King Adaptation is Better Than Expected

I'm as disgusted with the whole "Stephen King film adaptation" thing as anybody. Since most of King's major novels have already been made into films, filmmakers have been left with the little un-optioned property that's left - The Lawnmower Man had abolutely nothing to do with the King short story of the same name, but that didn't stop a sequel from being made. And who could forget The Boogeyman, Sometimes They Come Back, or The Mangler? Most of the planet, I think. These days if I see Stephen King's name above a film's title, it's a sure sign for me to stay the hell away. The public has been burned one too many times by shyster producers who think that once you get the King name on your project, all of the work is done.

. . . So it was with much trepidation that I slapped down four hard-earned dollars to rent "Stephen King's The Night Flier." A feature film based on a Stephen King short story that isn't even included in one of his three published collections? Warning bells rang in my head as I brought the box to the counter. BUT the film was directed by a Chicago homeboy, Mark Pavia, and it is an independent film (or what qualifies as one these days, anyway), so I bit the bullet.

Miguel "Deep Star Six, Robocop" Ferrer is Richard Dees, a callous, hard-nosed reporter for Inside View, a tabloid journal of the worst kind. He is assigned to cover the story of "The Night Flier," a mysterious serial killer with vampiric tendencies who flies a Cessna into rural airports and murders all of the folks that happen to be nearby. As Dees closes in on the Night Flier, he begins to break his own rule of journalisn: "Never believe what you publish, never publish what you believe." Other sub-plots concern the cutthroat world of shady journalism, a cub reporter, and the titular vampire. But the real star here is Ferrer, who puts sharp Ks into every "fuck" (and there are lots) his character speaks. How many flicks in recent years have had unapologetic pricks as their main characters? Not many. It's too hard to pull off. But Ferrer and Pavia have done so with skill and finesse.

You're probably thinking the same thing I thought as I perused the box: A cheap Stephen King movie about a VAMPIRE? Talk about a deadly combination of worn themes! But it's to the credit of everybody involved that The Night Flier rises above most entries in either category. While the vampire is by all means one of the most traditional (save for the whole plane thing) in recent years, he is secondary to the tabloid vampirism of the engaging-yet-repellent main character. The performances, direction, and script are all much better than I expected. Stir in a bleak ending and a moderately healthy dose of the scary red stuff and you've got a pretty tight little flick.

Surprisingly recommendable.