Patt	....	dolly grip
William Robinson	....	assistant camera
Tim Soronen	....	best boy grip
Taylor Evan Sparks	....	electrician
John 'JW' Warner	....	grip
Robert Zuckerman	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting
Dixie Webster	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jenny Gering	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Joseph M. Caracciolo	....	assistant editor
Melissa Carter	....	assistant editor
Rod Dean	....	editorial consultant
Robert Lattanzio	....	second assistant editor
Katie Mack	....	assistant editor
Bob McMillian	....	color timer
Joel C. Peterson	....	post-production assistant
Tatiana S. Riegel	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Marco Beltrami	....	composer: additional music
John Houlihan	....	music supervisor
Tom Kramer	....	music editor
Marvin R. Morris	....	assistant music editor
John O'Brien	....	composer: additional music
David Sabee	....	orchestra contractor
Micki Stern	....	music coordinator

Transportation Department
Glenn Knowlton	....	driver
Elaine Patarini	....	transportation
Leo Stefanos	....	transportation dispatcher

Other crew
Kyle Cooper	....	title sequence: designer and second unit director
Tyrone D. Dixon	....	assistant accountant
Holly Dorff	....	adr voice
Jay Frasco	....	assistant to the director
Eileen Malyszko Lee	....	production coordinator
Michael Matus	....	set medic
Tracy Lee McGrath	....	production executive
Melanie Miller	....	assistant production coordinator: re-shoots
Cynthia Phillips	....	first assistant accountant
Kelly A. Snyder	....	production accountant (as Kelly Snyder)
Jayne-Ann Tenggren	....	script supervisor
Todd Williams	....	projectionist

Production Companies

• Dimension Films (presents)
• Michael Obel Productions
• Thura Film

Distributors

• Dimension Films (1998) (USA) (theatrical)
• Filmes Castello Lopes (1998) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Filmverleih (1998) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Laurenfilm (1998) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Líder Films (1999) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (199?) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (199?) (Luxembourg) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (1998) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• All Right Film (1997) (Denmark) (all media)
• Alliance Atlantis Video (2000) (Canada) (DVD)
• Alliance Home Video (1998) (Canada) (VHS)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2002) (UK) (TV) (BBC2)
• Dimension Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• MCP Video (199?) (Germany) (VHS)
• Prem'er Video Fil'm (Russia) (VHS)
• Premiere Digital (Russia) (DVD)
• RCV Home Entertainment (1999) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (1999) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Walt Disney Home Video (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Yorin (2003) (Netherlands) (TV)

Special Effects

• Steve Johnson's XFX (prosthetic effects)
• Wildgrass Productions (mechanical special effects)
• XIX (special effects make-up)

Other Companies

• Buena Vista Sound  re-recording facilities
• Cinelease  lighting
• Creative Cafe  sound services
• Direct Tools & Fasteners  expendables
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Filmové Studio Barrandov  music recording studio
• Imaginary Forces  title sequence
• Pacific Title  opticals

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for strong, morbid violence, language, sexuality, and some drug content

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Chile:18 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Japan:R | Netherlands:16 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/18 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R | New Zealand:R18 | Singapore:M18 | Iceland:16 | Philippines:R-18

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Dimension Films

Trivia:

The photograph on the bulletin board at the guard desk that Martin notices when he shows up for his first shift and asks the old watchman about, is a famous photo of Lewis Thornton Powell (also known as Lewis Paine or Lewis Payne), a conspirator with John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Abraham Lincoln.

Quotes:

Inspector Thomas Cray:Martin, if all this is what I think it is, there is someone very dangerous standing right behind you in the dark, breathing down your neck.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film (2009)

Soundtrack:

Happy Birthday to You

Creepiest Movie That You Never Even Heard Of

This one of those little movies that never got much in the line of studio promotion or advertising budget. You might have seen it, single copy on the bottom of the Video Rental Shelf. You probably passed it by, assuming it was some 'straight to video' D-Grade Horror, or maybe some embarrassing first film of Ewan McGregors being resurrected to cash in on his new fame?

If you love creepy suspense thrillers than I bet you will be as surprised as i was. ITS GOOD!

I might have a psychological bias since I have worked in a morgue, but the cold wet atmosphere, chilling lighting and downright suspense had me creeped out and twitching all the way through.

Ewan McGregor is solid as always and a fantastic sympathetic character if there ever was one. I really have to say something about Josh Brolin here - what a great performance. A scene between him and Alix Koromzay (Joyce) was one of those amazing little scenes you cant forget! Let me also say something about Nick Nolte in this - FREAKY. Some might find his character 'too predictable' but I don't think you need to worry about finding out 'who done it' either, you just cringe and chill at how bloody creepy Nolte is!

Yes, this is somewhat campy and occasionally wry and I loved it - Brad Dourif makes something of a 'Cameo' (not really but with him it feels like it heh) and you gotta smile at that. It doesn't abuse the tongue in cheekiness though.. It really does take itself just seriously enough to win.

European to American Remakes often fall short but this time the same Director made both and well done! Direction was absolutely perfect for me and I found it clever enough and creepy enough to give it a very solid Seven out of Ten.

Definitely one of those 'Under-rated but surprisingly good!' movies and its a shame most people never saw it come and go!