SHE LIVES BY NIGHT

SHE LIVES BY NIGHT
Produced by Brett Hull, James Stewart, and Joshua Stewart
Directed by Brett Hull
Written by James Stewart
Director of Photography - Basil Katsan
Roger - John Woodhouse
Angela - Lilliana Cabal
It's very rare that I do this publicly, but I have to admit to having a fondness for those old melodramas screened as part of my college curriculum. There's one in particular that I never miss whenever it screens on AMC, William Dieterle's LOVE LETTERS, staring Joseph Cotton. Like so many other melodramas of its day, LOVE LETTERS tackles with those time-tested issues of deceit, confession, and amnesia. There's just something about watching a person come to terms with the fact that were a delusional wacko before their "incident" that gets me all giddy and captivated.
Brett Hull's SHE LIVES BY NIGHT shares a good deal of those plot contrivances found in LOVE LETTERS. You have the beautiful young girl, Angela, who can't remember her past, and the would-be suitor, Roger, who only wants to help Angela remember who she was. Of course the two fall in love, but issues of self-doubt and acceptance come between them as the scared woman's past starts to become clear.
My first reaction to SHE LIVES BY NIGHT was that it's a melodrama disguised as a horror film, but upon a second look, the movie is really a black comedy disguised as a melodrama. The fact that the amnesiac is a vampire is completely irrelevant and only adds another level of dark humor. Plot devices such as this one are used merely to set up the biting humor and string them along throughout the course of the picture.
When Roger hits Angela with his car, she has just finished feeding and can go for a few days before she needs another victim. The problem is that everything before the impact is a mystery, Angela doesn't even remember that she's a vampire. Being the stand-up guy that he is, Roger takes Angela in until she can regain her memory, but she soon falls for the good samaritan. Try as she might to make herself acceptable for Roger, she just can't bring herself to eat his spaghetti or go outside during the day. Poor girl. And try as he might, Roger can't figure out why Angela slithers out of his bed every night and eats his friends. Poor guy.
In melodrama, conflict is revealed through dialogue. All the elements are geared towards inter-personal levels so characters are more defined and life-like, which is probably why I find melodramas so addicting. With that emotional connection there' s more at stake. SHE LIVES BY NIGHT plays up that aspect, perhaps a little too much. Some of the scenes go on endlessly and start to loose their punch after the first 5 minutes or so. With indi-cinema, talk is cheap, but show me something. Get to the point.
The DVD for SHE LIVES BY NIGHT is part of Hollywood Video's now deceased First Rites line. The features are the same for any other First Rites title, director's introduction, 3 trailers, extended scenes, and a humorously candid production-oriented cast and crew commentary. Unfortunately the film's transfer leaves something to be desired. The picture is soft and muddy with noticeable dirt on the elements. On two occasions I'm almost positive I saw editing ques. I'm not sure if the movie will ever have a new transfer made so this might be the only way you'll be able to view it