Halloween Bites! Fright Night (2011)

“That’s a terrible vampire name. Jerry?”

You’re probably asking yourself: Why is Ken talking about the remake of the legendary cult classic, Fright Night, and not the original? Great question, camper! The fact of the matter is that I already reviewed the original film awhile back and you can read about it here. I decided to talk about the 2011 film this year because despite being a remake, it’s a lot more serious than its predecessor and it’s a pretty good flick.

The film stars Anton Yelchin as Charley Brewster, Imogen Poots as his girlfriend, Amy, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Evil Ed, Toni Collette as Jane Brewster, and David Tennant as Peter Vincent, a Las Vegas-based magician. The film also stars Colin Farrell as Jerry, Charley’s mysterious neighbor who Ed believes is a vampire. Be on the lookout for a special cameo from Chris Sarandon, the original Jerry from the 1985 original.

As I already mentioned, this film takes its vampires much more seriously than the original film. There are a few genuine horror moments and Farrell seems to really be enjoying himself as he drinks his way through suburbia. David Tennant probably gets the most laughs out of the film and he does a fine job as Peter Vincent. The only gripe that I have with this film is the CGI. It looks pretty good for the most part, but a few moments, moments meant to be intense and/or scary, come off looking a bit ridiculous. Overall, though, this film is excellent and deserves to be seen.

Halloween Bites! Track Of The Vampire

“Cursed with a vampire’s lust.”

Sordi is constantly on the lookout for new models to paint. Is it because they remind him of his long-deceased lover who seemingly talks to him from beyond the grave or is it due to the fact that he is a blood-hungry vampire who paints his fresh kills and then embodies them in wax? You’ll have to suffer through 1966’s Track Of The Vampire in order to find out what happens!

The film stars William Campbell as the troubled Antonio Sordi. It also stars a bevy of beautiful women including Lori Saunders (Dorean), Marissa Mathes (Daisy), and Sandra Knight (Donna). The film also features Sid Haig in an early film role and Karl Schanzer as Max.

The film is a cobbled mess. It is actually the film Blood Bath with additional footage added to increase the runtime. Roger Corman used a film he co-produced entitled Operation: Titian, combined footage from it with a new script and footage and re-released the film as Portrait Of Terror. Unhappy with that film, Corman incorporated more footage to create Blood Bath and that film’s short runtime led to the creation of Track Of The Vampire.

While I don’t necessarily recommend this film, it’s definitely very interesting to watch. It makes almost no sense and features some pretty bad acting. That said, the wax bath sequences are pretty cool to watch and it’s great to see an early Sid Haig role.

Halloween Bites! Blade

“There are worse things out tonight than vampires.”

If you were born prior to the invention of the MCU, you know that Marvel films were few, far between, and pretty bad. A couple of made-for-TV Incredible Hulk films, a straight-to-video Captain America flick, and Howard The Duck were the “highlights” of Marvel’s early film attempts. I don’t even want to think about the Dolph Lundgren flick, The Punisher, which debuted on VHS rental shelves. Yep, the classic era of Marvel films was terrible….with one exception. In 1998, Marvel, David Goyer, Stephen Norrington, and New Line Cinema released one of the best Marvel Comic films ever, Blade, and it featured a fairly unknown B or C-list hero of the same name portrayed by Wesley Snipes.

With the assistance of his friend and father figure, Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), Blade hunts down vampires on a mission to eliminate all of them and, hopefully, kill the one that murdered his mother and turned him into the “Daywalker,” a man with all of a vampire’s strengths and none of their weaknesses. In the film, Blade squares off against Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff), who plans to awaken La Magra, the Blood God, and use his power to take over the world. Along for the ride are Frost’s allies such as Mercury (Arly Jover), Quinn (Donal Logue), and a whole host of over vampire villains and a great techno soundtrack.

Snipes was born to play Blade. Every movement, look, and word that he speaks is the embodiment of the hero pose. Dorff is brilliant as Deacon Frost. He’s hated by the pure blood vampires and despised by Blade. He’s the perfect foil to the Daywalker. With the quality of the acting blended into the music and action to perfection, Blade is the perfect horror comic film for an evening at home.

Halloween Bites! Once Bitten

“Being a vampire in the twentieth century is a nightmare!”

Before he made it big on In Living Color and ultimately became a movie star, Jim Carrey starred in 1985’s Once Bitten alongside Lauren Hutton, Cleavon Little, and Karen Kopins. In the film, Carrey portrays Mark Kendall, a teen virgin desperately seeking his “first time” with a woman. Lauren Hutton’s Countess is on the hunt as well, but she’s looking for the blood of a virgin to keep her looking youthful.

