My review of the classic vampire film, NEAR DARK, as requested by Grant F. on Facebook. In this stylish tale of modern-day vampires, gothic horror is mixed with modern-day American society. Caleb, a young cowboy out for a night of fun, meets Mae, a beautiful and mysterious young girl with whom he becomes instantly besotted. Permalink. OOOOPS. Mae is a strange young woman who runs off at the first sign of daylight...but not before biting Caleb on the throat. With his eerie ability to make you feel you might be glimpsing at news from the future, he set off another alarm for his dozing countrymen with a scary scenario in which Russia plans to recapture all territory that the former Soviet Union lost. In this stylish tale of modern-day vampires, gothic horror is mixed with modern-day American society. Diese Website benutzt Cookies, die für den technischen Betrieb der Website erforderlich sind und stets gesetzt werden. I think that anyone who hasn't seen this film should give it a look, because it cleverly combines comedy, drama, horror and gore, but for people who are slightly sickened by the site of blood and horrific killings, be wary of Severens' spur to the neck slaughter. It's very easy to sink yourself into the velvety world of the night and see from its perspective. 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This is, was, and always will be a B grade film done on the cheap with a small ensemble cast. “Near Dark” is not only Brad Thor’s best novel, it is also very different from any of his others. The later works of Bigelow are much more mainstream, but her use of genre, gender and narrative in her counter-cinematic works ("Near Dark" and "The Loveless") are identifiable in the more mainstream "Blue Steel" and even "Point Break" and "Strange Days". He once told me in an interview, “I work for the readers so I try to make sure I’m their favorite author and that each year they get a better book than they did the year before.”. In terms of box office it was something of a disaster but that was due to the studio going bust when NEAR DARK was released hence the movie had problems getting wide distribution not to do with the quality of the movie or bad word of mouth . It is an enjoyable vampire western, however the word vampire is never expressed in the film. Near Dark review. “But while the September 11 attacks had demonstrated the asymmetric threat of Islamic terrorism, another threat — one far greater and far more powerful - was looming on the horizon,” Brad Thor wrote a few years ago when he switched the focus of his novels to the threat America faces from Vladimir Putin’s Russia. | On the way Mae stresses that she needs to be home before dawn but Caleb is insistent on at least a kiss, Mae bites his neck & runs off. It’s no accident; it’s the result of the passion that drives him. It's a hip vampire movie that works simply because it's not trying to be hip, you follow? No one on his side knows who is behind the bounty or who might be among those coming for him. A real gem of a film which deserved a lot more credit than it ever received. Heartbroken by the murders of the persons most dear to him and consumed with guilt — he blames himself for the deaths — he’s passing his days trying to drown his sorrow with alcohol. here for reprint permission. I thought it would be good though and I was not let down, in fact, my expectations were well exceeded. Don't be fooled like we were. Near Dark has filmmaking finesse to spare, but puts its dank characters on display rather than cadging sympathy for them. Quiz: Who played these historical figures in biographical films? However, Caleb refuses to kill and Mae gives her own blood to him to keep him alive. Great start but rapidly degenerates toe curling bad movie. His latest release is #20 in his Scot Harvath series about this hard-hitting former Navy Seal who is, in effect, the president’s personal lethal secret weapon for espionage and counterterrorism. While he keeps in great physical condition, emotionally he’s a wreck. FAQ Near Dark had an estimated budget of $5 million dollars and a slew of iconic actors ( Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, Jenette Goldstein) at its disposal. Near Dark is the definitive vampire road movie. And that's all they do. As Caleb staggers home the sun begins to rise & his skin starts to burn, suddenly a large motor home pulls up in front of him, the occupants pull Caleb inside & drive off. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Economists sound alarm on China gaming free market to gain world domination | His father Loy Colton (Tim Thomerson) and his sister Sarah (Marcie Leeds) witness a van that appears out of the blue and kidnaps Caleb. is top-notch. This modern-day vampire movie is, to be sure, no masterpiece, but its suggestive narrative and dreamlike visual style are distinct improvements over those of such recent living-dead flicks as The Lost Boys and Vamp. Miller, oddly enough, is Jason Patric's half brother and Near Dark was released just a few weeks after The Lost Boys. Caleb is slowly turning into a Vampire & soon discovers that he must kill other's so that he may drink their blood. The score is provided by Tangerine Dream and Adam Greenberg is the cinematographer. This allows Katherine Bigelow to do whatever she wants with the premise, and this makes for a very thrilling movie as we're lead to believe that absolutely anything can happen, which continually keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. He has lost his wife; his mentor, Reed Carlton, of the Carlton Group, which employed him; and a trusted colleague, Carl Pedersen. Caleb's truck does not start and he walks home. 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