Stake Land

We're once again in a post-apocalypse scenario, except that, in this case, the Earth has been over-run by vampires, leading to the expected chaos and societal breakdown. Connor Paolo plays Martin, a young man whose family fall victim to the "vamps" early on; however, he's immediately rescued by a hardened character named only "Mister" (co-writer Nick Damici). "Mister", you see, has adjusted quite well to this Hell-on-Earth scenario, and is already an expert vampire killer. "Mister" and Martin hit the road, acquiring other travelling companions along the way. Their ultimate goal is to reach the fabled "New Eden", which is supposedly some sort of safe haven.

One has to give some credit to Damici and co-writer / editor / director Jim Mickle here. Instead of focusing exclusively on one gimmick or another (like gore), they actually give such things as story and character the highest priority. Everything else is just icing on the cake: the gore and vampire makeup are excellent, the location work is striking, the music by Jeff Grace simply beautiful. These are characters one can really care about, and should they happen to be victimized, it really hurts when they die. Mickle and company hit the ground running, just to make sure they have our attention, then give us a road movie where not a moment goes to waste.

Plus, the acting is generally better than you may expect, with some familiar faces (Danielle Harris, Kelly McGillis, Sean Nelson) rounding out the principal group of characters who join "Mister" and Martin on the journey. Michael Cerveris is superb as an intimidating "prophet" leading a group of thugs known as The Brotherhood. This group has come to prominence in more rural areas. Paolo is appealing as the kid who will have to grow up quickly, while Damici has definite presence and makes the most out of a badass role.

This is one worth seeking out for dedicated genre fans.

Followed by a series of televised prequel-shorts for principal characters, and a sequel.

Eight out of 10.

Synopsis: Orphaned Martin is taken under the wing of bad-ass Mister as they travel across vampire-ravaged America in search of the refuge known as 'New Eden'.

Aside from the fairly frequent jumps, scares and gore, Stake Land feels surprisingly subdued for a recent horror film. With its melancholic tone, ravaging of the religious right and focus on characters over action, the film succeeds in being a bit more thoughtful than many of its contemporaries. And don't go into this expecting sanitized, pretty-boy vampires a-la-Twilight. These monsters are old school to the core- more like zombies than modern takes on vampires; all ferocious snarls and messed up faces. With fairly few jumps or scenes that are likely to scare a grizzled horror fan, Stake Land is easier to recommend for its realistic world-building, mournful soundtrack and interesting, well-drawn characters.

Opening with Martin's voice-over as he introduces himself and his traveling companion, the enigmatic father figure and teacher, Mister, the film quickly flashes back to a vicious encounter between Martins family and the horrific vampires. Sticking with most of the rules of the vampire myth, it is soon established that stakes and sunlight are still useful in this tale of vamp vs human conflict. The pace is deliberately slow and the film painstakingly constructs a very authentic feeling vision of post-apocalyptic America. Guarded communities living in fear while supplies dwindle, drinking and sleeping together in packed bars until the sun rises and religious nutjobs taking over the wilderness to rape and murder as they please. It is this rendering of the Christian crazies that strikes the biggest false note in the story, feeling over-blown and too simple for the subtleties of much of the rest of the story and character drawing.

The cast are great, particularly Nick Damici as Mister who delivers a convincing performance with the familiar role of mean old git with a soft heart underneath. Kelly McGillis is barely recognizable as a constantly victimized nun (bet she must be wondering what happened to the days of getting jiggy with Tom Cruise in a Navy uniform) and the youngsters, especially Connor Paolo are good in their less demanding roles. It's particularly nice to see Danielle Harris still working, even if she has lost some of the spunk of her early appearance as Bruce Willis' daughter way back in The Last Boy Scout.

Jim Mickle should be applauded for his direction; the film works very well as a whole, with good performances from the cast, a bleak soundtrack and pacing that could have easily been spoiled by trying to appeal to a bigger audience. It is a brave movie; not overly rushed and taking its time to build to its understated climax. The action and horror are handled well and the villain is a right nasty piece of work that should stick in the memory.

The film is most memorable for its details of life after the vampires take over. The small communities that have popped up round the country feel realistic and lived in. A sense of community, of something we have lost to some extent in 2011 shines through and gives the film a nostalgic feel, as if the vampire apocalypse may help America return to a simpler, more caring time. The positioning of the cult of Christian crazies dropping 'bombs' on peaceful communities and their obsession with deliverance and the 'will of God' is the least subtle and most forceful of themes on display and does feel a little OTT in places but the journey of the characters and their encounters with ordinary folk ground the film and make up for its excesses in other areas.

Stake Land is a very well made film and can be enjoyed as a simple horror film but also as an experience of a post-apocalyptic society and the highs and lows of living in a world with a drastically reduce population.

Stake Land is a dark vision of a post-apocalyptic America that stands out in a sea of formulaic look-alikes. In director Jim Mickle's world, creatures who blur the line between vampires and zombies are creeping northward toward the Canadian border and eating everyone in their path. This is no typical genre film, though, as the real story unfolds slowly and deliberately with surprises at every turn.

Nick Damici is "Mister," vampire hunter and mentor to orphaned teen Martin (Connor Paolo) as they fight "the vamps" on their trek to New Eden, a monster-free zone where humanity has staked a claim. But darkness is the real enemy here, as they only come out at night, of course. Then there are the cult groups who see the plague as a golden opportunity to spread their own unique brands of oppression.

