La Marca del Muerto – review

Director: Fernando Cortés

Release date: 1961

Contains spoilers

This could almost be a “Revisited” article as I have kind of looked at this before. However that was a version reedited and dubbed for the US market (and for that read "butchered") by Jerry Warren and released under the clunky title Creature of the Walking Dead and boy was it a snooze-fest.

I did say, when I reviewed the American re-edit that “it may not have been the film's fault” and suggested when summing up that “How the proper Mexican version would fair is another question.” Well, today we will see – and whilst the broad brush of the plot is the same, it is worth recapping.

kidnapping

Beginning at a church, as the service has ended, the first thing we note is that the awful voice-over narration has gone. We see Dr. Malthus (Fernando Casanova) spying on a young woman leaving the church and then following her, momentarily hiding from a passing carriage. He catches her and smothers her with a cloth, drugging her (conveniently) outside his door. In his lab he has placed her on a table. He re-administers the drug as she starts to come around and cuts her blouse, allowing him to put a canular into her neck and start extracting her blood.

hung

The blood is pulled into his contraption and he is about to put a canular into himself, to transfuse himself, when he hears a banging. He casually moves to his study and places a bible on his desk when the door bursts in – it’s the police... Cut forward. A newspaper seller calls out about the trial of Dr. Malthus, who has confessed to the murder of six women, though despite confessing he is unrepentant. A priest called to see him is warned that since his arrest he has suddenly aged though his strength remains prodigious. Malthus is arrogant, insists he will have his revenge through his descendants but is hung for his crimes.

Rosa and Gonzalo

There is then a neat little establishing montage that shows us time moving from the 19th Century through to the 1960s. Rosa (Sonia Furió, Dr Satán y la Magia Negra) and her mother have fixed up the Malthus house for Rosa’s fiancé Gonzalo Malthus (also Fernando Casanova) who has been in Europe for five years. Like his ancestor (of whom he refers to as "sinister") he is a doctor.

remains

On his first night in the house he is in the study and beneath the portrait of his ancestor a plaque suggests that truth be sought in the bible. In his head a voice repeats over and over that he is a Malthus and the cross on the cover of the bible seems to pulse. On opening it, words appear that only a Malthus can see, giving a clue about an angel falling… Now all this was odd given that the vampirism in this is meant to be scientific, this sequence seemed supernatural. Nevertheless, he spots a bas-relief of an angel, pulls it down and finds a passage to the lab. In there the body of the last victim lies on the table still and, through a concealed door that he stumbles upon, is a room with cells containing desiccated bodies and his ancestor’s notes on the experiments he conducted.

body of his ancestor

Dr Malthus’ notes claim that aging occurs as nerve cells die but he discovered that the treated blood from someone under 25 can renew those cells. It claims that he was over 100 years old and further claims that his treated body would not truly die but could be revived. Gonzalo becomes obsessed with the notes, studying them over weeks and ignoring Rosa. She invites him for a meal, it just happens to be her birthday, but he goes to the cemetery instead and steals his ancestor’s corpse. He eventually makes it to Rosa’s house, whilst the guests are having coffee, but the young (22 years old) maid answers the door and, opportunistically, he kidnaps her instead of going in! Using her blood he revives the corpse of his ancestor and the maid ends up a prisoner in the cells.

aging process

I’ll leave the plot there. Enough to say that the treatment only keeps Malthus young for a couple of weeks, necessitating new ‘donors’. Also, Malthus is the spitting image, when young, of his descendent – bar the ever present ligature mark on his neck from his execution. When Gonzalo fails to be useful (and obedient), Malthus looks to take over his life. Of course, Gonzalo only has himself to blame and acted like a “wrong ‘un”, which started the whole debacle… but is it any good?

modern victim

Truthfully it isn’t the best film in the world, Gonzalo’s motivations are poorly explored and Rosa really should have just dumped his neglectful ass. The film is sooo very melodramatic and yet… it is so much better than the US re-edit, it paces better (despite being longer), the narrative is explained in dialogue and action rather than voiceover and it just works better on every level. As I say, not the best film but the score doubles from the re-edit to 4 out of 10.

The imdb page is here.

Raw – Blu-Ray review

Director: Julia Ducournau

Release date: 2016

Contains Spoilers  

French genre movie Raw is getting a limited-edition Blu-Ray release in the UK (release date April 19, 2021) and I was given early-access to the disc for review. It should be noted that access was to the disc only and therefore I cannot comment on the quality of the rigid slipcase, art cards and essays/interview included in the booklet. The review is for the content and quality of the Blu-Ray. Raw is a cannibal film but I did look at it as a ’Vamp or Not?’ previously, in which I concluded that it definitely used familiar tropes and should be looked at within the vampire genre.

