The Last Vampire on Earth

I'm all for amateur film making, and I do my best to appreciate the efforts. And my expectations were, I think, realistic. However, this looks too much like the first or second reading of not the final edit of the script while the camera crew has not yet figured where to put the lights and the sound crew is still struggling with microphones.

The basic premise of a moody teenageish drama without attempting gore effects or stunts is not a bad starting point for a movie where the makers are aware of their limitations, but when the filming material cost is about nothing, then just doing the basic checks: does this look ok, and what could I improve, and does this sound ok, and what could I improve, would have been close to a salvation for this. Just taking a bit more time to rehearse, plan, and review, this cast and crew would have had a nice amateur film in their hands.

RELEASED IN 2010 and directed by Vitaliy Versace, "The Last Vampire on Earth" chronicles events in northeast Ohio when a nice religious girl (McKenzie Grimmet) meets a mysterious-but-nice guy (Michael Bole) at college and falls in love. Problems arise when she and her family discover that he's a 2000 year-old vampire (!). Even worse, she's diagnosed with a fatal disease.

This is an extremely low-budget flick with wooden non-acting, stilted dialogue, bad lighting, questionable sound, basic camera angles and so forth. On top of this, the writer confuses traditional protestant doctrine & practices with that of the Jehovah's False Witnesses. For instance, there are references to "going to church" and the "pastor" when, in fact, JWs don't use this terminology. Their meeting facilities are called "Kingdom Halls" (which, to be fair, is referenced once in the movie) and their leaders are referred to as elders. The "Kingdom Hall" building depicted in the movie is a traditional church facility. Obvious flaws like this reflect bad (or non-existent) research.

The second thing you need to understand is that this is not a horror story. It's a youth drama or love story involving a winsome girl and a good vampire. If you can overlook the low-level of production and adapt to the movie's limitations, the story's generally engaging with a couple of boring parts.

The director was born in Russia and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. This was only his second movie, but he kept at his chosen craft and has gone on to bigger and better things in filmmaking. I love to see people make-do with what they got to create and improve as they persevere in faith. Do not despise humble beginnings.

THE FILM RUNS 90 minutes and was shot in Youngstown & Boardman, Ohio. WRITER: Mandie L Abraham wrote the screenplay based on her self-published novel.

GRADE: D

I came to The Last Vampire On Earth with some misconceptions: that it was a Christian film (Jehovah's Witness beliefs come into play, though the filmmaker has only the vaguest idea of what they are); that the lead actress was also the lead in C Me Dance (no; CMD's Christina DeMarco is practically a SAG award winner compared to Last Vampire's McKenzie Grimmet, although they both have that doe-eyed, hit with a brick from behind look); and that it would be performed by actors. No one in this film can act. Nor can the editor edit, the sound engineer sync up sound, nor, almost needless to say, the director direct. Even craft services is non-existent or sub-par. At two so-called family meals, KFC is served up by the characters, without comment. Except when the vampire later throws it up, which turns out to be a surprisingly important plot point. Fine for some laughs, if you like this sort of thing, but this film is not even good enough to have on in the background at your Hallowe'en party.

Still a better love story then twilight 10/10 ign. Also has no magical lighting fairy vampires in the sun dust, so I guess that also makes this film better.Plus the lead actor is Shrek and Shrek is love, shrek is life. I would advice anyone who is blind to watch this with the sound turned off for maximum pleasure.

Watch Redlettermedia's review and then watch the movie in all it's glory.