Nightwing (1979)

[claws]

Nightwing (1979)

A Indian reservation is plagued by blood thirsty bats. The local Sheriff, his girlfriend and a bat hunter must exterminate flapping terror before nightfall.

A long missed but never forgotten animal attack flick mixing native American mythologies, the fear of the white man's intrusion and deadly bats straight from hell. A rather uneven event focusing too much on regional politics and not so exciting spiritual mumbo jumbo. The bat scenes are too little and too less but when they happen its cheesy carnage galore with badly drawn swarms and corny animatronics. The slow pacing is the real killer here, and only David Warner as the fearless Van Helsing provides enough fun camp to make the dull less painful. Rating: thumb sideways.

[Dennis]

This film is based on a 1977 novel of the same name by Martin Cruz Smith and as usual the novel is much better than the movie. Anyone who has read the novel will find the film somewhat less than thrilling, so while I recommend the novel, the movie is for a time when you have nothing better to do.

[The Burgomaster]

This film is based on a 1977 novel of the same name by Martin Cruz Smith and as usual the novel is much better than the movie. Anyone who has read the novel will find the film somewhat less than thrilling, so while I recommend the novel, the movie is for a time when you have nothing better to do.

I read the book when I was on vacation in Rio de Janeiro about 14 years ago.  I remember it well, sitting by the pool with a cold drink . . .

Anyway, the book is chilling and suspenseful and the movie surprisingly leaves out some parts that would have been visually exciting, including one part (if I remember correctly) with a guy on a telephone pole with the bats advancing toward him.  Also, the movie ignores the entire bubonic plague aspect of the book and just focuses on bat attacks.  I had a VHS copy of the movie and, as bad as it was, I'll probably end up with the DVD some day.

[claws]

I had a VHS copy of the movie and, as bad as it was, I'll probably end up with the DVD some day.

Sony are releasing Nightwing on DVD-Rom (like those Warner archive titles) as an exclusive deal with deepdiscount.com next year.

[The Burgomaster]

I had a VHS copy of the movie and, as bad as it was, I'll probably end up with the DVD some day.

Sony are releasing Nightwing on DVD-Rom (like those Warner archive titles) as an exclusive deal with deepdiscount.com next year.

Since I buy a huge percentage of my DVDs from Deep Discount, this is great news!

[Umaril The Unfeathered]

This film is based on a 1977 novel of the same name by Martin Cruz Smith and as usual the novel is much better than the movie. Anyone who has read the novel will find the film somewhat less than thrilling, so while I recommend the novel, the movie is for a time when you have nothing better to do.

I read the book when I was on vacation in Rio de Janeiro about 14 years ago.  I remember it well, sitting by the pool with a cold drink . . .

Anyway, the book is chilling and suspenseful and the movie surprisingly leaves out some parts that would have been visually exciting, including one part (if I remember correctly) with a guy on a telephone pole with the bats advancing toward him.  Also, the movie ignores the entire bubonic plague aspect of the book and just focuses on bat attacks.  I had a VHS copy of the movie and, as bad as it was, I'll probably end up with the DVD some day.

I went to the theatre to see it with my parents and a school friend of mine back in 1977, and I remember David Warner's character mentioning the Bubonic Plague once in the movie, and also about how vampire bats "p**s out" all the time to make way for the blood they drink.

I never read the book, but as far as books go, there was also a Gothic romance\horror novel called Welcome, My Dear, To Belfry House that had bats interwoven in it's storylines. I never read the book, but I remember my mom and dad must have read it a million times.

[The Burgomaster]

I went to the theatre to see it with my parents and a school friend of mine back in 1977, and I remember David Warner's character mentioning the Bubonic Plague once in the movie.

In the book, some of the characters actually GOT the bubonic plague.  It was a major part of the story.

[Jack]

I remember seeing the commercials for that movie, back when I was about 13 I guess.  Then I saw it on TV eventually and thought it was pretty good.  I though just about everything was pretty good at that age lol.

[Umaril The Unfeathered]

I went to the theatre to see it with my parents and a school friend of mine back in 1977, and I remember David Warner's character mentioning the Bubonic Plague once in the movie.

In the book, some of the characters actually GOT the bubonic plague.  It was a major part of the story.

That's crazy...how such a small animal can get anything from rabies to bubonic plague.  I think the only rabies-free species of bat is the Fruit Bat (aka Flying Fox.)  Not sure, but I believe hearing that once on a TV show.

[claws]

Just a quick heads up, Nightwing is now available from Sony/Columbia on DVD-R only at deepdiscount:

http://www.deepdiscount.com/dvd/nightwing-043396354883/

[The Burgomaster]

I went to the theatre to see it with my parents and a school friend of mine back in 1977, and I remember David Warner's character mentioning the Bubonic Plague once in the movie.

In the book, some of the characters actually GOT the bubonic plague.  It was a major part of the story.

That's crazy...how such a small animal can get anything from rabies to bubonic plague.  I think the only rabies-free species of bat is the Fruit Bat (aka Flying Fox.)  Not sure, but I believe hearing that once on a TV show.

If I remember the book correctly, it was actually fleas on the bats that carried the plague!