Nick Knight (1989)

I would give this 10 stars if they had rewritten the female lead, made it a four-hour film, and cast an actress who could actually ACT as the leading lady.The story here is that Los Angeles is experiencing a series of murders in which the victims (all homeless) are found drained of blood. When another victim is found - also bled dry - shouts of "vampire" are being heard, even though this latest victim doesn't fit the pattern of the other murders.Enter Nick Knight, an LA cop who works the night shift, and works it alone, successfully hiding the fact that he is a vampire. When working the case, he finds himself saddled with an unwanted partner (John Kapelos) and falling for an archaeologist (Laura Johnson).I would have liked to see a much longer movie, since the length of this film didn't spend enough time on introducing the characters or showing what is important in their lives. It just throws the action at the viewer. We don't know why Knight suddenly finds himself attracted to this archaeologist, we don't get to see their relationship blossom, and we don't find out enough about his private life.One of the real mysteries here is, why was Laura Johnson cast? Why was she even allowed near the set? She is supposed to be a strong, resourceful woman, but she behaves like a walking bundle of neuroses. She looks weird, too. Granted, the character does some pretty stupid things, but Johnson makes you think that she's always incompetent and incapable of relating to anyone. It was a rotten casting choice; boos to the person who picked her for the role.On the plus side, Springfield fits into his role as if it had been written specifically for him. He has too few acting parts, but when he's on screen, you can't take your eyes off him. He has that charisma that is found all too rarely even among actors who make acting their sole source of income. Springfield, as a best-selling musician, certainly doesn't need to act to provide himself with an income; I, however, am VERY glad to see him whenever he does act. He even overcomes Johnson's complete lack of sexual attractiveness, and does it effortlessly; how, I don't know. It's a shame Neil Jordan didn't cast an eye at Springfield for "Interview with the Vampire".Take a look. It's now available on DVD.

I simply had to see this made for TV vampire flick because Forever Knight is still one of my favorite shows. Nick Knight was the inspiration for the cult series that many of us know and love. If you ever dug Forever Knight, I would recommend checking this out. But I also warn you, if you've seen the pilot episode of Forever Knight, you've basically seen this movie. But for completists, it's neat to see someone else in the shoes of our vampire cop, Nick Knight. Rick Springfield (that's right, "Jessie's Girl") was the first to don the fangs, but I can't agree that he's the best. Rick Springfield and Michael Nader aren't nearly as cool as their Canadian counterparts. Geraint Wyn Davies and Nigel Bennett just have a completely different look to them and I think they fit the parts perfectly. It's also cool to see John Kapelos playing a louder, yet skinnier Detective Donald Schanke. He would be the only cast member to reprise his role for the duration of the series (I can't see anyone else in this role anyway). And, interestingly enough, the role of Natalie was played by...Robert Harper. That's right, Nick's doctor and confidant was a man originally. The show would have played out much differently if this concept hadn't changed. Much differently indeed. Anchor Bay released Nick Knight on DVD, so if you liked Forever Knight, pick it up.

The majority of people who have seen the made-for-TV movie Nick Knight are probably devoted fans of the short-lived horror series "Forever Knight." While this movie is a pilot for the series, it has the added curiosity of throwing Rick Springfield into the starring role as the cop/vampire who is trying to make the world a better place. As made-for-TV movies go, this one is about as good as can be expected. Which is to say, it's average. It doesn't hold a candle to "Forever Knight," but for fans of the show it is an interesting diversion. Sadly, like the show this unpolished gem hasn't made it to video or DVD. Maybe you'll get lucky and catch it on television sometime. It's worth setting the VCR for it.

I enjoyed this movie very much when it came out and I would love to see it again. Rick Springfield was my idol when I was a teen, and I have liked most of what I've seen him in. I also liked the TV series based off this movie. Like I said, it was for the time a very original take on the old standby Vampire legend