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In the 1989 TV flick NICK KNIGHT, rocker (1981’s Grammy-winning “Jessie’s Girl”) and soap-opera star (GENERAL HOSPITAL, 1981-1983) Rick Springfield portrays Nick Knight, a homicide detective on the night shift who has a reputation for being a loner and a maverick. But he’s a good cop, and he’s hip. He drives a cool vintage Caddy, looks good in black leather, and has a soft spot in his heart for the homeless (he often checks up on them when he’s out on his “beat”). Oh, yeah–and he’s also a guilt-ridden vampire in quest of a cure for his supernatural malady. Solving crimes, specifically homicides, is sort of his way of paying penance for the murderous, blood-sucking sins of his past.
Though often neglected or overlooked, NICK KNIGHT is an intelligent, skillfully written, and well-acted TV film that was actually the original pilot for the popular cult TV series FOREVER KNIGHT (1992-1996). One reason that this film is nearly forgotten might be the fact that the same story was re-shot with the TV cast and subsequently aired as the series’ two-part opener. While the cast of the series does a fine job-the excellent cast is, of course, one of many reasons that the show quickly became a cult favorite–NICK KNIGHT is in many ways superior to the two-part remake, and it is therefore unfortunate that the series has eclipsed the original film and pushed it into near obscurity.
The acting in NICK KNIGHT is superb, especially considering that it is a made-for-TV flick. In the titular role, Springfield delivers a strong, convincing performance and has great chemistry with the rest of the cast. Also intriguing is Laura Johnson, who plays museum curator Alyce Hunter and Knight’s love interest. Not only is she a good actress and quite attractive, but Ms. Johnson and Springfield really sizzle together when they share screen time. Genre fans might recognize Michael Nader from his role as Nicolas Pike in TV’s short-lived 1990 series THE FLASH, but couch potatoes are more likely to recognize him from his long-standing role as Farnsworth Dexter on TV’s nighttime soap DYNASTY. Here he plays Nick’s longtime nemesis, Lacroix. (Nader does a good job in the role, though he is admittedly not as compelling–nor as accomplished an actor–as Nigel Bennett, who assumes the role in the series.) As the film’s comic relief, John Kapelos is hilariously entertaining in the role of Nick’s annoyingly self-absorbed partner Don Schanke, and he often steals the scenes he is in. Interestingly, Kapelos is the only actor in the film who returns to reprise his role for the TV series.
The film itself has really stood up well over time. Aside from the 1980’s pop tunes in the soundtrack and a few cheesy special FX, there isn’t much that reveals NICK KNIGHT to be a product of late-1980s TV. The script is tight and interesting, the characters are likable and realistic, the directing is top-notch, and, as mentioned before, the acting is excellent. All in all, the film is a forgotten gem that, like its vampire characters, deserves to rise from the dead and live forever.
And thanks to the folks at Anchor Bay, NICK KNIGHT has been resurrected on DVD. True, he offering is a bare-bones disc–i.e., there are no extras or bonus features–but the digital transfer is drastically better than the previous VHS releases of the film, and the sound quality is pretty good. And being a telefilm, it is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1.
For fans of the TV show FOREVER KNIGHT who did not see this pilot film prior to the creation of the series, it might take a little time to warm up to the alternate actors and the character variations. But if viewed an open mind, any fan of the TV series should enjoy NICK KNIGHT, and any fan of the vampire genre will want to add the DVD of this excellent film to their collections.
Definitely worth amazon.com’s reasonable price of admission.
I remember watching this when it premiered on television. Network television was going through one of its periodic obsessions with police procedural shows and the introduction of a vampire to the night shift of a metropolitan police force had a certain amount of appeal.
The show that finally ran (Forever Knight) was quite a bit different and therein lies some of the appeal of watching this movie– the chance to compare and contrast. I had just recently bought the first season of Forever Knight so I had a prime opportunity here.
This version is slicker, with an 80’s rock background that has a certain retro appeal. It was obviously shot in a warmer climate. Rick Springfield has a lean and hungry look that contibutes to his tortured vampire character as he runs the gamut of emotion from tormented to tormented. While probably a better actor, Geraint Wynn Davies who played the character in the series, has to fight against his sleek, blond appearance. Somehow it is easier to look as if you have a brooding, soul-destroying secret if you are a brunette.
I also really enjoyed the contrast between Nick’s starvling, blood junkie pose and Alyce Hunter, the Mayan scholar, constantly stuffing herself with junk food. I also enjoyed her look since Wardrobe apparently dressed her from Banana Republic back in the good old days before BR became a mall shop.
Anyway, the movie is not bad at all if you are in the mood for some vampire mind candy with a bit of retro.
