Studio: Starz/sphe Release Date: 08/24/2004
The word "vampire" is never mentioned in Near Dark, but that doesn't stop this 1987 cult favorite from being one of the best modern-era vampire films. It put then-unknown director Kathryn Bigelow on Hollywood's radar and gave choice roles to Aliens costars favored by Bigelow's ex-husband James Cameron: Lance Henriksen is the leader of a makeshift family of renegade bloodsuckers, nocturnally seeking victims in rural Oklahoma; his immortal gal pal is Aliens and Terminator 2 alumnus Jenette Goldstein; and Bill Paxton is the group's deadliest leather-clad ass kicker. Fellow traveler Jenny Wright lures Okie farm boy Adrian Pasdar into the group with a love bite, and he's soon turning toward vampirism with a combination of frightened revulsion and relentless desire. With Joshua Miller (River's Edge) as the youngest vampire, Near Dark is Bigelow's masterpiece of low-budget ingenuity--a truck-stop thriller that begins well, gets better and better (aided by a fine Tangerine Dream score), and goes out in a blaze of glory. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Rating:
Summary: absolutely horrible
Comment: never in my life have i watched a movie with so many positive reviews, only to discover the movie was absolutely horrible. this movie was embarrasingly stupid and meaningless, with an idiotic plot, horrible acting, dreadful direction, and did i mention the idiotic plot? its a violent, nonsensical mishmash of genres, without a single positive characteristic. even the soundtrack is bad.

the movie gives us nothing to work with. caleb, the main character, is a complete moron from the first scene, and his vampire girlfriend mae is hopeless in a poorly-written role. the group of vampire criminals commit idiotic violent acts and manage to outwit the police for years, but one dumb country boy can bring the entire gang down? a blood tranfusion can cure vampirism? caleb and his father, among all the thousands of motels strung across the midwest, manage to get rooms at the exact same one? and best of all, when the sun comes up, it comes up in every direction?

i watched most of this movie in fast-forward because the dialogue and acting were so terrible, so forgive me if i get some minor details wrong. but there are so many problems with timing and transitions between scenes that the movie is just impossible to watch. One minute, its dark outside, and five minutes later its the middle of the day. caleb, carrying his sister no less, manages to run miles and miles with the vampires driving after him? after the shootout at the motel, the police just let them drive away and don't even follow them? when bill paxton kills someone in a bar, the other bar patrons don't run away? the bartender shoots caleb instead of bill paxton? sometimes the vampires immediately burst into flames at the first ray of sunlight, and sometimes they can just run around in the sun while only burning slightly? and did i mention the magical vampirism cure? do the film makers even know how much blood is in the human body? and do they expect us to believe that a transfusion could remove every drop of vampiric blood and replace it with clean blood? there are so many logical inconsistencies that nothing in the movie makes any sense at all. the evil vampire gang just seems incompetent at doing anything right, caleb is totally unlikable because he's so stupid, and the other people in the movie (the police, for example) don't do anything at all.

they might have made a good movie out of this, kathryn bigelow can be a good director, and both lance henrikson and bill paxton are excellent actors. but this movie is just awful in every single way.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Near Dark
Comment: Whatever happened to Katherine Bigelow? This is one of the best of her few films. Sometimes a bit over the top and it skims over some details (transfusions without the benefit of blood types?) but, it is a vampire movie, after all. Very stylish, gruesome at a times in it's violence and a fine score by Tangerine Dream!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: A MUST SEE CLASSIC BY FAR
Comment: NEAR DARK

Do you remember when this classic was in theaters when it first came out, I bet most of you really do not. If you do remember you are one of the very few who do because this was in theaters around the same time as the mega popular "The Lost Boys". This like that film is all about a young man who is brought into something he didn't really want, and like that film has to protect his family from the family of vampires that are after them. This how ever though is more of a serious film were as the other was more of a over the top/fun type film. Don't get me wrong I love both of these films and consider both of them classics.

The story is all about a young man who is out drinking one night and comes across a young lady who just happens to be a vampire. I guess it is love at first sight because she does not kill him but turns him and convinces her family to take him in. Of course he has to prove him self and the film is all about that scenario, and time after time he tries but his human side keeps him from doing so. Of course there is a lot more to it then that and a lot of really negative stuff happens between him and them and things get great then. This film really doesn't feel like a vampire movie at all but more like a really good dramatic film that just happens to star a family of vampires. I think that the fact this film didn't do well really killed off this type of film from being made again which is a shame. This film did not really play to the usual rules of a vampire movie, I mean other then the day light thing and the blood sucking not much resembles other films in this genre. I even think that the curing thing that happens in this film is excellent, mainly because this is that type of flick.

