Walt Curtis (Tim Streeter) is a homosexual liquor-store clerk attracted to two younger Mexican boys, Johnny (Doug Cooeyate) and Roberto Pepper (Ray Monge), who are illegal immigrants. Walt and his friend Betty (Nyla McCarthy) convince them to come over for dinner, but Johnny and Roberto have to return to their cheap hotel because another friend is locked out. Obsessed with Johnny, Walt says, "I wanna show this Mexican kid that I'm gay for him." However, Johnny doesn't speak English and finds Walt strange and undesirable. Walt offers hustler Johnny $15 to sleep with him, but Johnny refuses and runs to his hotel room, leaving Roberto locked out with nowhere to spend the night but Walt's. Settling for second best, Walt lays down next to Roberto and allows him on top for sex. The next morning, Walt is full of regret as he realizes that Roberto probably feels like he has just out-manned Walt, as well as stealing $10 during his stay. However, he doesn't give up on Johnny. The story progresses from there into unclear relationships--unbalanced by age, language, race, sexuality, and money.
Based on the autobiographical novel by Walt Curtis, this movie was shot in16 mm, mostly black-and-white, entirely on location in Portland, Oregon. Long unavailable and now fully restored, it is arranged into vignettes around Portland's skid row. Mala noche is Spanish for "bad night". This low budget drama was written and directed by Gus Van Sant, his first feature film.
