The Pumpkin King: THE NIGHT FLIER (1997)

When it comes to Stephen King adaptations involving vampires, odds are you’re going think of the 1979 made-for-TV adaptation of SALEM’S LOT, with good reason too because it’s considered a classic to many and I know several people personally who consider Kurt Barlow among the most terrifying bloodsuckers to grace the screen. But Kurt isn’t the only vampire of King’s that got the adaptation treatment, in 1997 THE NIGHT FLIER was released and while it’s not considered one of the best screen retellings of the Master of the Horror’s work it makes for a genuinely enjoyable and creepy slice of horror meets detective story with possibly one of the most under appreciated performances in a horror movie.

The setup is simple, Richard Dees (Miguel Ferrer) is a tabloid reporter who is sent out to break the story on a continuing string of grisly murders all taking place at airfields where the victims are found mutilated and drained of their blood. The only known facts are that the killer flies in a unique black Cessna Skymaster registered under the not-so-subtle name Dwight Renfield, two names that should be familiar to anyone with a knowledge of the most iconic of vampires.

We follow Dees as he unravels the mystery of a killer he at first assumes is just a big movie fan.

While the film has some fun bits of gore, especially the climax that I don’t want to spoil, the movie really shines with its approach to the mystery. We the viewer aren’t left in the dark about the fact that the killer is a vampire, Renfield in all his “glory” is right on the poster, but the fact that most of the movie is just following Dees as he tails him, interacts with the locals and pieces together what happens creates a fun sense of dread.

We have an idea of what Dees is getting closer to all in the name of breaking a story which almost sets him up to be a tragic hero since he is unknowingly drawing his own death closer and closer to him with each refusal to stop pursuing the case.

The main draw of this movie is the performance of Miguel Ferrer as Richard Dees. Ferrer is mostly known for his supporting roles in films like ROBOCOP and HOT SHOTS: PART DEUX but here he gets to play the lead and pretty much carries the entire movie on his back with relative ease. Dees is—not to mince words—an awful person. We learn right from the get-go that he is a guy who will do anything to get a story and has absolutely no qualms about veering on the side of bad taste to keep ahead of the competition when it comes to the tabloid game. This continues as we see his immediate disdain for a new reporter, the film’s other protagonist Katherine Blair (Julie Entwisle), who genuinely tries to extend a friendly hand only to be rebuked and told to “get a dog” if she wants a friend. The guy even goes as far as to put some blood on the grave of one of the murder victims just to make for a better picture for the press. Yet, despite all of it, you honestly end up kind of rooting for him in a sense all thanks to Ferrer’s performance. Something about his line delivery and smarmy quips makes him feel almost like a traditional hard-boiled detective, albeit with a real mean streak towards anyone and everyone.

THE NIGHT FLIER exists in a weird place among the many adaptations of King’s directly horror focused work. It’s not among the upper class of them like CHRISTINE or THE MIST but not as bad as something like THE LANGOLIERS, nor is it as outright crazy as King’s own MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE. This is surprising when you consider the production of the movie wasn’t ideal either. The original short story runs at a scant 40 pages with a much different ending and to top it off the movie had to be filmed in just 30 days with one day lost to a hurricane (that thankfully didn’t delay much). It’s just one of those examples of a movie that managed to do the best it had with what it got and it flat out works. It’s hard not to imagine what could have been if it had a little more time for shooting—it could have been a classic. Regardless, if you’re someone who considers themselves a fan of King’s works, this is definitely an adaptation you should take the time to check out, if solely for Ferrer’s performance.