Eric Red and director Kathryn Bigelow came up with a brilliant screenplay and created one of the most original films in not only vampire cinema history but in film history all together. Not only did this film have a wonderful people working behind the camera but it also had some great actors. The great Lance Henriksen is marvelous as the head of the vampire family, and his no nonsense take of the character really adds a lot to the film. Bill Paxton is brilliant as the wild crazy member of the vampire family who is all about killing people even if it isn't with his teeth. Adrian Pasdar who is the lead of the film and the unlucky guy who gets turned in the beginning does a really good job in this film and is very believable. Jenny Wright who is the love interest of Adrian and is also the one who turned him also turns in a good believable performance. Jenette Goldstein is the co head of the vampire family along side Lance and gives a wonderful performance, her truck scene is great. Tim Thomerson and Marcie Leeds are excellent as Adrian's father and little sister and really tie this film together. Everyone else in the film also deliver as there really aren't any bad performances in it.

The cast is really well put together and they work together marvelously, take the bar scene for instance. This scene in particular is one of the most fascinating scenes I have ever witnessed, me and my brother watched this again the other night and once again we were hooked. I think any body that has the chance should see this movie, especially if you have never seen it before. This set in particular is amazing as it comes with a great booklet, a wonderful audio commentary and a jam packed second disc with a great documentary and more. For all those who have already seen this should see it again, I know I will.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Fantastic movie
Comment: Near Dark is the ORIGINAL vampire movie -- lots of action, gore, and blood. Lance Henriksen and Bill Paxton out do themselves.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: I got two names for you, Mr. Pig Knuckles!!!
Comment: Near Dark is a very intersting horror movie in every sense of the word "interesting", and "horror". It's a vampire-western crossover film, combining the charm of Western movie characters with the violence and midnight adrenaline of vampire horror. Here's the skinny:
-Caleb, a likeable Southern guy falls for Mae, a newcomer to his town. While on a "date", a kiss turns to a bite that turns Caleb into a vampire. Now he's kidnapped by Mae's vampire clan, featuring the sinister leader, played by Lance Henriksen, alongside the hilarious, rough, vulgar-mouthed and pretty much all-around AWESOME Bill Paxton. And I'm not just worshipping his role because I share first names with him, Bill Paxton dominates in this movie.
-Now, one of the "interesting" facets of this movie is the twist. Horror movies are about what happens to people, and while the events in the plot of Near Dark are crucial, the character development is just as vital in this movie as in a comedy or drama movie. You step inside the world of the vampires, learn to love them, or hate them, your pick.
-General Info about the movie:
VIOLENCE AND TERROR: Well, there's no shortage of action in this movie. Just look at the whopping eight and a half minute roadhouse scene to get what I mean. As far as vampire horror goes, there isn't any, real horror to speak of, it's more like an exploitation sorta thing going on as opposed to something chasing you in the desert.
LANGUAGE: Oh man, is this where Bill Paxton comes in. I think there's a good 55 profanities dropped in this film. And it's often used towards the comedic side of everything. As far as comedy goes for slitting a guy's throat with your spurs (yes, the roadhouse scene)
SEX 'N' NUDITY: No nudity or sex to speak of, although those scenes where Caleb's drinking Mae's blood for food will make you go "Hubba hubba!", as they are presented rather erotically, shall I say.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
"Near Dark" possesses a very strange atmosphere to it. There's a very surreal tone to the whole movie, and it's a lot more mystical than you'd expect from what sounds like a Dracula-John Wayne crossover, even though that's technically not what the film is. The ambient music from German band Tangerine Dream only adds to the dreamlike mood. The way the movie's presented in all its surreal glory, makes you feel like you're missing something, even if you've seen the movie several times.
Fortunately, the movie's ending satisfies, and though I won't give it away, made me feel good. Also, there's a bonus disc full of extra features, that offers even more bang for your buck.
Well, if you want a surreal, violent and fast-paced horror movie with odd, "interesting" characters that brings something new to the horror table, check this item off the menu. It's a horror movie that offers a main course you'll want to feast off for quite some time! Thanks for the time, and peace.

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