Blood Ties (1991)

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This passable made-for-cable-TV vampire opus explores the clever concept of a Transylvanian immigrant community in the western United States. Young Cody (Jason London) is introduced to their legacy one fateful night when his parents are awakened, staked, and set on fire by ruthless vampire-hunters.… More This passable made-for-cable-TV vampire opus explores the clever concept of a Transylvanian immigrant community in the western United States. Young Cody (Jason London) is introduced to their legacy one fateful night when his parents are awakened, staked, and set on fire by ruthless vampire-hunters. After a narrow escape, Cody seeks out a distant uncle in Long Beach -- who happens to be a key figure in the "Carpathian-American" mob. Cody is eventually inducted into the culture, which is represented by various social strata, from a lawyer/journalist couple (who encourage further assimilation into non-vampire society), to a bloodsucking teenage biker gang. Cody becomes a full-fledged member of the family, learning the real secret which binds the community... but the new path to his destiny is soon blocked by the untimely arrival of the hunters, who have tracked him cross-country to his new family's Long Beach lair. This was originally conceived as a pilot for a TV series, and it shows -- the tendency to lapse into soap-opera conventions is all too apparent -- but benefits from a glossy look, high production values and some interesting plot twists. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi