Wednesday, October 30, 2013

28 Days of Night

What compelled me to watch 60 vampire films in the first 28 days of October I can't say, but here's a list of what I viewed. The titles in red are high recommends. The ones designated with little vampy teethmarks (**) should be doused in holy water, decapitated and buried in unconsecrated ground - in other words, avoid at all costs. The content variety in many of the old vampire movies out there really impressed me and even the average ones had something interesting to offer.

Crypt of the Living Dead aka Hannah Queen of the Vampires (1973)
Best thing about it - Andrew Prine
5.25/10

The Return of Dracula (1958)
Best thing about it - the 50's-type Father Knows Best aesthetic
6.25/10

**The Vampire (1957)
Worst thing about it - misleading title, he ain't a vampire
4/10

Kiss of the Damned (2012)
Best thing about it - Cassavetes' stylish retro look and direction
6.5/10

Kiss of the Vampire (1963)
Best thing about it - unique method for fighting vampires employed at the end
6.25/10

The Vampires' Night Orgy (1974)
Best thing about it - the unusual dinner entree
5.75/10

Dracula  (1931)
Best thing about it - Dwight Frye as Renfield
8.25/10

Nosferatu (1922)
Best thing about it - Murnau's stark direction
7.5/10

The Devil's Gravestone (2010)
Best thing about it - the stylish direction saves an otherwise middling film
5.5/10

Santo vs. the Vampire Women (1962)
Best thing about it - Santo, of course
6/10

**Atom Age Vampire (1960)
Worst thing about it - another bait and switch non-vampire movie
4/10 

**Vampire's Embrace (1991)
Worst thing about it - Troma stench
2.25/10

**Through Dead Eyes (1999)
Worst things about it - the terrible script and watching Doohan slum it
4.25

**Incense for the Damned aka Bloodsuckers (1970)
Worst things about it - wastes Cushing, Macnee and Woodward, plus it's completely incoherent
3/10

Blood Thirst (1971)
Best thing about it - world's only Filipino noir/horror film
6.25

**The Moth Diaries (2011)
Worst thing about it - uninspired script
4/10

**Vampire of Quezon City (2006)
Worst thing about it - one-note homemade torture porn
0.75/10 (not gonna even give it a 1)

Vampire Hunter D (1985)
Best thing about it - gothic sci-fi/horror
6.75/10

Vampire Hunter D - Bloodlust
Best things about it - the animation and extra hunter characters in the story
7.75/10

Blood (2009)
Best thing about it - Aya Sugimoto is one good-looking older lady
5.5/10

Dracula's Great Love (1972)
Best thing about it - as in all Naschy's films, his shoulders and chest
5.75

Female Vampire (1973)
Best thing about it - the little flappy bat hood ornament on her car
5.5/10

Dead Heist (2007)
Best thing about it - non-heavy handed sense of humor
6.75/10

Scream Blacula Scream (1973)
Best thing about it - Sorry Pam, William Marshall owns in this
6.5/10


Count Yorga, Vampire (1970)
Best thing about it - um, Michael Murphy, I guess
5.5/10

The Return of Count Yorga (1971)
Best things about it - the Santa Ana winds and a vampire home invasion
6.25/10

Blood is the Color of the Night (1964)
Best thing about it - very nice use of color tinted filters throughout
6/10

**Just the Vampire Hunter (2012)
Worst thing about it - found footage aspect is used an excuse not to show action
2.5/10

Nightmare in Blood (1978)
Best thing about it - unabashed love letter to horror films aspect
6.75/10

Leptirica (1973)
Best things about it - rural setting and fairy tale quality
6.75/10

Blood & Donuts (1995)
Best things about it - Justin Louis' Christopher Walken impression, Cronenberg's deadpan
7.25/10

The Night Stalker (1972)
Best things about it - Barry Atwater's creepy vampire and his trashy house
8/10

**Subspecies (1991)
Worst thing about it - the lead actresses were terrible and had no screen presence
4.75/10

Bloodstone: Subspecies II (1993)
Best things about it - Hove and Duff
6.75/10

Bloodlust: Subspecies III (1994)
Best things about it - Hove and Duff again
6.25/10

Subspecies 4: Bloodstorm (1998)
Best thing about it - Hove is still feeling it
5.75/10

**Children of the Night (1991)
Worst thing about it - tries for comedy, horror and action and achieves none of them
3.75/10

Devils of Darkness (1965)
Best thing about it - wants to be a Hammer film
Worst thing about it - it isn't a Hammer film
5/10

House of Dark Shadows (1970)
Best things about it - Frid. The production value is markedly better than the TV show's.
7/10

Vampire Journals (1997)
Best things about it - the lush set dressing and beautiful photography
5.75

Near Dark (1987)
Best things about it - Bigelow's direction and the script
8.25

Night of the Devils (1972)
Best thing about it - the ending
7.5/10

The Velvet Vampire (1971)
Best thing about it - the 70's-ness of it all
6/10

Lips of Blood (1975)
Best things about it - the story, theme and atmosphere
8/10

Vampires in Havana (1985)
Best things about it - the cheeky sense of humor and anti-capitalist theme
6.5/10

**The Crypt of the Vampire (1964)
Worst things about it - the dull lead actress and slow pace
4.75/10


**A Nocturne (2007)
Worst thing about it - its artistic pretensions
3.75/10

Horror of Dracula (1958)
Best thing about it - Cushing vs Lee throwdown
7.5/10

Dracula's Daughter (1936)
Best thing about it - Gloria Holden all night long
7/10

Drácula (1931)
Best thing about it - Carlos Vallarias' gleeful portrayal of The Count
7.5/10


Son of Dracula (1943)
Best things about it - bayou setting and double dealing femme
6.25/10


House of Dracula (1945)
Best thing about it - hunchback lady nurse
5.75/10


Dawn (2003)
Best thing about it - story concept
5.5/10


Nosferatu the Vampire (1979)
Best things about it - Klaus and Werner
7.75/10


Habit (1995)
Best thing about it - ambiguous nature of Anna character
9/10

Twins of Evil (1971)
Best things about it - sexy Collinson twins, pious Cushing
7.75/10

Stake Land (2010)
Best thing about it - Nick Damici
8/10

Vampyres (1974)
Best thing about it - eroticism, atmosphere and horror are all accomplished
7.75/10

Let the Right One In (2008)
Best thing about it - Eli
9.25/10

**Blood: The Last Vampire (2009)
Worst thing about it - annoying American characters
4.5/10