Garance Marillier as Justine

What proved interesting to me, having re-watched the film (and twice again with the two commentaries), along with the interviews and panels with Julia Ducournau, was when I reread my previous article and realised my stance had shifted. I stand by the conclusion, but the path to it is slightly different in places. Alexandra West, in her commentary, traces the film’s cinematic parentage to New French Extremity horrors Dans Ma Peau and Trouble Every Day, recognising the latter as a vampire film. She recognises that, like the vampire, the cannibal is often othered and sees the film, in part, a coming-of-age story. Ducournau herself sees it as becoming human, of developing a whole self and choosing a morality. I think, looking back on my article, I can say that I didn’t realise that Justine (Garance Marillier) was meant to be as young as she is in film (entering vet school at 16), that she is a prodigy. One thing I suggested was that she seduced her gay roommate (Rabah Nait Oufella) – on a re-watch I suspect that whilst, in parts of the film, she clearly experiences her blossoming sexuality the scene is not a seduction as such. Returning to Alexandra West, she suggests the sex, given his espoused sexuality, feels problematic (within his narrative). I think you can read a definite connection between the urge to consume and the urge for sex, and the reader can add the textual suggestion that on some unconscious level her urge controls his.

eating raw meat

The film print is wonderful and the, in places, almost grim, urban photography is counterpointed by some wonderful, subtle lighting effects. One particular scene springs to mind, where an unnatural red light subtly highlights marching students just before a particularly bloody hazing, underpinning this use of light where the lighting helps to set the scene with a notable feel of the uncanny. 

I’ve touched on the extras already but a full list reveals the following:

• The Girl Can't Help It: a new interview with Actor Garance Marillier
• Making Ends Meat: a new interview with Producer Jean des Forets
• New audio commentary by film critic Alexandra West
• Audio Commentary with Julia Ducournau and film critic Emma Westwood
• In the Name of Raw: an interview with Director Julia Ducournau
• A Family Affair: a new video essay by film critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
• Raw À Votre Goût featurette with Julia Ducournau & film critic Emma Westwood
• Quick Bites with Julia Ducournau & film critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
• Genre Matters Panel Discussion
• Australian Premiere Introduction
• Australian Premiere Q&A with Julia Ducournau and Kier-La Janisse
• Alternative opening, deleted scenes, trailers

finger food

The disc, as you can see, is jam-packed with extras. There are two deleted scenes that are interesting but not earth shattering; one, in a lecture, is greatly extended next to the final cut, and whilst really interesting would have stifled the pace if kept in its entirety and the film can feel languid in places already (deliberately, one feels, and juxtaposed against frenetic moments). With regards the two commentaries, the one with Julia Ducournau and Emma Westwood is worthwhile for the insights the director brings. Westwood is more a springboard for those insights, admitting that she had only seen the film once before the recording. The second is with Alexandra West and I have mentioned a couple of her insights earlier. She has a monograph exploring New French Extremity horrors, which she repeatedly reminds the listener about but, beyond the shameless self-promotion, she was able to help tie this film’s place within that movement and the commentary offers much.

Raw is a great film and this is a fantastic set for those who love the film and want a further insight into it. The score is for the set 8.5 out of 10.

EDIT 30/4/21: I have treated myself to the commercial release (partly as the early release disc was sent on loan and I really wanted the film in Blu-Ray format) and can report that the set as a whole is as class as the disc itself. The hard case is fairly large as the bound booklet, which contains an interview and essays, sits separate to the disc case. The three art cards are lovely. The set is recommended.  

The imdb page is here.

On Blu-Ray @ Amazon UK

Abduction of Two Rulers – review

Author: Nancy Kilpatrick

Release date: 2018

Contains spoilers  

The Blurb: A conference between two species ends in disaster when Sapiens Queen Blanka and the Vampir King Thanatos are treacherously seized and imprisoned in a dungeon. War erupts as their jailers—an ancient vampir and a traitorous Sapiens usurper—each plot to reign over all of their own species. Desperate to end the conflict, the two prisoners escape. En route to his stronghold, Thanatos disappears. His vampir allies want to find him, but attack is imminent, making defense the priority. Blanka knows the odds are against her surviving an all-powerful, ancient being whose goal is destruction yet she is determined to rescue Thanatos. The question that tortures her is: does he still exist?

The review: The third in the Thrones of Blood series, I had previously reviewed volumes One and Two for Vamped (and due to publication delays with this review, you can find reviews of volumes Four and Five also) and I have a confession that, as I went into this book, I was of the misconception that it was a trilogy and as I came towards the end of the volume I became worried as threads seemed to be left open and the big reveal I had hoped for hadn’t occurred. The series is not a trilogy and those threads and secrets will wait for another volume.

