Ten Reasons: Why THE INVITATION (2022) is not that bad…

The Invitation, not to be confused with the very good 2015 film of the same name, is a new take on the old tropes of the Dracula story.  

Several years ago, in the era of True Blood, I couldn’t get enough of vampires…and believe me, they were everywhere—books, movies, television. But like all things presented to us in excess, I grew weary of fanged frights.  

But along comes a new film that upon seeing the trailer catches my eye with all its gothic glory. And so I had to take a look. 

Critically panned, The Invitation doesn’t offer anything particularly new to the sub-genre, with uninspiring dialogue and our lead character making one bad decision after another…but I’ve managed to find ten things that make the film salvageable. Here goes: 

1) “New Carfax Abbey”

More on the use of names from Stoker’s Dracula later. But let’s be serious, can we just talk about this location because it is…simply put…amazing.

Nadasdy Mansion in Nadasdladany, Hungary is not only an astoundingly beautiful estate, but has ties to Elizabeth Bathory (which if you are unfamiliar with that name I suggest a google that will lead you down a bloody rabbit hole). The fact that this movie was filmed in Hungary lends quite a bit of realism to a new take on an age-old story based in the quiet creepiness of Eastern Europe. 

2) The score. 

Dara Taylor is a composer I knew nothing about and didn’t learn a whole lot after googling.  But her intriguing score is part of what drew me to the film in the first place. Much of the music is in a minor key, as one would expect, and there are many unsettling cues—perfect for a dark and foreboding tale.  Eerie female vocals and ominous synthesized themes really do elevate from being ordinary. 

3) Nathalie Emmanuel, as our protagonist Evie, is someone else I was unfamiliar with, and at first glance I thought I was looking at Meghan Markle. Besides being beautiful, she was actually quite believable as a poor catering waitress trying to make it in NYC.  Though as previously mentioned, she makes exceedingly bad choices, she is an ass-kicker at heart. 

4) While we are discussing casting choices, I do have to say Thomas Doherty as a Walter “Lord of the manor” De Ville, does reek modern vampire deliciousness. He very much feels like the lead in a new CW supernatural show, with tangible finesse and suitable charisma.  Any woman thrown in a gorgeous gothic mansion owned by this guy would be sure to throw all logic aside with one wink of those mesmerizing blue eyes. 

5) The homages to the original Dracula legend, particularly with names, seem obvious but are still fun. Carfax Abbey, Lucy, and Mina and Jonathan Harker are all mentioned here, and the “three brides” is a direct reference to Dracula having three devoted brides.  We learn right away that the mansion is named New Carfax Abbey, so it’s not really a secret where the story is going. 

6) The house. 

As previously mentioned, the mansion is a stunning estate just from the outside alone. But the inside is just gorgeous, with dark wood everywhere—and with all the rooms one can imagine a house of this size would have, including a library which is unfortunately only shown in darkness or by candlelight. There are statues and grandiose art all over, including dragons (as in “son of the dragon” aka Dracula). Antiques abound, and the grounds are as beautiful as the inside. Definite eye candy. 

7) Set design. 

What the designers did with the house needs its own mention, as it drips with class and wealth. Ornate architecture is shown off in mirrors and doorways and rooms filled with period furniture and tapestries, rugs and draperies, all very lush and inviting. Even the attention to detail of how a room is lit was so impressive. So that things lurking in the corner would be seen only if they are meant to be seen. 

Shout out to the amazing costumes as well.

8) The romance. 

Okay here’s where I might lose your interest but wait… while I am a huge fan of scary vampires like the ones from Salem’s Lot and 30 Days of Night, I do believe the vampire lends its history to a romantic side as well, with all the various legends of vampires taking human form and coercing a beautiful young lady to succumb to their every whim. And despite Evie being utterly foolish for not seeing the boatload of clues alluding to the secrets that are so very obvious to the rest of us, it always hits a girl right in the heart to see someone being swept off their feet in a whirlwind romance. If only he wasn’t out for blood. Literally. 

