Comments | eeknight: Near Dark (1987)

eeknight

Near Dark (1987)

Oct 23, 2007 09:21

Halloween Horrorfest 2007 continues with this 80s thriller, lost to movie audiences thanks to the much more successful Lost Boys which appeared a few weeks earlier.

Near Dark is probably my favorite vampire film. Characteristically, the word "vampire" never appears in the movie.

I say "probably" because it depends on my mood. Bella's original ( Read more... )

reviews, media

Comments 24

ericcoleman October 23 2007, 15:00:50 UTC

The Lugosi Dracula is just so stage-y. It's wonderfully eerie, but just doesn't have the impact of the other Universal films because it's just a direct adaptation from the stage. Reminds me though that I need a Frankenstein marathon this month. Yeah, I bought the double disk reissue of Frankenstein AND the Universal box of all of the Frankie movies.

eeknight October 23 2007, 15:04:00 UTC

Yeah, the Frankensteins are my favorite Universal monster movies, though the Karloff Mummy comes close and feels much more like a modern horror film.

ericcoleman October 23 2007, 15:08:43 UTC

I need to get the Mummy set, I really do. They are just so damn creepy.

Bride Of Frankenstein is my favorite by far of all the Universals, it's just so weird and kinky. Ernst Thesiger is hysterical.

michaeldthomas October 23 2007, 17:54:44 UTC

I have a great love for Freaks, though that's hardly a regular Universal monster flick.

Hammer ericcoleman October 23 2007, 15:05:51 UTC

The Hammer films made the vampire legend about what it should be about, sex. The Lugosi film hinted at it as much as they could at the time, but the Hammer films made it clear. I would highly recommend an all region DVD player and a visit to the DVD dealer who shows up at the Chicago cons. I would imagine he will be at Windy. He always has stuff that didn't get a release over here including the wonderful Twins Of Evil.

Re: Hammer eeknight October 23 2007, 15:12:40 UTC

I might steal that line for when I talk about the Coppola Bram Stoker's Dracula. It's a problematic movie in more than just the title but God I love it.

"Finger Lickin' Good!" booraven22 October 23 2007, 15:10:38 UTC

Absolutely ADORE Near Dark!!

Saw it multiple times in the theater and I own the Director's Cut of the DVD released a couple years ago. I am a huge vampire movie fan and will see most movies, for good or bad, whenever I can. Near Dark sits firmly in my top 5 vamp films for a lot of the reasons you cited above. It's visually stunning, darkly witty and takes a nice step away from the standard cliches of most vampire movies/stories. It's also quite quotable, which is the earmark of a good movie. :)

Re: "Finger Lickin' Good!" eeknight October 23 2007, 15:15:55 UTC

Saw it multiple times in the theater

I must bow to your judgment, you're the only person I know so far who can say that. I had to discover it on video. I've got that same Anchor Bay multi-DVD release.

"We keep odd hours" is my favorite. Also, I love when Diamondback messes with Homer by playing "Mom" -- Diamondback is the only character that I thought needed another scene or two to really get where she's coming from.

Re: "Finger Lickin' Good!" sinanju October 23 2007, 16:11:33 UTC

I never saw it in the theatre either. I was channel surfing one day and stumbled across THE BAR SCENE just as our "heroes" kicked open the door and walked in. I was hooked. I had no idea what film this was, but I had to watch it.

I love that movie (despite the cop-out ending, yeah).

And, yeah, definitely quotable.

"Shit kicker heaven!"
"I hate it when they ain't been shaved!"

nick_kaufmann October 23 2007, 15:14:07 UTC

Near Dark and Fright Night are my favorite vampire movies too. I have a soft spot for the Christopher Lee Dracula movies Hammer put out, but let's face it, they're really not good films, they're just dopey fun.

eeknight October 23 2007, 15:18:45 UTC

I don't know if I'd use the word "dopey" but the carpet-chewing performances are why they're still being talked about today.

prest0 October 23 2007, 15:58:23 UTC

Near Dark is certainly one of the better vampire movies out there. You might also enjoy a novel called Vampire$ (yes, with the dollar sign) by John Steakley.

I may have read something recently about a remake of Near Dark in the works.

sinanju October 23 2007, 16:13:20 UTC

Best. Vampire. Novel. Ever. Too bad the movie they made was so aggresively, abysmally, arrogantly stupid.

eeknight October 23 2007, 18:18:28 UTC

I thought it had its moments, but it concentrated on the action rather than on Crow's rather tragic journey.

eeknight October 23 2007, 18:17:48 UTC

Oh God yes, Vampire$ made me want to write Vampire Earth. It was a total "I wanna do what HE did!" situation.

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