A veteran film crew member, this is Jim Mickle's second feature as a director. He co-wrote the script with Damici, who stars along with Paolo, Danielle Harris (Belle), Kelly McGillis (Sister), and Michael Cerveris (Jebedia Loven). The production team includes genre icon Larry Fessenden.

Utilizing mostly exterior shots, Stake Land's look is appropriately dreary, grimy, and gray. The cool color palette of blues and muted earth tones enhance the dullness of life in this dying landscape. Each new stop along the way seems to shout, "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here." The viewer can almost smell the stench of death and feel the blood being drained, literally, from the victims' bodies. Ryan Samul's widescreen cinematography serves to punctuate the diminishing importance of the individual on this sad but still breathtaking landscape. Yes, there is still hope in them thar' hills.

The music masterfully matches the combination of horror and poignancy. Jeff Grace has composed a score that is a character unto itself. Like the best genre films, the soundtrack serves to telegraph only slightly the horrors to come without overpowering the narrative with heavy-handed cues.

Most of all, though, Stake Land is a character-driven coming-of-age tale. Mister is an effective father figure to Martin, whose past is a mystery but can be gleaned from the circumstances surrounding their unlikely relationship. Damici's Charles Bronson/Clint Eastwood works even in his slightly over-the-top characterization. Gruff yet tender when called for, violent yet gentle toward those he protects, Damici is pitch-perfect.

But it's Paolo's narration that leaves no doubt the story is being told from Martin's point of view. He struck me as someone to watch for in the midst of the darkness that is Snow Angels. In a film that is distinctly down, he provided most of the much-needed comic relief. He began his film career in Mystic River and played the young Alexander in the film of the same name. He's made nine feature films and numerous television appearances since the age of 12, including two highly acclaimed episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Paolo is perhaps best known as Eric on Fox's hit television show Gossip Girl.

This is clearly his biggest role to date and he's on screen from start to finish. Paolo is the heart and soul of Stake Land. Despite his growing attachment to Mister and increasingly violent encounters with the antagonists, his innocence and vulnerability are never abandoned. The film works largely because his performance is so authentic. With Stake Land, Paolo firmly plants his flag as a young leading man on the cinematic landscape.

Take The Road, I Am Legend, The Karate Kid, and The Forbidden Kingdom and put George Romero at the helm and you have Stake Land, a truly original horror film -- no small achievement in a genre that's currently populating local cinemas. Don't miss it. Its nightmarish images will stay in your mind long after the credits roll.

People are turning into grotesque vamps. The remaining humanity survive in isolated communities or even as rumored cannibals. Mister (Nick Damici) is able to save young Martin (Connor Paolo) when his family is attacked by vamps. They are driving north. On the way, they rescue a nun Sister (Kelly McGillis) being hunted by two rapists. They are then captured by a dangerous religious cult leader Jebedia Loven. Mister and Martin escape leaving Sister behind. They continue north and take on pregnant Belle (Danielle Harris) and former marine Willie.

This is well-made considering its low budget. Director Jim Mickle concentrates on a dirty ugly dystopia. The characters are simple and well-drawn. It's not breaking new grounds but it's got good grit. There are also some good actors and familiar faces. It's dirty and harsh. The long rambling road trip may actually fit better as a TV show.

Ever since the success of 28 Days Later back in 2002, the post- apocalyptic genre of films has been a crowded market with its fair share of successes and failures. Notable releases such as The Road and Zombieland have been accompanied by such misfires as Doomsday and I Am Legend that, whilst entertaining, ultimately failed to hit their mark. Stakeland is a brave and accomplished entry in Jim Mickle's career, and although there are only a handful of original ideas throughout the film, the ideas taken from other movies are handled with enough skill that they serve only to enhance the overall viewing experience. It must be said, some of the director's own ideas are fantastic and show a great potential for the future - a future that the ragged band of survivors we follow throughout Stakeland may not be able to enjoy.

After our protagonist is saved from a disastrous situation which leaves him as the sole survivor of his family, he is taken under the wing of his rescuer; the elusive 'Mister', whose similarities to Whistler from Blade appear to be more than pure coincidence. Together,they embark on a road trip that tests them to their very limits as they encounter a whole host of dangers and struggle to survive whilst roaming throughout North America, picking up a number of travelling companions on the way.

In a storyline not too dissimilar to The Mist, some surviving factions of humans believe that God has sent the vampires to punish humanity and it is these that pose almost as much danger to our band of travellers as the dangerous breeds of vampire that stalk them. These cults are a welcome addition to the film, enhancing the aspect of danger and providing the basis for some of the film's more memorable moments in a standout scene where a supposedly safe town is assaulted from the air.

The initially nameless main character - played brilliantly by Connor Paolo (the spitting image of a young Colin Farrel) - has his life turned upside down at the start of the movie, however, we do not get to see how the whole world initially turned upside down, and the cause of the vampire's origins is rarely touched upon. His story is told through countless monologues that overlay the fantastic imagery of sparse vistas and urban decay, creating a sense of scale that is far beyond what we see on the screen. Whilst the other characters we meet do not have enough time to develop fully, they all play an essential part in the story, and although some scenes could have been far more powerful if the audience were affected by their plight, the suspense was enough to keep me on my edge of the seat throughout.

There are few scares to be found in Stakeland but the overall sense of foreboding doom and the generous helpings of violence and gore should please the majority of horror fans. Anyone with even a passing interest in post-apocalyptic films will definitely take a lot from Stakeland and although it is not quite a genre classic, it will certainly become a cult favourite in a few years time.

If you like this, you will love these:

The Road, 28 Days Later, Near Dark, The Signal