best addition to vampire canon ever
I just got back from seeing "Daybreakers". If you like vampires, go see it right now before it leaves theaters. I waffled about going to see it, because it's vampires and there are other things to do and blah, but really. It's a good vampire movie. That doesn't mean much in a world of Twilight and Underworld, but consider this: it was made by Australians, who don't have to contend with the crappy American system that produces crappy vampire movies. Plus these are the same Australians who made Undead, so you can guess how good Daybreakers is.
In this good vampire movie, the whole world are vampires except for a few human survivors, and Sam Neill is the head of the largest blood supply company. Sam Neill has a wonderful voice, all deep and enunciating, and makes a great creepy vampire CEO. Ethan Hawke is the head scientist at said company, and isn't thrilled about being a vampire. He keeps a sad puppy face for a lot of the movie, but in an acceptable way. Willem Dafoe is in it as Willem Dafoe, Clear and Present Danger-style, keeping the Dafoe factor high.
The movie sticks to vampire canon pretty much, with a few delightful additions. My personal favorite is that staked vampires don't just disintegrate, they explode. With some force. Perhaps the people sitting in front of me didn't think this was as hilarious as I did, but to hell with them. The movie didn't take itself that seriously. See Undead, above. The other little ancillary tidbit is that vampires who don't get enough blood turn into vicious fleshy bat-critters in fairly short order, which becomes a problem in a world that's 95% vampires and increasing that percentage all the time. The range of possible vampires is a nice gesture towards other interpretations of vampires, encompassing varieties from gentlemen pansy Brad Pitt to the half-zombies of I Am Legend. A little Bela Lugosi homage got in there too.
I was pleased at the lack of lady scientist, considering the genre, and at the subtle romantic leanings. If this were an American film there probably would have been at least some kissing, which only has so much place in a horror movie. Also pleasing: characters die. Even though I wasn't happy about some of the deaths, at least the Spierig brothers had the guts to kill some folk. It is a vampire movie after all. Last thing I liked that I'll mention: Ethan Hawke's character was kind of wussy for the male lead in a horror movie, and stayed kind of wussy. Go you, Spierigs, using that logic. And go costume designers. I like a man in a vest.
vampire movie haiku:
what is better than
vampires on fire? well,
vampires exploding [BOOM]
In this good vampire movie, the whole world are vampires except for a few human survivors, and Sam Neill is the head of the largest blood supply company. Sam Neill has a wonderful voice, all deep and enunciating, and makes a great creepy vampire CEO. Ethan Hawke is the head scientist at said company, and isn't thrilled about being a vampire. He keeps a sad puppy face for a lot of the movie, but in an acceptable way. Willem Dafoe is in it as Willem Dafoe, Clear and Present Danger-style, keeping the Dafoe factor high.
The movie sticks to vampire canon pretty much, with a few delightful additions. My personal favorite is that staked vampires don't just disintegrate, they explode. With some force. Perhaps the people sitting in front of me didn't think this was as hilarious as I did, but to hell with them. The movie didn't take itself that seriously. See Undead, above. The other little ancillary tidbit is that vampires who don't get enough blood turn into vicious fleshy bat-critters in fairly short order, which becomes a problem in a world that's 95% vampires and increasing that percentage all the time. The range of possible vampires is a nice gesture towards other interpretations of vampires, encompassing varieties from gentlemen pansy Brad Pitt to the half-zombies of I Am Legend. A little Bela Lugosi homage got in there too.
I was pleased at the lack of lady scientist, considering the genre, and at the subtle romantic leanings. If this were an American film there probably would have been at least some kissing, which only has so much place in a horror movie. Also pleasing: characters die. Even though I wasn't happy about some of the deaths, at least the Spierig brothers had the guts to kill some folk. It is a vampire movie after all. Last thing I liked that I'll mention: Ethan Hawke's character was kind of wussy for the male lead in a horror movie, and stayed kind of wussy. Go you, Spierigs, using that logic. And go costume designers. I like a man in a vest.
vampire movie haiku:
what is better than
vampires on fire? well,
vampires exploding [BOOM]