Unlike the previous volume, Sacrifice of the Hybrid Princess, which jumped forward in time considerably from the timeframe of book 1, this takes place immediately after volume 2 but whilst the characters we have grown to know over the two volumes are still in this volume the focus shifts to two characters briefly met at the end of book 2 – namely a vampir King named Thanatos and a sapiens queen called Blanka, who are imprisoned together during a coup of their respective kingdoms. Like the other volumes, the plot revolves around the relationship of the primary protagonists – though this relationship is born of an immediate mutual attraction rather than a gradual dawning of attraction and thus has none of the dominance and submission erotic aspects of the first two volumes (in the main) and, indeed, the sexual element is dialled down considerably, though it hasn’t been expunged.

The author lends the characters unique voices that separates them from previous protagonists, though through all the volumes she instils the primary female protagonists (bar Belladonna, a vampir matriarch) with a level of naivety – in this case, with Blanka having been a queen, this sat a tad uneasily but not so much that the story is harmed. I have mused about the timeframe and this volume gives us hints that this is some form of distant future. I have also been desperate to discover the truth behind the ghosts that reside in the mountain cave systems – invisible to sapiens, the vampir can hear their overwhelming voices and cannot enter the tunnels for long without the worry of being driven insane. We do get a little more of the mystery presented to us but not the answer yet – they are one of the most intriguing things about the series.

The prose is sprightly and I devoured the volume in short order and, I would say, this is the strongest of the three volumes thus far. 8.5 out of 10.

This review was written for Vamped and has been posted here with permission.

In Paperback @ Amazon US

In Paperback @ Amazon UK

Darkness of Day: The Tenth Anniversary Edition – review

Director: A.J. Ager

Release date: 2010

Contains spoilers

Some times things don’t turn out as you’d expect. As this started I was convinced I’d probably be writing a review of a film that was going to go into the Worst 100 Vampire Films. Honestly, it was (as I’ll explain) horrible. As things progressed, well the dialogue and acting are… I’ll get to that but… I was enjoying myself, this was infectious – there is no better word for it.

So what was wrong with it? Well, it started off (and bear in mind this might be a no-budget indie film but it was from 2010 and sold as a 2020 anniversary edition) with the most God-awful resolution that failed to disguise the blooming awful photography. The cinematography all the way through was bad. Juddering pan shots and lighting failures abound. We then move to the night and a car park.

the escort

A woman stands in the car park and a car pulls up with two guys. She is an escort but they were expecting two – her friend bailed, she explains – and expecting milk maid outfits. Never mind, they suggest she gets in the car but she says she'll follow in hers. They convince her but she quickly changes her mind and so they pull guns and order her to get in. Suddenly they are being attacked by someone who moves too fast to see. One has his throat cut and the other, it looks like, part of his brain removed and chomped on by the vampire – Draven (Casey Ager).

injured

He talks to the woman but sees she has an engagement ring and so kills her (he hates women that cheat). Another approaches, Fausto (Will Melendez), who has been sent to apprehend him for the vampire council. He has killed a council member’s (adopted human) son. If he comes quietly he may be spared with a 100 year internment. He pulls his gun, says the bullets have “splinters” and kills Fausto.

in daylight

The next morning is special, as Draven has a gift no other vampire has. Once a year he can walk in the daylight and, on that day, he goes to a certain graveyard where a vision will set him a task – he actually has a title, the Redeemer, and later we discover that the one who turned him was the previous Redeemer and passed the gift to him. This year he discovers that he should save Simone (Sherelle Black). The trouble is that Simone was his (human) ex and she committed suicide two days before. However with his human sidekick Jinx (Matt Lynch) he sets about investigating (and discovers her body has been taken from the morgue).

A.J. Ager as Vincent

Jinx is the brother of another of his girlfriends, from when he was human, and he’s promised Jinx that they will discover who her killer is – and that truth comes out during the film. However for the main story, Simone was pregnant – she claimed with Draven’s child. He believes otherwise as vampires are sterile. However, the blind vampire manipulating the situation, Vincent (A.J. Ager), believes that the redeemer can father a child and that by drinking the child’s blood – and that of the Redeemer – a vampire can become a daywalker.

Matt Lynch as Jinx

So, I’ve mentioned the awful photography. The dialogue wasn’t great – there are only so many ways a script can reference goat copulation before it gets repetitive – and much of the acting amateurish at best. The pacing was off but… I enjoyed the film. I think it was primarily down to Casey Ager and Matt Lynch who may not be the greatest actors but were totally natural, bounced off each other and seemed wonderfully enthusiastic – and that enthusiasm was infectious.

