Nocturna

Released By: Alchemy
Released On: October 6, 2015
Director: Buz Alexander
Cast: Estella Warren, Jonathan Schaech, Mike Doyle
Year: 2015
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The Movie:

You can blame True Blood, or you you can blame Anne Rice, or you can blame...that Preacher one-off...but vampires and New Orleans are apparently linked forever, and nothing will stop that whole goth thing that should've been dead in the 80's from sludging down the pipe, especially in film form. Nocturna, new to blu-ray from Alchemy, is such a cinematic endeavour, complete with Victorian era-dressed bloodsuckers with bad haircuts and dialogue that harkens back to another time.

Harry is a New Orleans PD detective who has just drawn a shit hand in getting a new partner; a relative of the city's mayor. And while Harry has been around the block more than a few times and knows the ropes involved in policing the city, the young and inexperienced Roy is determined only to make a difference and do the right thing, no matter what the cost. When a young Parish girl is found in the home of a recent victim of apparent suicide, bringing her back home seems like something that the police should definitely do; until Harry spots a tattoo brand on her palm and finds out where she's from.

Roy, however, doesn't understand why Harry is committed to having nothing to do with the case, insisting on bringing the girl back home, himself, which Harry reluctantly agrees to do with him. Driving out to an old plantation house, the two detectives come across a strange party in full swing, with the participants dressed in fashions long out of date. Food, music, child's blood and lesbians make for a great night out, but one of the party-goers, a widow's peak-endowed baddie from the Moldero clan, gets physical with Roy, causing the rookie detective to pull his gun and shoot him in the head. Normally a kill-shot, the victim somehow manages to walk away from the damage, prevented from murdering poor Roy by Brisbane, the host.

A further attack by the Molderos has Roy convinced that they need more law involvement, but Harry's years of experience with the Parish and the weird goings-on in New Orleans have him convinced otherwise. Heading back to see Brisbane, a deal is struck; Harry and Roy will find the daytime nesting place of the Molderos for Brisbane and his clan, and in return, they'll help Harry bring his wife's killer to justice, and use their vampirey powers to protect Roy and Harry after sunset. The only stipulation is that absolute secrecy must be maintained, or both cops will become dinner. As Roy and Harry get closer to the Molderos and their kidnapping/child-draining ring, their involvement with the creatures of the night gets progressively stranger, resulting in some unhealthy relationships and a whole lotta blood being spilled.

The premise of Nocturna, pedestrian as it is, does have potential, but none of that potential is recognized in this film. To put it simply, it's boring. A lot of importance is placed on the impact of aesthetic, but it shouldn't be; the atmospheric lighting conditions and night-creaturey slinkiness of the bloodsuckers ranges from mediocre to cartoonish to annoyingly cartoonish. While there are a few moments of genuine acting, most of the performances are lackluster and wooden. The action scenes are badly choreographed, unless the intent was to have the actors bumble around in the frame to simulate chaos, and there's not even even enough of the flowing red stuff to qualify as a good old-fashioned gorefest. Nocturna wears out its welcome quickly, and then overstays. And then overstays some more.

And was that a serious intrusion of boom mic I saw?

Video/Audio/Extras:

Alchemy brings Nocturna to Blu-ray in a 1.78:1 transfer that looks decent, and doesn't sacrifice clarity or depth in the darker scenes...and there are a whole lot of darker scenes. No compression artifacts or other issues pop up, and the blacks are blacker than black without the ugly weirdness that sometimes accompanies such material.

The Dolby True HD 5.1 track is about as good, with liberal use of the surrounds and subwoofers, and would probably be given a perfect score if it weren't for one wicked static pop that occurs in a scene cut earlier on. It could be the source material, or it could be the transfer, but I did back up and take a couple of runs at it just to be sure it wasn't my system. It happens around the same time as the boom mic, so who knows. Otherwise, aside from some mumbly lines here and there, the dialogue is consistently clear throughout.

A Trailer for the film and two other trailers for Alchemy products are the only extras featured.

The Final Word:

The transfer is adequate, but the film itself is an exercise in mediocrity, even if it is funny to see the That Thing You Do! singer as a vampire.

Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!