Near Dark

One minute Caleb is hitting on this chick named Mae, they get to talking and hit it off, have a little first date right there on the spot. The next minute they're in make out city when she takes a chomp out of his neck and runs away. Before you know it, while he's walking home, someone in an RV yanks him, throws him in and heads down the road.

It turns out Caleb's pickup lines have gotten him into quite a mess, as he is now a vampire. Since Mae was the one to turn him, her "family" decides he must be killed. Out of compassion, Mae convinces them to give Caleb a chance to learn the ways and join the clan. Giving us one of the most humanistic introductions to bloodsucking 101.

The thing I love about this movie is that Caleb is an ordinary, relatable guy who we can easily empathize with. We experience everything just as Caleb does and holds the perfect pace that keeps the story flowing to the point where you can’t take your eyes from it and can’t wait to see what happens next.

But you can’t forget that this is very much a love story. The relationship between Caleb is Mae is sweet, and becomes a bit sexual once they are both turned into night walkers. It begins with her keeping him alive by giving him her own blood when he is unable to kill for himself. And then ultimately he is able to return this favor. And there's also the loyalty that is challenged between the family he’s always known and the family he’s forced to join.

And these are some bad vamps. They don’t consider each other to be vampires though. Hell the word “vampire” is never even said in the movie. No these demented vigilantes are simply reveling in the comfort of eternal life, doing anything they want and joyously killing the innocent. The scene is the bar is unforgettable, as we see just how sadistic these people really are.

I enjoyed the cast as well. Lance Henriksen is of course fantastic as Jesse, the merciless leader of the pack. And Bill Paxton is so much fun as Severen, the Joker-esque vampire, making so much trouble and having such a good time doing it. He says some of the funniest shit. You could have fun quoting half the guy's dialogue. "How do ya like them apples?"

BOTTOM LINE: This has always been one of my favorite vampire movies. A vampire western really. It’s a blast to follow Caleb along on his journey with these bloodsucking psychos, and the romance between him and Mae is more endearing than anything I’ve seen in that Twilight horse shit.

The story, the cast, the cinematography and how the daylight is shot with a certain haze and captures the piercing brightness and then the night shots have more of a sleek look to them. I could praise this movie all night long. God I love this movie! Highly HIGHLY recommended!