This movie could have been a disaster - Trailer trash vampires ! In terms of box office it was something of a disaster but that was due to the studio going bust when NEAR DARK was released hence the movie had problems getting wide distribution not to do with the quality of the movie or bad word of mouth . Admittedly there are a few niggling problems with the script like for example the rather slow start which is intriguing first time you see it as it sets up the story but becomes something of an ordeal once you know the plot , and the cure for Cabel and Mae's condition is as vague as it is unlikely
But the script is saved by Kathryn Bigelow's directing . Let me just repeat that this horror movie could have turned out completely laughable due to the subject matter but everything is played for real and you won't feel like laughing much as the trailer trash vamps go on a killing spree . Actually this is a possible criticism of Bigelow , she makes everything a little too dark , a little too bleak and a little too ultra violent but I guess that's the point we're supposed to empathise with poor Cabel who's as much a victim as the people the vampires murder . The director also manages to make the romance between the male and female protagonists surprisingly touching which is something that rarely succeeds in this type of genre , you may find the score by Tangerine Dream a bit too 1980s but the music by the band goes with the visuals which isn't something you can say about THE KEEP . The only real criticism I have is a scene involving the timeframe - Several characters walk into a motel room and it's pitch black outside then when a character opens the door a mere two minutes later ( The scene is one take in real time ) it's a bright sun lit morning , but this is probably the fault of the script rather than director or editor
As far as horror movies go I was fairly impressed by NEAR DARK and would certainly recommend it to anyone with a passing interest in horror movies , though it's probably a bit too violent and morbid for some tastes
But the script is saved by Kathryn Bigelow's directing . Let me just repeat that this horror movie could have turned out completely laughable due to the subject matter but everything is played for real and you won't feel like laughing much as the trailer trash vamps go on a killing spree . Actually this is a possible criticism of Bigelow , she makes everything a little too dark , a little too bleak and a little too ultra violent but I guess that's the point we're supposed to empathise with poor Cabel who's as much a victim as the people the vampires murder . The director also manages to make the romance between the male and female protagonists surprisingly touching which is something that rarely succeeds in this type of genre , you may find the score by Tangerine Dream a bit too 1980s but the music by the band goes with the visuals which isn't something you can say about THE KEEP . The only real criticism I have is a scene involving the timeframe - Several characters walk into a motel room and it's pitch black outside then when a character opens the door a mere two minutes later ( The scene is one take in real time ) it's a bright sun lit morning , but this is probably the fault of the script rather than director or editor
As far as horror movies go I was fairly impressed by NEAR DARK and would certainly recommend it to anyone with a passing interest in horror movies , though it's probably a bit too violent and morbid for some tastes