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Review
Archives
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Today's
Date is:
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Vampires
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Reviewed
by: |
B.
Lou Goodwin |
| Genre: |
Horror |
| Video: |
Widescreen
or Fullscreen |
| Audio: |
English 2-Channel
(Dolby Surround) and Dolby |
| Language: |
English,
French |
| Subtitle: |
English,
French |
| Length: |
108 Minutes |
| Rating: |
R |
| Release
Date: |
8-7-01 |
| Studio: |
Columbia/Tristar
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| Commentary:
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None |
| Documentaries:
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None |
| Featurettes:
|
None |
| Filmography/Biography:
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None |
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Interviews: |
None |
| Trailers/TV
Spots: |
Theatrical Trailer included |
| Alternate/Deleted
Scenes: |
None |
| Music
Video: |
None |
| Other:
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None |
| Cast
and Crew: |
James Woods,
Daniel Baldwin, Sheryl Lee, Thomas Ian Griffith, Maximilian
Schell, and Tim Guinee |
| Screenplay
by: |
NA |
| Produced
by: |
Sandy King |
| Directed
By: |
John Carpenter |
| Music: |
NA |
| The
Review: |
"Vampires"
is a bloodfest. The movie glories in ripping, tearing, screaming,
and death. Although not academy material, "Vampires" succeeds
for what it is--a horror film. The plot consists of James Woods
as the head of a group of vampire slayers, who risk life and
limb to destroy evil nests of the undead. Valek, played by Thomas
Ian Griffin, plays the vampire master who revenges the death
of his brethren by killing the entire team except for two members.
James Woods and Daniel Baldwin (Montoya) use the visions of
a vampire bitten prostitute to hunt Valek down before he discovers
a way to walk in the daylight. The acting is a little over the
top and the special effects are just barely adequate. Most of
the special effects were rigged through stunt men, wires, and
camera angles instead of being digitally altered by computer.
Even without the high-end expensive digital effects, this movie
still manages to give you enough chills and thrills that it
make worth watching. The best part of this movie is the relationships.
James Woods and his relationship with his friend, Montoya and
his antagonism toward the novice priest are just two of the
fascinating interactions that make this movie special. Then,
there is the odd, misogonistic relationship of Montoya, played
by Daniel Baldwin, and the bitten prostitute. The relationships
between these people mutate constantly and become illustrations
of friendship, love, and loyalty. This, and the fight between
good and evil, are the underlying themes that flow through this
film like sweet red wine. Overall, I like this film but it is
not for everyone. Enter this movie expecting an entertaining
thrill ride of danger and death punctuated by blood and bone.
If that sounds like your type of film, then definitely pick
this one up at Blockbuster. |
| Image
and Sound |
The use
of filters to turn daylight into evening and night is used beautifully
and nearly seamlessly. Unfortunately, the makeup work is not
quite as good. Some of the vampires have a faintly gray cast
that I do not believe was on purpose. The lighting can also
be a problem. There are a few mistimed lights in the cut scenes
that can be annoying if you are extremely detailed oriented.
Once of these scenes is included in psychic flashes of the prostitute
in the bathroom. The bathroom lights do not match in each cut.
These lighting glitches are small and brief but it would have
been better without them. Another image problem is that the
special effects can sometimes be a little fake. I've been spoiled
by digitally remastered films that remove some of the falseness
that you can still find in this movie. One especially bad special
effect is the stabbing of stake into a vampire's head. It does
not look real for more than a second or so. The impact has the
right look but the wound afterwards looks painted on. These
small glitches are miniscule in comparison to the overall look
of the film, which comes across beautifully lit and shot. "Vampires"
has an odd sound track that combines bluesy numbers with southwestern
and Spanish music that underscores the heroic undercurrent of
the film. As a side note, please remember that John Carpenter's
son wrote one of the background songs. The music is perfectly
cast to add tension and movement without overpowering the actors
on the screen. One should appreciate the music as an important
part of a film but not the most important part. I didn't notice
any problems with scratchy sound or overblown background music.
The audio track could be clearly understood without any major
drop offs in sound. |
| The
Extras |
Besides
the wonderful commentary, the only other special feature is
the theatre trailer. The trailer is interesting but not nearly
as fascinating as the commentary. If you have time to cruise
through the trailer then please do. If you are short on time,
then watch the commentary first. |
| Commentary |
This exciting
commentary by John Carpenter on the behind-the-scenes production
of "Vampires" is a wonderful resource to any aspiring filmmaker.
It discusses the director's choices and inspiration from an
insider's point of view. He explains his special blend of gothic
horror and the Wild West mentality in such a way that the mixing
the two seems not only natural but a foregone conclusion. If
you will note the use of the southwestern architecture and music
plus the veiled references to John Wayne's "Red River", then
you cannot help but see the invisible white hat on James Woods'
head. Yet even without the western undertone, this film could
not be called a true gothic film because level of weapons and
violence is much too extreme and image of the vampire has been
modernized. As for the techies out there, Carpenter discusses
his use of heavy filters to mask the daylight and provide the
perfect shooting arena for his outside fight scenes between
the vampire slayers and the vampires. He also changes his usual
camera style in this film by seamlessly blending smaller cuts
of film instead of long uninterrupted segments. Combine these
changes with his nearly perfect casting and you have the retelling
of the ancient battle of good against evil except instead of
outlaws and desperados, you have the chilling vampire masters
and their inch long teeth. When fighting the bad guys in this
case you have to be careful that crime doesn't take a bite out
of you. Casting was another important element to be considered
in this film. Carpenter explained that he needed individuals
who could play in an ensemble cast yet still stand individually.
James Woods was his choice as head vampire slayer for a number
of reasons, one of which is that he can play an extremely violent
character yet still be hero-like. Thomas Ian Griffin plays Valek,
the master vampire, who's tendency to overact works for him
instead of against him in this particular instance. Carpenter
chose Griffin because of his physical presence and his handsome
face. He wanted a vampire that was menacing but still human
looking. The commentary is a must see for any viewer of this
film. With it, you will understand the film subtle nuances.
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| Final
Words: |
"Vampires" is a violent gore film
that is not for everyone. The squeamish, the young, and the
very old should not watch this film. If blood, decapitation,
or burning bodies sicken you then this movie is going to overwhelm
you. However, if you can enjoy the occasional slasher film,
then this one is a gem. "Vampires" does not apologize for
it's burst of violence, the heaps of bodies, or the pools
of blood. It is a celebration of the terrible struggle to
survive and to destroy and the lengths one will go to, to
do both. This film is available in a box set with two of Carpenter's
other films entitled "Starman" and "Christine". Both films
are classics in their own rights. This modern vampire film
is perfect to scare your girlfriend into cuddling or to feed
your desire to watch the bad guy be pulled apart, staked,
and burned in the sunlight. I, personally, liked it. If you
are going to buy this DVD, spring for the box set. You might
as well get three great movies instead of one.
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