Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter (Special Edition DVD)
by Lee Demarbre
List Price:
Our Price: $10.78
You Save: $9.17 (46%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $5.91 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD details
Actor: VARIOUSDirector: Lee Demarbre
Brand: Music Video Dist
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 85 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-01-28
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: ECLECTIC
DVD Reviews of Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter (Special Edition DVD)
DVD Review: Oh yeah!
Summary: 5 Stars
A new filmmaker looking to make his first big hit horror movie will probably make one of the following three pictures: a slasher movie, a vampire movie, or a zombie movie. It's not surprising to see why. Most likely the director in question grew up watching George Romero's Dead Trilogy, "Friday the 13th" and "Halloween," and Hammer films starring Christopher Lee as Count Dracula. You go with what you know at first, and you also go with a format you respect and enjoy. The result of most of these first directorial efforts on the slasher, zombie, or vampire canon is negligible; they add nothing to the canon due to their derivative nature. That's acceptable, however, because out of a hundred or so carbon copies will come one or two films that are original enough to redefine the genre. The Canadian ultra-low budget film "Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter" is just such a movie. Here is a film so fun and unique that you almost don't realize, let alone mind, that you are watching what is essentially another vampire movie, with all the attendant baggage that label brings. Extremely low budget films set off warning bells nowadays, but "Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter" is the rare diamond in the rough.
Right from the start I loved this film. Why? Because the opening credits and music were the best I've seen in a long time. Imagine seeing headshots of all the characters done up in a style reminiscent of early 1980s video game graphics with a robotic voice (vox?) reading off their names. Trust me, it's far cooler than I'm making it sound. I replayed the credits at least three times before I even started watching the film! As for the picture itself, I think describing it as a horror/comedy/action/musical covers all the bases. Jesus Christ (Phil Caracas) returns to earth at the behest of Father Eustace (Tim Devries) and a few other men of the cloth to help prevent vampires from taking over the planet. It's a daunting task made worse by the evil machinations of Dr. Praetorious (Josh Grace), a mad scientist type churning out new vampires by the dozens in his laboratory. The forces arrayed against the Son of God are formidable, including the beautiful Maxine Shreck (Murielle Varheiyi) and leader of the vamp pack Johnny Golgotha (Ian Driscoll). After a kung fu battle on the beach that sees Jesus fending off Shreck and her minions, the messiah hooks up with an unlikely ally in the form of Mary Magnum (Maria Moulton), who helps our hero acquire the necessary clothing and haircut one apparently needs in a battle against the undead. Unfortunately, Christ must also stray from his mission to battle a vanload of atheists who take exception to a challenge of their belief system.
The war against vampirism finds Jesus enlisting unlikely allies, primarily a Mexican wrestler named El Santos (Jeff Moffet) but also the advice of his father, the Supreme Being himself, channeled through an ice cream sundae. Even a priest sporting a mohawk arrives on the scene to lend a hand when needed. Christ and his helpers are surprisingly successful in their campaigns. They bring the fight to the bloodsuckers at a bar featuring the dubious musical talents of Blind Jimmy Leper (Lucky Ron), a fight where El Santo and Jesus uses everything from stakes to toothpicks to drop the evil ones in their tracks. The denouement is a highly amusing kung fu fight to the finish in a junkyard, with the principals leaping over cars, zipping around on motorcycles, and delivering swift karate kicks with all the panache of a novice just signed up to their first marital arts class. In between these bouts of bone crunching mayhem, Jesus spreads his father's message to the masses while prancing through the streets of the city singing, dancing, and healing those unfortunate wretches consigned to walkers and wheelchairs. It seems the man from Judea has lost none of his ability to perform miracles, even when transplanted to the icy climes of the Great White North.
