Tonight, I opened a bottle and sat down to watch Stake Land. A post-apocalyptic vampire thriller, that reminded me of a mix of Zombieland (minus the jokes), The Road and Near Dark.
In a world that has been overrun by a vampire epidemic, a rogue hunter named simply Mister, takes an orphaned boy on a road trip to New Eden - a town in Canada that is rumoured to be 'vamp free'. On the way they meet an assortment of rag-tag characters including 'Plucky Teen Girl Who Takes No Crap', 'Am I The Only Black Guy To Survive This Shit?' and 'I May Be An Elderly Nun But I Was Once The Romantic Lead In Top Gun You Know!' Yes, that is Kelly McGillis!
It has a bleak atmosphere that runs throughout the film, as though the futility of carrying on surviving is simply not worth the effort. That's a good thing. There's no shoe-gazing moody teens that you want to slap. There's no sexy vamps with perfect bodies. And there certainly seems as though there's no redemption for any of the characters seeking it. Everyone seems to know what is unspoken - that they're all screwed - but they are simply 'getting on with things'.
Which, all in all, made this movie a refreshing change from the toothless vampire flicks that seem to be the accepted norm these days.
Totally agree with you! I saw this at a midnight screening last Saturday and I was very satisfied. I thought it was like a great Romero film with vampires substituted for zombies, but also really pushes the envelope for the survival horror genre as well. Very original too and like you said "a refreshing change". Great film!
ReplyDeleteNice to hear - will put this on the must see list
ReplyDeleteI have been waiting for this movie for almost a year. I'm dying to see it. I haven't been this excited for a vampire film since John Carpenter's VAMPIRES.
ReplyDeleteThis was better than John Carpenter's Vampires.
ReplyDeleteI watched it at the weekend after your recommendation... bloody marvellous!
ReplyDeleteSome class deaths, and a nice ending.
Only dubious bit was were he bought ONE bottle of liquor for some antibiotics, several sought after vampire teeth AND a massive bag of weed. That must be some good alcohol there, ay.