"Theres a subtext here that whispers powerful messages about boundless American energy and that energys darker side: a grasping, stop-at-nothing hunger for money and power." Suck on This by Stephen King, introduction to American Vampire: Volume One
Take a detour via Route 666 and you will find the American vampire unless it finds you first. Dont expect anything sophisticated theres no carafe of wine, horse-drawn carriages, or castles here to haunt only cheap motel bungalows and a blacked-out RV. Not only is it on the fringes of society they smell your blood; here the vampires move in next door; lost boys (and girls) grow fangs, and, if youre (un)lucky, a pale interviewee will share their (extended) life story with you. Theres no old-school Lee or Lugosi no blood red eyes or hissy fits in this territory just a Universal / Hammer to the head. From opening the casket in Stephen Kings Salems Lot to Stephenie Meyer driving the final nail in the coffin, the best examples of these modern versions are reinventions that set out to break the rules. And breaking rules is director Kathryn Bigelows specialty.
With her stake in the heartland of America, her debut as a solo director saw her redefine the vampire with 1987's Near Dark. Co-written with Eric Red, who had already tapped into a definitive urban legend with The Hitchhiker the year before, Bigelow and Reds approach to the story was to explore the Western via horror with some nourish undertones. Traditional mythology was set ablaze discarding the gothic, supernatural, and any religious paraphernalia to reduce exposition and create a more grounded story on the "grave" consequence of love and attraction. The result: a film that is romantic but not romanticized. Here, gunslingers shoot from the mouth with "finger-lickin' good" dialogue that presents a motley crew of undead outlaws who inhabit a moody mercurial meditation on America soaked in piss and blood, dirt, and grime. The open frontier is just about visible through the brutality and urban decay; a world so grounded, that the V-word is never uttered once throughout this Western Horror.
Bigelows unique approach in exploring the hybrid is all over her early work. Influenced by her conceptual background as a collaborative artist in the avant-garde group Art & Language during the early to late 70s where her paintings and performances shaped her visual aesthetic in a similar way an RCA and advertising background shaped Ridley Scotts efficient vision. The transition from artist to filmmaker can be seen when she collaborated with fringe producer Monty Montgomery to co-direct The Loveless; a biker-noir laced with Edward Hopper hues and isolated framing. The result was something decidedly vampish.
In contrast, the James Cameron connections are all over Near Dark. Not only was Bigelow briefly married to Cameron but the film also shares Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, and Jenette Goldstein, who had all performed together in Aliens the year before. Along with The Terminator cinematographer Adam Greenberg, a similar, relentless tone is set; emphasized all the more by the third acts truck sequence. Clearly, it was crucial that Bigelow found her feet building this "intact family" with her cast and crew, a major key to her early success.
Released two months after The Lost Boys (or The Goonies: reVamped), Joel Schumachers film, despite similarly utilizing the themes of family and the outsider, Near Dark embraces tradition and is closer in tone to Tom Hollands 1985 film Fright Night. What sets Near Dark apart from these films is what Bigelow manages to tap into. The urban poverty left behind in the wake of Wall Streets excess the notion that the underclass was literally bleeding the system couldnt be more ironic based on the corruption of the social elite during the Reagan Era. Near Dark shows family struggles; each of the characters trapped within their own small part of the past; nomadic anarchists on the fringes of society; their social structure threatened as an outsider brought into the fold. Any other filmmaker would have remade Dracula at the top of his Trump Tower; instead, we have washed out nightwalkers feasting on anyone who happens to cross their path. Bigelows vampires embody poverty. They are not quite the AIDS metaphor but they do resemble homeless alcoholics and crack addicts or any other social disease. Blood is the drug theyre thinkin of.
These metaphors and observations presented in Near Dark are completely grounded in what is known as "the accursed share," an influential theory from French writer and philosopher, George Bataille, of which his original 1949 publication, La Part Maudite, was a huge influence on Bigelows early musings. Bataille believed that an organisms growth is limited and that wasting this energy is a "luxury." Excess, destined for waste. The vampire even the (home-grown) mosquito in the opening scene sums this up in a single shot.
