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John Carpenter's Vampires (Superbit...
Stars:
James Woods, Daniel Baldwin, Thomas Ian
Griffith, Maximilian Schell, and
Sheryl Lee
Writer:
Don Jakoby
Based on the Novel “Vampire$” by: John Steakley
Director:
John Carpenter
Feature
length: 108 minutes
Languages:
English DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical Surround Sound and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Sound
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions and French, Spanish, and Portuguese
Language Subtitles
Packaging:
Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 28
Sound:
DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical Surround Sound and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 1998/DVD Release: 2003
Theatrical
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Home
Video Distributor: Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: R
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
Adapted from
the John Steakley Novel, "VAMPIRE$",
John Carpenter's “Vampires” is a mix of anti-political correctness and
western overtones in a modern horror setting. The film is so raw at times that
it is refreshing. These are hard-boiled characters that act and speak out of the
pain and frustration they have experienced. They don't speak eloquently and
don't blink an eye to physical and verbal abuse. James Woods (VIDEODROME)
gives another one of his riled-up, stands-out performances as Vampire Hunter
team leader Jack Crow. James Woods' performance is reminiscent of his other
intense performances that he gave during the 1980's in films such as COP
and BEST SELLER. Here we have a
man haunted by the demons of his past. His father was bitten by a vampire and
consequently killed Crow's mother and then was slain by a young Crow himself.
Raised and trained by the Vatican to lead the American wing of professional
Vampire Hunters, Jack Crow is obsessed with killing every Vampire in the world.
After exterminating a group of zombie like Vampires referred to as
"Goons", Crow takes his team to celebrate at a motel with booze and
hookers. To their misfortune, The Vampire Master, Valek (THOMAS
IAN GIFFITH - EXCESSIVE FORCE) has tracked the team to their party and
dispatches with everyone present. Only Jack Crow, his point person, Montoya, (DANIEL
BALDWIN), and an unlucky prostitute bitten by Valek, (SHERYL
LEE - TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME), manage to escape.
Using her as a radar to track Valek, the survivors hold up at a hotel while Crow
meets up with his Vatican contact, (MAXIMILLIAN
SCHELL - DEEP IMPACT, THE BLACK HOLE), to find out who set up him and his
team and what Valek's real intentions are. The film culminates in a classic
showdown between good and evil that will leave viewers guessing what will happen
next until the very end.
Filmed on location in New Mexico with real churches and jails while sporting
conventional special effects that are also refreshing after all of the CGI
overkill that has occurred since TERMINATOR 2:
JUDGMENT DAY, John Carpenter does a more than adequate job setting up the
premise and some exciting action/horror sequences while providing a really
groovy soundtrack composed by the genre master himself.
Yes there are scenes that are extremely misogynistic and a lot of sophomoric
homosexual jokes one would expect from junior high school boys, but that is who
these characters are. The hunters are just as relentless as the vampires and at
times one might even feel sorry for the tragedy that has befallen the undead
after viewing the lengths Team Crow will go to slay them.
The trick with this film is not to get caught up in all the exploitation and
just take it for what it is. While not nearly as exciting as THE
THING, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, OR HALLOWEEN, VAMPIRES ranks pretty close to
IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS as being one of
Carpenters better efforts from the 1990's.
The transfer is fantastic in (2.35:1) anamorphic widescreen with beautiful PanavisionTM
landscapes. The new English DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical Surround
Soundtrack at times made the floor rumble around me and there is an English
Dolby Digital 5.1 Theatrical Surround Soundtrack and English Captions and Closed
Captions for the hearing impaired as well as French, Spanish, and Portuguese
Language Subtitles encoded as options.
Funny, when the film was released
so many critics were surprised to see James Woods in a John Carpenter film, but
any genre film fan knows that Woods is no stranger to horror films. Just rent
out CAT'S EYE and VIDEODROME
and see his performances. James Woods is a versatile actor who brings Jack Crow
to life and might be the best actor to collaborate with Carpenter since Kurt
Russell.
Sadly since the complete space of the dual layered disc is allotted for a
picture and sound transfer at double the bit rate for the best possible DVD
presentation, the feature length audio commentary with Director John Carpenter
is not carried over here. I like Carpenter’s commentaries a lot and I wish
they could have included it here since there has been a “Superbit” release
that featured an English Language Dolby Surround Soundtrack option in addition
to the proper German DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtracks. The film is
“Das Boot.” I mean would the commentary make a drastic difference in the
overall picture and sound presentation? For
the better picture and sound quality though I really do think “John
Carpenter’s Vampires: Superbit” is worth consideration, but Carpenter fans
should hold on to the original for the commentary alone. “John Carpenter’s Vampires: Superbit” will debut on DVD-Video
on Tuesday, August 5, 2003 from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment.
© Copyright 2003 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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John Carpenter's Vampires (Superbit...