Breathing In – review

Director: Jaco Bouwer

Release date: 2023

Contains spoilers

Based on a play by Reza de Wet, this South African film, set within the Boer War, maintains that stage foundation by mostly holding the set to the inside of a barn with moments just outside, with a wagon, but in the dark as rain falls. As such it relies heavily on the actors to bring the narrative alive. What we have, in a lore sense, is a breath stealer – which is a type of vampirism akin to energy vampirism and the fact that there is a character, which codes with a witch, fits with this.

figure in the wagon

The film opens with said wagon in silhouette against the sunset and an intertitle that mentions the use of concentration camps by the British – imprisoning women and children to break the fight in the Boers – and the number of deaths this led to. The camera pulls back and we see that farmland is on fire in the distance and a black hooded figure within the wagon.

Michele Burgers as Annie

Opening in the barn there is Anna (Michele Burgers) and her daughter Annie (Jamie-Lee Money), led in a stupor is the Boer General (Lionel Newton), looking frail and grey. Annie is languid, strapped to a chair (to keep her sat upright). She claims sleepiness and Annie straps her straight in the chair to keep her awake (or she may not wake again). She tells her she’ll be strong again soon and dresses her as she knows someone will be with them soon.

Sven Ruygrok as Brand

That someone is Adjutant Brand (Sven Ruygrok). As the film progresses it seems that he had Anna stay with the General, as she is a healer, in the barn on the General’s land (the farmhouse is destroyed), and he has returned after delivering despatches. However, reality is warped in this film and Anna is manipulative, so at times he cannot remember how they met and came to be there. Anna’s blackened fingers, use of herbalism and mannerisms codes her as the witch I mentioned. She is manipulating Brand into having feelings for Annie.

Anna and Brand

Annie is the vampire – though it seems not her fault. Later in the film Anna talks about Annie's conception and Anna being with her father (who had the blackest eyes). He was a dowser she met and fell in love with but, after spending time with her, he left, though by then she was pregnant. She made a vow that she would give up the child to be with him again and, eventually, the child died in the womb and he returned... but only to have her make a potion or spell to bring him his unrequited love. She strangled him and his last breath escaped and entered her (carnally) bringing the foetus back to life (so we can code Annie as undead).

restraints show in the mirror

The lore is sparse, the film relying on producing a sense of uncanniness and mystery. Outside, for instance, red eyed creatures stand sentinel, and one rips apart a horse (that has been shot) but we see little more than a distant silhouette against the night, with glowing eyes, and the film does not expand. Mysterious people appear for a moment in the barn (perhaps a concentration camp). In a reflection it looks like Annie is held in metal, restraining head gear. This leads us to wonder about the reality presented.

hoofed

Equally we see, through Brand’s point of view, Annie’s legs momentarily become hoofed animal legs or Anna transforming into a bird of prey for a split second. We are told that Anna and Annie travel by night, Brand assumes to avoid the British, but Annie says it is because “We can't bear the daylight. It hurts us.” It does feel that tying Annie and Brand emotionally is being done to increase the potency of his last breath but it is also revealed that his youth is a factor – she could take the General’s last breath but he is old and it is not potent.

Lionel Newton as the general

The film relies on atmosphere, uncanny moments and the strength of the performances and, in that regard, Michele Burgers does much of the heavy lifting with a powerhouse performance. However, this film is almost the definition of a slow burn and, whilst it revels in mystery and ambiance, a viewer wanting something more immediate and visceral could well be disappointed. I was not, I was thoroughly absorbed in the film. 7 out of 10.

The imdb page is here.

On DVD @ Amazon US

Talamasca: The Secret Order – season 1 – review

Directors: John Lee Hancock, Louise Hooper & Eva Sørhaug

First aired: 2025

Contains spoilers

I’ve already looked at Interview With the Vampire (Season 1 & Season 2), which opened AMC’s The Immortal Universe. In truth I have yet to watch through the Mayfair Witches but have taken the opportunity, with the UK Blu-Ray release, to catch up with the Talamasca series. This series is based on the series of novels entitled “The Vampire Chronicles” and “The Lives of the Mayfair Witches”, rather than being versions of those novels.