Modern versions of these creatures are more a by-product of counterculture and popular culture. As with Romeros zombies, they become a commodity literally "made in America" his own reinvention in 1978's Martin taking the vampire apart entirely and, metaphysically, built on further in Michael OSheas TheTransfiguration. Romero illustrated a dispossessed, undead society leftover from the Vietnam War and Watergate; traumatic themes that still resonate in todays society. In Near Dark, central outlaws Jesse (Henriksen), Severen (Paxton), Diamondback (Goldstein), Homer (Joshua Miller), and Mae (Jenny Wright) illustrate a fear of the social decline of the white man in the heart of America. There is a comeuppance to the aftermath of the Vietnam War and it hides in the shadows. The aftermath for Jesse has lasted over a century; hinted at when our central protagonist, Caleb (Adrian Pasdar), asks him, How old are you? in which he replies, "Lets put it this way: I fought for the South. Caleb presses, South? The history and mythology built in this single moment perfectly understated by Jesse with a wry smile, We lost.
These monsters are all the more terrifying because of how human they are; Henriksen and Paxton in particular literally chewing the scenery; one world-weary the other in "shit-kicker heaven." Bigelow paints the characters with a condition; an affliction that allows the audience to fill in the gaps with their own knowledge of pre-existing lore. Trapped in time they cant evolve this is a way of life in which they have grown little and changed less therefore unwilling to transform. Yet, at the center is Caleb and Maes reckless abandon a teenage lust and rebellion that harkens back to James Deans swagger and attitude a mortal life worth living. These lovers are the last of the innocent; a cowboy and a pixie; a bright light amongst the darkness who must learn that there is virtue in a beginning, a middle, and an end.
Bigelow may be the ex-wife of James Cameron and the lost sister of Ridley and Tony Scott but a Ripleyesque stature and own artistic background have helped her navigate and survive in a male-dominated industry. She has made a name in directing strong male protagonists, yet her female characters more than stand up on their own. As an only child herself, Bigelows women are often loners such as Lori Pettys orphaned surfer inPoint Break and Jessica Chastains intelligence analyst inZero Dark Thirty. But then there is also the empowerment of Jamie Lee Curtis rookie cop inBlue Steel. All of these women, much like Bigelow, navigate the world of men by themselves. As a film director, she stands tall through her work her attraction to violence transparent seemingly turned on by watching and controlling "male fantasies." Having the power to do so is a compelling part of her personality and, in turn, her filmmaking; yet, Bigelow, still today, remains a matriarch who nurtures ideas while encouraging empowerment amongst her actors whether male or female.
Looking back on some dustier examples there was very little room for the matriarch in horror movies or westerns Joan Crawfords Vienna in Nicholas Rays glorious Johnny Guitar (1954) a rare exception. Such oddities are explored in more detail via my three-part Diabolique series on "Weird Westerns" that highlights how as with American filmmaking itself this blood-let mythology is shaped by that vast open space where man and monster collide, "the late 1950s were to usher in all manner of genre crossovers with teenagers vs. aliens or turning into werewolves." Amongst the cacophony drive-ins and delinquency, Universal Pictures put their stakes back in vampire territory with the 1959 horror WesternCurse of the Undead. Director Edward Dein set the film apart from most releases of the time; returning to the original European roots and folklore, instead of harkening back to Universals classic filmography. With Hammers fresh retake on Dracula released the previous year aside from the cinematic trope of transforming into a bat the outlaw vampire, Drake, has a curse rooted in the mortal sin of suicide. It is here that the American vampire takes hold and burns tradition in the face of the hero Preacher; where he can walk by day as well as prey by night. Curse of the Undead still remains an earnest film of the period and is certainly a crucial entry into the melding of genres. Deins film is a genuinely solid horror, at times, closer in tone to Joseph H. Lewis superb 1958 idiosyncratic western, Terror in a Texas Town, and never falls into the cheap Shockorama 1966 double bills ofBilly the Kid vs. DraculaandJesse James Meets Frankensteins Daughter.