Casey Ager as Draven

Is this a great film – Hell no. Did I enjoy watching it – Hell yes. That sheer enjoyment raises this to a reputable 4 out of 10 for a film that should, by all rights, scored much less. The imdb page is here.

On Demand @ Amazon US

On DVD @ Amazon UK

AMYM: The Mamluk Who Defied Death – review

Author: KV McQuain

First Published: 2016

The Blurb: It's 1811, the spring wind blowing out of the western desert heralds disaster for the Mamluks of Egypt. Cairo is tearing itself apart in its struggle for modernization. Amym, a former Georgian slave soldier, seizes an opportunity to secure the freedom of the woman he loves. He must navigate the political unrest of a nation in turmoil and risks more than just his life to be with his childhood sweetheart. But the political intrigue and violence of an unstable nation force him to flee the only home he has ever known and fall into the grips of an evil that has lain in hiding for centuries. Will he find a way for them to be together while those around them die, or will he fall under the sway of a far reaching society of ancient, blood thirsty khafash?

The review: Leaving the modern New York City behind for the most part, this is the origin story for Amym – one of the prime protagonists in McQuain’s novel NYV: Punk. The setting is primarily early 19th Century Egypt, where Amym is a Mamluk (an Islamic military caste, often derived from slavery, who controlled Egypt until the events outlined in the story).

Amym’s life changes firstly as he is forced to flee with his bey’s family after the historic Massacre of the Citadel and more so when he is taken by an ancient creature and kept as servant and slave. McQuain uses this historic background masterfully drawing a real sense of the events and the culture of the time and place.

What I was impressed with was the natural dialogue and the fact that the author seemed to capture and project Amym’s voice so well, making the character feel rounded and offering a sense of characterisation that was impressive. Indeed, though we knew of a pencil sketch of the events from the NYV: Punk volume, I felt that this was perhaps a stronger volume in its own right and it stands alone as well as an adjunct to the wider series. 8.5 out of 10.

This review was written for Vamped and has been posted here with permission.

In Paperback @ Amazon US

In Paperback @ Amazon UK

Conjure X – review

Director: Tim Troemner (segment)

Release date: 2020

Contains spoilers

So, Conjure X is yet another anthology film created by stitching shorts together and, in this case, I certainly had seen the first one elsewhere before. However the rest of the film was unknown to me and the shorts were of a higher filmic quality than some, though some struggled to crescendo or pay-off, if I’m honest.

Not so the one that has caused me to review the film, entitled Pale Creatures of the Night, originally released in 2014. In some respects, this should have been looked at under ‘Use of Tropes’ but the use is so deliberate, so absolutely consuming, that it deserves to be a vampire film. I will struggle not to spoil the pay off.

Carolyn Fields as Carrie

Carrie (Carolyn Fields) has invited her friend Sam (Tim Troemner) around and they are watching a horror movie marathon. We actually start the segment with an excerpt from the black and white film they are watching – Pale Creatures of the Night and in the moment we see we get a gypsy woman (Margie Collins) trying to convince a sceptical fiancé that his darling Clara has been taken by such a creature. They are night monsters, known for killing livestock and draining them as they are blood sucking monsters.

the film

The viewers are playing a horror movie drinking game and much of this is to take Carrie’s mind off her now ex-boyfriend (whose calls she is ignoring and eventually has Sam hide her phone to prevent her answering and going back to him). Carrie is clearly a fan, she knows the script of the film word for word and when Sam suggests they next have something more realistic, like a zombie movie, she protests that these were the movies that shaped her love of horror. Little do they know that they are about to be visited by an actual pale creature of the night (Mike Paulin).

Cushing a cross

And that’s where I’ll leave it. I will tell you that they can turn victims – this seems to be through blood. I’ll also mention that there is the Cushing of a cross – ie, two sticks crossed (or an umbrella and a baseball bat in this case). That seems to work on the pale creature. So what is it… I ain’t gonna say. The pay-off is what the creature is and I am torn. It was either really silly or genius and I am still vacillating between the two. The opening works. The black and white film clips are fun and there is a real working chemistry between the two leads.

Sam & Carrie

As for a score. I’m stuck and am aiming for 5 out of 10 (as always, the vampire – or pale creature – segment only is scored). When I think it was genius, I think too low, but when I change my mind and say too silly it is about there or maybe even too generous. The imdb page is here.

On DVD @ Amazon US

On DVD @ Amazon UK

The Dark Terror – review

Author: Jerry Knaak

First Published: 2019

Contains spoilers  

The Blurb: Stunning Revelations

As Elizabeth Rubis learns to rule the children of the night and develop her abilities, her recent past comes back to haunt her. Friends become fiends and victims rise from the grave creating new dilemmas and harrowing situations.