Elizabeth McGovern as Helen

It follows Guy Anatole (Nicholas Denton) newly qualified from law school and a telepath, who manages to snag a job at a top law firm when he is approached by Helen (Elizabeth McGovern), a Talamasca agent. The lure of money to hear her out (he’s financially embarrassed) is her hook and he discovers that they have been watching over his life (presumably, at first, due to his gift but later we discover that his missing mother was a Talamasca agent who went rogue).

Nicholas Denton as Guy

He, of course, doesn’t believe her when she mentions the immortal world but she then introduces him to Burton (Jason Schwartzman), a vampire. He also goes to a book signing by Daniel Malloy (Eric Bogosian, Blade Trinity), who interviewed Louis in the Interview series. The fact that his book has been published puts this after the Interview seasons thus released but (if the various series will go this far) before the events in the book Queen of the Damned as there are plenty of younger end vampires around.

William Fichtner as Jasper

Guy accepts his role as spy and gets one week’s condensed training – and this is where this series is that little weaker than those (I’ve seen thus far) based on Rice’s storylines. Ok, Helen is desperate for an off-books agent, but Guy is so green he should be dead (probably by the end of the first episode, certainly not far into the series). He is told to watch the London Talamasca motherhouse, and it becomes apparent that it has been taken over by a vampire named Jasper (William Fichtner) who is searching for an artefact called the 752 – a receptacle of all the Talamasca’s library that backed up their central library prior to a catastrophic fire in the 70s. Jasper has created revenants – the feral vampires seen in the Romanian sequence of Interview, but Jasper has worked out how to make them obedient.

a revenant

Time to mention a vampire gift, from memory not in the books, though used within the Interview TV series, but which stood out to me here. Some vampires apparently have a time stopping gift. One might argue that it shows them observing time relatively, when fast moving, but Jasper stops time (including a pour of whisky hanging in the air) but converses with Guy and so it appears that time has stopped but he can choose who is affected. How this works is unknown and feels overpowered – when, with Louis and Lestat, it added to the atmosphere. 

iron mask

Another thing introduced is iron to control a vampire (which, of course, is a fae trait). This is in Rice’s books (introduced in Blood Canticle) but it subdues the mind and fire gifts, it does not rob them of other powers as it seems to in this. I will mention a little irk that many will not catch – unless they use UK rail – in the final episode they go to Waterloo Station, which was clearly not Waterloo (the series was filmed in Manchester and it looked suspiciously like Manchester Piccadilly station) and get on a Northern Train, which don’t run from Waterloo – not major, as most viewers won’t realise, but it knocked my immersion for a moment. Nevertheless, despite the fact that it was difficult to buy Guy, as he was way too green, the story was interesting, with plenty of twists and turns, and all the acting solid. 6 out of 10.

The imdb page is here.

On Blu-Ray @ Amazon US

On Blu-Ray @ Amazon UK

Interview with the Vampire: Claudia's Story – review

Art and Adaptation: Ashley Marie Witter

Based on: Anne Rice

First published: 2012

Contains spoilers

The Blurb: Claudia was just a little girl when she was turned by the vampire Lestat. Though she spends many years of happiness with her two vampire fathers, Claudia gradually grows discontent with their insistence upon treating her like a little girl, even though she has lived as long as any mortal man.

And her lust to kill is certainly no less than theirs...

The review: An adaptation in graphic novel form, this retells the Claudia section of Interview with the Vampire but from her point of view. As such we do miss moments as Witter focuses on the things Claudia would have been privy to. However, there are omissions, such as Armand removing her head and attaching it to an adult body – an experiment that fails, which felt more an aesthetic choice than anything. That said, the book follows Interview and the revelation about Armand’s experiment appears in the Vampire Armand, which may also be why it wasn’t shown.

