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Near Dark
(R, 1:34:45, Released 1987)
| Provider: | Hulu |
| Genres: | Horror |
| Released: | Oct 2, 1987 |
| DVD Released: | Sep 10, 2002 |
| Starring: | Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Jenette Goldstein, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Joshua John Miller, Tim Thomerson, James LeGros, Roger Aaron Brown, Troy Evans |
| Directed by: | Kathryn Bigelow |
| Synopsis: | A young man reluctantly joins a travelling "family" of evil vampires, when the girl he'd tried to seduce is part of that group. |
| Full movie details |
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Other Top Reviews
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October 2, 2008Typical vampire movie where guy gets infected, he's gonna turn and has to learn how to kill and doesn't want to. I did like the chemistry between the main couple. I also liked the bar scene where they were harassing the bar patrons.
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September 15, 2008A cult classic that should have been more popular than it is. Bill Paxton rocks as a badass vampire!
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September 14, 2008
Kathryn Bigelow's directorial debut (she went on to make such smart action flicks as POINT BREAK and STRANGE DAYS) is this low-key, oddly subtle vampire film made in 1987. Adrian Pasdar ("Profit," "Heroes") stars as Caleb, a farmboy who falls for the oddly alluring (and alarmingly pale) Mae, who seduces him into her "family" - a cadre of bloodsucking night crawlers. A creepily evocative synth-pop score by Tangerine Dream, effective performances from a good B-list cast, and strong if low-key direction from Bigelow make this a pleasant surprise, and a cult classic.
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September 8, 2008One of the best ever. Love the Cast and this one is a classic. Can't go wrong with Vampire films ever and I actually loved the story and execution. Gotta Love Bill Paxton, I don't think there's a movie with I didn't like hehe. This is one of those that always puts a smile on my face. lol
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August 30, 2008
Definitely not a pro-Vampire movie like how I like it, like Interview with a Vampire, but still pretty good.
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August 3, 2008
The two main themes addressed here are: (1) if we live long enough, we risk losing our humanity, and (2) everybody is looking for love and companionship, and it's this very love that can be our soul's saving grace. Bill Paxton is "finger lickin' good" as the frighteningly brutal Severen; his unflinching performance is incredibly uncomfortable, unpredictable and very quotable. Even though this is clearly a story about vampires, Director Katherine Bigelow makes a point to never mention it by name, choosing instead to let the viewer decipher it for themselves. A very original amalgamation of the vampire genre set against a western backdrop, there's nothing quite like this cool cult classic.
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August 3, 2008
Kathryn Bigelow's highly unique Vampire film is a clever blending of horror film and the Western. I grew up watching this cult classic and there's nothing quite like it. Ultimately, it's nothing remarkable but I appreciate Bigelow's re-invention of a myth. Paxton's "finger lickin' good" scene is a highlight. Interestingly, three cast members must have come from, her then-Husband, James Cameron (a year after Aliens.)
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August 2, 2008
This movie deserves more credit than it actually got. It was released the same time as the Lost Boys but undeservedly Lost Boys got more of the acclaim. I like Lost Boys but I am bitter such a great film like Near Dark got lost in the shuffle. Most of the main cast is from Aliens but it was a pretty realistic portrayal of a traveling group of vampires. Bill Paxton is just great as the over the top Severn and Lance Henriksen really is great as Jesse. And this is when Adrian Pasdar actually got non asshole roles like Profit and Nathan Patrelli from heroes.
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July 6, 2008
Well By looking into Hollywood history,and considering the fact that every kind of movie MUST have a cowboy version,well here is the Vampire flick with cowboy flavor!
Nice movie though!
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June 26, 2008
Great combination of western and horror. The type of film I've been searching for. An instant cult classic.
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June 23, 2008
A grittier portrayal of an outsider band of nomad vampires than "Lost Boys". I think this one got lost in the shadows of it's similar cousin but deserved to be the one that everyone saw.
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June 21, 2008
A roving gang of psychotic vampires turn a young redneck into a fellow bloodsucker, but he doesn't take to the murderous nocturnal lifestyle as well as he might. For the first 2/3 this is an atmospheric and original tale about the internal politics of the clan, but for act three the director abruptly hits the reset button and turns it into a standard nosferatu hunt complete with randomly exploding vehicles.
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June 19, 2008
Released the same year as Lost Boys, this vampire movie is infinitely more interesting, deep and touching than that one. Don't miss the crossover cast from Alien in this fantastic mood piece.
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June 10, 2008
definitely my favorite vampire movie. I actually like this one better than the Lost Boys. It can be a little cheesy at times but it's worth seeing for the bar scene alone.
