Who would have thought that the combination of certain genres woud become so successful and attract such a sizeable cult following? Well certainly not Kathryn Bigelow when she released the Weird West movie Near Dark, when I first saw this I was attracted to the notion of a gang of vampires who traveled along desolate country roads attacking whom they please. Just like the 80's it took a little of the old to create something fresh exciting and new and it really shows.
The film begins with a young redneck named Caleb attempting to romance an attractive drifter named Mae but her eccentric behaviour makes her a little difficult to woo. As the dawn approaches Mae gives Caleb the traditional vampire goodbye, a kiss on the mouth and a bite on the neck. As he attempts to return home Caleb discovers the sun burns his skin, vampires never get caught without your SPF one million.
Mae's roving vampire family abducts Caleb and decides to let him stay as long as he can proves himself an effective hunter. But of course Caleb finds he is not use to killing people and refuses. During a ploice raid however he manages to prove himself by braving the harsh light of day to retrieve their van.
Meanwhile Caleb's father and sister (the mother evidently having died of the fatal off camera disease), go in search of him. They find him at a motel where Caleb enjoys the momentary gratitude of the group, that is until sister and daddy crash the party.
Needless to say he is now no longer trusted by the group and faster than you can say deus ex machina is cured by his vetrinarian father (how this allows him to cure vampirism with a simpe blood transfusion I honestly have no idea, or how he has come to possess spare packets of human bood, ho hum).
Mae returns just as Caleb is getting his life back on track and attempts to convince Caleb to return to them. However this is a simple ruse and Caleb learns that the gang has abducted Caleb's younger sister. The plot then comes full circle as Caleb faces off against the Drac pack ultimately resulting in their demise and Mae's salvation as she too is cured by the same improbable means and they meet the coming dawn.
As I mentioned before it was the 80's that caused a cinematic revolution and it is this that helps to create his film which I consider to be an example of post modern filmmaking efforts. The reason I believe this is because the film creates a grittily realistic atmosphere and the supernatural elements seem incidental. Bigelow has really created something unique, she helps the film overcome its low budget by the aforementioned gritty realism but also by the three dimensional characterization.
The film stars a young Adrian Pasdar as Caleb and I enjoy the the way he portrays the character. He begins pretty much as a straightforward horny cowboy but soon matures and develops into a more responsible person.
Jenny Wright plays Mae and though don't have much to say on her character she seems a little passive and Wright does not bring much to the role. However I do like the way her character is introduced as a sly unassuming seductress.
But by far my favourite character has to be Severen a strange sociopathic nutball, Bill Paxton really lets loose as this wicked un-redemptive vampire, who finds sadistic glee in boodshed and death like any good vamp. In my view his performance alone is worth the price of admission.
I also feel that I must give an honourable mention of the film's special effects, the vampires have a particular aversion to sunlight and the subsequent burn make-up is some of the best I have seen, particularly for 1987.
In short the film is amazing, mixing shocking grit with a perennial movie monster. Unlike other vampire movies of the 80's this film dares to take vampires seriously and has now garnered the attention it so rightly deserves. So thankyou the 1980's for scaring up this horror favourite.
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