THE NIGHT MAN > NOTES
The Night Man was born out of much frustration. Most of the previous year had been spent trying to get another film made that ultimately I opted to set aside. I also felt a lot of pressure to make a second feature, because one film can be a fluke while two allow you to call yourself a filmmaker. Like The Surfer before it, The Night Man is an extension of a short amateur film I’d made many years earlier. Once when I was toying with a camera, I decided to film myself sleeping. I couldn’t rest, though, as my mind reeled thinking about how exactly I’d react if I watched the tape the next morning and saw myself doing something odd, embarrassing or even disturbing. That basic notion was bolstered with many details and elements inspired by artists of anxiety like Rod Serling, Roman Polanski and David Lynch. A breakthrough for me was the decision to make the film a loose prequel to The Surfer. The characters played by Louisa Dienst, Kyle Roberts and Hayden Gold are the same in both films. I’m still amazed during the opening credits of the film at the caliber of acting talent that was somehow persuaded to appear in it. There isn’t one weak link on the screen. Special mention has to be made of star Michael Eisner, an accomplished actor who carries the film with his sensitive portrayal of an average guy falling victim to something he can’t understand. |