Vampires Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Vampires Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 18, 2015

The redoubtable Joni Mitchell once said in a lyric of hers:

Laughing and crying,
You know it’s the same release.

The same might be said for laughing and shrieking in horror, for the emotions of humor and fear are weirdly similar, with a propensity in many toward an almost physical reaction at times, and in fact those who go to horror films during their theatrical exhibitions will probably concur that on occasion at least gasps of shock are often followed by titters of laughter. That may be one reason why so many horror filmmakers have also tended to infuse their offerings with a dose of comedy. There’s a potent if goofy subtext of comedy running rampant throughout John Carpenter’s Vampires, though the film is so hyperbolic at times that the humor may in fact escape the view of even the most alert viewer. But the pure silliness of seeing someone of James Woods’ intensity delivering an “energetic” performance as an obsessive vampire slayer may deliver at least some subliminal smiles. Carpenter seems to be an acquired taste, even for some diehard horror and science fiction fans, and that may well be because the noted writer-producer-director (and composer) doesn’t always seem to want to “play by the rules”, as evidenced in fact by the kind of weird mash up of horror and western tropes that inform much of this particular film.

Carpenter talks quite a bit on the commentary included on this new Blu-ray about his western inspirations for Vampires, and they’re on display from the first moment of the film, as helicopter aerial shots capture some almost John Fordian views of the American Southwest, aided and abetted by the filters cinematographer Gary B. Kibbe utilizes, filters which cast much of the opening of the film (and certain later sequences) in a really interesting orange-red ambience that suggests redolent sunsets or maybe (just maybe) that “liquid” that vampires lust after so dearly.

The setting is a gothic mansion in the west, and the film quickly introduces a ragtag team of vampire hunters, led by the no nonsense Jack Crow (James Woods). Aided by Anthony Montoya (Daniel Baldwin) and several others (including a priest), the team breaks into a house to eradicate a “nest”, as Crow refers to the encampment of blood suckers. And they do indeed find some of the nefarious fanged crew, dispatching them in an over the top sequence that sees the team harpooning one of them and dragging it out into the sunlight with a winch in order to watch it erupt into flames once sunlight strikes its body. But Crow is a little concerned that no “master” (i.e., a head vampire type) is part of the victim count.

In a none too surprising development, it turns out of course that there is a master, an ancient (V)lad named Jan Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith) who shows up at a post-attack party Crow and his crew are holding at a nearby motel to celebrate their apparent victory. Valek has no problem doing his own dispatching, though in one instance he doesn’t outright kill a party goer, a “working girl” named Katrina (Sheryl Lee) whom Valek attacks, drinking blood, though not from the typical location. This is in fact yet another slightly comic moment, where Valek’s location for the blood draw plays directly into tropes of vampires being magnetic, even ineluctable, lovers.

With only Crow and Montoya left standing after the attack, and Katrina in the throes of being “turned”, things seem desperate if not hopeless. But in one of this film’s attempts at revisionism, Katrina’s “midstream” deportment as an “almost vampire” gives her a telepathic link to Valek, a link which Crow seeks to utilize to his advantage in order to find and ultimately defeat the vampire. Meanwhile, it’s revealed that Crow is not merely some rogue vampire slayer but instead a kind of official mercenary who works at the behest of certain hoity toity Vatican types, including elderly Cardinal Alba (Maximilian Schell). A bit of probably needless backstory for both Crow and Valek is provided courtesy of some interstitial scenes that might provide a bit of color if probably not enough narrative momentum to justify their existence.

A number of wending developments ensue, including a couple of more potential “turnings” and a completely unsurprising third act revelation about one supporting character that portends doom for our hero (yeah, right). John Carpenter’s Vampires has energy to spare, but its narrative lurches in fits and starts and also visits too many predictable elements too often for its own good. The film’s gory battle and/or death scenes will probably be enough to recommend it to horror fans without any undue pretensions, but this film proves to be a fitful enterprise at best, one that offers some fun moments for James Woods but which may strike some as being otherwise peculiarly bloodless.

Vampires Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

John Carpenter's Vampires is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.40:1. From the first moment the iconic Columbia Pictures logo appears on screen, it's obvious that the typical care that this studio affords its releases, whether high profile or not, has once again been lavished on the film. Fine grain resolves beautifully and gives the film appropriate depth and texture. The palette is also wonderfully resolved, with the aforementioned filters utilized by DP Kibbe providing some really deeply burnished hues at times. Fine detail is exceptional in close-ups, where everything from the crags in Woods' face to the powder white makeup slapped on Griffith's visage are offered with precision and excellent clarity. About the only niggling concern some videophiles may experience here is some passing crush, an anomaly that can be attributed at least in part to the really deep and convincing black levels that are on display throughout the presentation.

Vampires Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

John Carpenter's Vampires features extremely energetic sounding DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 mixes. The surround mix is decidedly more aggressive in providing low end, something that ups the angst level in the patently goofy showdown sequences between humans and vampires. Immersion is also excellent in these moments, with a number of well done sound effects placed in discrete channels and creating a sometimes cacophonous ambience. Carpenter's rather nicely done score resides quite comfortably in the side and rear channels with great regularity. Dialogue is also rendered cleanly and clearly and is well prioritized.

Vampires Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary features writer-director John Carpenter.


• Isolated Score Track is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.


• The Making of John Carpenter's Vampires (480i; 6:10) is a brief but fun vintage featurette that offers some good behind the scenes footage and interviews.


• Original Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 2:05)

Vampires Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

John Carpenter's Vampires is stylish and often a lot of fun, but it's also curiously undercooked, trading on that style to try to divert from the fact that there's not a whale of a lot of substance here. Woods is very enjoyable in a somewhat unusual role for the actor, and the blending of western and horror tropes recalls some certain similarities to other films like From Dusk Till Dawn. Technical merits are excellent, and John Carpenter's Vampires comes Recommended.