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Undescribable Perfection

That was an excellent one.

Excellent adaptation.

Loner vampire police detective Nick Knight (a fine and likable performance by Rick Springfield) investigates a series of murders in which the victims are drained of blood. Knight's investigation leads him back to his former master and nemesis Lacroix (smoothly played with sinister glee by Michael Nader), who turned Nick into a bloodsucker centuries ago. Director Farhad Mann, working from a smart and inspired script by James D. Parriott, relates the fun and engrossing plot at a snappy pace, offers a vivid evocation of the funky neon haze of nocturnal Los Angeles, and stages the exciting action scenes with skill and flair. Moreover, Knight's struggle to retain his humanity and resist his more monstrous urges makes him a tragic and sympathetic figure. The fine acting from the able cast helps a lot: John Kapelos as Knight's easygoing smartaleck partner Don Schanke, Robert Harper as amiable coroner Dr. Jack Brittington, Laura Johnson as helpful anthropologist Dr. Alyce Hunter, Richard Fancy as antsy superior Captain Brunetti, Craig Richard Nelson as the vengeful Fenner, and Fran Ryan as kindly homeless lady Jeannie. Popping up in cool small parts are Irene Miracle as a nurse and Cec Verrell as chic vampiress Janette. Frank Beascoechea's stylish cinematography boasts lots of sweeping aerial shots and makes invigorating use of a constantly moving camera. Joseph Conlan's dynamic score and the lively rock soundtrack of familiar 80's hits both hit the right-on rousing spot. Worth a watch.

"Forever Knight" was a cheesy show, but the TV movie it was taken from -- "Nick Knight" -- with Rick Springfield was brilliant. It had much better production values than "Forever Knight" and it was both hipper and grittier. And it was better than the episode of "Moonlight" -- a suspiciously similar series -- I saw. Rick drove a big-ass vintage pink Cadillac, because if he was caught when the sun came up it had the largest trunk available for him to dive into and hibernate until night. He was working with a sympathetic coroner to try and wean himself from blood (which in any case he never took from people -- he had blood lab bottles in his refrigerator). The coroner guy was a cross between a friend, an AA sponsor, and a medical researcher. Rick was often strung out from their regimen, just like a recovering addict. Not only did he have withdrawal symptoms if he didn't get enough plasma, but real food -- which he was trying to break into eating -- tended to make him sick. His relationship with this guy was the central ongoing one in the story. He lived in an apartment carved out of a Grauman-type movie palace (it was the upper lobby or something) so it had all this over the top decor that was both vampire and Old L.A. in feeling.Springfield gave Nick a troubled rock star feel, hot and somewhat elegantly wasted. He was struggling with his life, and he just happened to have the hottest car, the coolest apartment, and the best jacket. He was such a good detective that the L.A.P.D. indulged his eccentric insistence on working only at night.They should have simply greenlighted the show just the way it was, with Springfield in it, but instead it ended up an underbudgeted Canadian series with no realistic underpinnings, a lot of costume flashbacks, and Geraint Wynn-Davies's somewhat actorish performance. What's more, the minute Wynn-Davies got the part he started putting on weight and kept putting it on. I hated, hated, hated that show.

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