In the vein of such pulp roots and B-movie horror of yesteryear, it would be a curse not to mention the DC comic book series, American Vampire (2010-present); co-created by writer Scott Snyder and artist Rafael Albuquerque. Story-wise, everything is thrown in the meat grinder, providing an epic sweep of the nation where each story arc is set in a different decade from the Old West onwards. In the first five issues a backup origin tale of the ruthless bloodsucker, Skinner Sweet the first of a new breed who can walk in the sun is written by Stephen King who, based on Snyders detailed outline, sunk his teeth into a comic book script for the first time. The series is a terrifying and breathtaking journey via Hollywood and the film industry; the building of the Hoover Dam; WWII; rockabilly bikers and the Space Race all the while exposing a corrupt underbelly that spills the guts of U.S. history out onto the asphalt.
Back to more modern examples of film whether it is David Bowie aging rapidly in Tony Scotts The Hunger, or a month of Alaskan darkness in 30 Days of Night horror is rejuvenated because the undead have learned to adapt to their surroundings; visionary filmmakers changing rules based on environment and social circumstances. "Both Kathryn BigelowsNear Dark(1987) and Robert RodriguezsFrom Dusk Till Dawn(1996) harken back to the revisionist approach to filmmaking born out of New Hollywood. However, what elevates these two films, in particular, is their ability to fool the audience into thinking they are watching something else entirely. The forgotten remnants of society, Rodriguez (via Quentin Tarantinos script) presents a violent crime caper until the Gecko brothers take refuge in a sinister strip joint and Salma Hayek shows off her snake. Both films are modern neo-Westerns but the core elements and archetypes remain with anti-heroes, outlaws, and showdowns drenched in blood and gore."
In genre filmmaking, artistry is often overlooked and the fact that Bigelows credibility as an auteur filmmaker was ever questioned, is as ridiculous as being the only female director to have ever won a golden statue. Her eye is one of constant action and never loses sight of where to place the camera. She contemplates. She navigates. She negotiates. Whether defusing bombs or performing a blood transfusion her work is measured, precise, and executed like a stake through the heart. This is a woman who continues to inspire, one who walks home alone armed to the teeth.
In recent years we have seen 2014's A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, an American debut feature by English-born Iranian-American film director Ana Lily Amirpour. Taking the concept east it pitches the first Iranian vampire western and, much like her mixed heritage, she shows how hybrid filmmaking works best for a 21st-century audience. While sharing a similar tone to Jim Jarmuschs work most notably 2013's Only Lovers Left Alive as with the majority of female filmmakers, Amirpour has a lot to thank Bigelow for.
Near Dark has survived because it avoids clich and through those choices made, Bigelow is responsible for the definitive American vampire movie. It may not have the teeth but it more than has the bite.
Originally posted here:
Strange Frontier: NEAR DARK And The Birth Of The American Vampire - FANGORIA
- Is This a Real Photo of Vampire Queen 'Madam Violet,' Voted UK's Scariest Woman Alive in the 1880s? - Snopes.com - March 16th, 2024
- The erotic 70s horror where lechy men turn into bloody-hungry vampires - Dazed - March 16th, 2024
- The vampires ball is coming to an end - Meduza - March 16th, 2024
- Oregon son, 56, who is accused of killing his mom by shoving a huge makeshift stake through her throat claims - Daily Mail - March 16th, 2024
- Muni Bond Games and the IRS' Lurking Arbitrage Vampires - Governing - March 16th, 2024
- Ball of vampires', nuke warning: Key takeaways from Putins interview - The Times of India - March 16th, 2024
- Putin compares western elites to 'VAMPIRES' who 'fill their bellies with human flesh' - GB News - March 16th, 2024
- Every Time Alaric Died In The Vampire Diaries & Legacies - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- V Rising declares a 1.0 release date, climbing from the grave of a years-long early access to become your next time ... - Yahoo Movies UK - March 16th, 2024
