Review of Nocturna

Nocturna (1979)
2/10
Without bite in almost all departments
27 October 2019
Every so often I hear lamentations that this particular movie has never received a release on DVD or Blu-ray, mostly from people who have never actually seen the movie. It doesn't appear it will appear on disc anytime soon, mainly due to music rights issues and the fact that the movie's writer/producer/star Nai Bonet is holding up a disc release reportedly due to the fact she's very unhappy with the bathtub scene in the movie. For now, you'll have to watch the movie on YouTube, though I strongly suspect you'll sense a third reason why the movie has not been given a disc release - it's pretty bad. It's embarrassing in almost every way you can think of - there's hardly any plot, with the movie several times coming to an absolute standstill for long periods. The comedy is extremely lame and unfunny. The special effects are pretty atrocious even for 1979 standards. The movie wastes the talents of its supporting cast (John Carradine, Brother Theodore, etc.). Nai Bonet, playing the lead, looks pretty but simply can't give a compelling performance. The movie is very well lit and photographed, and if you like (endless!) disco music, you might like the songs on display here (though it's unlikely you'll find any of them classics of this genre.) About the only audience for this movie is those curious to see a movie that was severely and immediately dated right when it was first released to theaters.
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