Near Dark

Killing you would be easy, they'd rather terrify you...forever.

A mid-western farm boy reluctantly becomes a member of the undead when a girl he meets turns out to be part of a band of southern vampires who roam the highways in stolen cars. Part of his initiation includes a bloody assault on a hick bar.

REVIEW:A cult film classic, although flawed, that is eminently watchable. Near Dark is stylishly directed, well written, and enjoyable to watch. It's very easy to sink yourself into the velvety world of the night and see from its perspective.

One of the pleasant parts of the film is that traditional good guys and villains are continually switched around as the film progresses. Sympathy for the nomadic vampire group shifts throughout different parts of the film, playing with your emotions. A nice touch, well done.

The two main characters, Caleb (Adrian Pasdar) and Mae (Jenny Wright) are excellent in their parts and know their characters well. Bill Paxton enjoys his role as the wise-cracking and unstable spur-sporting Severen and gets some brilliant one-liners. In general, the script is crisp and well written.

The movie is flawed in parts, but I don't feel that that makes it any less enjoyable, just marks points that could be improved. For example, it is NEVER explained how you turn a vampire back into a human. It just happens, and that is irritating to an otherwise well thought out film.

Basically, Near Dark drips atmosphere, and sinks you into its world of shadows, passion and blood. It's actually more of a love story than a horror story, and gels both genres together well.

An occasionally (and vexingly) flawed but otherwise spectacular piece of vampire lore