Review of Near Dark (1987) by Stephen H — 14 Feb 2010
A cult classic that's a far better vampire movie than its contemporary, The Lost Boys, if only for the virtue of having truly horrific monsters rather than 80s glam boys. Near Dark plays out like a vampire movie meets a Western meets a road movie, but there are enough nice sidesteps of cliche and inventive moves that it more than stands out.
(For instance: it may be a minor touch to never once use the word "vampire" in the movie, but it's still a neat one.) The entire clan gives fun, chilling performances, creating a group less Dracula and more The Devil's Rejects, most notably in a tense and gripping sequence involving one very unlucky roadhouse.
But even the direction is smart and clever; I absolutely loved a shootout illuminated with sunlight streaming through bullet holes - something, of course, that our vampires found more than a little inconvenient.
Like a lot of horror, it loses steam by the end and essentially just becomes a big action/gore fest, but that's okay; this definitely earns its cult status along the way.
This review of Near Dark (1987) was written by Stephen H on 14 Feb 2010.
Near Dark has generally received positive reviews.
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