Synopsis:
A mid-western farm boy reluctantly
becomes a member of the undead when a girl he meets turns out to be part of a
band of southern vampires who roam the highways in stolen cars. Part of his
initiation includes a bloody assault on a hick bar.
The
Freak's Rating:
C+ : Netflix has an odd way of showing you your mood swings. Assuming
that you don't modify queue lists as often as I do, you might go through a Tom
Cruise phase where 5 films in a row star the actor, or in this case a vampire
phase. The timeline is unclear in 1987 which came first,
The Lost Boys or Near Dark. It is clear, however, which is the better
film of the two. Both exude cheesiness, but Near Dark fails at pulling off
durability over the years.
Sticking with a genre piece with
limited flexibility, direction and writing of the film limits the audience to
only being afraid throughout the film. There is little drama or humor
successfully intertwined with the horror and therefore you are left with a one
trick pony. Near Dark does succeed incredibly in one 8 1/2 minute bar
sequence. The horrific few minutes in the bar take the scene from a dismal
D- to a C+. Normally a scene that strong might merit the rental all by itself,
but I'd suggest checking it out on YouTube instead. You can find it
here, look for "Underrated...". It is incredibly fun
to see Bill Paxton near the dawn of his career as a vampire tough guy, so
strongly opposed to his current role on the HBO show, Big Love.
Lance Henriksen is adequately scary
as the leader of the group, but acting is subpar with the exception of Paxton.
Jenny Wright, a hottie in the 80s who has since disappeared, is horrible as the
damsel in distress and the male lead is awful as well. The "child" actor
in the film is horrendous and the worst casting of the lot.
Overall, Near Dark
just doesn't measure up, even as a 80s vampire movie. Rent
The Lost Boys instead if you're in the mood for this type of flick. It
is far superior.
comment here
to add your review!
