Laura

This film is sloppier than a school dinner. Awfully cheap picture quality, lighting was terrible, sound even worse – the background sound most of the time drowned out the actors voices. The acting, apart from a 17-year-old Uma Thurman and a cough and a spit part from the ever-reliable Steve Buscemi, was also abysmal. Paul Dillon, obviously a relation of Matt, was a needless and very dislikable character who made me want to fast forward every time he appeared on screen. This monstrosity of a film was cheekily re released again to look as though it was a new Uma film, I have seen it floating around on DVD in second hand shops and car boot sales on numerous occasions - and now I know why. Avoid.

This was Uma Thurman's first feature film, and she started her acting career right at the very bottom. She is youthful and attractive in this film, but that's all the film has going for it. It is utterly dreadful. Very, very amateur. Thurman plays a femme fatale who goes on dates with middle-aged wealthy men, and then drugs them and steals their money. Meanwhile, a deranged guy who owns a rabbit is obsessed with her. That's about it. Steve Buscemi appears briefly. The other character is played by Paul Dillon (brother of Matt). Strictly for staunch fans of Uma Thurman only; and even if you are one, beware.

I watched this on my betamax last night again. The opening credits and music is fuzzy and lo-rez, wholly impressionistic. I am not one for expensive special effects, nor demanding of a well-crafted story or skillful acting. This movie just gives me a warm feeling, and at some level I think that's all it sets out to do. Uma is scintillatingly beautiful, ala '88 makeup trend at the time. This was the first movie I ever saw her in - before she became known - and I fell in love with her androgynous look immediately. Buscemi shows up, as well as a great cameo by east village music master Arto Lindsay (Ambitious Lovers) as a cab driver. Everything looks exactly the way it did in NYC '88, down to the horribly trashy dive clubs. If you watch movies for a certain feeling, you'll enjoy this one. If you watch movies in order to wax poetic like a fluke critic, then move on to some Oscar list.

....or "dreary thriller", maybe. You see, this flick begins like a low-key drama (some scenes, like Dillon's meeting with Buscemi, have a documentary-like feel that reminded me, believe or not, of Andy Warhol), then turns into a straight slasher thriller. Uma Thurman makes a promising acting debut, however - and am I wrong to believe that Dillon is Matt's identical twin? (He even acts like him). (*1/2)

This film is about a young and attractive woman who lures men and then rob them. She finds her own life is in danger when she ends up in the opposite end of the game.

Even considering that "Kiss Daddy Goodnight" was made twenty years ago, it still seemed more like a college film student effort. The camera work is terrible. There is no consideration into how to make the camera angles and presentation of scenes more interesting. Lighting is terrible. Scenes are either very dark or are poorly lit. I refer to a specific scene where William and Laura talk by the entrance of Laura's apartment. The source of lighting takes no consideration into where light should come from. They just use spotlight to shine onto the two characters' faces. The end result is rather laughable.

The plot could have been promising, but it is not engagingly told. There is simply no suspense or thrill. To sum up, "Kiss Daddy Goodnight" is rather disappointing. If it was not for Uma Thurman, this film would have found no viewers at all.