Near Dark

--Reviewed by Lindy Loo

Plotline: A young cowboy happens across a hot little number while out on the town. He quickly realizes that she's not exactly what she seems to be and finds himself pulled into a web of vampirism.

Scariness factor: Not so much scary as creepy.

Gross-Out Factor: There's a lot of shooting and torturing, so as long as you're prepared for that, you should be ok...

Complaints: I guess I have no huge complaints other than that this movie isn't anything hugely special. It's solidly put together, it's filmed in a gritty way that's fitting for the subject matter, and the acting is for the most part good. But it still doesn't make my toes curl despite all this, for some reason.

High Points: If I remember correctly, a fellow horror-movie nerd I was friends with in grad school considered this his favorite vampire flick (and perhaps one of his favorite horror movie flicks as well, though I can't be quite positive). I'd seen it once before, but it's been about five years. So when my mom told me she just recently watched it and dug it, I figured I'd rent it again. I don't know that it's my favorite vampire flick, and it's definitely not one of my absolute favorite horror flicks in general. But it's a good one nonetheless...
A definite high point is seeing soft and cuddly Bill Paxton playing the craziest whacked out most violent vampire in the bunch.

This is also an entertaining and gritty twist on the mythology of vampires, kind of an apocalyptic vision where vampires blot out van-windows so that they can drive in the sun without being fried and where they frequent bars at night, torturing the local trash and sucking their blood. Plus, Lance Henriksen rocks as always--he has the best vampire voice ever. And the special fx are quite fun and decent--especially with folks catching fire in the sun.



Overall: This is definitely an entertaining movie, between the grittiness and the special fx. If you like vampire flicks, you should definitely put it on your list of must-sees.

Grade: B