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May 29, 2008
nice little vampire movie starring half the cast of aliens, that chick from the lawnmower man and nathan petrelli from heroes
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May 27, 2008
Cool 80's vampire film that got overshadowed by The Lost Boys a bit but is still very good.When Nathan Patrelli from Heroes falls for a young girl,he follows her and gets caught up and involved with a group of travelling vampires who like to cause mayhem and destruction wherever they go.This is a pretty understated vampire movie;there's gory moments but it doesn't go overbaord,and thats good because we get to focus on the lead characters feelings for the young girl and the situation he's in.A good film and a worthy addition to the classic vampire film.
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May 1, 2008OH EM GEE - this movie reminds me of 4th grade and watching it with my sisters while we were home alone. I havent seen it in years... if I had it probably would have gotten a lower rating
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April 22, 2008
Under rated vampire movie. Great performance by Lance Hendricksonand Bill Paxton who ended up in aliens together
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April 3, 2008
I've had this movie on DVD for a few years now, and never got around to seeing it. Tonight I finally sat down and put it in... and man, I wish I would have done so the day I bought it.
It's very rare that you see a vampire movie that is legitimately good. And, it's even rarer that you see a vampire film that is completely unique in every way. Hell, Near Dark doesn't even have fangs on it's vampires.
The mood and atmosphere of this reminded me of a John Carpenter film - from the suspenseful builds, to the soundtrack.
For how unique this is, i'm surprised we don't see this concept ripped off more frequently. It's such a relief to see a film like this that's so original.
Bill Paxton is unforgettable, as is the whole vampire gang. Great stuff.
I didn't like the third act all that much, but now that I think of the poetry in that a man chose his family over the complete freedom as a vampire is really good stuff. -
March 30, 2008
Vampire movies are pretty notoriously rotten, but this one actually was a pretty good one compared to the rest of the genre.
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March 26, 2008
Not your typical vampire movie, and that's what I love about it. Very unique, stylish, and fun. The cast is excellent as the roaming "family" of vampires who travel by night and sleep by day. Lance Henriksen really shines in this underrated, horror cult classic. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
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March 14, 2008
When Tangerine Dream does a vampire movie soundtrack, it's gotta be good. Pasdar is a welcome fresh face.
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March 1, 2008I took it back to a cult classic. I strongly recommend this movie to all Vampire fans. Its still as good as I remembered. My favorite line of the movie; 'this will take a few minutes which is the duration of the rest of your life.' lol! I love it. (A)
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February 25, 2008
Now he was finger-lickin good....Hey jess(a character played by Lance Hendrson) he smell like a dead polecat
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February 15, 2008
Nicely shot by James Camerons biggest fan, Kathryn Bigelow and following the same premise as The Lost Boys - "hey kids, it's cool to be a vampire!" - only doing a better job of it. The characterisation is neat and the plot simple but where it falls down is by having too much Bill Paxton and not enough Lance Henriksen. The film really could have done with getting rid of Paxton completely - here doing the same "loose and crazy cannon" act he did in Aliens - and instead of having Lance brooding away in the corner, let HIM be the menace. Alas. Though it's still one of the better vampire movies.
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February 4, 2008
One of my favourite vampire films. It's a shame everyone remembers The Lost Boys so fondly and this, the far superior film, is left in the dust. Still, it's developed a little cult following, so that's good. Paxton and Henriksen are amazing as shitkicker vampires on an eternal roadtrip sucking blood and kicking ass. A fantastic film.
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January 26, 2008A bit disappointing after reading high praise for this movie. The movie was well made but some flaws in the story leads to an unsatisfying ending. The biggest flaw is since they know that daylight can kill them, why did they go after Sara and Caleb so close to dawn. They can always go back some other night. Also, when Caleb discovered Sara was missing, why didn't he wake his dad?
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January 18, 2008
A very cool little action/horror movie about a group of roghneck vampires that lure a young cowboy into their midst and try to make him one of them. Not horribly original in storyline, but its how it is pulled off that makes this worth watching. Plus, Bill Paxton is bad ass in this one, which is rare.
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January 11, 2008
Original & underrated horror film of the 80's.Not the traditional & typical vampire film.Bill Paxton is great in this film & also good performances by the cast. -
January 4, 2008
My favourite vampire flick ever, starring Pasdar, Paxton and best of all legend Lance Henriksen, whose character has some especially great moments amid a stretch of barely flawed scenes of bloody violence. Not all that different from The Lost Boys- just darker, bloodier, and much more serious. A must for any vampire fan!
