John Carpenter’s Vampires (1998)
Director: John Carpenter
Starring: James Woods, Daniel Baldwin, Sheryl Lee, Thomas Ian Griffith
Primary genre: Horror
Secondary genre: Action
Although John Carpenter was plagued by a persistent strike of commercial flops, most of his outputs have aged gracefully having received a joyful critical reception and cult status. Yet, the 90s have been a curious decade for JC. The majority were not that interesting and the renowned filmmaker seemed he lost his patient-for-horror mojo and b-movie appeal. Memories of an Invisible Man (1992), In the Mouth of Madness (1994), Children of the Damned (1995), and Escape from L.A. (1996) did not enjoy any acclaim (at least at the time of their release) and were box office duds. Despite its lukewarm reviews, Vampires (1998) though reigned supreme making a few extra dollars despite displaying similar tendencies in his heavy metal homage (and also cult) that was Ghosts of Mars (2001).
In this weird fusion of western, horror, and action, Vampires tries to build under a moderate budget an intriguing mythology but frankly, the script is unable to move beyond its initial ambition. What Blade did the same year, Vampires sought out as well, yet we only remember the former and not the latter. Downplaying the genre’s standard and cliche tropes, the movie takes itself way too seriously. While Blade followed a similar tone, it stripped the bloodsuckers from silly elements and placed them instead into the modern world with a cool soundtrack, an imposing lead and clever world building.
“This is my house, I have to defend it!”
For all its ambition though, Vampires does not have much going for it. Its monster mayhem is banal at best showcasing a tired Carpenter staging embarrassing action sequences that culminates in a particularly blunt finale filled with idiocy. To paraphrase, time has not been kind. Any grotesque makeup effects are not enough to have us invested in a story where basically anyone is forgettable and a sleazoid. The fantastic James Woods seems underused, looking more annoyed for taking part in this flick as the ultimate vampire killer, Daniel Baldwin does not have the acting chops of his famous brother (i.e., Alec) and Sheryl Lee fails to make an impression. It is all up then to the imposing villain played by Thomas Ian Griffith to elevate the proceedings but the script treats him as the typical one dimensional antagonist. Despite the 90s aiming to humanize (or at least make more relatable) those who drink the blood of innocents (e.g., Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula, Blade), Vampires sticks to the old myths that is so hard trying to get rid off.
The western take is an interesting choice and it is perhaps the most memorable thing excluding Griffith’s unnerving villain. Gary B. Kibbe’s superb cinematography goes for a more kinetic and deliciously lit Sergio Leone look; several shots have this beautiful dusk-color shade that complements beautifully the black clothed villains and dimly lit lairs in the middle of nowhere. If only the script had the same enthusiasm for the source material (i.e., John Steakley’s book), this could have been a real winner in Carpenter’s eccentric filmography. And any movie featuring the fantastic Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa in a non existing role automatically has points redacted from it. But hey, you can catch an early career Chad Stahelski (director of the John Wick franchise (2014-2023)) in a Master vampire role!
A bloody mess
+Woods does what he can
+Imposing villain
+Superb cinematography
-Stupid
-Slow action
-Unconvincing acting