If you are familiar with the story there is not anything new here, it is an adaptation after all, but the change in perspective works and the story works as a standalone saga within the greater whole. The art proved to be a bold choice. A just shy of sepia palate, with bold reds, the art is lovely and works very well, when a temptation to delve into a darker palate and richer Gothic must have been there. All in all, worthwhile. 7 out of 10.

In Hardback @ Amazon US

In Hardback @ Amazon UK

Short Film: Voltaic Blood

On Amazon Prime as a longer run-time short film (some 50 minutes), this is listed part 1 on the actual titles and IMDb suggests a series, of which this is the only episode currently released. It was directed by Jaime Gonzalez, released in 2025, and is rather ambitious with some strange, and I assume deliberate, anachronisms.

After intertitles that give a potted history of the Angelic fall, Nephilim and vampires we move to a cyberpunk scenario in a world not quite ours, in a city called Neo-Babylon, at the tail-end of a corporate war. A vampire, Gabriel (Jake Wade) feeds on a woman (Vanessa Lauren Freeman). We hear the nearby car’s AI declare that she is losing blood and death is imminent. In the car is a baby. The woman deploys a blade implant from her arm, but the vampire prevents any attack and she dies.

the victim

Filled with bloodlust he heads to the car ready to devour the baby. However the baby wears an icon (a cross with a dragon below – being the order of the dragon) and it causes Gabriel pain, which curtails his bloodlust. He puts, what looks like, a 5.25" floppy disc into the car’s IT – this is part of the anachronism I mention, like a cassette player later – and takes over the AI, forcing a change in owner to be detected. Michael Rákóczi, however, is the baby and too young to drive. Gabriel puts the woman in the drivers seat and the car is programmed to go to an orphanage in auto-pilot mode. He contacts base to say that the target has been eliminated and is told that *she* wants to speak to him – she being Elizabeth Bathory (Claire Bermingham). He ignores this and walks away.

Sia Kravchenko as Nadia

Thirty years on and Michael Rákóczi (Aaron Groben, Nightcomer) is grown and a cop working for a corporation, PNCR. Elsewhere, Bathory turns a woman, Nadia (Sia Kravchenko), but the new vampire must kill for her turning to be complete. Michael is still eager to know about the dead woman in the car, when he appeared at the orphanage. He seeks out fellow Orphan and data broker Valeria (Victoria Myssik) in, what appears to be, that world’s equivalent to the dark-web. However simply bringing up the subject of his search triggers Bathory’s corporate alarms. Luckily, and unbeknown to him, Michael has a guardian angel in the form of Gabriel…

cityscapes

The look of this world was superb – though not perfectly executed, due mostly to working at budget. The filmmakers drew something alien in its post-modernity. Cityscapes are dominated by giant advertising holograms. The world seems to be permanently dark but lit by a million neon points of light. The heavy filtering on the photography adds to the stylised look. It is a bold, brave production choice. There is so much to explore generated in this opening episode and I do hope we get to delve into this world further.

The imdb page is here.

On Demand @ Amazon US

On Demand @ Amazon UK

Legend of the Eight Samurai – review

Director: Kinji Fukasaku

Release date: 1983

Contains spoilers

My thanks to Ian, who contacted me suggesting that this Japanese film might be worthy of a ‘Vamp or Not?’ As you can see, I didn’t go down that line as this turned out to be a film with a definite vampire. It has moments that are very eighties (particularly in the soundtrack) but it was based loosely on the novel Shin Satomi Hakkenden by Toshio Kamata, itself based on the 19th Century serial by Kyokutei Bakin, Nansō Satomi Hakkenden. It also owes a debt to Star Wars, if I’m honest, despite being a period film.

at the foot of the castle

It starts with an army that has taken the castle of the Satomi clan. The leaders of the army are Tamazusa (Mari Natsuki) and her son Motofuji (Yūki Meguro) and they are presented with the heads of the Satomi family – one is missing, the head of Princess Shizu (Hiroko Yakushimaru). The film follows the attempt to get her, whilst she (as the subject of a prophecy) searches for eight dog warriors destined to help her defeat Tamazuma and remove the curse on Shizu’s familial line.

