Near Dark (1987) Movie Info
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | Near Dark (1987) |
| Director | Kathryn Bigelow |
| Screenplay Writer | Kathryn Bigelow, Eric Red |
| Based on Novel by | — (Original screenplay) |
| Lead Actors | Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright |
| Cast | Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein |
| Genre | Horror, Western, Thriller |
| Release Date | October 2, 1987 (United States) |
| Duration | 1h 34m (94 minutes) |
| Budget | ~$5 million |
| Language | English |
| Country | United States |
| Box Office (Worldwide) | Modest theatrical performance |
| IMDb Rating | ~6.9/10 |
| Notable For | Unique vampire-western mix, intense bar massacre scene |
| Music Composer | Tangerine Dream |
| Cult Status | Major cult vampire classic |
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It’s Caleb Colton’s lucky night. He just met a beautiful blonde girl named Mae. After a little get-to-know-you, it’s off to the pickup truck for some necking. Unfortunately for Caleb, Mae takes a bite and runs when the sun starts coming up, leaving him with a bleeding neck and a nasty case of blueballs. If that weren’t bad enough, his truck won’t start and he’s feeling kind of sick. His lucky night just went to hell.
Shortly after, Caleb is kidnapped by a group of people straight out of his worst nightmare. They are ready to kill him when Mae intervenes, showing the group that he has been bitten by her. They suddenly relent, but that doesn’t make Caleb feel any better. This is the beginning of his terrifying trip through the backroads of America.
This is quite possibly the most under-rated vampire movie ever made. Considered for a time to be a lost film, it has been found, and has finally gotten the fan response it should have received when it first came out. This is definitely the best vampire film I have ever seen. It is completely original, has very memorable characters and a mostly believable storyline. I say mostly because the ending is a little off, but the rest of the movie is fantastic.
The group is a strange kind of family, brought together by a common bond: blood lust. Besides the soft spoken Mae, there is Homer, the grown man trapped in a young teenagers body. Diamondback, the tough and sexy alpha female. Jesse, the hard-bitten, unofficial leader of the group. And finally Severen, the epitome of bad-ass cool.
Being an independent film, you can imagine the budget constraints this film must have had. It does not show at all in this movie. The effects are beautiful. There is not a ton of gore, but enough in the right places to keep you satisfied throughout the movie. Downside, is that Mae does not get naked at any time in this movie.
The actors each gave their characters the stylized look they felt needed to play the role, and they look great. Diamondbacks bleached hair with the roots showing. Scarred Jesse with his gaunt body and gnarled fingers. Severen with his urban cowboy leather pants and spurs. They each are each supposed to come from a different era, and they pull it off nicely.
A group of vampires on a killing spree is normally nothing original in a vamp movie. But with a great script and an even better cast, this movie stands alone with all the others in this genre at it’s feet. What helps set it apart is the lack of vampire rules. Crosses, stakes, holy water all these things aren’t even an issue in the movie. Other then a healing factor and above average strength, these people don’t have any vampire powers. The word vampire is never even mentioned through the entire movie.
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