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December 27, 2007
Great actors, with some brilliant lines, but the acting was a bit wooden, probably needed more direction. good film that should have been great.
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December 26, 2007
Best vamp movie ive ever seen... and I have seen a shitload of them. Its so dark, hence the name. Oh yeah, BILL PAXTON RULES!!! hells yeah.
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December 14, 2007
Wonderful dark and not your ordinary Vampire Movie. I really liked this one and would like to see it again.
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November 29, 2007
Although Near Dark is often over-shadowed by the ultra-hip vampire movie The Lost Boys (1987), Near Dark is a far more juicier treat for horror fans. Eric Red, who also wrote The Hitcher (1986), gives us a seemingly old-fashioned tale of struggle between human nature and savage lust with a nicely spun sense of modernism. Not to mention plenty of touches of dark humor. It's a story that does well with avoiding the obvious clichés of the vampire genre. Director Kathryn Bigelow gives this film terrific style, not only adding scenic beauty but sharply creating plenty of intense action sequences. Near Dark also packs some great makeup FX and occasional gore. The entire sequence in the bar has became a favorite among many.The cast is quite good. Adrian Pasdar is believable as our formerly-human hero. Lance Henriksen is genuine in his role as the leader of the vamp' band. However it's young Bill Paxton who does most of the scene stealing as a scary, yet cheeky vampire thug. A modern vamp classic that delivers on all levels.
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November 17, 2007
This is a different and very entertaining western style vampire movie. The characters are all well-drawn and complex. Bill Paxton stole the show with his role.
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November 11, 2007
Very well filmed vampire flick. The road house scene and the bungalow scene are awesome. The ending is kind of a let down, but one of the more stylish vampire movies around.
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November 4, 2007
click for review
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October 28, 2007
It was refreshing to see a vampire film lacking all of the common clichés. This one felt real, or - if such a word can be used when discussing a vampire flick - realistic. Like, this is what it would actually be like were you ever turned into a vampire.
Bill Paxton's crazy ass Eldritch look-a-like Severen (awesome name, btw!) totally steals the show, even if I thought Caleb and Mae's little pitching woo was adorable. The blood transfusion scenario was a bit of a...well, an eyebrow-raiser. -
October 15, 2007
I didn't like that the vampires had feelings. Why try to make a drama when the acting isn't all that good to begin with. Also, for whatever reason I didn't give a shit what happened to any of the characters.
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October 15, 2007
Caleb: Hey Jesse, how old are you?
Jesse: Let's put it this way: I fought for the South. We lost.
I hear a lot of talk about how great a movie this is because of the genre bending nature of the movie and the fact that it defies the rules of vampire movies. That's all well and good, but it doesn't help that the story just sucks and the characters don't make much sense.
Set in the West, a country boy encounters a random girl walking around at night, and gives her "a life home." After a strange conversation, the country boy, Caleb, for some reason still wants to get busy with this country cutey, but unfortunately for him, she's a vampire, and gets her fangs in him.
Before Caleb can make his way home, he is snatched by a family of drifting vampires who sleep during the day, feed at night, and are just assholes the rest of the time.
This batch includes Lance Henriksen as the leader of the pack, Jenette Goldstein (Pvt. Vasquez of Aliens fame), a strange little boy named Homer, the country cutey, and Bill Paxton, who is of course amazing throughout the movie.
For some reason these vamps give Caleb the chance to join their family, rather than kill him, which would seem like an easy decision for this group. What follows is scene after scene of Caleb fucking things up for these vampire drifters, with the country cutey always coming in to protect him.
The problem lies in the focus of the movie. Caleb is a lame protagonist. He's boring, makes bad decisions, and drags the movie down. The other problem lies in the country cutie. I don't know why these vampires would keep her around, she doesn't seem helpful in any way at all, and only gets these people in trouble.
On the other hand, if the movie was focused on these drifters, the more interesting villains of the movie, it could have been much better. This is evident in the bar scene, where we see the crew at work acting evil, while keeping things entertaining. It is easily the best scene in the entire movie, and of course the highlight is Bill Paxton doing his thing.
There are some decent 80s effects here, but some overly dramatic scenes, Caleb, and his country girlfriend drag this movie away from what could have been a much better vampire western.
Sarah: You people are up really late.
Severen: We keep odd hours. -
October 10, 2007
I'd never heard of this film (not really into the horror genre) and the first five minutes were bad editing-wise, but it got much better. Especially after I'd recognized Caleb to be Adrian Pasdar of "Heroes" fame... he's really a phenomenal actor. I was also pleased to see Lance in this, he's an amazing underrated actor. And Bill Paxton is beyond hilarious. I hear they're making a re-make of this film... dear god, PLEASE DON'T DO IT!!!
