Quickly, before the death rattle for the current vampire craze, let's take a look at films in the expansive, ultra-profitable sub-genre that have been lost in the shuffle. Day three of Movieline's Halloween 25 features Christopher Walken with fangs, a cameo by David Lynch, the blacksploitation vampire film that wasn't and more!
(As always, if I skipped your favorite, point it out in the comments...)
· Ganja and Hess (1976)
Bill Gunn (Writer of Hal Ashby's The Landlord) was hired to make a straight-forward blacksploitation vampire film, but instead delivered this stylistically daring, complex film that uses the vampire conceit to examine racial identity, spirituality and impossible love. The producers were furious and released a heavily edited version of the film titled Blood Couple, which bombed. But now, thanks to DVD, you can watch this unheralded '70s art-house horror gem the way Gunn intended. It's may be a bit slow for some tastes, but it's essential for anyone interested in the intersection of high and low art or African-American cinema.
· Martin (1977)
Apologies to Let the Right One In, but horror maestro George Romero made the definitive coming-of-age vampire film. Martin is a shy teenager who happens to be a vampire. Or maybe he just happens to think he's a vampire? Regardless, his perceived thirst for human blood drives him to extremes that make most rites of passage seem like fairy tales. By turns funny, touching and disturbing, and never lacking in Romero's sharp subtext and social commentary, Martin still ranks among the very best modern vampire films. Also, the opening sequence may be the best scene Romero has ever directed.
· Fright Night (1985)
A teenager enlists a washed-up TV-horror personality to help him do battle with his neighbors, who he is sure are vampires. For those who want to skip the philosophical and existential questions and get to the bloodletting, this one's for you. Writer-director Tom Holland has got it all: clever nods to the genre, witty dialogue, horrifying makeup, quality scares and stake-wielding action. As with most great horror movies from the '70s and '80s, a remake is in the works.
· The Addiction (1994)
Quiz time: What filmmaker has the audacity to put erotically-charged female-on-female bloodletting, discussions about Nietzsche, Holocaust footage (!) and meditations on spirituality and addiction all in the same vampire movie? Why, yes, the same one who previously showed a completely naked Harvey Keitel begging a vision of Jesus Christ for forgiveness in Bad Lieutenant. Abel Ferrara's stylish take on the genre is, thankfully, like no other. And as a bonus, Christopher Walken's performance as an intellectual vampire is one of the best of his career.
· Nadja (1995)
The last word in hip, post-modern vampire films, Michael Almereyda's Nadja begins with the death of Dracula, then journeys to Brooklyn to examine how his family members cope. In case the David Lynch cameo in the trailer below didn't tip you off, this one is bizarre, playful, funny, stylish and probably cooler than you are. At the same time, it's so inventive and reverent to the genre that it avoids becoming the shallow, hipper-than-thou feature-length music video that it might have been. Highly recommended.
PREVIOUSLY IN MOVIELINE'S HALLOWEEN 25
Monday: Vintage/B&W
Tuesday: Terrible Children