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Well its almost 2014 and vampires abound the movie and television landscape. Inexplicably the vampire has become gentrified. Ranging from reflective observers of the human condition to teenage heart-throbs, the monster has been exiled as unidimensional and un-interesting. For example, a new TV series called Dracula was launched in October 2013. Utterly insipid and derivative of Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula which dared to portray the Count as a love-sick sinner seeking redemption--the series is a mash up of fantasy and adventure that re-imagines Stoker's central antagonists, Van Helsing and Dracula, teaming up against a common enemy--what poppycock! Although a few exceptions can be mentioned (Blade; Fright Night) the vampire as a monstrous terror inducing evil has become a rarity. And so we come to our little movie from the late 70's: Vampire is a terrific example of a vampire story. It does not make the titular character anything but an amoral, powerful and evil monster. And this is how I believe vampires should be portrayed and this is how I first imagined a vampire upon reading Stoker's novel (aside: it is one of the most scary novels I have ever read). The good guys are valiant and, even if over-matched for cunning and ruthlessness, make a great team that uses logic and good old detective work to track and ensnare their prey. The direction by Mr. Swackhamer puts on all the right moves to evoke dread and horror. He expertly uses brownish colour palettes to portray helplessness and doom and gloom. Steven Bochco's script is tight and involving with a plot that gallops relentlessly to a suspense-filled ending. The brooding presence of Jason Miller and the stalwartness of the Marshall character and a great turn by Richard Lynch who is in turn suave, menacing and evil all mesh perfectly. Yes, the movie is THAT good!!

I read somewhere that Vampire was a failed pilot for a series that never came to be. Thank goodness for that. I doubt if a series could have sustained the tone of the original pilot, week in and week out. I mean consider what happened with Kolchak: The Night Stalker series. While interesting, the hourly episodes of that series could never equal the original movie set in Las Vegas.

All in all the movie is a triumphant example of smart minds at work taking great care to craft an internally consistent and logical story that is both scary and thrilling. This movie ranks very highly among the films in this sub-genre of horror.

I jealously guard my VHS off-air recording of this movie, hoping like the other reviewers for a DVD release. While I wait, I am looking forward to Guillermo Del Toro's TV series adaptation of his novel co-written with Chuck Hogan called The Strain. There are no genteel vampires in Toro's story: only nasty evil beings. And that my friends is what Vampires are!!

The trivia page for this film on IMDb captures three essential elements of this movie that makes it a true precursor to virtually countless modern thrillers and spaghetti westerns: 1) The SuperScope process predates the Techniscope process of the Leone Westerns by nearly a decade. 2) The quick cuts and full frame closeups adds incredible momentum to the action and suspense and predates Dr. No and the Connery Bond films by more than half-decade. I mean I cannot think of later Hollywood pics until the Europeans made the Bond films and the Leone westerns that actually used fast cutting and terrific banter between the hero and anti-hero to such great success (For a great example of an older movie, I would offer Carol Reed's The Third Man). 3) And as mentioned the pacing and the character build up and the final showdown predated the showdowns in the Eastwood/Leone westerns. For comparison watch Hang 'em High for the Hollywood western of that era that starred Eastwood following his three outings in Italy. Stylistically Hang 'em High is a snoozefest even though it had a compelling revenge motif and a brutal hanging to enliven the pace.

So what we have here is a wonderful western with Lancaster playing the charming but utterly sociopathic antagonist--quoting one Ace Hanna-- for life's hard lessons and Cooper playing an equally resolute good guy with a sense of humour and world weariness and smarts to see through Ace Hanna aphorisms into Lancaster's heart of darkness. The dialogue is razor sharp witty and the supporting cast of thespians playing their part perfectly. And at 94 minutes it is one heck of breathless ride. I love this movie!