John Carpenter’s career ebbed and flowed though the eighties and nineties, but audiences might have paid a bit more attention to 1998’s Vampires if they’d known it would be the director’s last substantial hit to date. Carpenter was disillusioned with the industry coming of the back of Ghosts of Mars, and Vampires gave him the welcome chance to fuse his love of Westerns with his love of horror. The result got a mixed reception at the time, but Vampires looks far better now than then, and worth considering alongside Carpenter’s best work.
Jack Crow (James Woods) works for the Vatican, but in a covert fashion; he leads a team of fearful vampire killers who search out ‘nests’ and then massacre the bloodless creatures inside. These are not, Crow explains, Euro-trash romantics, can’t be stopped with garlic and crosses, and kill like rabid animals, only with super strength. The opening shows just how tough an adversary the vampires are, a protracted, gory set piece in which Crow’s use of a harpoon and winch proves vital in dragging the creatures out into the New Mexico sunlight.
Crow metes up with Cardinal Alba (Maximilian Schell) to discuss what’s next, but without guessing that his team are in the sights of vampire master Valek played with considerable power by Thomas Ian Griffith. The action is hard and fast, and there’s an elegiac, weary mood that makes this film stand out from the horror crowd. Valek easily massacres Crow’s team, and looks set to transform himself into a more deadly incarnation if Crow can’t stop him. Together with side-kick Montoya (Daniel Baldwin!), Crow tracks down Valek with the help of Katrina (Twin Peaks’ Sheryl Lee), a woman who has recently been bitten and will soon evolve a telepathic link with their quarry…
Woods is great as Crow, who has the tough delivery of a John Wayne, but updated for a violent 90’s vampire genre flick; the inspiration seems to be somewhere between Rio Bravo and Rio Lobo. ‘How’s that syntax for you?’ and ‘This give you mahogany?’ are two of the unexpected questions from Crow that keep Vampires on track. The action is hard and fast, and the result could easily be in the same universe as From Dusk Till Dawn or even Salem’s Lot. Perhaps the pulp-fiction feel wasn’t fashionable at the time, but as a slice of 90’s universe building, Vampires really should have been a franchise rather than the two film stutter that followed. It’s not too late to dig this one out.
I think the movie is fine. I just have a hard time accepting James Woods as the badass he is trying to push.
Woods isn’t exactly a staple of horror movies, and was somewhat typecast in Salvador/Cop-type roles at the time. He’s no Chuck Norris when it comes to being a bad-ass leading man, but it’s certainly a variation on his usual type of anti-hero. Thanks for the comment!
Carpenter could be quite up-and-down both artistically and commercially, but his was a good one with an interesting cast. The last person you would have thought of ending up at the Vatican was Woods by hey-ho it’s Hollywood anything can happen.
Can’t imagine Woods being the Vatican’s first choice, but he gets the job done. Nice seeing Carpenter being a bit more referential than usual, paying tribute to classic Westerns.
This sounds fun, but vampires not being stopped by garlic and stakes? They ain’t real vampires, my friend.
Stakes do work, but they really have to be jammed in. It’s a kind of non-Dracula world where vampires have no disguise. Carpenter did the disguise thing well in They Live, and kind of inverts that to good effect here.
Non-Dracula world? No such place exists! Does the vampire have to be invited in before they can enter?
They have to supply all the relevant paperwork.
Wow, what a blast from the past. I watched this movie so often it broke the vhs player…😂 This is one of the favorite no bs vampire movies i am always up for re watching.
I remembered it being good, and very rewatchable, and that’s exactly how it seemed when I returned last weekend. It’s a treat!
This looks fun, I’ll bang it on the list.
It is fun, and more of an action film than a horror. I was impressed and might even return for the sequel/prequel action.
Have you got your costume sorted?
I have!
Can you reveal any details for the world’s media?
Nope.
It’s like Faye Dunaway, is the word on the street.
Yep.
Ok, I can only keep the press at bay for so long. As Alex says, pics or it never happened.
I thought we’re in a zoom thing so you’ll see it on screen silly.
“elegiac weary mood” line so good you used it twice! Hey, at least you know I read! I was marveling — but at the third read (adding in the headline use) I had to go look up what Elegiac meant! :p
FFS, had to swap this in at the last minute, give me a moment and I’ll get this sorted, thanks!
we can all use an editor from time to time! Me more than most.
I’ll be bringing the syntax and pouring over your writing this afternoon!
Napalm. the universal solvent for vampires. Not as cool as cutting off their heads with old ninja swords though.
And I’m glad John listened to me about hollywood. If only more directors and actors were as wise as him.
Soothing words of reason as always…
You know me, Mr Calm and Collected.
That’s why you and I have such a good rapport even though we’re on opposite sides of a lot of issues. I keep you from completely flying off the handle and you keep me from turning into cardboard 😀
If you really want soothing, I’d recommend some haggis tea….
What is haggis tea?
Tea made from haggis of course. And you call yourself scottish….
How about Ice T?
Haggis Ice-T? He’s not scottish, so he can’t be haggis anyway.
Keep trying…..
Mr T?
He’s definitely more scottish than Ice-T, but come on man, can you see Mr T painting his butt blue and waving it at people?
And the mind revolts at the picture of of Mr T in a kilt….
We don’t do a lot of painting butts blue. That was a movie set some time ago. We’ve moved on.
Uh huh, sure you collectively have moved on. And Americans are all skinny and healthy.
Movies are influencers and true. You’ve taught me that 😉
I might have to adjust that takeaway…
😀
Change my mind? Good luck, hahahahaaa….
I know you to be a fair minded individual. I remember you even had suspicions about Joe Biden, and yet look at you now! That’s the power of deep thought!
That PrZ Joey B was secretly Barney the Purple Dinosaur?!?
HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT!?!?!? I TOLD NO ONE, NO ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, that stinking surveillance van. I swear, you are going to get me in so much trouble….
That’s why I’m here! I think Barney is a bit younger, to be fair.
It’s amazing what make up and special affects can do these days.
Just look at the Muppets after all…
Effects, I think! But I take your point, the muppets have very much come of age on a geopolitical stage.
You are correct. Affects/Effects is my english language Kryptonite. Everything else I can pretty much shrug off like mere bullets, but affects/effects, I simply can’t get it write…
Every rose has a thorn…I had a repeated line in my copy today, but it was spotted and corrected. Even the greats make mistakes.
I saw that. I didn’t comment on it though because I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.
I have no such restrained compunction. I thrive on mashing your little melon.
I know. And I won’t stoop to your level.
And that is why my blog is an Ultimate Refuge of Sanity and Awesomeness while yours is a bog of chaos and mediocrity.
See, no stooping involved on my part at all 😉
Hmm…you’re giving away your true feelings…
Just the facts, ma’am, just the facts.
No feelingz when it comes to The Bookstooge….
Strictly by the book-stooge…
Hehehehe, that’s the spirit!