- 15 Actors That Could Play Edward Cullen in the Twilight TV Series - MovieWeb - March 16th, 2024
- BLOOD HUNT #1 Preview Releases A Horde Of Vampires On The Marvel Universe's Greatest Heroes - CBM (Comic Book Movie) - March 16th, 2024
- Man accused of killing mother in Siletz believed she was a vampire - Yahoo News - March 16th, 2024
- Stephen King approved 'Salem's Lot' movie to stream on Max this year - Yahoo Movies Canada - March 16th, 2024
- Empire of the Damned Review: A Wickedly Good Time | Arts - Harvard Crimson - March 8th, 2024
- The BLOODCOVEN: Marvel's Vampires Get Their Own Avengers With 6 "Supervampires Fed on the Blood of ... - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- 17 fantasy and science fiction books to read in March 2024 - Winter is Coming - March 8th, 2024
- This MCU Hero Returns to Fight Vampires as Marvel's Massive BLOOD HUNT Begins - Screen Rant - February 28th, 2024
- These Vampons by 'Artisan Vampires' Will Make Your Period Goth AF - Loudwire - February 28th, 2024
- Bloodsuckers Through the Ages - A History of Vampires (Video) - Ancient Origins - February 28th, 2024
- 'Blood Hunt' #2 Cover Shows the Avengers Are Bloody, Battered, and Broken - Marvel.com - February 28th, 2024
- Vampires Invade the Marvel Universe in New Blood Hunt Trailer - Superherohype.com - February 28th, 2024
- 'Near Dark' Is the Acid-Soaked Vampire Western You Need to See - IMDb - February 19th, 2024
- In The Sci-Fi World I Created, Vampires And Werewolves Are Still A Huge Problem (20 New Pics) - Bored Panda - February 19th, 2024
- Kathryn Bigelow's 'Near Dark' Is the Acid-Soaked Vampire Western You Need to See - Collider - February 19th, 2024
- Interview With the Vampire review Tom Cruise and Brad Pitts brilliant bloodsucking bromance - The Guardian - February 19th, 2024
- Is This Too Niche: Vampires - The Post - The Post - February 19th, 2024
- ALEX VAN HELSING Novel Trilogy Being Adapted as a TV Series By Kit Williamson GeekTyrant - GeekTyrant - February 19th, 2024
- The Supernatural Romance Of Vampire: The Masquerade Blood-Stained Love - Forbes - February 19th, 2024
- Leaving the shadows for passion: Why vampires are classic monsters that best reflect our fears and desires - EL PAS USA - February 19th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend to Embark on 2024 Tour, Releases Two New Singles - Variety - February 19th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend adds second Austin show to 2024 tour - Laredo Morning Times - February 19th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend's summer 2024 tour will stop in Minneapolis - Bring Me The News - February 19th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend Announce Massive Tour in Support of New Album Only God Was Above Us - Rolling Stone - February 19th, 2024
- Harry Potter: Are There Vampires in the Wizarding World? - CBR - Comic Book Resources - February 19th, 2024
- The Midnight Sons return, Black Panther becomes a vampire, and much more in Marvel's Blood Hunt tie-ins - Gamesradar - February 19th, 2024
- Morbius is The Secret To Saving Marvel's Entire Universe (Yes, Seriously) - Screen Rant - February 19th, 2024
- Geometry Survivor is a little Geometry Wars and a bit Vampire Survivors - GamingOnLinux - February 19th, 2024
- The War with Angels Is On! SYFY's Reginald the Vampire Officially Returns for Season 2 in May - Yahoo Entertainment - February 19th, 2024
- BLOOD HUNT: Marvel Comics Reveals T'Challa/Black Panther Will Be Transformed Into A Vampire This May - CBM (Comic Book Movie) - February 19th, 2024
- Interview With The Vampire season 2 teaser reveals May 12 release date - Winter is Coming - February 11th, 2024
- Interview with the Vampire Season 2: Cast, Latest News, and Everything You Need to Know - TV Guide - February 11th, 2024
- 'Interview with the Vampire' Season 2 coming to AMC in May - Yahoo Lifestyle UK - February 11th, 2024
- Vampires Are Here to Spill Some Blood in the Newest Max Win Gaming Slot Release Midnight Thirst Deadspins - World Casino Directory - February 11th, 2024
- Everything We Know About INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE Season 2 - Yahoo Entertainment - February 11th, 2024
- Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler's top secret vampire movie will be set in the 1930s and have anime influences - Gamesradar - February 11th, 2024
