Mala Noche (1986)

A story of amour fou. Walt is madly in love/lust with a young illegal Mexican immigrant. However, the object of his unrequited affection doesn't even speak any English and finds Walt really... See full summary »

Director:

Gus Van Sant

Writers:

Walt Curtis (story), Gus Van Sant (screenplay)

Stars:

Tim Streeter, Doug Cooeyate, Ray Monge

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tim Streeter	...	Walt
Doug Cooeyate	...	Johnny
Ray Monge	...	Roberto Pepper
Nyla McCarthy	...	Betty
Sam Downey	...	Hotel Clerk
Robert Lee Pitchlynn	...	Drunk Man (as Bob Pitchlynn)
Eric Pedersen	...	Policeman
Marty Christiansen	...	Bar Friend
George Conner	...	Wino (as Bad George Connor)
Don Chambers	...	Himself
Walt Curtis	...	George
Kenny Presler	...	Street Hustler
Conde Benavides	...	Arcade Amigo
Cristo Stoyos	...	Greek Singer
Matt Cooeyate	...	Boxcar Amigo

Storyline

A story of amour fou. Walt is madly in love/lust with a young illegal Mexican immigrant. However, the object of his unrequited affection doesn't even speak any English and finds Walt really strange and undesirable.

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Plot Keywords:

mexican | immigrant | feature film directorial debut | fantasy sequence | montage | 

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Taglines:

If you fuck with the bull, you get the horn

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

MK2 [France]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

19 June 1987 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Bad Night

Filming Locations:

Portland, Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First film directed by Gus Van Sant.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Walt Curtis: [voice-over narration] Working in the store Sunday all day, I want to drink this Mexican boy Johnny Alonzo from L.A. near Riverside. He makes my heart throb - thumpety, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum - when I see him.

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Connections

Referenced in Brows Held High: Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (2012)

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Soundtracks

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
By John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Performed by The Beatles

User Reviews

American guy fawns over Mexican guy

Mala Noche is kind of "a month in the life of" Walt, played by Tim Streeter, who is fawning over Johnny, (Doug Cooeyate) a Mexican who hangs around Walt's store. It's touching, sad, and frustrating to watch as Walt keeps throwing himself at Johnny, and is constantly rebuffed. Walt, who is the caregiver to just about everyone he meets, spouts life philosophy and seems to enjoy the thrill of the chase in the gritty side of town. At the same time, it's refreshing to see a film from 20 years ago treat gay characters and relationships with respect, and to give them "normal" lines without resorting to stereotypes. Oddly, Ray Monge, who plays Roberto, a friend of Johnny, is the only one has has had more than one or two roles listed in their career, and he has just four roles listed. Some neat little touches, like the bottle on a string that pulls the door closed like a spring, Walt greeting everyone on the street, and the driving lesson gone wrong. Interesting interview with van Sant on the DVD from janus/Criterion, where he explains how it was made from Curtis' story. A little offbeat and rough, but fun to watch.