MURDER BY NIGHT
US, 1989, 100 minutes, Colour.
Robert Urich, Michael Ironside, Kay Lenz, Jim Metzler.
Directed by Paul Lynch.
Murder by Night is an entertaining whodunit telemovie. It relies on amnesia but then has an interesting twist (even if it is far fetched). The possibilities for the murdered are fairly limited and go according to audience expectation except that a twist in identity is not anticipated. The mystery is established, more mysterious events are piled on each other, sympathetic characters are not sympathetic, antagonistic characters are more sympathetic and then there are the dangerous explanations and all ends clearly.
Robert Urich is believable as the amnesia victim and witness to a murder. Kay Lenz is the police psychologist, perennial screen villain Michael Ironside is, this time, a policeman (though with sinister touches.) Jim Metzler is the engaging and helpful neighbour. One to tantalise the imagination.
1. Interesting and entertaining murder mystery? Character drama? Police investigation?
2. New York city, by day and by night? The subway, the sinister streets? Fashionable restaurants? The police precincts? The musical score and atmosphere?
3, The title, no mystery here?
4. The opening: The woman pursued, the murderer, her taking the car, the crash? The brutality? The disguised murderer? The amnesia victim and his seeing the murder, hurtled in the explosion and losing his memory?
5. Robert Urich as the amnesia victim? In hospital, unable to remember, interviewed by Madsen? His identity. returning home? The fashionable apartment and its sculptors? His being a recluse, his owning the fashionable restaurant but receiving the books at home and never appearing there? His friendly neighbour and the help? Karen as the police psychologist? Her working with him, trying to evoke memories? Their work together, going out, going to his restaurant and his not being recognized except by name? The affair? The nightmares, the imagination of the murders and they're happening? The man falling to his death on the subway? His being interrogated, the pressure from Madsen? His relief in thinking that the murderer was arrested after he pursued him and his being
just released from the mental institution? His going for help to his neighbour? The discovery of the truth and the dangerous confrontation? The drugged water, the neighbour and his explaining how he had drugged him, fed him the stories of
the killings? The irony of his true identity? The fight, the neighbour falling to his death, the threats to Karen? The violence to Madsen? The happy ending and his finding his true identity?
7. Karen, her skills, police work, investigations, working with the victim? Going to the restaurant, the affair? Her relationship with Madsen, their marriage, the break-up, his jealousy? Her suspicions, her being held as hostage? Her being rescued?
8. Madsen, the relentless police investigator, interrogating the victim in the hospital? Surveillance of Karen? Jealousy, accusations, tough stances? His being attacked? Relenting in the hospital?
9. The friendly neighbour, looking after the apartment, bringing the material home from the restaurant? Helping out? Explaining the identity? The iron of the truth, the changing of identities, the violence of the murders, his madness? His pretending to be a journalist? The recluse with the restaurant as his cover? Attacking Madsen, Karen as hostage, the victim not affected by drugs but pretending and overcoming the murderer?
10. The victims, the method? from the restaurant? The restaurant staff and their relationship with the owner? The police? The man from the asylum and the copycat murders?
11. Popular ingredients for entertainment, story, characters, mystery, unravelling?
