Several years ago I got on kick of reading true crime books, specifically books about serial killers, and one of the books that stuck with me was Brian Masters’ Killing For Company: The Case Of Dennis Nilsen. That book told the story of a man who killed at least a dozen young men and disposed of their remains at his home, burying them under the floor boards, and later, when he had moved to another home, flushing bits of their bodies down the toilet. It was that latter method that led to his crimes’ eventual discovery by a plumber. I found the story fascinating, and of course I wasn’t alone in that. Four years after that book was published, a young filmmaker named Fhiona Louise made Cold Light Of Day based on the case of Dennis Nilsen. It came out in 1989, and it seems not a lot of folks saw it. But now, thanks to Arrow Films, people are getting another chance to view the film. Not only that, they are also getting a chance to hear from the director in one of the Blu-ray release’s two commentary tracks.
The film opens with the killer’s arrest, with almost no dialogue, but rather the sound of a steady pounding, like a storm, like a heart about to explode (perhaps a nod to The Tell-Tale Heart?). That sound is revisited later in the film. A title card tells us: “This film is based on actual events, but not on an account. Names have been changed to protect innocent parties.” They seemed to have also been changed to protect the guilty parties, for Dennis Nilsen is named Jorden March. He is played by Bob Flag, whom you will recall as the face of Big Brother in 1984. As the police inspector begins his interrogation of Jorden March, we then see the killer’s story, presumably as it is being described to the police.
Jorden March seems a quiet, unassuming fellow, but he manages to pick up a handsome, younger man named Joe (Martin Byrne Quinn) at a bar and takes him home to his rather sparsely furnished apartment. After hearing a bit of Joe’s story, Jorden tells him, “You sound totally without redemption, dear boy,” but tells him he can stay with him as long as he needs to. Jorden is also shown helping out an elderly neighbor. He seems kind, if maybe a bit awkward. Of course, we can’t help but wonder if this is exactly how things really happened, since the story is being told to the police. Might he try to make himself seem a better, more sympathetic person? Soon Joe is taking advantage of the situation, of Jorden. Yet Jorden is more upset when Joe announces he’s found a job, for now he is worried that Joe will leave him. And when the first murder occurs, that pounding sound from the opening accompanies the action. It is brutal in its reality, the camera remaining stationary throughout the scene.
Interestingly, there is a flashback to Jorden’s childhood, to the time of his grandfather’s death, a church bell sounding relentlessly, like the pounding of the present. Also, as the story goes on, the film cuts back to the police station with increasing frequency. There are some interesting camera moves, as when Jordan goes to peek in on Joe in the bath. It is like the camera is sneaking in for a look too, the camera being as curious as Jorden is, as curious as we are. There are some unusual shots in this film, actions shown at strange angles, as when Jorden is in the bathroom in the morning, those shots having an unsettling effect. The film also makes interesting use of mirrors, as when Jorden goes to a prostitute. The low-budget, grainy feel adds to that unsettling sensation, and gives the film a gritty and honest look. The film slowly but surely works its hooks into you and includes several disturbing images that will stay with you.
Special Features
The Blu-ray disc contains plenty of bonus material, including two commentary tracks. The first commentary track is by film historians Dean Brandum and Andrew Nette. Andrew talks about Dennis Nilsen and the actual crimes. At the beginning of the commentary, they indicate that another mystery is Fhiona Louise. “She appears to have just vanished off the face of the earth,” Dean says. They give what details they know of her life. But the second commentary is by Fhiona Louise herself. She talks about her interest in the film’s subject, and about making the promotional short film. She also mentions a sex scene that was cut from the film.
Playing The Victim is an interview with actor Martin Byrne-Quinn, who talks about Cold Light Of Day being his first feature film, and how he got the part. He talks about the process of method acting, the locations, and the scene of his strangulation. This featurette is approximately sixteen minutes. Risky Business is an interview with actor Steve Munroe, who talks about shooting his scene without anyone on the street realizing it, and about how his dialogue isn’t really audible in the final film. In Scenes Of The Crime, director Fhiona Louise revisits the locations of the film. At the bridge location, she explains the film’s title card, “For those too sensitive for this world.” This featurette is approximately twelve and a half minutes. The trailer for the film’s re-release is included.
The Blu-ray also includes the original short film that was used to raise funding for the feature. As with the feature, it stars Bob Flag and Martin Byrne-Quinn. A lot of the dialogue seems to be the same, but in this short film, Jorden uses a belt rather than a necktie to strangle his victim. The short also includes a bit of voiceover narration. Two other short films are included on this disc, Metropolis Apocalypse and Sleepwalker, both directed by Jon Jacobs and featuring Fhinoa Louise as an actor.
Cold Light Of Day was directed by Fhiona Louise, and this special limited edition Blu-ray disc was released on October 27, 2020 through Arrow Films.
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