Vampires (1998, John Carpenter) – Classic Film Review 1070

Co-writer/director John Carpenter’s 1998 black-comedy action chiller features a team of Vatican-employed vampire hunters, led by Jack Crow (James Woods), chasing Jan Valek the Vampire (Thomas Ian Griffith) and his band of bloodsuckers in New Mexico. The Vatican needs them to destroy the vampires before they find an ancient Catholic crucifix that would allow them to endure sunlight.

Griffith fights back in a major bloodbath, which only Jack Crow, Anthony Montoya (Daniel Baldwin) and hooker Katrina (Sheryl Lee) survive.

It’s zesty but pretty slapdash work from Carpenter, who can’t recapture his form from his golden days. But it is still enjoyable enough gruesome entertainment and it’s truly memorable for another great over-the-top Woods performance. Carpenter mixes much sly humour, a creepy atmosphere and over-the-top gore to reasonable effect.

The late Maximilian Schell also stars as the man from the Vatican, Cardinal Alba. The film director Frank Darabont has a cameo as the man with the Buick.

Carpenter and Don Jakoby base their rather rough-hewn screenplay on the novel by John Steakley.

The film was number 1 in the US on its opening weekend and grossed $20million on its US release, the same amount as its cost. Two sequels followed: Vampires: Los Muertos in 2002 and Vampires: The Turning in 2005.

(C) Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Film Review 1070 derekwinnert.com