Night Shadow (1989)

Big shot TV newswoman returns home for a vacation, as several of the town's residents start dying under mysterious circumstances.

Director:

Randolph Cohlan

Writer:

Randolph Cohlan

Stars:

Brenda Vance, Rick Scott, Stuart Quan

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brenda Vance	...	Alex Jung
Rick Scott	...	Hitcher
Stuart Quan	...	Tai Jung (as Dane Chan)
Alta LaFlame	...	Alta
Tom Boylan	...	Adam Newquest
Mike Hamilton	...	Earl
Kato Kaelin	...	Dean Lesher
Orien Richman	...	Bruce Anderson
Jeannette Lewis	...	Francis Stern
Sally Robinson	...	Julie
Laura Graham	...	Beth
Mike Dyer	...	Mayor
Aldo Ray	...	Gene Krebelski
Fred Gott	...	Jim Riley
Darryl Michaelson	...	Wally

Storyline

Alex is an up and coming TV journalist, but travels to her home town for a vacation because she has insecurities about her chosen career. A mass murdering werewolf follows her from L.A to Danford. We see her kick boxer brother and her semi-boyfriend, the Sheriff, puzzle over the recent splurge of murders, fight and then kill the man-wolf.

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Plot Keywords:

slasher | slasher horror | murder | werewolf | police | 

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Green Communications [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Also Known As:

Ombre nella notte

Filming Locations:

Fresno, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cohlan / Temple Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References The Twilight Zone (1959)

User Reviews

Pedestrian, TV-budget werewolf flick with a wannabe Bruce Lee

RELEASED IN 1989 and written/directed by Randolph Cohlan, "Night Shadow" (originally titled "Lycanthrope") concerns a humble Los Angeles newscaster (Brenda Vance) who returns to her home town on vacation as several people crop up dead, as if by a vicious animal. Alta LaFlame plays the sheriff, Rick Scott a mysterious hitchhiker, Stuart Quan the protagonist's kung fuey brother and Kato Kaelin his friend.

This is akin to a modern Syfy creature feature, but with a production quality a notch below that prosaic level. The serviceable score, for instance, sounds like it was performed entirely on a Casio keyboard (and no doubt it was). There's also too much marking time. Still, the cast is likable, the small town setting is quaint and the monster is pretty effective for a man in a suit, but you have to wait till the final act to see him.

Vance is a more-than-agreeable protagonist, but the film drops the ball in the female department, as far as taking advantage of the resources (and I'm not tawkin' 'bout nudity or sleaze). But there's a lot of martial arts action due to the presence of Quan; and the late 80's ambiance is to die for (take, for instance, Quan's absurd bra-like billie shirt and Kato's hideous mullet).

THE FILM RUNS 91 minutes and was shot in Hanford & Fresno in the heart of California.

GRADE: C