NightKill
Nightkill is a 1980 psychological thriller film directed by Ted Post, and starring Jaclyn Smith, Mike Connors, James Franciscus, Robert Mitchum, Fritz Weaver, and Sybil Danning. It follows the wife of a corrupt Phoenix, Arizona industrialist, who finds herself attempting to cover up his murder after her lover poisons him to death.
The film was produced by the German production company Cine Artists GmbH, in association with American distributor Avco Embassy Pictures. It was filmed on location in Arizona in the spring of 1980, with additional shooting taking place in Berlin. The film marked Jaclyn Smith's first major film role following her lead on the popular television series Charlie's Angels. Smith, who met the film's cinematographer, Anthony B. Richmond, while shooting the project, married him the following year. Mitchum's role is touted in Nightkill's promotion and credits, though his role in the film is minor with minimal screentime.
Avco Embassy intended to release Nightkill theatrically in the United States in the fall of 1980, but its theatrical release never materialized. Instead, it aired on television as an NBC Movie of the Week in December 1980 before it was released on home video, marketed as a slasher film. The film did, however, receive theatrical releases in some international markets, including Sweden and Turkey.
Nightkill has received some retrospective critical praise for its performances and atmosphere. Some critics and film scholars have also cited the film as an example of the neo-noir genre.
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