Night Owl (film)

Night Owl, a 1993 vampire film directed by Jeffrey Arsenault, starring John Leguizamo and James Raftery.

Plot
Jake (Raftery) is a brooding vampire and squatter who frequents nightclubs to pick up women. During their encounters, he slashes their necks with a matte knife and drinks their blood. One evening, he kills Zohra, the sister of Angel (Leguizamo), prompting Angel to launch a frantic search for the murderer. Meanwhile, Jake falls in love with Anne Guish, a performance artist, and struggles to resist his cravings for fresh blood. Eventually, Jake and Angel's paths intersect.

Cast

 * John Leguizamo - Angel
 * James Raftery - Jake
 * Ali Thomas - Anne
 * David Roya - Dario
 * Holly Woodlawn - Barfly
 * Lisa Napoli - Frances
 * Yul Vazquez - Tomas
 * Caroline Munro - Herself

Background
The film was shot in New York City's Alphabet City, making it the first in a succession of gritty black and white vampire films set in the same area of New York City, followed by Nadja and The Addiction. Leguizamo, in one of his first roles, went on to major stardom with films like Moulin Rouge!, Carlito's Way and Land of the Dead. Raftery now writes music and performs under the name Rat Wakes Red. Retitled Nite Owl when released on DVD. Not to be confused with a film of the same name starring Jennifer Beals. During the two-year time span of shooting the film, Arsenault directed Leguizamo in his first one-man show, Mambo Mouth, Off-Broadway.

Reception
The film had a mixed reception.