Dark was the Night, Monsters in Long Island

Since the "Amityville Horror" in the 1970s, Long Island has had an eerie reputation.  With the loss of the Islanders, it is likely that more horrific films will emanate from this tax-burdened locale.  Last summer we looked at a werewolf infestation in this region (see my review of "The Big Bad"  http://zisiemporium.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-big-bad-werewolves-do-long-island.html ). Though our film today, 2014's "Dark was the Night" is set, probably, in the Pacific northwest, it was filmed in Long Island.  Perhaps this is a cautionary tale to cities who are in danger of losing their hockey teams.

As our film begins, a logging crew is torn to shreds by a monster.  With the deforestation of the region, something migrates 90 miles south to a small town where Paul (Kevin Durand) is the Sheriff. Paul is a tortured soul...he lost one of his sons to a freak accident which he blames himself for, and his wife, Susan (Bianca Kajlich), left him. Uh-oh...something has been munching on the town's livestock and been leaving strange hoof-like footprints all over town. The townspeople are spooked, and our sheriff is busy trying to be a single father to his surviving son, and cope with his failed marriage to Susan.  Susan is very good looking, otherwise we would not tolerate this plot device. Now some hunters are getting eaten and the beast seems to be staking claim to the neighborhoods, not just the woods.

Struggling over his torment of not being able to protect his deceased son, Paul must answer the call and protect the entire town from a toothy monster.  A blizzard cuts the town off from the rest of the world, and the fiend prepares for a human buffet line.  With support from Deputy Donny (Lukas Haas, "Witness"), Paul realizes that protecting his people may enable him to put his family back together, as Susan and his son are eager to get him back in the fold.  Whether it be his own demons or the one coming out of the woods, Paul has a herculean task ahead as the creature is very fast and might be bulletproof.  

The acting is great as Mr. Durand, Ms. Kajlich, and Mr. Haas do fine jobs.  Some may complain this is too much a story about Paul and not enough about the monster....I disagree.  The two stories are perfect parallels which do meet up at the end.  Will Paul put his family back together? Will Lukas Haas find romance which eluded him so well in "Witness" (...I know, he was just a tyke in that film)? Directed by Jack Heller, this film is effectively shot with what looks like a filter on a creepy setting. Available on Netflix, see "Dark was the Night."