John Carpenter's Vampires Review
by David Sunga (zookeeper AT criticzoo DOT com)November 8th, 1998
JOHN CARPENTER'S VAMPIRES (1998)
Rating: 2.0 stars (out of 4.0)
********************************
Key to rating system:
2.0 stars - Debatable
2.5 stars - Some people may like it
3.0 stars - I liked it
3.5 stars - I am biased in favor of the movie
4.0 stars - I felt the movie's impact personally or it stood out *********************************
A Movie Review by David Sunga
Directed by: John Carpenter
Written by: Don Jakoby, from the John Steakley novel VAMPIRE
Starring: James Woods, Daniel Baldwin, Sheryl Lee, Thomas Ian Griffith
Ingredients: Vampires, vampire hunters, New Mexico
Synopsis:
In this version, vampires can still be killed by wooden stakes and sunlight, but garlic, crosses, and holy water do nothing. In addition, vampires can also be created by botched exorcisms. Professional vampire hunters hired by the Catholic Church are called slayers, while vampires covens roost in "nests", presided over by a vampire "master."
Main characters Crow and Montoya (James Woods and Daniel Baldwin) are 1990s vampire hunters. Their hit squad of slayers strikes the vampires. Later the vampire master strikes back. Then the vampires reorganize. Then the hit squad reorganizes. They all get ready for the final battle. Meanwhile Crow must figure out who betrayed his name and location to the vampires.
Opinion:
Heroes win, heroes lose, heroes fight the big stakes finale. That was and still is the formula for all superhero made-for-TV fare. JOHN CARPENTER'S VAMPIRES is no different. The only new innovations JOHN CARPENTER'S VAMPIRES adds are the sunny New Mexico (read "Western") setting, the 1990s method of vampire killing (anchor them to a rope and use a sport utility vehicle to drag them into the sunlight), and some new mythology (vampires can be created by botched exorcism).
JOHN CARPENTER'S VAMPIRES is fairly predictable, and main character Jack Crow is a bit unsavory for a hero (he mouths expletives at his men, shoves a woman, and slaps around an innocent young priest), but it's all in good B-grade fun.
Reviewed by David Sunga
November 6, 1998
Copyright © 1998 by David Sunga
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