Jean Michaelson (Kate Alexander) is an up-and-coming reporter. She lives in a sketchy area of San Francisco hoping it will give her inspiration. She is writing an expose on crime in American cities. Jean lives in a loft apartment with boy-toy Bryan Soulfield (Caleb Dreneaux). Bryan is the bass guitarist for a punk rock group called Disease.
Recently there have been some murders in the area. The killer has found a way to suck out the victim’s brain through their eye. In addition to a serial killer running loose in the neighborhood, the area is also ground zero for the infestation of a drug known as DZS, pronounced disease like the group. Inspector Alonzo Bernardo (Jonathan Zeichner) is assigned to find the killer. The people living in the area are upset that no progress has been made on solving the murders.
Suspicion begins to revolve around the members of the rock group as well as a homeless man that everyone refers to as the Creeper (Robert Duncanson). The group has already had some bad press about some groupies that overdosed on DZS. Inspector Bernardo believes Bryan may be involved somehow but Jean maintains that he is innocent. Jean and Alonzo end up working together, looking for the killer. Things turn romantic for the two as they try to unravel what is happening. Jean’s investigation brings her face to face with the most unlikely killer ever known.
“Night Feeder” was released in 1988 and was directed by Jim Whiteaker. It is a low budget independent American SOV horror film. At one time the movie was difficult to find, but it is now available on DVD from Bleeding Skull.
One of the highlights of the movie is when the coroner, played by Robert Hogan, cuts off the top of someone’s head to reveal that the brain is missing. The blood, gore and other special effects, courtesy of Jonathan Horton, are well done. There is enough of it to let you know that you’re watching an actual horror movie.
The movie plays like a bad soap opera and the acting, in general, is suggestive. The editing is a little strident, but the atmosphere is creepy and dark. The twist at the end left me a little off. Yes, there are a lot of things wrong with the movie but the film, in general, ended up being a lot of fun.
Punk rock group The Nuns performs the single “Suicide Child” in the film.