9) The rehearsal dinner. 

In which all is explained and all is certainly revealed. Amongst a feast of epic proportions in which guests are wearing masks and there is enough food to feed the whole of the armed services. A smorgasbord of food and truths. 

10) The bloodletting. 

This is, after all, a vampire film. We wait quite a bit for any real bloody gore, and it probably does seem tame up until nearly the end when there is finally THAT SCENE in which we are treated to a visual explanation of just what’s going on. And the blood continues from there. 

 

Kiss Of The Damned (2013): A Hammer Homage That Almost Works

~Review by Marie Robinson

Christine and I love vampires, and are prone to watch/read/whatever anything that has to do with them. For some this is a tired trope but we just aren’t bored. Naturally, I was intrigued when I heard about 2012 film Kiss of the Damned, interestingly enough directed by Xan Cassavetes, daughter of John Cassavetes (Rosemary’s Baby).

I’m one of those assholes who literally judges a book by its cover, or in this case, judges a film by its poster; I was admittedly even further inclined to watch this movie after I saw the gorgeous poster for it. The artwork was done by Akiko Stehrenberger, who was won several awards for her movie posters, two for this poster alone. Her shit is awesome; seriously, check her out (http://akikomatic.com/).

The story is very Gothic inspired and focuses on Djuna (Josephine de La Baume), a beautiful young woman living alone in an equally gorgeous mansion in the middle of who knows where (they really don’t tell you the setting). She meets handsome screenwriter Paolo (Milo Ventimiglia), who instantly forces himself upon her.

Luckily Djuna isn’t as annoyed and creeped out as I was and they instantly hit it off. Although they are madly in “love” with each other, Djuna insists they cannot be together because she is a vampire. Paolo thinks the same thing that you or I would think if a love interest said this to us—that she’s crazy; but she proves it to him by chaining herself to a bed and writhing about in a bloodthirsty lust. Even though she begs him not to, Paolo frees her and they make passionate, scary love, at the end of which, Djuna turns him into vampire. Paolo is somehow totally okay with all of this, and moves into the mansion with Djuna and they vow to be undead and in love forever. I’m sorry there is such a blatant attitude to this synopsis, but this is honestly how the story seemed to be moving along to me. Anyway, let’s continue…

Their perfect little romance is disturbed by the unexpected arrival of Djuna’s sister, Mimi (Roxane Mesquida), who is also a vampire. They belong to this high-class, wealthy underground society of vampires who believe that feeding off of humans is—well, inhumane, so they stick to drinking the blood of animals. Mimi, however, rejects this notion and slays and feasts on humans all the time behind her elder’s backs. She floods the house with her reckless and unforgiving attitude, encouraging and instigating those around her to tug at the fibers of their morality.

I keep going back to the idea that I didn’t like this movie but I think I am just letting myself to too caught up with the characters to properly evaluate it. For example, Paolo and Djuna’s romance is very reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet in the sense that they are idiots who think they are madly in love with each other but are really just infatuated. Their relationship is so annoying that I was frustrated enough at times to turn the film off. All the problems the characters have are brought on by themselves; they are what I shall call “rich people problems”. I guess in the end, what I am saying is that there are no sympathetic characters. However, this could be the intention of the filmmakers, which I earnestly hope is the case, because if I had to come to the terms with the fact that that was actually someone’s idea of romance, I’d puke.

Kiss of the Damned doesn’t bring anything new to the vampire trope, and I really didn’t find it all that compelling. The actresses’ French accents made them sound a bit monotone to me and the story was moderately predictable and didn’t inspire too much emotion out of me, just a lot of commenting like, “You’re so fucking dumb,” and “I hate you”.

Perhaps I am being too harsh, so on a lighter note there are two things I am certain I loved about the film: the cinematography and the costume design. Every shot was beautiful, blending colors, contrasting shadows and light, and incorporating brilliant angles. Djuna oozed elegance, not only because the actress herself if quite beautiful, but she was always dressed in the most beautiful gowns and had this gorgeous makeup that complimented her pale skin and lovely autumnal hair.

