The Movie:

Well, Halloween may have just come and passed, but that doesn't mean that distributor Lionsgate has emptied out their bag of direct-to-video horror film treats. Lionsgate, perhaps more than any other company, continues its voluminous output of low-budget fright flicks no matter the season. To prove the point, November 3rd saw the release of Night Watcher, yet another entry in the ultra-low-budget slasher film genre.

And, no, this isn't a particularly good movie - but then they usually aren't, are they? At least Night Watcher is watchable, with a few well-executed scare sequences and a killer whose motives actually make sense within the confines of the movie.

Night Watcher follows a young couple after they meet at a survivors of suicide support group. Angela (Allison Tyler) is mourning the loss of her mother, while Brian (Zack Stewart) is reeling from the loss of his father. Angela and Brian begin a relationship as they're stalked by a mysterious figure who leaves them voyeuristic videotapes (apparently no one in this movie has upgraded to DVD, let alone blu-ray, or widescreen TVs yet) of their deceased parents. In the meantime, the same mysterious figure is killing off secondary characters left and right, trying to stage their demises as suicides.

Now, in the real world, Angela and Brian would have contacted the authorities immediately. But Night Watcher exists in that horror film world where people don't do things that make sense. So, their response to being stalked and having everyone around them ending up dead is to brood about their lives, have sex, and play amateur detective. Yep, despite the bloodbath going on, there isn't a cop to be found. In the meantime, following traditional slasher film norms, all the characters are potential suspects: Angela's violent security guard neighbor, her too-empathic English teacher, her strange friends, Brian's even stranger roommate, and the weird guys he works with.

Keeping logic out of the equation, Night Watcher does a few things right. Director Will Gordh films the goings-on with some flare. Screenwriters David Murray and Daniel Vincent Gordh envision some frightening moments, with perhaps the best occurring in a scene where Angela and Brian break into the security guard's home sleuthing for evidence and then must individually avoid detection when the guard unexpectedly returns home.

Frustratingly, however, for everything that's done right, there's something else that's done wrong. Allison Tyler is very good at playing scared, for instance, but little else. She and Zack Stewart have zero on-screen chemistry. Their dialogue together is nothing short of awful - and their listless performances make their scenes together painful to watch.

Still, fans of slasher movies will find enough scares and red herrings in Night Watcher to warrant a look. Rent it, if you're curious.

The DVD

Video:

Lionsgate gives Night Watcher an anamorphic widescreen presentation with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Overall, the visual quality was fine for a film shot digitally, with solid colors and nice details.

Sound:

The film's sole audio track is an English language Dolby Digital 5.1 affair. To my surprise, dialogue was wildly inconsistent during the first half hour, alternating in volume and distortion. The final hour was much more consistent, however.

Optional subtitles are available in English and Spanish.

Extras:

Trailers precede the main menu for Reborn, Summer's Moon, and The Last Resort. They're available collectively through an Also From Lionsgate link in the menu system, as is a trailer for Night Watcher itself.

Also included are more substantial extras. Director Will Gordh provides a feature-length commentary track that a random sampling suggests is straightforward and informative. There are also eight extended scenes with optional commentary available.

Final Thoughts:

Night Watcher, a direct-to-video low-budget slasher movie released by Lionsgate, is a mixed bag at best. A nice sense of atmosphere and an effective whodunit plot are let down by awkward dialogue and uninspired performances. Ultimately, it's worth a rental, if you're curious about it.

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