Once Bitten is a teen horror comedy that, while enjoyable enough, lacks the bite of many of its contemporaries. It’s a safe teen comedy with a decent cast, and it’s worth a look if you want a glimpse into Jim Carrey’s early career. I’m old enough to remember renting this film on VHS, as it was much more enjoyable for me as a kid.

Be sure to check out Once Bitten. It’s currently available on a number of free streaming services.

Halloween Bites! Abigail

“A ballerina vampire!“

With a brilliant combination of humor and horror, 2024’s Abigail sees six would-be kidnappers fighting for their lives against a sinister vampire……who happens to be a little girl. The movie stars Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, and Alisha Weir. The rest of the cast is rounded out by a number of excellent actors including Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand, and Giancarlo Esposito.

The movie does an excellent job of providing plenty of laughs without sacrificing the horror element. It also has quite a few references to the classic Dracula (1931) film that launched Bela Lugosi to stardom. While this film hasn’t launched any careers yet, I have a feeling that a few of its stars, in particular Kathryn Newton, are well on their way to bigger and better things.

Abigail is definitely worth watching. It’s fun, a bit scary, and the perfect film to watch on a cold and dark night. I hope that there’s a sequel with Abigail teaming up with another vampire (I won’t say who), and based on the film’s success, that’s highly likely.

Halloween Bites! Near Dark

“We keep odd hours.”

A whirlwind night of puppy love with a beautiful stranger turns into a complete nightmare for Caleb Colton, as he becomes part of a vampire caravan that can’t decide whether he should join them or die. That’s the core plot of 1987’s Near Dark, a modern vampire western starring Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein, Bill Paxton, and Joshua John Miller. The film is directed by Kathryn Bigelow, best known for The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty. The movie didn’t catch on at the box office, but eventually gained a cult following that continues to this day.

The film features cast members that Alien and Terminator fans know well. Henriksen, Goldstein, and Paxton all appeared in the Alien franchise and Paxton and Goldstein had small roles in the Terminator franchise. The trio, along with Miller and Wright, form a band of nomadic vampires that move from town to town, looking for victims. When Wright’s character, Mae, falls for her human victim, Caleb (Pasdar), she attempts to convince the group to let him become their newest member. Caleb struggles with becoming a vampire, refusing to kill but desperate to stay with Mae. Caleb’s father and sister, with no help from the local police, decide to look for him and end up as pawns in a deadly game between Caleb and the caravan.

Paxton was well on his way to establishing himself as an actor in this film and he basically steal the show. His character, Severen, has a close friendship with Jesse (Henriksen), who was a Confederate soldier in his human life. In turn, Jesse and Diamondback (Goldstein), are in a vampire relationship and represent the father and mother of the group. Homer (Miller) is apparently a very old vampire who is trapped in a child’s body. Mae (Wright) is the group’s newest member, and much like Caleb, she struggles with her new way of life.

Of all of the vampire films that hit the big screen in the 1980’s, Near Dark is one of the best in my opinion. It has a great story, wonderful practical effects, and an amazing cast. Be sure to watch it if you haven’t yet.

Halloween Bites! Buffy The Vampire Slayer

“Great. My secret weapon is PMS.“

While there are tons of people out there who swear that Sarah Michelle Gellar is the best Buffy, I’ll go to my grave knowing that Kristy Swanson portrayed Buffy first and best in the 1992 film Buffy The Vampire Slayer. The film stars Swanson, Donald Sutherland, Rutger Hauer, Luke Perry, and Paul Reubens. It also features a number of other actors that would go on to great careers in film and television including David Arquette, Hilary Swank, Thomas Jane, Ben Affleck, Ricki Lake, and Stephen Root.

In the film, Merrick (Sutherland) comes to Buffy’s school to tell her that she is a vampire slayer and the he will train her to protect humans from the immortal fiends. Her training proves to be difficult due to the fact that she’s a self-centered and immature cheerleader. When Lothos (Hauer) and his seedy sidekick, Amilyn, arrive to take over Los Angeles, Buffy takes charge. Along with her new friend, Pike (Perry), Buffy squares off against Lothos and his legion of new bloodsuckers in a climactic battle at the prom. Who wins? Check out Buffy The Vampire Slayer and find out for yourself!

This film is funny and features some great action sequences to boot. Paul Reubens, appearing in his first major role after being arrested for indecent exposure in 1991, hammed it up as Amilyn. He’s one of the best parts of this film and his death scene has become one of the most memorable vampire deaths in film history if you ask me. While Luke Perry wasn’t the star of the film, but his star power definitely attracted some of the film’s audience thanks to his role as Dylan McKay on Beverly Hills, 90210. Kristy Swanson continued working in film and television and does so to this day. A few of her career highlights include The Phantom (1996), Big Daddy (1998), and Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000). I have had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Swanson on two occasions and I highly recommend meeting her if you ever get the chance.

