Sleepless Nights

Recently, I've seen a lot of film that range from excellent to just plain awful. This low-low-low-budget effort (Don't deny it) about vampires falls squarely between these two stools. There are times, especially during the first half, that the non-stop jibber jabber gets so boring you want to turn it off. Plus, the miniature bows that the good guys carry around look like they were assembled from a Kinder Surprise egg. However, at least it has an understandable plot, some mildly tense scenes and a climax which is actually quite satisfying. It's also quaint too, to see the size of mobile phones only 11 years ago compared to today. How far we've come..

A good vampire teams up with a federal agent to kill a master vampire in this promising but ultimately unsatisfying thriller. The script and direction by William Hopkins was passable, but the film suffered more as a result of its humanity than its vampirism. The cast of unknowns, although lacking charisma, make the best of the action scenes, but they lack the acting chops to make the 'human' moments believable. That's a pity since, unlike a lot of horror films in this budget range, the script does endeavor to give the characters some depth and genuine emotion and motivation. I would have liked to have seen this film done on a bigger budget. (I'm sure the director would say the same thing.) Also, I was little confused about the initial situation. Is this a global intense plague of vampires? The darkened lights of New York made me think so. But if that's the case, why does the rest of the general public – like the people in the bar -- seem unconcerned? If it isn't such a huge problem, why is there a new government agency created to battle them.

The movie was well written, produced and most of the acting more than satisfactory. I enjoy vampire movies and especially liked the twists and turns that this movie presented. Appreciated the story line and felt that there was a real continuity from beginning to end. With a hint of sexuality and the lack of explicit sex (T&A..cheap grab for movie watchers)it kept you from being deterred from the story and only seemed to add to the suspense. The action scenes were well directed and most of the effects were pulled off well. This was an enjoyable independent horror flick that deserves credit and will hopefully be given the chance by other horror fans to be viewed and enjoyed.

This is one of the more unusual entries I've seen in the low budget horror DTV market. Instead of going the usual route of near pornographic violence,the writer/director takes the virtually untrammeled path of character driven drama. What a concept!

A good way to describe it would be- Dark Shadows meets Dracula AD 1972: The Necromorph Control Agency (sort of an anti-vampire Swat team) wages war against the urban undead, their principle target being the followers of the evil Malgard -an ancient vampire set on ruling the world. Christian is a vampire hunter tragically turned vampire, who wrestles with his blood hunger, and walks the night world alone, an outcast from both the living and the undead. Kaitlin is the NCA cop who accidentally discovers Cristian during her investigative work . One day Kaitlin gets some information that compels her out into the night, on her own, with the dangerous intent of finding this lone vampire...

The principal leads are attractive, and by and large good to adequate in their roles. There are plenty of places where it would be easy for an inexperienced actor to fall flat on his or her face, and the actors playing Christian and Kaitlin come through in convincing form. Other secondary characters are also well handled.The film is also nicely paced and moves quickly.

The scene I was most impressed with was the NCA team's raid on a Malgard compound. Despite a 2 dollar budget, this scene is convincingly handled, and tersely edited. It reminds me of a bit of George Romero, and also, some of the fight action scenes in Peter Jackson's earlier efforts (such as Bad Taste) that showed the promise of that director, in spite of budget limitations.

If you're a horror/vampire film buff, do yourself a favor, and check this film out.

This movie was better then most independent horror films I've seen. It has a good and believable story, well filmed. The low budget had an impact, especially on the special effects, but it is still worth viewing. The characters are well performed and believable. You can see the producers certainly tried to do a better then average job on this flick and they succeeded. Not only is there typical vampire action, but the story and personal conflicts makes us feel for the characters. The ending leaves us sad and happy at the same time. I would love to see a sequel. A treat in this type of film. Well done to the writer and director. Vampire lovers will enjoy this one.