Innocent Blood
February 7th 2007 03:49
An American Werewolf in London (1981) was not only a seminal werewolf flick, but also a landmark for horror sfx make-up (Rick Baker won an Oscar for his work, which was the first Academy Award of its kind). It also superbly integrated a biting sense of humour which poked fun at English mannerisms and social intercourse and brash American attitudes and antics. It was a winner on all accounts.
Roughly ten years later Landis directed another cult classic; Innocent Blood (1992), which was known in some quarters as A French Vampire in America (gee whiz, what witty publicists!) This time round he threw off the hirsute jacket and donned a velvet cape, delivering another terrific horror infused with dark arterial humour.
Anne Parillaud (La Femme Nikita) is Marie, a French vamp slumming it in Pittsburgh (Romero, Romero, wherefor art thou Romero?). She is restless and thirsty for some blood and thunder. She wanders listlessly around her candle-lit apartment room fully starkers, her lithe body glowing with a vampire’s fine perspiration.
Later Sal awakens on a morgue slab with a nasty thirst. He soon realizes his predicament and begins to relish his new dark strength. He concocts the grand fetid scheme of transforming his entire empire into an undead mob. Marie realises her dire mistake. And so with her new lover; an undercover cop (Anthony LaPaglia), the two of them must stop Pittsburgh from becoming home to a legion of vampire goons!
Landis works with a brilliantly dynamic and inventive script from Michael Wolk, which constantly turns fresh corners in the vampire mythos. At times the action is outrageous for a Hollywood flick. But oh, sensational spurting fun! Yes, the specials are rather special.
The cast is perfect and llittered with cameos (directors, technicians, cult actors, aficionados); Tom Savini, Frank Oz, Forest Ackerman, Angela Bassett, Sam Raimi, Dario Argento, Steve Johnson, Linnea Quigley, Rick Avery, Bob Minor. Also of note are Don Rickles, Chazz Palminteri, Kim Coates and Tony Lip, all of whom go to town as Sal’s undead lawyer and three of his henchmen, respectively.
The movie is fabulous looking with many great nightscapes and stylish interiors. Landis has always had a strong eye for art department detail and composition. There is some great dialogue too as Wolk’s screenplay works the whole gangster ethic as a clever juxtaposition to the bloodthirsty hunger of vampirism. Curiously the word “vampire” is not mentioned once.
Innocent Blood is a savage and sexy romp, and one that rewards on several viewings. If you’re a gangster fan, or a vampire nut, or you fancy some serious sauce on your steak, this is the midnight feast for you. Slinky sexy Marie bites hard making you howl in stiff pleasure!
Here's a clip from the movie showing Marie necking with a mobster (Chazz Palminteri), it's a low-res excerpt I'm afraid, but the fiery passion still comes across ...
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Comment by Adrian
Philosophy Blog
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
The cast is great and the film geek radar is definetly switched on but this falls into the guilty pleasure/completist category for me.
I do agree it had fun with the vampire mythology but for my buck give me Razorblade Smile anyday.
Great review though, you do nail all it has to offer.
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Not, A French Vampire in America ...
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
I hate those similar sounding titles.....I always get them mixed up, and havent seen either in a while.
As always your right, the one with the mobsters is great fun, sadly both films have blurred into one for me because I saw them as a double feature...
Time to revisit Innocent Blood and forget the one with a bungy cord from the eiffel tower...
Sorry for doubting you, I should have thought a little longer before posting.
Damn bad films scar me for life and often pollute better films.
Comment by Cibbuano
20/20 Filmsight
Science News
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
I know how bad films can leave a long-lasting bad taste ... The Fifth Element is still stuck somewhere between my back molars causing me grief ...
Yes, Cibby, and I know how you like vamps and nudity too!! Ms Parillaud is not too shabby at all, in that uber-svelte Euro fashion (ahem!)
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
And i agree, what the fuck happened to Luc besson? In his native France he made, Subway, Big Blue, Leon and La Femme Nikita which were masterful celluloid enteries. Then he moves to teh Us and starts with the candy cane Fifth Element and then gets worse.
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Yeah, I first Besson was Subway, loved it. I taped the end credits song straight from the VHS onto a cassette player I loved it so much.
Then I saw The Big Blue by myself one day when it was released and loved that too, the whole Med thing.
I saw La Femme Nikita at a film festival and thought it rocked hard!!!
Leon (which was The Professional in NZ), I had mixed feelings about. Technically it was very impressive, but I found the relationship between Jean Reno's character and the character played by young Natalie Portman irritating and strangely irresponsible.
Gary Oldman chewed the scenery like there was no tomorrow.
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Oldman is hilarious in it as the tweeker cop, the cinematography is gorgeous and thescript is tender and exploritory, exposing unique emotions unfamiliar to the genre since Jean Pierre Melville's Le Samourai
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD