Director: Glenn Danzig
Release date: 2021
Contains spoilers
There was always going to be a shadow of doubt over this film after Danzig’s feature directorial debut with Verotika which, whilst not as bad as made out through some reviews, was still a fairly poor film. Stood against that was the thought that this Western vampire film had some interesting stars appearing in it. Unfortunately, it did fall under said shadow, with some mistakes that are probably down to Danzig’s inexperience in the feature film industry.
The film itself reminded me, to a degree, of From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter, in that the vampire haven – Sanctuary – reminded me of the vampire brothel, though this lacked the lovely desert photography of that film. Before we got to Sanctuary, however, the film followed Death Rider (Devon Sawa, Devil’s Den) as he rode his horse through the night leading another horse with a topless, bound and gagged women (Tasha Reign). The Death Rider theme was really good, as he went past turn back signs and crucified corpses, but then with credits that followed – with a wind only soundtrack – the pacing was wrong and the opening took way too long.
Not even the interlude and cameo, twixt riding and credits, of Danny Trejo as Bela Latigo particularly lifted the pacing issue. Normally a lift to a film, the scene had him threatening Death Rider and suggesting he’d take the girl, then Death Rider moving at high speed (indicating he, like Bela, was a vampire) and punching him out. The rest of the wasted cameo was Trejo staked out for the rising sun and pleading for help. Death Rider gets to sanctuary and the girl is his payment for entry. He drops the name Bad Bathory (Glenn Danzig) Meanwhile Mina Belle (Ashley Wisdom, Verotika) tells her mistress Carmilla Joe (Kim Director) of the newcomer’s arrival. Rider (as he is now styling himself) is taken to the council.
The council is actually a single vampire, Count Holiday (Julian Sands, Tale of a Vampire, Blood Ties & Gothic) – as an aside it was great to see the too soon departed actor. Rider is given sanctuary but the Count does not trust him and has Carmilla tasked to keep an eye on him, a task she is only too glad to do, warning Mina to not even look at him. Rider has a kit full of stakes (silver, incidentally, is the order of the day in this, the kit has silver stakes and silver bullets and we see a vampire, Drac Cassidy (Eli Roth, Tales from the Crapper & the United Monster Talent Agency), kill another bloodsucker by pouring molten silver into his mouth).
There isn’t much story to tell… Bad Bathory appears and doesn’t know Rider and so there is a huge gunfight, this is after Rider poisons whiskey with silver and, in doing so, takes many vampires out. He’s after the Count, it appears he was a vampire hunter (presumably prior to being turned) and I assume aiming for the Count to avenge his sister (that is only implied by the fact that the Count keeps victims like revenant trophies and awakens her and sends her after Rider). The issue is this doesn’t string along too well and the pacing is off. Scenes are way too long and the narrative so scant it fails to snare you.
That said there are some good aspects too. Whilst the cgi is generally horrendous, the practical gore effects work well and I loved the spurting bite holes in victims. Some of the lighting, as well, is particularly effective, with Danzig referencing Mario Bava in some of the lighting choices. Not even acting veterans like Sands can rescue the dialogue, which drags like the length of the scenes. There are some good moments, especially with the vampire imagery, but far too few to successfully outweigh the empty narrative and poor pacing. 4 out of 10.
The imdb page is here.
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| opening scenes |
The film itself reminded me, to a degree, of From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter, in that the vampire haven – Sanctuary – reminded me of the vampire brothel, though this lacked the lovely desert photography of that film. Before we got to Sanctuary, however, the film followed Death Rider (Devon Sawa, Devil’s Den) as he rode his horse through the night leading another horse with a topless, bound and gagged women (Tasha Reign). The Death Rider theme was really good, as he went past turn back signs and crucified corpses, but then with credits that followed – with a wind only soundtrack – the pacing was wrong and the opening took way too long.
 |
| Danny Trejo as Bela Latigo |
Not even the interlude and cameo, twixt riding and credits, of Danny Trejo as Bela Latigo particularly lifted the pacing issue. Normally a lift to a film, the scene had him threatening Death Rider and suggesting he’d take the girl, then Death Rider moving at high speed (indicating he, like Bela, was a vampire) and punching him out. The rest of the wasted cameo was Trejo staked out for the rising sun and pleading for help. Death Rider gets to sanctuary and the girl is his payment for entry. He drops the name Bad Bathory (Glenn Danzig) Meanwhile Mina Belle (Ashley Wisdom, Verotika) tells her mistress Carmilla Joe (Kim Director) of the newcomer’s arrival. Rider (as he is now styling himself) is taken to the council.
 |
| Kim Director as Carmilla Joe |
The council is actually a single vampire, Count Holiday (Julian Sands, Tale of a Vampire, Blood Ties & Gothic) – as an aside it was great to see the too soon departed actor. Rider is given sanctuary but the Count does not trust him and has Carmilla tasked to keep an eye on him, a task she is only too glad to do, warning Mina to not even look at him. Rider has a kit full of stakes (silver, incidentally, is the order of the day in this, the kit has silver stakes and silver bullets and we see a vampire, Drac Cassidy (Eli Roth, Tales from the Crapper & the United Monster Talent Agency), kill another bloodsucker by pouring molten silver into his mouth).
 |
| left to the sun |
There isn’t much story to tell… Bad Bathory appears and doesn’t know Rider and so there is a huge gunfight, this is after Rider poisons whiskey with silver and, in doing so, takes many vampires out. He’s after the Count, it appears he was a vampire hunter (presumably prior to being turned) and I assume aiming for the Count to avenge his sister (that is only implied by the fact that the Count keeps victims like revenant trophies and awakens her and sends her after Rider). The issue is this doesn’t string along too well and the pacing is off. Scenes are way too long and the narrative so scant it fails to snare you.
 |
| Devon Sawa as Death Rider |
That said there are some good aspects too. Whilst the cgi is generally horrendous, the practical gore effects work well and I loved the spurting bite holes in victims. Some of the lighting, as well, is particularly effective, with Danzig referencing Mario Bava in some of the lighting choices. Not even acting veterans like Sands can rescue the dialogue, which drags like the length of the scenes. There are some good moments, especially with the vampire imagery, but far too few to successfully outweigh the empty narrative and poor pacing. 4 out of 10.
The imdb page is here.
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