John Carpenter's Vampires Review
by Craig Roush (kinnopio AT execpc DOT com)November 1st, 1998
VAMPIRES
*** (out of 4) - a good movie
Release Date: October 30, 1998
Starring: James Woods, Daniel Baldwin, Sheryl Lee, Thomas Ian Griffith, Tim Guinee, Maximilian Schell
Directed by: John Carpenter
Distributed by: Columbia Pictures / Sony Pictures Entertainment MPAA Rating: R (strong vampire violence and gore, language, sexuality) URL: http://www.execpc.com/~kinnopio/reviews/1998/vampires.htm
Vampire lore and legend has always been a popular fantasy element, substantiated by not only the sheer number of movies about the subject, but also the proliferation of cults and sects of adherents. And, unlike any of the more outlandish myths, the vampire holds some real-world probability (one study claims 1,000 bloodsuckers exist worldwide, and places 50 in Los Angeles). But lest the nasties be mistaken for simple comic book bad guys, John Carpenter would like to remind us that they are - and always have been - a truly frightening element of the thriller genre. And remind us he does in his latest film, VAMPIRES.
There was some question, as Halloween weekend approached, of how well VAMPIRES would do in comparison to New Line Cinema's immensely successful BLADE, released in August. The two films take noticeably different stands on the vampire issue, and don't even agree on some basic points of the slaying method. (For instance, Blade's main weapons are silver and garlic, whereas main character Jack Crow's technique is a wooden stake to the heart.) BLADE also gives more of a face to the vampire civilization, while Carpenter would like us to remain in the dark about how the pasties operate. Both have their advantages, and here, Carpenter's style lends itself to a darker breed of suspense rather than the action movie that BLADE director Stephen Norrington delievered. When it's all said and done, though, the vampires still kill and die with a bloody flourish; the level for gore is indeed set to maximum.
This time, our hero is Vatican-sponsored slayer Jack Crow (James Woods). He's a cynical, battle-worn veteran, and the best of his bunch. He and his team are responsible for cleaning out the American Southwest, and after exterminating a nest one night, they run up against a super-vampire (termed a "master") named Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith). Valek kills all of Jack's team except for his partner, Tony Montoya (Daniel Baldwin), and as the two regroup, they learn that Valek is the original vampire - now over six hundred years old. Apparently, Valek and his minions have been sweeping the Southwest for decades in search of a cross that will enable them to walk in the daytime. So with the aid of a priest named Adam (Tim Guinee) and a bitten hooker (Sheryl Lee) as bait, they track Valek down for the final confrontation.
The script for VAMPIRES, written by Don Jakoby and based on the John Steakley novel, is perhaps the wittiest piece of screenplay to see production all year. Crow, in particular, is a fun source of one-liners, and Woods does every one of them with perfect stoicism. Baldwin, Lee, and Guinee are all fine supports, adding to the character pool, but the other true highlight of the movie is Thomas Ian Griffith's bad guy. Griffith's intense expression is perfect for the role, and the only downside is that he's got to talk sometime. Luckily, he's got few lines, and manages to pull off a rather thrilling performance. All said, fans will surely be impressed by this picture, and those who found APT PUPIL a bit limp will be excited by this one. Certainly a worthwhile visit to the theaters.
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Craig Roush
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Kinnopio's Movie Reviews
http://www.execpc.com/~kinnopio
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