Horror/comedy/action/musical film indeed! Director Lee Demarbre is either totally insane or has a sure eye for the subtly brilliant. While there are a few things that don't work at all or run on far too long, "Jesus Christ, Vampire Hunter" screams cult classic for the ages. We've all seen filmmakers that set out from the beginning to make a cult classic only to fail miserably (see "Jane White is Sick and Twisted"), apparently because they don't understand that you cannot intentionally make a cult classic. A movie becomes a cult fave through an inexplicable confluence of events totally beyond the control of a director or anyone else associated with the picture. Fortunately, "Jesus Christ, Vampire Hunter" pulls it off. The acting, the soundtrack, the pacing, the musical numbers, the beautiful girl next door actress in the role of Magnum along with the goth sleekness of the babe playing the Shreck character--all of these things and more work wonderfully. Moreover, while Demarbre and his script take sly jabs at the Catholic Church, the jabs are never done out of malice. Heck, Jesus opens up a can of you know what on all those atheists.
A huge number of extras graces the DVD version of the film. A commentary track, trailer, interviews with most of the principals, stills, deleted scenes, and a short kung fu spoof called "Harry Knuckles" also starring Phil Caracas all give the viewer more insight into this amazing production. The only thing missing in the supplements are interviews with Maria Moulton or Murielle Varheiyi, an unfortunate omission one hopes will be remedied on a future disc release. I enjoyed the film so much that I'm hoping and waiting for a sequel!
Description of Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter (Special Edition DVD)
JESUS CHRIST VAMPIRE HUNTER - DVD MovieBestsellers in DVD
![The Story of Jeremiah [VHS] Image](/images/noimg.gif)
The Story of Jeremiah [VHS]Vision Video; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Wresting With God [VHS]by Vision Video
Vision Video; Published: 1990-10-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
Study Bible Video with Workbook [VHS]Spring Arbor Distributors; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $7.95
Price in other shops:
Tempo:Childrens TV Favourites Video [VHS]HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $9.17
Price in other shops:
Tempo.Herbs:Parseley'Sb/ Party Video [VHS]HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
![Strike the Original Match [VHS] Image](/images/Strike-the-Original-Match-VHS-0001374079-X.jpg)
Strike the Original Match [VHS]New Liberty Films; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
![Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS] Image](/images/Medjugorje-The-Miracles-and-the-Message-VHS-0001373293-X.jpg)
Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS]JPN Film Production; Release date: 1995-12-15; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $29.99
Mayo Clinic Echocardiography Review Course for Boards and Recertification DVD 2008by Mayo
DVD
Price in other shops:
Pediatric Diagnostic Imaging DVD: Single Userby Oakstone
DVD
Price in other shops:
Cost Accounting [VHS]by Charles T. Horngren, George Foster, Srikant M. Datar, Howard Teall
Pearson Canada, Toronto; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (Three-Disc Collector's Edition)WEA DES Moines Video; Release date: 2008-10-28; DVD
Best price: $17.81
Price in other shops:
RubberMHE; Release date: 2011-06-07; DVD
Best price: $18.56
Price in other shops:
MartyrsGenius; Release date: 2009-04-28; DVD
Best price: $6.99
Price in other shops:
Tromeo and Juliet (10th Anniversary Edition)Koch International; Release date: 2006-08-22; DVD
Best price: $9.98
Price in other shops:
Stake LandMPI; Release date: 2011-08-02; DVD
Best price: $10.24
Price in other shops:
Harry Knuckles and the Pearl NecklaceRelease date: 2006-07-18; DVD
Best price: $8.07
Price in other shops:
Ultrachrist!Music Video Dist; Release date: 2004-06-15; DVD
Best price: $6.28
Price in other shops:
Cannibal! The Musical: 13th Anniversary EditionRYK; Release date: 2008-11-18; DVD
Best price: $10.20
Price in other shops:
Orgazmo (Unrated Special Edition)Universal Studios; Release date: 2005-03-29; DVD
Best price: $2.99
Price in other shops:
Six-String SamuraiTrinity; Release date: 1999-03-02; DVD
Best price: $8.69
Price in other shops: