30 Days of Night

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Horrorphile - November 2007

30 Days of Night

November 1st 2007 01:00

Like the undead waiting anxiously for the night, I’m always hungry for a new vampire movie. Director David Slade, who made the thoroughly unnerving drama-thriller-with-horror-un dertones Hard Candy (2006), has helmed one of the best entries in the vampire horror sub-genre in years. I haven’t seen such ferocity since From Dusk Till Dawn (1995), except that flick was played for laughs, whereas 30 Days of Night (2007) ain’t very funny.

Based on a three-book graphic novel by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith 30 Days of Night has re-injected the vampire myth with some serious bite! It’s neo-gothic, almost science fiction. The setting reminded me of the cold isolation of The Thing (1982) with the trapped desperation of Dawn of the Dead (1978). There are relationship issues too, and the movie finishes in vaguely poetic fashion.

Melissa George as Fire Marshall Stella

It’s an American production from Ghost House Pictures (Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert), but it was shot in New Zealand near Auckland on a huge specially-built set which doubled as the main strip of Alaskan frontier town Barrow. A large portion of the cast is Australasian, and Peter Jackson’s Wellington-based company WETA handled the special effects which involved prosthetics as well as superbly integrated CGI work.

30 Days of Night Josh Harnett and Melissa George

Sheriff Eben Oleson (Josh Harnett) and Stella prepare to fight

Once a year the tiny resource town of Barrow near the Artic Circle is plunged into darkness for a month as the sun sets over the horizon. It’s one long night that lasts thirty days. And it gets mighty damn cold as blizzards rack the township. Throw a marauding pack of blood-thirsty vampires into this freezing mix and you’ve got Hell on ice.

Ben Foster plays the unctuous mysterious Stranger who first arrives in Barrow

Sheriff Eben Oleson (Josh Harnett), along with his estranged wife Stella (Melissa George), and a handful of plucky locals, must hold out ‘til sunrise, while the savage immortals terrorise the village, slowly and surely devouring everyone in their path.

Danny Huston as vampire head honcho Marlow

Director Slade and cinematographer Jo Willems have achieved a stunning look to the movie, de-saturated colours, earthy hues and dark red blood. The vampires themselves are the most hideous bunch I’ve seen in a while, with slanted narrow black eyes and nasty shark-like teeth. These sons-of-bitches are mean!

A bare bones plot provides ample room for a series of set-pieces which graphically escalate. I thought Slade was being restrained with the violence and gore, until the movie’s last third, and then he pulled out all the stops and delivered some truly grindhouse goodies. There’s a decapitation by axe that has to be seen to be believed, awesomely executed!

A hungry vampire attacks the Sheriff's SUV

Acting, on the whole, is good. I’m not normally into Josh Harnett’s acting style, but he fitted the Sheriff role admirably. Melissa George maintained her American accent well, but many of the Kiwi actors slipped in and out. Perhaps I’m being picky, as I recognized a few of them, and so had my ears pricked. And speaking of recognition, my papa is in the movie! He has a bit part as old Gus, the town’s communications techie, whom is the first chump to fall prey to the vampire’s insatiable appetite. Dad barely managed to mutter a “What the hey … ? Who are you?!” line before he had his throat ripped out and his severed head planted on a stick. Love yer work dad, you’ve landed yourself in an instant cult classic, and made your horrorphile son proud!

Megan Franich as Iris

Kiwi actor Manu Bennett is strong as Eben’s colleague Billy. And from the vampire clan there are two stand-outs: Megan Franich as the frenzied Iris and Andrew Stehlin as the monstrous Arvin.

Andrew Stehlin as Arvin

Another element which adds to the movie’s intensity is the vampire’s arcane origins. You never find out where they’ve come from, although there is a suggestion in the movie’s opening images. They possess a strange archaic-sounding language which gives a chilling plausibility to their centuries-old lore. There’s also a cracking score from Brian Reitzell (drummer for Air) which at times utilises grinding electronic noises and tribal percussion to sensational effect.

30 Days of Night culminates in a combat stand-off between the Sheriff Eben and Marlow (how noirish), played with a brooding menace by Danny Huston (who was excellent in the western horror The Proposition, 2005). It’s a little far-fetched, but hey, reality has been stretched already, what’s a little more amongst undead mates? Love rears its convenient head and we’re left with a very stylised ending which suggests Stella the Vampire Slayer. Curiously it works, despite some guffawing from the audience.

The undead animals of the night vs. the Sheriff of Barrow

If you like your vampires vicious, your protagonists at wits’ end, and your blood and gore poured on with increasing intensity, rather than trickled here and there, 30 Days of Night is the movie for you. It bites, then tears.

Here's the U.S. theatrical trailer (my papa is the guy in the hood alone with a torch who gets surrounded):

And here's a brief sequence of jeopardy:

And here's some ultra-violence to really get your teeth into:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

10 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by JohnDoe

November 1st 2007 01:17

Film & TV on DVD

Read you first paragraph but don't want spoilers (Although I did read the first graphic novel a while ago)...so I will just say I envy that you got to see it, I tried but the movie gods were against me last night.

Will review it once I see it after the 8th of November

Comment by Bryn

November 1st 2007 02:11

Horrorphile

JD, fair enough ... you will enjoy, trust me.

Comment by What's Your Story?

November 1st 2007 17:40

What's Your Story?
Big Day Plunge

SPOT ON! I just saw this movie this evening and enjoyed it. I don't normally see horror flicks but this one I knew I had to check out. I'm glad I did. You're right, it ended in "a poetic fashion" which I absolutely thought was perfect for the film. My husband felt okay about the film; he kept comparing it to the graphic novel which he read only a few days ago. Ah, you know what they say about books being better than their film counterparts. Anyway, I didn't read the book. I'll read it later on, but for now, I'll recommend this movie to my friends. Your review was absolutely spot on!

And that was really your Papa there? That's awesome!!

Comment by Bryn

November 1st 2007 23:42

Horrorphile

Hi Story,
cheers for that. I'd like to think I nailed it.

I haven't read the graphic novels, but its usually a rule of thumb that they original source material is better, although in the case of a comic being turned into live action, sometimes - but rarely - the live action is better.
And yup, that's my papa being torn apart.

Comment by Damo

November 5th 2007 04:34

For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics

I like to see this film,
Nothing like a good vampire hunt.

Comment by Bryn

November 5th 2007 23:35

Horrorphile

Damo, this'll be one you'll need to take the mates to, not one for the wifey, and keep the kids well away

Comment by Cibbuano

November 7th 2007 04:16

20/20 Filmsight
Science News
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak

I don't want to read this yet, either... I haven't heard good things about this, but I still want to see it!

Comment by Bryn

November 7th 2007 07:19

Horrorphile

Not good things? Oh? Who? Where? I thought it rocked! It's a very basic premise, but its very well made. The finale is a little contrived, but hey ...

Comment by Bryn

July 16th 2008 22:21

Horrorphile

buy ... fair enough, but I'm curious as to why you don't. can you be more specific?

Comment by _CIA

December 29th 2008 12:25

It reminded me of a swedish film called 'frostbitten' (frost bite). Same initial scenario...however the story was fresh enough. 3.5 stars.

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