Shizu escaoes

The ins and out of the plot are not as important, from a TMtV point of view, as the vampirism and this centres on Tamazusa and Motofuji. Tamazusa was Lady of the castle 100 years before but the Satomi looked to overthrow their tyranny and decadence, killed the Lord and set fire to the castle, which killed Tamazusa and Motofuji – they being undead now – and killed a baby son who did not survive. Burnt, Motofuji has been replacing his skin with the soft white skin of princesses – the final patch reserved for Shizu. Using skin in this way isn’t common but does occasionally appear as a trope, for instance in the film Replace.

blood bathing

As for Tamazusa, when we first see her she uses a chalice of blood to awaken a (demonic, presumably) statue, which is named Mitama and is the source of their power it seems. However, that Chalice then becomes centrepiece of a bath of blood. Part way through the film an attempt to take Shizu fails but Tamazusa is still close by when Shizu takes her four (at that point) companions’ glowing orbs. These are orbs, representing a virtue, that they have mostly had from birth and denotes them as dog warriors. The four orbs glow in her hand and the light spreads outwards damaging Tamazusa, causing her to age. The withered and bent queen returns to the castle and submerges herself in the blood bath, emerging young again. As well as bathing, she drinks some of the blood. It is very reminiscent of Erzsébet Báthory but it is not clear as to whether there was an influence on the filmmakers or if this is coincidental.

dying vampire

There is a strong hint of an incestual relationship between mother and son, and when she later finds the adult reincarnation of her baby, the first thing she seems to do is stuff his hand down her top – to feel her heartbeat! The last thing to mention is the way they die (not a spoiler, you must have known good would triumph over evil). This is via a magic, glowing bow; just being bashed with it for Motofuji, and being shot through the chest for Tamazusa, the arrow also hitting into Mitama (the sentient statue) also. In both cases they rapidly age to mummified husks, which is, of course, a primary genre trope. The destruction of Mitama causes the castle to fall, which is reminiscent of the rejected ending of Dracula.

Shizu with the magic bow

The film was really good fun, an epic in feudal Japan with a fully supernatural/fantasy aspect underpinning the setting. The effects were good and some of the epic shots, like the army at the castle at the head of the film, were magnificent. The whole blood bathing section was wonderfully photographed. If I have a major irk it was the soundtrack. There was a tendency to having synths on fantasy films in the 80s and it didn’t work for me at the time. I could have lived with it here, especially as there is some balance with strings. But the two John O'Banion (English language lyric) power ballads, oh my word they were poor. I am tempted to say that the track Satomi Hakken-Den, played over a love scene, was more misplaced than Strange Love in Lust for a Vampire - and that’s saying something. Nevertheless, still a great film despite this, 7 out of 10.

The imdb page is here.

On Blu-Ray @ Amazon US

On Blu-Ray @ Amazon UK

Franky and His Pals – review

Director: Jerald Cormier

Release date: 1991

Contains spoilers

We are in straight to video territory here, with a monster mash that generally fails to provide more than the most very basic of plot and relies instead on dubious humour to carry it forward. Nevertheless, with an appearance of Drak (Jerry Cormier Jr.) – Dracula, of course – there is a need to watch, document and review.

the mad scientist

It starts with a mad scientist (director Jerald Cormier under the adjusted name spelling Gerald Cormier) talking to whoever he works for on the phone and explaining that he can’t test the time machine yet. He needs gold to make the inner workings work. He is also distracted by the cleavage of his assistant (I think Kelli Gianettoni whose character is named Blonde Bimbo). After credits (that are designed to be self-effacing) we meet grave diggers Calvin (Russ Lowe) and George (Robert Lowe). As they dig, the legend of the monsters is told.