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October 4, 2007
I have high standards when it comes to vamp movies, so I realize that for others this is probably a entertaining good movie. For me personally it was a lame attempt in the vampire genre. Adrian Pasdar was nice to look at though, and is pretty much the only reason I kept watching.
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September 28, 2007
The cast of Aliens are Vampires who run amok in Texas. Bill Paxton is awesome, and the bar scene makes you want to be a bloodsucker. Great film.
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September 22, 2007
Fantastic concept! A vampire movie without fangs! I love when Bill Paxton says, "I hate when they haven't shaved!"
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September 20, 2007
Ah, Bill Paxton, the Big Love man himself, in one of the many roles that made me love him. Some may not agree, but i think he's a wonderful, if not often overlooked actor.
Near Dark is a very different vampire movie from most, in that we never actually see any fangs.
It's great to see several stars from another favorite, Aliens, teaming up again to play my most beloved of the nether creatures, vampires.
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September 15, 2007
I think this movie is so overrated. So they never say the word vampire, big deal. It's just a word. Now, if it was set back when real cowboys existed instead of wannabes who drive trucks, then I would have enjoyed it more. The writer said she wanted to cross genres, then why set it in modern times instead of the wild west? That's stupid. There hasn't been any good modern timed cowboy movie and there never will be because they lack atmosphere.
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August 20, 2007
hell yeah..what a cast....my dream team almost..paxton,henriksen,goldstein,wright....perfect.i dont like the desert feel for the vamps but this is still an awesome bloodsucker.the classic bar scene is violent n sadistic yet you wanna join them.wright is cute and henriksen rules as always..bishop as a vampire lol
'i taught severance everything he knows,but not everything i know' -
August 2, 2007
this movie's special effects are pretty kick ass for a 20 year old movie.lots of scenes of vampires bursting into flames.here's the plot-boy meets girl vampire,she bites him he turns into a vampire.so he gets taken into her family.he goes with them on a violent spree until he comes across his dad and kid sister who've been searching for him.he escapes with them and gets cured since he never killed anyone.what will happen when the vampires come for them?
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July 30, 2007Oops, had originally rated this without even seeing it. Thanks for bringing it to my attention Mr Smarty pants, Nick. LOL
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July 30, 2007
Different type of cult horror. Bill Paxton and Lance Henrickson are great in it. The love story ain't the greatest but...
Interesting take on the vampire mythos even though they never used the word vampire once in the movie. -
July 28, 2007
A very entertaining vampire flick that focuses more upon the transitional problems of becoming a vampire. An interesting fact, that neither adds to nor detracts from the experience, is that the word "vampire" is never uttered once in the entire film.
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July 22, 2007
Mixed feelings on this one ... gawdawful teenybopper love story, but fantastic vampire perfomances by Goldstein, Paxton, and Henriksen
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July 21, 2007
A great blend of western and modern vampire stories. The Bar scene is just awsome. A must on any movie fans list.
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June 30, 2007
An excellent modern vampire film with some western elements mixed in. Bill Paxton is great as Severin. However, I thought the "cure" for vampirism was flat out ridiculous. The ending was too clean and simple, but the nice visuals and cool characters made up for it.
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June 24, 2007
A stylish journey into a very different world of the undead. This is what "The Lost Boys" should have been!
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June 22, 2007
I fucking love this movie! So much fun! One of the best things to come out of the 80s. The long scene in the bar is one of my favorites.
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June 20, 2007
A bit slow to start but picks up pace. There are enough new twists to make it more than just another vampire movie. And i thought the ending was brilliant - really simple but very effective.
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June 19, 2007
Inspirational, unique, outstanding. Way to go Eric Red and Kathryn Bigelow! Big kudos also to the great cast and the fantastic cinematography. One of my favorite, if not my #1 fave, Vampire Film.
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June 18, 2007
A film with such potential to be great but ruined by what I consider to be one of the worst endings in Vampire films. Still worth watching just for Bill Paxton's character who was very amusing.
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June 18, 2007
Great story-but lost out to the other vampire movie released at the same time, you know, The Lost Boys!
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June 13, 2007
Caleb, your every day country boy, picks up a girl who is like no other girl he has ever met.
For one, she'll never die, and soon, neither will he. -
June 8, 2007
"Listen to the night, it's deafening. "
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Still a fresh approach to what is still a 'wrtites itself' genre.
