I Watch Films: John Carpenter's Vampires

John Carpenter’s Vampires

John Carpenter usually brings an energy and style to his films, along with a clever idea or two. Unfortunately this doesn’t seem to have clever ideas, and this film, relatively late in his career, flags on the energy and style.

Still, James Woods is a vampire hunter for the Catholic Church and his team begins by clearing out a “nest” (large house) of “goons” (lesser vampires controlled by a master), mostly by harpooning them and pulling them out into the New Mexico sunshine*. That night, while celebrating with booze and hookers**, they are attacked by the master, who is tougher than every previous vampire they’ve encountered. There are two survivors, and also one of the women was bitten so they use her to hunt down the vampire.

There’s a twist or two on vampire lore (the master vampire was created by an exorcism*** gone wrong, but it’s really a Weird Western, the Catholic imagery and themes slotting neatly into place in the genre. Some good action scenes!

Watch This: For an action, horror, western that doesn’t quite manage to do anything unexpected with those genres.
Don’t Watch This: If a ridiculous Vampire movie is not for you.

* New Mexico is pretty green which is cool as usually it’s depicted in films as desert.
** With the full approval of the team priest
*** Or a reverse exorcism? Or a reverse excommunication? I didn’t really catch the details.