Clandestine Assassins

Serge Da Rocha may have been defeated, but he was not the only vampire hunter. His compatriots descend on the Bay Area to rid the world of this vampire infestation that plagues Northern California.

Survival at All Costs

In the exciting 3rd novel of The Dark Passage series, what will Elizabeth do, what lengths will she go to, what sacrifices will she make to ensure her survival? Will she survive? Or will her enemies prevail?

The review: This is the third instalment of Jerry Knaak’s Dark Passage series (you can also read my reviews of vol one and two) and, like the first two, it focuses upon (and is written in first person from the point of view of) vrykolakas Elizabeth Rubis. Rubis makes for a fantastic central character as she is unrepentant of her vampiric condition and homicidal ways – though she does have a rule against killing children.

In the previous books we saw her attacked and turned, we saw her succumb to a seemingly unquenchable thirst, meeting a vampire detective who has his thirst controlled (more or less) and come face to face with a vampire hunter – an uneasy truce with her maker allowing that situation to be resolved.

Coming into this book she has started to discover some level of control vis-à-vis her thirst but also she needs to come to terms with the fact that she somehow created another vampire. Said progeny is currently hunting babies (as easy prey) with Rubis’ mortal best friend (who has also been turned). Life is made no simpler when she discovers that her brothers (who think she is dead, her body stolen) are in town and the vampire hunting society the Order of Ahura Mazda are using them as bait.

The Order seem to have some impressive pull with the authorities and Elizabeth realises that all the local undead need to work together to deal with them – after all, the enemy of my enemy…

Knaak expands Elizabeth’s range of powers again in this book, adding turning into a swarm of rats and into mist to the already discovered turning into wolf and bat. I do like the way, through the series, that powers have been discovered at moments of crisis – almost a supernatural flight or fight response. The writing is crisp, the pace steadily fast and the primary character gloriously unapologetic. 7.5 out of 10.

This review was written for Vamped and has been posted here with permission.

In Paperback @ Amazon US

In Paperback @ Amazon UK

Bram Stoker’s Van Helsing – review

Director: Steve Lawson

Release date: 2021

Contains spoilers

I must admit to being intrigued when I saw the trailer for this. Another filmed version of Dracula, the conceit of this version is that it focuses on one key aspect of the novel – the predation upon Lucy and her fate. It does take some story liberties – as does any version of Dracula – but I liked the idea that it was going to keep a narrow focus.

It does rather well with the budget, with an authentic period feel helped by restricting itself to a small cast and limited location. As always with remakes of Dracula I intend to discuss many of the differences to the novel and therefore there will be major spoilers but the general thrust of the story will be known to you all anyway.

Lucy writes to Mina

So, this is set at the point where Mina (Helen Crevel) – who makes the briefest of appearances in the coda of the film – has left to be with Jonathan, and Lucy (Charlie Bond, Strippers Vs Werewolves) tells us as much as we hear her narrate a letter she writes to her friend. The immediate difference we notice is that there have only been two suitors, John Seward (Joe Street) and Arthur Holmwood (Tom Hendryk), with Quincy expunged from the narrative. Another difference is that Mrs Westenra is missing and Lucy – ill as the film begins – has been taken to one of the houses of the Godalming estate.

Mark Topping as Van Helsing

Thus it is very near the beginning of the film that Van Helsing (Mark Topping) arrives, having been contacted by Seward. Before his arrival there is a brief conversation between Arthur and Seward and mention is made by Seward of a fascinating patient – the only reference to Renfield who, also, has been essentially expunged from the narrative and, you know what, I’m ok with that. The focus of the film doesn’t need him. A moment, however, to mention Mark Topping’s Van Helsing. As he appeared on screen I’ll admit I wasn’t sure, seeming a little too lean I guess… however he worked well in the role – just as well given that the title makes him the centre of attention.

collapsed

Of course, Dracula has already been visiting Lucy – hence her illness and the need to call Van Helsing. In the opening scene we see his presence heralded by candles blowing out and mist creeping through the window. Which is fine but the most we see of Dracula is this and later (with head out of shot) a brief moment of cape in one scene. Of course he is never actually named and only referred to as the vampire and Master. This is a difficult call. The direction of the text in this version means that Dracula may have been seen as distracting but, for me, the Count’s presence was not felt enough and the atmosphere within the film suffered for it. It would have been possible to impose that presence without an actor (see films like the Haunting (1963) for creating atmosphere without showing anything) or with the correct, but only briefly seen, casting. However, we are where we are.