Jerry Cormier Jr. as Drak

Apparently the Monsters were reputed to have been in the area and became trapped in a cave by a landslide. Cutting to the monsters they are still in the cave and are Drak, Franky (Eric Weathersbee), Wolfie (Wilson Smith), Humpy (Keith Lack) the Hunchback, and the Mummy (Richard Sumner). The Mummy is mute but a midriff level parasite it carries, called Apophis, can speak. They pass their time playing poker. Elsewhere the town council have met and the town is in a bind – they owe over a million in property taxes to the IRS.

grave diggers

Playing poker (with multiple decks it seems), one of the stakes is a map that Humper has, showing the town and an x where a cache of gold is hidden. Drak wants the gold and, following a bean binge, fortuitously Franky’s fart clears the cave entrance. It is night (or so they suggest) and the monsters leave. They have been trapped so long they are astounded when they see horseless carriages. In one of an interminable number of musical interludes we get a “rap” (really not well done) that explains the plot thus far.

bite

Beyond scaring a driver and his date and the grave diggers, the monsters get to a hotel, where the gold is hidden and a Halloween party is going on. Of course this means they fit right in and start looking for the gold, sort of… they do tend to just wander around firing off crudely drawn gags and the base layer of misogyny in the script/gags is not supported by any true layer of sexploitation (the closest we get is a bikini contest) or any underlying funny humour. From a TMtV point of view, Drak at least manages to bite two women, the barmaid (Hester Simonis) and a party goer in Egyptian garb (Pauline Elliott). Both suffer no more ill effects beyond feeling weak and the slight amount of blood seen on one neck is really the only blood seen.

dancing Drak

And weak is what the film is but, the makeup seemed ok (at a distance at least) and there was an underlaying something that kept we watching, morbidly fascinated. The vast majority of the film is focused on the party, the grave diggers are scared occasionally, the town council appears right towards the end and the time machine is almost a coda, lining up a sequel that looks to have never happened. 2.5 out of 10.

The imdb page is here.

On Demand @ Amazon US

On Demand @ Amazon UK

The Complete Dracula – review

Adapters: Leah Moore and John Reppion

Artwork: Colton Worley

First published: 2010 (tpb)

Contains spoilers

The Blurb: Writers Leah Moore and John Reppion are joined by painter Colton Worley for a fully painted series, reprinted here in this softcover collected edition. All of the stunning covers by John Cassaday are included, along with script pages, annotations by Leah Moore and John Reppion and samplings of the original text by Bram Stoker!

The review: Another graphic novel adaptation of Dracula and one that underlines the idiom "never judge a book by its cover". The cover was by John Cassaday and I absolutely love it, a stark comic graphic that absolutely drew me in. The inner art, however, not so much. A painted style I was not wowed. The panel layout is, for the most part, pedestrian and the palette muted, it was at best utilitarian in my eyes – which is not the best way art for a graphic novel should be described. I disliked the character designs too. Art, of course, impacts different people in different ways, there will be those out there who love the style – it really wasn’t for me.

The story itself followed Stoker, but sometimes strangely. Aspects seemed glossed over or, in some cases missing, which might be fine in an adaptation as there is only so much that will fit into the format (though they have called this complete) and yet other moments of completeness that I’d have missed out are included. Moments of crates being shifted and located round London just slowed the pace of the graphic down, for instance. They included the Dracula’s Guest sequence, presumably to be complete (though Stoker chose to expunge that from the final novel) and I was curious about their decision to move to Stoker’s rejected ending connecting the collapse of castle Dracula with his demise. I love Stoker’s novel but didn’t feel this did it justice, for me at least. 5 out of 10.

In Paperback @ Amazon US

In Paperback @ Amazon UK