“I am Legend,” “The Lost Boys,” and “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” along with many other mainstream films of the fang will be played ad nauseum on major networks thru the Halloween season. All great films, but if you are looking for something you may have missed to sink your teeth into try these underrated vicious vamp flicks.
THE FORSAKEN (2001)
Driving cross country to his sister’s wedding, Sean (Kerr Smith,) runs into Nick, (Brenden Fehr) a hitchhiker who just happens to be on the road hunting an ancient vampire. After the duo meet a young vamp victim who bites Sean in a fit of rage, the three bitten and cursed roadies embark on an unholy mission to take out the super sucker whose death would cure them all of the immortal disease.
Director J.S. Cardone was heavily influenced by the immortal classic “Near Dark,” and this is no surprise as to why this vampire road film is so closely compared to. What could have been a cookie cutter road rampage tale turns into a fantastic fang film. Cardone presents daunting imagery by keeping most of the set pieces in a foreboding dark desert setting. The writer/director keeps the pace moving with simple yet effective dialogue and splashing in enough blood to keep gore hounds well fed. Smith and Fehr play off each other well along with a solid performance from Polish actress Izabella Miko, who plays a not totally innocent desert damsel in distress. Johnathan Schaech plays Kit, the head vamp, with enough style and fierce rage to rival any other actor that has put on the fangs in a film.
For subject material that has been around for over one hundred years, “The Forsaken” brings new mythology to the time old tale of the immortal beast. The new spin on the old song, explained by Nick in the first act of the film, keeps the viewer not only interested in the fast-moving action but also invested in the unraveling of the plot. Sadly, the film did not perform well at the theaters and has never gained cult status, which has killed any chance of future stories from the original plot line. This October give this hidden thrill ride a spin for a fast-paced fanged drive thru the desert.
STAKELAND (2010)
A vampire apocalypse has ravaged the country and fang hunter Mister unexpectedly adopts Martin, a young teenaged boy, after an attack from the creatures of the night. The two pillage their way north towards salvation to a town called New Eden, allegedly a last strong hold of mankind. The journey takes them thru locked down towns fighting off monsters both human and beast alike.
The zombie genre has pretty much locked up the whole horror apocalypse plot, but writers/directors Jim Mickle and Nick Damici give a fresh and visually stunning take on a world gone batty. Thru the characters the unlikely duo meets during their journey, the audience is treated to not just several fangtastic action horror scenes but also depth and emotional range as exemplified by the surviving members of the dark new world. Scream queen Danielle Harris puts in one of her best performances as a pregnant singer trying to make it a safe haven for her newborn. Former marines, a nun on the run, and simple town folk round up the cast of amazing characters with not a weak performance thru the piece.
“Stakeland” opened fairly modestly in select markets and grew to cult legend status, thru home release, like an expanding incisor. Well acted, fast paced, and and loaded with fresh material, the horror nation has really gotten behind this simply eloquent masterpiece. Popularity even brought about a very forgettable sequel but this original work is a must see bloody good time.
VAMPIRES (1998)
After “Escape from L.A.” John Carpenter was ready to give up film for good. Thru a series of crazy events Mr. Carpenter was given a chance to adapt the novel Vampire$ for the big screen. What the horror nation got was an action packed blood bath filled with great gore and sharp toothed dialogue. JackCrow (James Woods) and his rag tag team of vampire hunters run into Valek the first formed vampire. Valek is hunting down a sacred cross which will enable his children to walk in the sunlight and be unstoppable. Crow uses a bitten prostitute to hunt down Valek and uncover some dark secrets from the church that employs him.
The 90’s are continually ignored in horror history due mainly to the fact of the pop culture status of 80’s horror cinema. “Vampires” is one of those forgotten fangs that is pulled from the mouths of vampire film lovers. Iconic actor James Woods carries the film with grit and witty dialogue as only he could pull off. Daniel Baldwin puts in probably his best performance on film as Crow’s loyal sidekick and Thomas Ian Griffith shows sex appeal with slaughter with his portrayal of lead vampire Valek. While most classic vampire films take place in romantic gothic settings, following along the lines of “Near Dark” and “The Forsaken,” “Vampires” atmosphere is played to perfection in the Southwest desert. Breaking even in the domestic box office, the film did huge money in Asia and thru home release, becoming Carpenter’s only high grossing film during the decade. Great cast, dark setting, super splatter, and a new take on the old fable, “Vampires” is a film that needs to be risen from the dead every October.