Vampire movies can be some what the cliche.,especially of late. But at the time near dark redifined it's possibilities and the effects are still felt today.
It's one of those movies that is still awesome, though it has to be said it's really starting to feel dated, especially in it's overall feel. Movies are just that little bit sharper nowadays, probably not better, but near dark has that feelings of mid 80's, without it working as a period piece. It feels Old. BUT despite all that it still owns it's genre.
It's simple at it's core and i think that's the appeal. It's not all freaky costumes, freaky eye lenses and giving it the whole vampire campness. These characters have history and they have there lives down to basis. Live, eat, avoid the sunlight.
The fact they feel like a band of travellers and the fact they are played by movie royality (tell me a better fucked up vampire than bill paxton....see you can't!) just makes near dark that cut above the rest. It's deserves its place in movie history and it deserves all of the kudos it gets because without it modern horror would be lacking something...more than it is already.
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"Let's put it this way: I fought for the South. We lost. " -
June 8, 2007
well this aint bad eighter but could be better i aint found or watch a thriller that scared me lol yet
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June 3, 2007
Listen to the night, it's deafening.
This movie is like a Vampire western with a bit of Little Miss Sunshine. -
June 3, 2007
Classic horror film took a new spin on vampire genre. Has one of the greatest massacre scenes in vampire film history.
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May 16, 2007
one of the best vampire films in american history. One of my top 5 movies of the 80's. BUY THIS MOVIE!!
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May 15, 2007
One of the best and most original vampire movies yet made, 'Near Dark' blazes fascinating dramatic trails even as it simultaneously revels in and subverts the 'classic' bloodsucker movie cliches. Buoyed by solid performances from virtually the entire cast, the film is given a further boost by director/co-scripter Bigelow's inventive and stylish direction. Bloody, moving and darkly funny, 'Near Dark' works on almost every level.
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May 6, 2007
In my favorite scene, a bartender asks one of the main characters: "What do you people want?" and he answers: "Just a few more minutes of your time. About the same duration as the rest of your life." To say more would spoil the fun, but watch the spurs on Severen, played by Bill Paxton, they sure are all sharp and sparkly-like, kind of like the dialog.
A movie so filled with bloody good fun and done with such vamp-smarts that it's just wrong not to root for the bad guys. -
May 6, 2007
I love this film - admittedly it's a bot slooow in places. (georgous cinematography though!! chek out those "daybrerak" scenes)
The vampires are great in this movie. I would love to have seen a prequal - the most intresting characters 0 the vampires- though they are never referred to as such in this film - had such depth... -
April 27, 2007
A very great vampire movie. A great story and great acting. A movie for all vampire film lovers and horror film lovers to watch. A classic 1987 movie that you need to see.
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April 25, 2007
I would definitely call this the best vampire movie ever made. Around the same time The Lost Boys came out, everyone was treated to this fun movie about a country boy named Caleb who meets a beautiful girl late one night. He offers her a ride and they soon begin to get acquainted until she bits him and takes off running out into the desert. To make matters even better; his truck breaks down and he can't find enough money to pay bus fare. He manages to hobble home, almost, before his is snatched by a group of people driving a camper. It turns out that they are a gang of blood sucking predators who prey on innocent people by night in order to stay alive. Lance Henriksen and Bill Paxton (who is great as Severen) are two of the more vicious of the group, as shown in the very memorable bar scene.
Near Dark is special because it's a totally obvious vampire movie, without actually being one. Not one character uses the word "vampire", not one character has a bad reaction to a cross or holy water, hell, religion isn't even involved in the movie. It's about addiction, and family. This is a one of a kind film. It can never be replicated or duplicated, and I feel sorry for anyone who watches the planned remake over this piece of art. Sure, Bill Paxton steals the show, but, so does the family. Nobody really cares if hero Adrian Pasdar turns out all right at the end, you're more worried about whether or not the villains will. This to me is brilliant film-making! -
April 24, 2007
This movie is an overlooked gem! Excellent performances all around highlight this unique story of an Oklahoma kid that inadvertently becomes involved with roving pack of vampires. Watch it!
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April 19, 2007
I just love everything about this movie. But Bill Paxton's performance just puts the film at the top of my list. Scary, thrilling and funny. I could watch this one over and over.
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April 16, 2007
Freakin' sweer movie, just found it on DVD and watched three days on a row. Story is well paced and acting is pretty damned good for the genre.
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April 9, 2007
Lance Henriksen ....you can never go wrong when he is in a movie....no matter how bad it is....he always shines...but this movie is good..but much better beacause Lance is in it...lol
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