Wednesday, October 08, 2014

Byzantium

 (2013) ***1/2

Eleanor and Clara are two vampiric sisters who are polar opposite's in their methods of feeding. Eleanor skulks around hospitals and nursing homes waiting for old people who are ready to cash in their chips and she compassionately sets them free so to speak, while Clara prostitutes herself and disposes of John's that won't be missed. They've just moved into a new town and Clara has connected with a wealthy young heir who has a large house from where she begins to run a brothel commissioning other girls from the street to work for her. Eleanor is unhappy and tired of moving around and lying all the time, she meets a boy who she befriends and decides to tell him the truth about her and her sister. When her story gets exposed their world starts coming apart.

This was a welcomed fresh take on vampires. You can take everything you know about vampires and throw it out the window save for the fact that they drink blood and are immortal. These vampires walk around in the sunlight and they don't have fangs, instead they have one long sharp thumbnail which they use to puncture the jugular so they can drink. Even the way they were turned into vampires is fresh and unique. They have to go to a specific island and find a cave in which upon entering they encounter someone or something that transforms them. It's pretty cool when they enter the cave a horde of bats fly out and all the cascading water turned to blood. The story slowly unfolds switching between modern day and flashbacks from the 1700s. It's more weighty and dramatic then it is scary but the story is solid.

6 comments:

Trevor said...

Not to change topics, but if you're looking for the "fresh take" on vampires, please, I hope somebody reviews, "No Lovers Left Alive". I watched it last month, thus it isn't 'thon-eligible for me, but I'd love somebody to write up their thoughts about it.

Catfreeek said...

I'm on it Trevor, see what I can do.

AC said...

How nice to find a fresh take on vamps, especially after all the pop culture saturation of this subgenre

JPX said...

I was just telling JSP recently that I'm just not into vampires. I love the original Universal Dracula films but pretty much nothing since (Near Dark was good). I don't like how the rules have changed. For example, in this one the vampires can walk around ion the daylight and use their fingernails instead of fangs. Good review but I'm not feeling it...

Landshark said...

I'm still open to new takes on the vamp thing--sounds promising.

Trevor said...

Thanks Cat! I look forward to it.

Malevolent

 2018  ***1/2 It's 1986 for some reason, and a team of paranormal investigators are making a big name for themselves all over Scotland. ...