Vampires

My review was written in May 1988 after a Cannes Film Festival Market screening.

"Vampires", previously titled "Abadon" is a low-budget horror iflm with a frustratingly unfinished look about it. Interst will be limited to extreme cultists.

Fragmentary story unfolds at Abadon, a private school in Connecticut presided over by old-fashioned villainess Madeline (Jackie James). Using a machine (very cheap designwork) created by her late scientist husband, she has achieved immortality by stealing the energy of her students.

Dr. Harmon (Duane Jones, star of "Night of the Living Dead") is an occultist who fills us in on the pic's scientiic background with mumbo-jumbo dialog. Amidst several stalker-type murder scenes, pointless cutaway shots to closeups of tarot cards or gargoyles on the building's facade, filmmaker Len Anthony inserts numerous phoned-in scenes of voice-over during pointless filler footage. Key scenes, such asw the fate of the heroine coed Ione (playe by attractive Orly Benair) or a flashback concerning the surprise parentage of fellow student Deborah (Robin Michaels) are missing.

Anthony has some occasionally striking shots by famous cameramen Ernest Dickerson (of Spike Lee's pics) and Larry Revene (Chuck Vincent's favorite), but the acting is awkward.