Red Snow

I was immediately drawn in by the cover/poster for the 2021 horror comedy movie "Red Snow" as I stumbled upon it here in 2022. Had I heard about the movie prior to sitting down to watch it? No. Did I even know what it was about? No. It hardly mattered, as a horror comedy with vampires that I hadn't already seen, I needed no persuation to sit down and watch what writer and director Sean Nichols Lynch had in store.

The storyline was actually fair enough. Now, it has enough contents to support a single viewing, but I doubt that it can do more than just that. For me, personally, then this is not a movie that I will be returning to watch for a second time.

"Red Snow" is a fun approach on the vampire genre, and on that account then writer and director Sean Nichols Lynch certainly managed to come up with something unique enough to stand out.

The movie was nicely carried by lead actress Dennice Cisneros (playing Olivia) and Nico Bellamy (playing Luke). In addition, the movie also had the likes of Laura Kennon (playing Jackie) and Vernon Wells (playing Julius) on the cast list.

Visually then "Red Snow" was actually good. Now, hold your horses, because "Red Snow" is not a movie that was heavy on special effects, and as such, not really dependent on having great special effects. Whatever special effects that were used in the movie, however, were doing their job to the letter.

I am rating "Red Snow" a five out of ten stars.

The only reason I watched Red Snow was because it took place in Lake Tahoe, a place that I know very well as my wife is orginally from Reno. A lovely place with stunning views where I only have positive memories of. I do like horror movies as well but even though this movie is about vampires it's not really a horror movie. The acting wasn't bad, certainly not for a B-movie, because a B-movie it definitely is, it just shows. I don't regret watching it as I was entertained but would I watch it again or would I recommend it to someone else? No, certainly not, not even to people from Lake Tahoe as it could have been filmed anywhere else.

I do think this is a pretty interesting type of vampire movie that I have seen. The story is unique with a struggling vampire romance novelist encountering a vampire who slowly forms a relationship with each other. The movie reminds me of Night of the Living Deb where the movie has the charm to it with its characters and the humor it presented here. I like how causal the main character is with her meeting the vampire and building a relationship with him throughout. And I like the scene where he helps her with the novel that she writing about. Also, things get violent later in the movie which will please any horror fans. And the ending is something that I didn't expect.

The comedy itself is a hit or miss with a couple of funny lines or moments from the characters. The funniest scene in the movie is where he helps her with her novel and giving out advice to her and some of the dialogue is pretty funny.

The stage curtains open ...

This film seems to be a bit mistimed, but the intentions are noble and the approach still feels fresh. I don't typically jump into an obvious low budget film like this, but from what I had read about it, my interest was piqued, so I decided to give it a chance. Surprise, suprise! It wasn't half bad, and besides, it was fun to see Vernon Wells (now in his 70's) still kicking and delivering lines. I remember him from WAY back in the day when he used to play slightly over-the-top bad guys in movies like "Commando" and "Fortress".

Our story picks up when a vampire/romance novelist, named Olivia, retreats to a family cabin at Lake Tahoe to work on her latest project. She isn't well-reviewed and has doubts about continuing on when a bat suddenly slams into the window, startling her. She gathers it up, puts it in a box out in the garage and wakes up the next morning to find that it has changed into a vampire. Injured, and weak, he is at her mercy. She nurses him back to health using pig's blood and in return, he allows himself to be interviewed to get the facts straight for her new novel. However, some of his friends come calling, and things begin to get messy.

I was a bit surprised with "Red Snow". For being so low budget, the production values seemed high. It was well shot and edited, and newcomer Dennice Cisneros handled her role fairly well, though a bit stilted at times. The interaction between our two main characters, Olivia and Luke, is the compelling nature of this film. To me though, what really makes this film work is Nico Bellamy (Luke). More than any of the others, he seemed to be the most invested into his character.

"Red Snow" is a black comedy that knows not to take itself too seriously, and subtlely deals with other subject matters such as tropes, sexual politics, and perspective. The dialogue, for the most part, is witty and intelligent. I found it amusing in parts and it garnished a smile or two, but even so, it does not come at a high recommend. The intended affect of the ending fell a little short with me. When it is all said and done, a vampire is still a vampire. 5 stars out of 10.

Reading the External Reviews on IMDb hooked me. The reviews were all over the map. That is unusual. And very curious. So I checked it out. The story is very Stephen Kingy, with lots of little twists and turns to keep everyone interested right to the last scene. Some of the dialog (not all, but SOME) is razor sharp and funny. Especially the bit about the poor genocided Candy Elves. For a low budget indie, the production values are sharp and the acting above average. The film has already won some awards in the horror niche. Best of all it holds the interest which, as I keep pointing out in my 1700+ reviews, is what film is supposed to be about. Could easily find a cult following. Deserves one.