Moody aspiring writer Nick Taylor (the insufferably whiny Nicholas Hoppe) purchases an old warehouse that he's going to convert into a nightclub. Nick finds himself in deep trouble when several mobsters he borrowed money from begin harassing him and his loyal, but long-suffering wife Beth (a typically radiant and charming Elizabeth Kaitan) becomes fed up with his constant immaturity and inability to finish anything he starts. Writer/director Michael Keusch and co-writer Deborah Tilton unfortunately allow the muddled narrative to meander all over the place at a sluggish pace; the plot seriously lacks cohesion and ultimately doesn't add up to much. The tiresome excess of dopey dream scenes and corny music montages certainly don't help matters any. Worst of all, the extremely self-pitying and self-absorbed Nick doesn't make for an engaging main character; instead this irritating kvetch becomes more increasingly obnoxious and unappealing as the flimsy plot unfolds. The always sweet and sexy Elizabeth Kaitan provides one of the few bright spots with her bravura acting as both Beth and Nick's lusty imaginary mistress Liza. Moreover, Kaitan looks absolutely gorgeous in this film and takes her clothes off a few times. Ed Trotta contributes an amusing turn as volatile foul-mouthed hoodlum Eddie. Both Loius Di Cesare's glittery cinematography and the funky, syncopated score by Dana Walden and Barry Fasman are up to par, but all the technical slickness in the world can't stop this talky and tedious affair from being anything more than a strictly mediocre time-waster at best.
Review of Night Club