transfusion

So the film follows the general Lucy story (with only two transfusions – her death occurring during the second). It is Arthur who removes the garlic flowers, there is an emphasis on Arthur feeling a jealousy as he suspects Lucy feels more for Seward despite he being the fiancé and a suspicion (voiced) that she chose Arthur because he is an aristocrat rather than for love – dynamics not in the novel. They do imbue Lucy with a (period-)inappropriate sexuality (though it is fairly modest all the same) but it is clearly driven by the encroaching vampirism. Van Helsing hypnotises her – leading to her describing flying dreams in search of blood – and Arthur’s general scepticism about Van Helsing is anchored by his distrust of the 'discredited' technique (this stands against Stoker’s praise of Charcot in the novel).

attack

One of the biggest differences is the fact that Lucy is not interred into a tomb – she is still laid out in the house through to the end of the film. I suspect this was a budget consideration but missed the opportunity of the atmosphere of a gothic graveyard. Lucy also does not become the blooferlady who attacks children (and does not actually kill) rather she leaves her coffin and kills – first of all a maid (Demi Savva) and then hunting in London but returning to the Godalming house. There is a major change to the climax events that I won’t spoil.

tools of the trade

The lore espoused states that there must be an exchange of blood for a victim to turn. Crosses and holy water deter the vampire, as does garlic, and sunlight is mentioned but only in terms of diminishing the vampire's powers hence the reason they return to the grave/coffin. Death necessitates staking and beheading. I liked the texts that Van Helsing consulted in his research, I thought they looked suitably arcane.

Tom Hendryk as Arthur

The turning of Arthur from sceptic who blamed the doctors for Lucy’s death to being open minded was perhaps a little too stark but overall I thought the story was well constructed and the cast did well with what they had. If there is a complaint then it is in the lack of suitable atmosphere. This felt like a rather talky period piece more than the gothic melodrama/horror it should have been and whilst it was still entertaining it could have been much more. Some of the soundtrack was intrusive but this was only occasionally. My fear is that this is fine for a fan of the book/genre – but a newcomer may not be as taken with it. However I’m giving it a solid 6 out of 10 so long as you understand what you are getting going in.

The imdb page is here.

On Demand @ Amazon UK

Dead Indian Wars – review

Author: Clark Casey

First Published: 2018

Contains spoilers

The blurb: After fending off an attack by the werewolf pack, the saloon is in shambles and half of the dead outlaws have been sent to Hell. Nigel, the lone vampire, takes up the job of sheriff in order to protect the only living boy in Damnation.

A second vampire, with whom Nigel has some history and still bears a grudge, comes to town. To make matters worse, an army of angry Indian warriors arrive, and they're not too keen on sharing their spirit world with the soldiers who killed them.

A sudden scarcity of food and booze spurs the election of a hawkish mayor, who controls the vampires with an unlikely source of warm blood. Buddy and some ragtag gunslingers are left to defend their territory against an entire nation of dead Indians led by an invincible brave.

The review: I definitely enjoyed the first book in Clark Casey’s Damnation series. Whilst ostensibly a Western setting, the books are actually set in a purgatory like setting in a town called Damnation where the souls of the almost damned reside and are split roughly into three factions – settlers, native Americans (both of whom were human, of course) and werewolves. The rules of Damnation are: die again and go to Hell, last twelve months without killing someone and ascend to heaven.

At the end of the last book we discovered that a “warm” baby, Martin, had been born – the mother pregnant when killed somehow kept and carried the baby to term. Nigel, the town’s vampire and sheriff, was strangely not interested in his warm blood and in this we discover that he thinks the baby might actually be his nephew – vampires being a separate species but one that can, on occasion, interbreed with humans. Also, in town is a new, second vampire, called Luther – once an enforcer for the vampire council.

The start of this volume sees the population of Native Americans growing and the balance of power begin to shift – that is until a baby chick is born – another source of warm blood and one that could be used to exploit the vampires. The pace of the book is fast and the book carries a humour born of the excellently realised characters. What Casey also does in this is start to play with the rules, much to the exasperation of the characters, which prevents any level of staleness from creeping in. If I enjoyed book one of the series then I thoroughly enjoyed this volume. Going from strength to strength, I’ll give this volume 8.5 out of 10.

This review was written for Vamped and has been posted here with permission.

