Vamp or Not? Blood Gnome

I have Mr Everlost to thank for this 2004 flick, which was directed by John Lechago. Some time ago he sent me the DVD and, I have to admit, it just sat there for such a long time. However, I eventually girded my loins with a copious quantity of wine and settled down to watch it, pad in hand, ready to see if this should be classed as ‘Vamp or Not?’

It starts with a drug dealer (Michael Haboush) going to a contact – a woman who is later revealed to be Elandra (Ri Walton). Whilst she goes to get his merchandise he has a nosey around. There is a crate that glows with an inner light – always a bad sign – and when he looks in tentacles grab him. Elandra pulls him free and then, after admonishing him, gives him a drug to sell – but not to the BDSM community.

Vinnie Bilancio as daniel

When he has left, Elandra addresses some spectral creatures and says it is time to feed mother. We cut to a BDSM couple having some fun – including blood play – they are killed by the little blighters. Later, the police are looking at the scene when photographer Daniel (Vinnie Bilancio) arrives. It is his first day back on the job. He sees a teeny hand print and gets one shot before a cop manages to smudge it. Later still we hear that, on his last assignment, he was called to the murder suicide of a couple and the girl turned out to be his wife, with her lover, and that is what sent him over the edge.

Melissa Pursley as Divinity

Outside the crime scene he is approached by a girl, Divinity (Melissa Pursley), who asks about what happened – the couple were friends. Daniel doesn’t reveal any details but she gives him her card in case he changes his mind. Later, when it is suggested that he needs to understand the culture he is investigating he phones her, meets her mistress (who just so happens to be Elandra) and he and Divinity become lovers.

gnome on camera

But what about the gnomes? He manages to catch one in the viewfinder of a broken video camera but, of course, isn’t able to film it and can’t convince anyone. They are a creature who harvest the blood for mother – the tentacle and teeth thing in the crate – and the feeding makes her birth another one. Daniel bites one, when they are doing an invisible attack, and the ingestion of their blood means he can see them.

birth of a gnome

When mother births, Elandra draws off some fluid (from the placenta?) and that is the drug she is selling. What is its effect? We can guess it lets you see them – that’s why the dealer couldn’t sell to the bdsm community. We can also guess that it makes the user unnaturally strong as Elandra is – but perhaps only in its concentrated form. However, most of all the film stays silent.

stabbed in chest

So, invisible creatures, harvesting blood to feed to a ‘queen’ that births others. There seems to be no special way to kill them – a knife to the chest is just that. I thought about it but I am not convinced that this can be classed as Vamp, however I am open to being persuaded otherwise.

The imdb page is here.