Vampire Journals
by Ted Nicolaou
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DVD details
Actor: David Gunn, Ilinca Goia, Jonathon Morris, Kirsten Cerre, Starr AndreeffDirector: Ted Nicolaou
Brand: Koch International
Cinematographer: Adolfo Bartoli
Writer: Ted Nicolaou
Editor: Gregory Sanders
Producer: Charles Band
Producer: Kirk Edward Hansen
Producer: Oana Paunescu
Producer: Vlad Paunescu
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 82 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1997-12-16
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: FULL MOON
DVD Reviews of Vampire Journals
DVD Review: Good and bad aspects ...
Summary: 2 Stars
This straight-to-video movie (not based on the book of the same title) is a strange mixture of the quite good and the rather bad. Filmed in Romania, it takes advantage of the wonderful old mansions there, with their marble walls and floors and inlaid wood-work and gold leaf. (Perhaps also qualifying as "scenery" are the gratuitous naked women who appear occasionally, presumably only for commercial reasons.) It is shot in full-screen (4:3) and sound is 2.0.
The story is archetypal for the modern vampire genre: a lone "good" vampire; a vampire enclave racked by resentment and power struggles; a bleak ending. The film makes few concessions to those unfamiliar with the tenets of the genre, which some may find jarring.
Full Moon Productions continue their tradition of casting the best actors in the supporting roles: Starr Andreeff is convincing in the tricky role of a human who serves the vampires from avaricious motives, while Kirsten Cerre manages to sustain a note of high terror through the second half of the film, believably and without becoming repetitive or shrill. Kudos also to the actors who play the parts of Cassandra, Dimitri and Anton. It would be great to see these actors in bigger and better productions. The director gets good performances even from bit-parts: note the girl who offers herself to Zachary towards the end - in most B-grade movies she would have been a vacant silicon-enhanced bimbo, but here, before she even speaks, she radiates great sadness and hopelessness. Brilliant.
The two main parts, however, are miscast: the "hero" makes a commendable effort, but is too callow for the role (I kept expecting him to finish his lines with the word "dude") and lumbered with some rather unconvincing makeup, while the "villain" is impressively malevolent, but with a rather humourless, one-note performance. Admittedly, this film is deliberately grim and humourless, but I think there was more potential for depth with this character.
The photography and lighting are mostly successful, the lighting achieving remarkably beautiful effects, but occasionally the techniques descend to classic "B-movie" methods, with lurching hand-held shots and overuse of up-from-under angles, which cheapen the look of the film. The photographer has clearly come up with some great work-arounds for his budget limitations; if only these could have been applied more consistently.
I should also mention the simple trick used to show the vampire travelling as a shadow, which is unconventional, but I think actually worked well and suggested the techniques of the classic German expressionist films of the 1920s. On the other hand, in the props department, the "Blade of Laertes" seems to have no more weight than a plastic toy! The script veers in a similar fashion between poetic and silly.
This film really lets itself down in its opening and closing sequences: the opening sequence is confusing and looks rushed; the ending is abrupt and thus seems arbitrary. A little more time and attention here would have improved the effect of the whole film.
In a previous version of this review, I criticised the musical score for being over-present and obviously synthesised. I've changed my mind about that: I think the score is creative and melodically interesting. The score does often seem a little 'busy', however, when minimalism would've been more effective.
Overall, this film is a mixed bag, primarily due to its limited budget. If you make allowance for this, you'll find much of interest here (especially if you are a fan of the genre). Vampire Journals may not, ultimately, be successful as a movie, but I think it is a very interesting failure.
Description of Vampire Journals
VAMPIRE JOURNALS - DVD MovieDirector Ted Nicolaou rewrites his original Subspecies story line and transplants it into the urban location of Bucharest, Romania. In this gothic tale, a wandering vampire named Zachary (subtly played by David Gunn) seeks revenge against the clan of vampires who crossed him over from mortal life. The abduction of acquaintance and young concert pianist Sofia (the charming Kirstin Cerre) lures him to the lair of Ash (Jonathon Morris) and his den of vampires living beneath a ritzy nightclub. In an interesting twist, the bloodsuckers do not commonly hunt down their prey in the outside world; rather, they seek them in willing bodies through the club, with whose owner they have dealings. Zachary seeks to free the terrified, imprisoned Sofia, who Ash has crossed over, and put an end to the clan's evil, decadent ways. In some instances, Vampire Journals suffers from melodramatic acting and overwrought dialogue, and conversation dominates overaction, but the combination of exquisite Romanian locations, Adolfo Bartoli's sumptuous cinematography, and Richard Kosinki's moody score will keep you watching. Another striking aspect of the film is that it is shot almost exclusively at nighttime, with the beautiful interiors often bathed in golden light; it offers a good representation of what living in eternal night must be like. --Bryan Reesman
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