Live Evil

I went into this film with low expectations, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The world in this movie is fascinating, with vampires facing the harsh reality of modern times. Pollution, blood-borne illnesses, unhealthy food additives, and other factors are taking a toll on them through the blood they consume from their victims. This contamination is causing genetic degeneration in the immortals, making it difficult for them to find pure blood to survive.

While the acting could have been better, the special effects were surprisingly well done. The movie kept my attention, and although the storyline was simple and easy to follow, it gradually reveals more about the mysterious Samurai Priest and his mission to hunt down vampires.

Be warned, though, this movie is not for the faint of heart. It contains a lot of nudity, violence, and gore. The director pushes boundaries with scenes of vampires feasting on babies and the Samurai Priest's grotesque handling of baby vampires. There's also drug use, decaying bodies, blood, vomiting, and even some graphic bathroom scenes. If you can't handle these aspects, this film might not be for you.

However, if you're a fan of vampire movies, I definitely recommend giving "Samurai Priest Vampire Hunter" a watch. It offers bloody and humorous vampire-slaying along with some interesting plot twists that caught me by surprise.

The Priest (Tim Thomerson, "Dollman") has made it his life's goal to hunt down and kill every last vampire, not fearing a life of sin in exchange for the destruction of pure, living evil ("ago malum" in Latin). But the vampires have to live, too, and things aren't so easy for them.

The horror genre tends to get very repetitive and dry. Year after year we get new zombie and vampire flicks, and as much as I love zombies and vampires, most of these films simply are not necessary. This does not, however, apply to "Live Evil". Presented here is a new twist that I have not previously encountered.

On some level, there's some recognizable themes here... a man on a quest to hunt down bloodsuckers. The idea that vampires shrivel up and starve if not fed (though, they seem to die faster here than, say, Lestat in "Interview with the Vampire"). There's some discussion of the effects of sunlight. So, traditional vampire fans are going to relate to this film on that level.

But there's also an interesting environmental message. The vampires have difficulty devouring human blood if it contains disease or drugs. At one point, a female vampire makes the parallel that mankind had polluted the air and water and have now turned to their own blood. There is something true in this. While we don't want our blood devoured by vampires, there is something to be said about purity. Though, if dirty blood offers protection, what does dirty air and water provide? It's an interesting question.

Beyond Thomerson, horror fans will love the cast. Ken Foree is Max, a powerful vampire, and Tiffany Shepis is Spider, a vampire groupie (whose role is sadly much too small). And the blood. Oh my! Heads chopped in half, blood spraying from necks, vampires vomiting bad blood... This film has its flaws (the female lead isn't a great actress, for example) but will capture your imagination.

I recommend this film to all vampire and/or horror fans. It's a great antidote to the clean, fluffy image of "Twilight"... let's keep horror and bloodsucking gritty. "Live Evil" succeeds at this.