- Sean Strickland has weird altercation with 'vampire' Machine Gun Kelly, Dana White offers hilarious reaction | Video ... - MMA Mania - February 11th, 2024
- Interview With The Vampire Season 2's Claudia Recast Impact Explained By Star & Producer - Screen Rant - February 11th, 2024
- Interview With The Vampire Season 2 Book Accuracy Explained By EP - Screen Rant - February 11th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend Announced Their 'Only God Was Above Us' New Album - UPROXX - February 11th, 2024
- Interview with the Vampire - AMC Sets Season Two Premiere Date - Bloody Disgusting - February 11th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend announce new album 'Only God Was Above Us' & Austin total eclipse show - Brooklyn Vegan - February 11th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend tease new music with a cryptic video - NME - February 11th, 2024
- Louis and Lestat Are Coming Back: Interview With the Vampire Season 2 Has a New Trailer - Them - February 11th, 2024
- Expansion Of Anne Rices Immortal Universe In Development; Interview With The Vampire & Mayfair Witches Season 2 Updates From AMC - Deadline - February 11th, 2024
- 'Interview With the Vampire' season 2 is FINALLY on the horizonhere's when you can watch it - Out Magazine - February 11th, 2024
- Introducing the 'Vampire Virus' and What It Means for Connecticut and New York - i95rock.com - February 11th, 2024
- 'Interview With the Vampire' Season 2 Release Date, Cast, Plot, and More - The Mary Sue - February 11th, 2024
- Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 Is Already Making One Big Mistake - Screen Rant - February 11th, 2024
- AMC's very good, very sexy Interview With The Vampire sets its return - Yahoo Entertainment - February 11th, 2024
- Man accused of burning down home said voices told him the place contained vampires - KOIN.com - February 3rd, 2024
- Dolly Parton on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' reboot: 'They're still working on that' - USA TODAY - February 3rd, 2024
- Become the ultimate vampire In V Rising, coming to PS5 this year - PlayStation - February 3rd, 2024
- Here's Your First Look At Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 Gameplay From Its New Developer - Game Informer - February 3rd, 2024
- The Vampire Diaries: Be Transported To Mystic Falls With These Best Books For Fans - GameRant - February 3rd, 2024
- Our first look at Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 shies away from what makes it a vampire RPG, and that has ... - Gamesradar - February 3rd, 2024
- Hulu's ACOTAR Show Could Kick Off The Next Early 2000s Vampire Craze - Screen Rant - February 3rd, 2024
- Dolly Parton On Potential Buffy The Vampire Slayer Revival: Theyre Still Working On That - Deadline - February 3rd, 2024
- Here's 15 minutes of The Chinese Room's Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 - Eurogamer.net - February 3rd, 2024
- Sink Your Fangs into This Extended Gameplay Reveal of Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 - MMORPG.com - February 3rd, 2024
- They're still working on it: Dolly Parton teases Buffy The Vampire Slayer revival - Gay Times Magazine - February 3rd, 2024
- 'Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2' gameplay revealed in new trailer - NME - February 3rd, 2024
- Dolly Parton Hints At 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' Reboot - Purple Sneakers - February 3rd, 2024
- All 8 The Vampire Diaries Seasons, Ranked Worst To Best - Screen Rant - February 3rd, 2024
- 10 BTS The Vampire Diaries Details That Will Change How You See The Show - Screen Rant - February 3rd, 2024
- Is Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot still in the works? Here's what Dolly Parton says - Sportskeeda - February 3rd, 2024
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot still in the works, says Dolly Parton - PinkNews - February 3rd, 2024
- Dolly Parton shares Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot revelation - The Independent - February 3rd, 2024
- Dolly Parton Spills the Tea on Potential 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Reboot - American Songwriter - February 3rd, 2024
- Hit Vampire RPG V Rising Arrives on PS5 This Year - Push Square - February 3rd, 2024
- Blade Theory: Mahershala Ali isn't Hunting Vampires, He's Hunting Followers of Knull Planning an Incursion - FandomWire - January 26th, 2024
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero