Directed by: Homer Broadnax
Release date: 2019
Contains spoilers
Release date: 2019
Contains spoilers
One of the key things for a film is to have a consistent and believable storyline (unless, deliberately, the script and direction can pull off suspension of disbelief extremely well). I know we are talking vampires, but that is our film’s conceit – reactions, for instance, should then have some reasoning grounded in the way the built character might naturally react.
All the above might indicate that there is something rotten when it comes to this film’s story and you’d be right to assume that. Having watched actress Alli Hart the night before watching this, in film the Dinner Party, I was lulled into a false sense of security, believing this might be ok. It was not.
So we start with am intertitle that tells us, “A vampire has true immortality, once they take a seat at the throne of the dark one.” It’s 1885, in Europe, and we meet vampire Vincent Drago (Clint Hummel) is going to take his place by that throne. There is some jibber jabber… We then see Vincent and a woman, Adrianne (Irena Violette, Portraits, Transylmania & Metamorphosis), in a terrible day for night shot, who he turns. What this part of the film doesn’t tell us is that, subsequently Vincent is killed and there is a convoluted resurrection ritual needed to bring him back. No, the film just moves to present day USA.
And... Morgan (Ray Tezanos) and Robin (Lauren Elyse Buckley) are in bed having sex followewd by post-coital cuddle. We then cut to Morgan led outside where he is approached by a woman, later revealed to be Mira (Alli Hart). She talks about saving him, there is nearly a kiss and she vanishes. He wakes next to Robin, it was a dream. Later, Robin and Morgan are running. They stop, for a moment he seems to see Mira and then decides to tell Robin they should have a break. He is suffocated and there is the time needed for his band…
Robin seeks solace with her friend Lisa (Angelique Sabrina White) and mutual friend Darren (Jordun Lyons). She still wants to go to see Morgan’s gig. We get a song and Morgan directs it towards a woman in the crowd, who he takes onto stage and kisses – it is Mira. Robin is less than pleased. We see her and Lisa go to an alternative shop and Robin is looking for books on vampires. What we don’t learn till later is that Robin knows Morgan has a Dorian Grey complex and so she wants to find out how to become a vampire, and then turn him to win him back - which is somewhat fanciful, to say the least. A mysterious woman comes over and says there is a real book in a back room but only the one with Redeemer blood can get it – Robin, it is suggested, is that one.
She does get the book and it tells her about Vincent, whose remains are kept by his lover Adrianne (whose photo is in the book and is the lead singer of a local band) and her address! Given that Adrianne wants him resurrected and shows at the ceremony, why not give Robin the remains… no they have to “con” their way into the house and steal them. The ritual is convoluted in that only a redeemer’s blood will do, mixed with equal parts graveyard dust and pure water. Vincent, of course, is resurrected and has world dominating ambitions.
So the reactions of the characters rang hollow and the story was all over the place. At one point Mira and Morgan are attacked and whilst he is bitten she wards off her attacker with a cross. She wakes at Lisa’s house – how she got there and why they are now all buddy-buddy is ignored. The jumps in story and ridiculous character reactions might have been forgiven after a jarring cut scene in which we see a woman wake up. The action seems to have been in her dreams. She is a writer, who talks to her mirror (and it answers) and is writing a vampire book… but.. nah… it is not forgiven at all, the writer scenes were trite and she ends up in the story anyway. The film leads to no real conclusion whatsoever – though Mira may be something other… there is no ending, just a clear wish to make a second part and it was blooming hard work getting there.
This was poor, no doubt, and it was entirely a scripting/direction issue. The film fails to give the necessary narrative clues; sometimes offering an explanation well after the event but not in a way you’d call clever, and sometimes offering no clues at all. 2.5 out of 10.
The imdb page is here.
On Demand @ Amazon US
On Demand @ Amazon UK
All the above might indicate that there is something rotten when it comes to this film’s story and you’d be right to assume that. Having watched actress Alli Hart the night before watching this, in film the Dinner Party, I was lulled into a false sense of security, believing this might be ok. It was not.
 |
| day for night shot |
So we start with am intertitle that tells us, “A vampire has true immortality, once they take a seat at the throne of the dark one.” It’s 1885, in Europe, and we meet vampire Vincent Drago (Clint Hummel) is going to take his place by that throne. There is some jibber jabber… We then see Vincent and a woman, Adrianne (Irena Violette, Portraits, Transylmania & Metamorphosis), in a terrible day for night shot, who he turns. What this part of the film doesn’t tell us is that, subsequently Vincent is killed and there is a convoluted resurrection ritual needed to bring him back. No, the film just moves to present day USA.
 |
| Morgan and band |
And... Morgan (Ray Tezanos) and Robin (Lauren Elyse Buckley) are in bed having sex followewd by post-coital cuddle. We then cut to Morgan led outside where he is approached by a woman, later revealed to be Mira (Alli Hart). She talks about saving him, there is nearly a kiss and she vanishes. He wakes next to Robin, it was a dream. Later, Robin and Morgan are running. They stop, for a moment he seems to see Mira and then decides to tell Robin they should have a break. He is suffocated and there is the time needed for his band…
 |
| Lisa and Robin |
Robin seeks solace with her friend Lisa (Angelique Sabrina White) and mutual friend Darren (Jordun Lyons). She still wants to go to see Morgan’s gig. We get a song and Morgan directs it towards a woman in the crowd, who he takes onto stage and kisses – it is Mira. Robin is less than pleased. We see her and Lisa go to an alternative shop and Robin is looking for books on vampires. What we don’t learn till later is that Robin knows Morgan has a Dorian Grey complex and so she wants to find out how to become a vampire, and then turn him to win him back - which is somewhat fanciful, to say the least. A mysterious woman comes over and says there is a real book in a back room but only the one with Redeemer blood can get it – Robin, it is suggested, is that one.
 |
| ritual |
She does get the book and it tells her about Vincent, whose remains are kept by his lover Adrianne (whose photo is in the book and is the lead singer of a local band) and her address! Given that Adrianne wants him resurrected and shows at the ceremony, why not give Robin the remains… no they have to “con” their way into the house and steal them. The ritual is convoluted in that only a redeemer’s blood will do, mixed with equal parts graveyard dust and pure water. Vincent, of course, is resurrected and has world dominating ambitions.
 |
| fangs |
So the reactions of the characters rang hollow and the story was all over the place. At one point Mira and Morgan are attacked and whilst he is bitten she wards off her attacker with a cross. She wakes at Lisa’s house – how she got there and why they are now all buddy-buddy is ignored. The jumps in story and ridiculous character reactions might have been forgiven after a jarring cut scene in which we see a woman wake up. The action seems to have been in her dreams. She is a writer, who talks to her mirror (and it answers) and is writing a vampire book… but.. nah… it is not forgiven at all, the writer scenes were trite and she ends up in the story anyway. The film leads to no real conclusion whatsoever – though Mira may be something other… there is no ending, just a clear wish to make a second part and it was blooming hard work getting there.
 |
| feed |
This was poor, no doubt, and it was entirely a scripting/direction issue. The film fails to give the necessary narrative clues; sometimes offering an explanation well after the event but not in a way you’d call clever, and sometimes offering no clues at all. 2.5 out of 10.
The imdb page is here.
On Demand @ Amazon US
On Demand @ Amazon UK
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It is available to rent or buy via the Amazon links at the end of the review.
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