admin Carino, Todd Anderson, Mike Vandrill
Director: John Carpenter
Cinema: Rainbow Town
Running time: 105 minutes. Type of film: Horror
Age restriction: Adults only
As that relatively small percentage of film-goers who find themselves seriously fascinated to the extent that they will research its origins, one major surprise awaits: The titles given to a film cannot be copyrighted.
This explains why, during the 20th century, approximately 70 films were made bearing the title Vampires or one of its derivatives. The film bearing that title and here under review was made in Hollywood 15 years ago, and is based on a novel by John Steakley.
It is interesting, perhaps amusing, to consider that, in 1996, when it first appeared in American movie houses, it bore the claim, “The final confrontation between good and evil has begun”.
A look at the past, in 1933, two films bearing the title “Vampires” were made and released simultaneously. One in English, directed by Tod Browning; and its counterpart, made in Spanish, directed by George Melford.
Today that would be considered unnecessary, simply put words of any language in the actors’ mouths.
Given the cinema-public’s clear understanding of what vampires can, and cannot do, it is now increasingly difficult to create a script which will beguile the cinema-goer in the manner in which I, for instance, was bewitched, in 1937, at the age of nine.
I can recall my reaction clearly. I knew then, as I know now, that vampires can do many things, and are clearly dangerous; but they cannot survive exposure to daylight. In the film under review, if so exposed, they instantly burst into flames.
If my memory serves me right, the current film, at Rainbow in town, has certain virtues formerly missing.
Carrying great weight in putting to the modern movie-goer a plot which is, by its nature, totally absurd, we see that a difference, both of purpose and the manner of carrying it out, exists between the two leading men; James Wood, as Jack, and Daniel Baldwin as Brent.
This is most evident in the persistence of the argument between them as to how to handle a beautiful prostitute who has fallen into their hands after being bitten and therefore infected by a vampire.
The terrain in which it is developed enriches the plot.
We are in the southwest of America, the states of Texas and New Mexico. For its scenic values alone this film merits serious attention. See this film and you will learn many things of which you may ask yourself, did I really need to know that?
Online Reporter