In Paperback @ Amazon US

In Paperback @ Amazon UK

Fear Chamber – review

Directors: Jack Hill & Juan Ibáñez

Release date: 1968

Contains spoilers

I received a message from Leila asking whether I had ever considered this film as a vampire film – which I hadn’t. However I was immediately excited to realise that it might mean a further vampire film starring the late, great Boris Karloff (Isle of the Dead, Black Sabbath, House of Frankenstein, Mad Monster Party? & host of Thriller). Unfortunately it is not a great Swan Song, one of four Mexican movies that he was contracted for and clearly rather frail when he made it – his character spends a great deal of time bedridden or sat down – the film is rather silly… but we can handle a bit of silly.

into the cave

It starts with a dungeon scene, including skeletons, whipping and screams. Its all filmed in an off-kilter way, as though it’s a bad trip… We shift scene and, though they are hidden within fire proximity suits, we see Corinne (Julissa) and Mark (Carlos East) make their way into caves within a volcano. They are looking for something, a primal form of life that Corinne’s father Dr. Karl Mantell (Boris Karloff) has theorised may live near the earth’s core. He is at home, in contact by telephone whilst his assistant/nurse Helga (Isela Vega, La Señora Muerte) fusses. They find what they were looking for.

a new victim

We cut to the “Beneficent Foundation: Foreign Employment for Young Woman”, as a handy sign tells us. A young woman is preparing for bed inside (though she is unnerved by the artwork and unaware of the man watching from the ventilation grating). After she has fallen asleep a sinister dwarf (Santanón, Santo and Blue Demon Vs the Monsters) creeps in and then the whole wall and her bed turns and she is suddenly in the dungeon. She is terrorised and herded through the dungeon until she is in a cage and forced to watch a satanic sacrifice of another woman.

the priest looks familiar

But wait, keen-eyed viewer… surely the satanic priest is non-other than Dr. Karl Mantell. He calls for her and she is dragged out of the cell and placed over hot coals to be sacrificed and, passes out. A gurney is pulled in and Mantell has shrugged off satanic priest robes and is in surgical scrubs. They take her through to an operating theatre where they take her blood. They brought the living rock back (if it is living; Mantell describes it as not living, also as anti-life later, but eventually concedes that it is living) and are now trying to keep it functioning whilst they use computers to decode its signals (again, a mark of how loosely conceived the film is can be found in the dialogue where sometimes they suggest it gives out signals but has no intelligence and at the same time argue over whether it can lie). Unfortunately, it requires a hormone only found in human blood when the person has gone through extreme terror, hence putting victims through the titular Fear Chamber (generously I’ll suggest that this food source is necessary because it has been removed from its home environment and the hormone replicates the normal food-stuff, as there are not going to be humans around in its natural environment).

the rock creature

So, they manage to take enough blood to feed the rock but not so much that the victim will die (Mantell draws a line here, it seems, though unbeknownst to him, some of his performers/researchers have looser morals and managed to kill at least one victim previously) though this latest victim does have a medical complication. The next day she is convinced it was a dream and sent to her new job that the foundation found her. However Helga has the bowl knocked from her hand by a tendril the rock has developed (which she describes as a feeding tube). Burley assistant Roland (Yerye Beirute, El ataúd del Vampiro) claims communication (telepathic, that the others ignore and dismiss) and says it is still hungry – as do the computer print outs.

grabbed by a stony tentacle

A new woman in the institute, the next day, sneaks out of her room as she is actually a thief (though what she's after is never made clear) and finds the secret door to the lab. Inside she is attacked by the rock creature, which grabs her by the feeding tube and sucks the terror spiked blood from her – an act that leaves her corpse aged. This incident causes Mantell to destroy it and end up bedridden. Corinne and Mark leave for a vacation and so Helga decides to revive the creature and continue the experiments – she later suggests that it seduced her and Roland.

feeding ages the victims

What we have then is a living rock that feeds on human blood, though this is a means to get to the fear hormone it needs. The act of feeding drains the youth from the victim for no adequately explored reason. It is intelligent, deceitful and, they learn to their shock, able to interface with the computers. The dialogue is the worst kind of technobabble at times and whilst there is a moment of topless nudity (when Helga brings a stripper back for the rock creature and she performs) this seemed to have ambitions of a sleazy level of sexploitation that it didn’t achieve. I think it is a little unfair to suggest Karloff phones his performance in, after all he was clearly in poor health, but it is not a great performance from an actor capable of so much more. The film itself deserves probably no more than 3.5 out of 10 – bolstered by the fact that it achieves some sort of drive-in-zen and yet… rock vampire.

The imdb page is here.

On DVD @ Amazon US

On DVD @ Amazon UK

Honourable mention: Lovecraft Country – season 1

Lovecraft Country Season 1 aired in 2020 and was notable for creating a supernatural show based (very loosely) on Lovecraftian lore but with a primarily black cast – certainly with regards the protagonists in the series. It also included a science fiction/time travel element, along with a multiverse aspect, and drew in world folklore.

As I started to watch I noted a few moments that touched on vampires and I really do mean touch. However later in the series there is an episode (and a character who later recurs) who is most definitely an energy vampire. On balance, however, I decided that the appearances are light in the season and therefore I’d keep to an honourable mention.