If you’re looking for a lighter vampire flick that’s tons of fun, definitely check out Buffy The Vampire Slayer. You won’t regret it! Oh, and here’s a photo of yours truly and the lovely Kristy Swanson!

Halloween Bites! Stake Land

“We were on our own now, me and Mister.”

When you think of post-apocalyptic horror, zombies almost always come to mind. That, or aliens or something along those lines. For 2010’s Stake Land, it’s vampires that have run rampant across the world. It’s this world where we get to witness the struggles of life in a vampire epidemic for Mister and Martin, two strangers who befriend one another in order to survive and decide to make their way to a protected city in Canada called New Eden.

The vampires in this film are fast and brutal. They also appear to be evolving. To top it all off, there are cults that have arisen that worship the vampires and hunt down humans that prove to be very good at killing these newfound gods. One of the deadliest vampire hunters in the United States, now known as Stake Land, is Mister, and he has drawn the attention of the vicious Brotherhood. He decides to team up wit a young boy named Martin and they attempt to make their way to New Eden in Canada.

While making their way north, the duo befriend a nun, a young pregnant woman, and a man called Willie. They square off with the Brotherhood on a number of occasions, with a sinister leader named Jebedia that proves to be a challenging foe. Do the two heroes make it to New Eden? Watch Stake Land in order to find out what happens!

The film has a solid cast that features Nick Damici as Mister, Connor Paolo as Martin, Kelly McGillis as Sister, Danielle Harris as Belle, Sean Nelson as Willie, and Michael Cerveris as Jebedia. All of them do a great job in their roles.

Be sure to check out Stake Land. You won’t regret it!

Halloween Bites! 30 Days Of Night

“You keep shooting and they just….they just keep coming.”

I’m not quite sure if any vampire film prior to 2007’s 30 Days Of Night ever visited the concept of vampires in Alaska, but it’s a really cool idea and I’m glad that someone finally put it on celluloid. The story takes place in a small town in northern Alaska called Barrow. Most of the town’s citizens are heading south while a few will stay behind to endure thirty days of night. Seeing this as a potential all-you-can-eat buffet, a group of vampires arrive in town in order to feast upon those that stay behind with zero threat from the sun rising for a month. Barrow’s sheriff heads up a small group of humans that battle to stay alive as they wait for the sun to finally return to their terrorized town.

The film stars Josh Hartnett as Sheriff Eben Oleson and Melissa George as his estranged wife, Stella. The vampires are headed up by Marlow, portrayed with sinister perfection by Danny Huston. The film also features Ben Foster, Manu Bennett, Amber Sainsbury, Mark Boone Junior, Megan Franich, and Mark Rendall. All of the cast do excellent jobs, but Huston, Franich, and the rest of the vampires are particularly fun to watch.

The vampires really breathe life into this film. They are portrayed as brutal, super fast, super strong, and highly intelligent. They get joy from “playing with their food,” and Marlow loves it when the humans fight back. The vampires also speak their own unique language. They are excellent.

I highly recommend this film. It has excellent pacing, a great cast, and some amazing action and horror sequences.

Halloween Bites! Sundown: The Vampire In Retreat

“This is no life for a vampire!”

After years of living peacefully deep in the American West, a group of reformed vampires find themselves in a fight for their immortal lives when a rebellion rises that threatens to endanger not only the peaceful town of Purgatory, but of all humanity. This sets the stage for 1989’s vampire western comedy, Sundown: The Vampire In Retreat. The film’s cast is loaded with a litany of amazing character actors including M. Emmet Walsh, Jim Metzler, Sunshine Parker, Bert Remsen, Buck Flower, and John Ireland. It stars David Carradine, Morgan Brittany, Bruce Campbell, Deborah Foreman, and Maxwell Caulfield. Carradine portrays Mardulak, the leader of the Purgatory community and Ireland plays Ethan, who heads up a vampire rebellion hoping to return to feasting upon humans. Thrown into the mix is the human Harrison family and Robert Van Helsing, who happen to be in the town when the rebellion begins.

The film does a wonderful job of blending comedy, action, and horror. It also features amazing cinematography, utilizing the beauty of locations such as Arches National Park to perfection. The film does get a tad silly at times but, overall, it’s a really enjoyable flick. The quality of the cast and the cult appeal of actors like Bruce Campbell and David Carradine almost guarantee that certain audiences will flock to this film, but it deserves a much larger audience.

If you enjoy westerns, vampire horror, comedy, or some mixture of these genres, you’ll love this film. I really enjoyed watching it and I wish that I would have discovered it earlier. It’s currently available on a number of subscription streaming services and October is the perfect month to check it out as we get closer to Halloween.