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November 2016




  

Vamp
Arrow Video/MVD
Blu Ray Review By: Jaime Pina


There were several outstanding vampire films released in the 80's including some genre classics like Near Dark, The Living Dead Girl, Fright Night and The Hunger. Vamp is a film that sort of got unfairly lost in the shuffle. Incredible since it was a huge influence on a vampire film that came out years later called From Dusk till Dawn. With an unlikely but excellent choice in Grace Jones as the star and a quirky cast, this film is a real treat and deserves a spot in vampire film history.

Starting as a teen comedy with Chris Makepeace (My Bodyguard, KISS' The Elder) and Robert Rusler (Weird Science) as two students looking to join a fraternity, they hit upon the idea of going "into town" and hiring a stripper to perform at a frat party therefore insuring them hot guy points with the other pledges. Hiring a ride from the great Gedde Watanabe (16 Candles. Gremlins 2, That Thing You Do) and experiencing an interesting car incident they wind up at a gentlemen's club that appears to be a little different. Going in separately, Rusler gains access backstage after a performance by a highly exotic dancer using a Keith Haring designed sculpture as a prop. He is soon bitten and as his friends search for him later on in the evening they discover the dark secret behind the club and its operators.

Jones was not at all what the producers had in mind and it seems she was thrust upon the production but ended up bringing a unique energy to the role and to the entire film. From her dance scene to her monster sequence she is amazing. Two other quirky casting choices stand out with Sandy Baron as the club manager who also serves as the MC and Billy Drago as an albino gang member. And for a low budget film the special care taken with the lighting and camera set-ups adds much to the appeal of the film. The shots in the sewer with the pastel colors are highly effective and the club scenes look appropriately forbidding. The Blu-ray looks great and the documentary included in the special features shows how everyone involved had a special connection to the production that they carry with them to this day.