War of the Worlds moment

The first vampire reference might be missed – indeed it is a matter of obscure classification. We see a soldier, Tic (Jonathan Majors), in the trenches. The scene is black and white as we begin and moves to colour as a voice-over narrates. But what was a very earthly conflict takes on a new form when we see flying saucers and the tripods of War of the Worlds. And this is our first vampiric moment as, in the novel of War of the Worlds, one can interpret the Martians as alien vampires, feeding on the blood of humanity. All this is a dream as Tic (short for Atticus) rides a segregated bus back to Chicago.

Jonathan Majors as Tic

Tic is a Korean War veteran, who joined the army to get away from his father, Montrose (Michael Kenneth Williams). Back in Chicago his father is missing but a letter talks about his heritage and a place called Ardham. His Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) writes a travel guide for African Americans and agrees to take him (as he researches for the guide) and a childhood friend Leti (Jurnee Smollett) goes with. After escaping a racist attack they end up being walked into woods by a racist sheriff (Jamie Harris, Blood Ransom) and his men. They are saved when creatures attack the cops.

a shoggoth

Earlier Tic has described Shoggoth to Leti and with the multiple eyes these were, I am guessing, a take on Shoggoth. They are also our next vampiric moment. They discover that they are afraid of light – like vampires, George concludes. When one of the cops is bitten he quickly turns into one – again the dialogue states like vampires, and in both cases certainly a knowing use of genre tropes. Having escaped the cops (and the shoggoth) they discover that Tic is being manipulated by an occult society the Sons of Adam. The founder, Titus (Michael Rose), impregnated one of his slaves (the implication being through rape) and Tic is a direct descendent making him, and his blood, special. The next casual vampire reference was discovering that Uncle George’s favourite book is Dracula - interestingly Montrose’s favourite book is the Count of Monte Cristo, which mentions vampires also. I should also mention the racist (and occultist) police captain (Mac Brandt) who had literally stolen black bodies to fix his own injuries, his torso a Frankenstinean patchwork built with the body of a victim.

using the tails to feed

However, Tic was in Korea and the episode "Meet Me in Daegu" is a flashback to his time there and also the story of Ji-Ah (Jamie Chung). Ji-Ah’s mother married her step-father and discovered he was sexually abusing her. To stop him she went to a shaman and she invoked a kumiho – the Korean version of a nine-tail fox – which possessed the daughter. She has been told that if the kumiho takes 100 victims then it will leave the body and Ji-Ah (the human soul) will be restored. Ji-Ah seduces and sleeps with men (the step-father being the first) and during this her nine tails emerge (from various areas of her body, including her eyes) and she devours the man’s soul, taking their memories (she remembers none of Ji-Ah’s past pre-possession). She works as a nurse and Tic originally is to be her 100th victim, as he was part of a squad who killed two nurses whilst looking for a communist spy and then took her best friend (the spy). However, she falls in love with him and tries to fight her nature and this, to me, was one of the strongest episodes of the season.

Jurnee Smollett as Leti

I really rather enjoyed this series. If it had a fault it was that they threw everything in and some of the ideas are under-explored as a result. I have seen criticism of its portrayals of the white characters, most of whom are drawn as racist. However, if you think this went too far then please, stow your privilege. Firstly, this is from a black point of view during the Jim Crow era - from segregation and racially motivated hostility, through to the fearful reactions when the police arrived it screamed authenticity, and the description of the white characters might be uncomfortable for some but will certainly capture the zeitgeist of that era of American history. The Freeman family, specifically, were impacted (in Montrose and George’s childhood) by the Tulsa Massacre and Chicago is shown during Emmett Till's funeral. Again I have read criticism of using those real-life events but to my mind it is important that they are talked about and they add a context to a show where the way humans treat each other make them more monstrous than any eldritch terror.

The imdb page is here.

Short Film: Choice Cuts

A short that comes in under 5-minutes, this was directed by Keith Jefferies and Jeff Meyers and is slightly spoiled just by being featured on TMtV.

So, it starts with a kitchen (in a hotel or restaurant) and a sink. Carl (Jonathan Leigh West) is working when his phone vibrates. His brother, Zeke (Josh West), has sent him pictures of a young woman (Kristin Condon) who is tied and gagged.

Phoning him, Carl is worried about evidence but Zeke is not moved, suggesting that the pictures can just be deleted. Turning his attention to the girl, he terrorises her with a knife before admitting that he won’t hurt her until Carl gets there. All well and good but, of course, he only thinks he is the hunter and she the hunted. She is suddenly unbound, on him with fangs showing…

hunted becomes hunter

Now, of course, the film will go on to show us what happens when Carl gets home but it also has a denouement beyond that, despite the short length and which is nicely done.

The imdb page is here.