Stranger by Night

Maybe I've seen one too many thriller lately. 'Stranger by Night' didn't impress me very much. It's well directed by Gregory Brown (or Hippolyte, or Dark), but he's done better than this one. It stars some veterans of the genre (Steven Bauer, William Katt, Jennifer Rubin) and it has a suitably tangled conclusion, but it's not especially memorable.

A couple of other items: I was surprised to find I liked Michael Parks in this movie, since I never cared for him much before. There also isn't as much sex and nudity as in most of Brown/Hippolyte's films. I hope that's not why I didn't like it so much.

First, the cast carries this "B" action mystery into above average territory. Steve Bauer is a cop with a short fuse, an attitude, and a propensity for violence. There is a serial killer on the loose who collects prostitute ears (no graphic mutilations) . Bauer also does well with the women, evidenced by his sex sessions with Psychiatrist, Jennifer Rubin. I should mention that Bauer's partner is not Michael Parks as described in the IMDB Storyline, but William Katt. Parks is their Lieutenant and has very little to do in the film. There are brief one liners that elicit chuckles, rooftop beat downs, one of which involves pitching a bad guy off the roof with electrocution by a neon sign on the way down (very impressive stunt). Like many movies that introduce numerous suspects, the ending is unsatisfying and lacks logic. "Stranger By Night" is still good of it's type and recommended despite a seriously flawed conclusion. - MERK