You can decide for yourself about this film, and let me know what you think, as well! When I need my fix of vampire soap opera, I’ll just stick to True Blood, which I am so glad is back, by the way.

The States will begin showing another bloodsucker flick on the 28th, Byzantium, which I think looks very promising. For more information on that film, I highly recommend you read our dear friend James Gracey’s review on it here: (http://watchinghorrorfilmsfrombehindthecouch.blogspot.com/2013/06/byzantium.html).

Midnight Son (2011) : Not Your Kid Sister's Vampire Film

For months this film has been on my radar and I have actually owned it for quite a while, so I figured it was high time to watch the damned thing. 

As a relatively huge vampire fan, it was a given that I'd have to try out the latest in emo-vampire offerings. But this is no Twilight. Thank heavens.

More akin to Martin than teenage angst, Scott Leberecht's Midnight Son is a rather fresh breath of air in an all too stagnant sub-genre.


Jacob (Zak Kilberg), on first glance, seems like a pretty normal kind of guy. He works the night shift as a security guard and is content to hang out in his basement apartment painting in his spare time. Ordinarily this might be a real turn on to the ladies - a brooding artistic type who is sensitive and oddly alluring.

Upon further inspection though, Jacob is a very lonely young man. He lives by himself and it's quite clear he doesn't have any real friends to speak of. It's not due to any obvious reason, as he is, as previously mentioned, rather attractive (kind of a Jude Law-lite) and holds down a decent job. But not only is he quite peaked, he has a skin disorder which prevents him from being in the sun. That would be your first clue, if you haven't already gotten there. 

I'm not spoiling anything by telling you flat-out that Jacob is a vampire. I'm sure they mention it on the DVD case and every review from here to Hong Kong.  What is different about Midnight Son though, is the ongoing realization that Jacob comes to, trying to grasp all the various problems this "condition" presents.  He realizes he cannot eat regular food, in fact it repulses him. Once he drinks blood (and how he comes to that awareness) is part of the heart of the story.  Think it's easy to pick up chicks once you are conscious that you are somehow not  like everyone else? It's not.

But when Jacob meets Mary (Maya Parish) outside a bar one night, they have an instant chemistry that leads Mary down a very dangerous road with her new beau. Though truth be told, she may be more of a danger to herself than he is, with a bad cocaine habit that helps (a little too conveniently) forward the story by having her get a nosebleed at an intimate moment in their relationship.

Regarding the painting hobby ("...a hobby should pass the time, not fill it" ~Psycho ) Jacob has plenty of examples of his work at his apartment, and Mary tells him he may really have something, that his talent should be investigated. She eventually gets him set up with a show at a gallery, though Jacob can't face all the potential customers and skips the event.  At this point, he is more worried about getting his latest fix of blood, as he has a friend at the hospital that is able to provide more than enough of the red stuff for him. Because Jacob is so obsessed with getting the blood, he neglects to comprehend just how his "friend" is getting his hands on all the plasma. Another important rule for vampires: pay attention.

The short running time (a brief 88 minutes) is perfect, as the story is sparse and elaboration would be pointless. What makes it so unique is how the love story within evolves. This is a character-driven tale, and when these two lost souls find each other, forces of nature (and beyond) pull them apart only to reconnect them several times throughout.  Jacob is very afraid of intimacy because he's not sure he can control himself, and indeed there are a few moments in which you think he won't be able to stop his dangerous tendencies.  Mary, on the other hand, is trying hard to help Jacob open up, and finds herself trying to stop her drug habit after assuming (incorrectly, in part) that it is a turn-off and the main reason Jacob keeps pulling away.

When Jacob's bad red habit has him disregarding human life, that's when you know things are coming to a breaking point.  The authorities are beginning to suspect Jacob in a series of crimes, and as they draw nearer, Jacob and Mary get closer.
 To disclose any more would be a disservice to those who have yet to see this fine film. 

So if you haven't seen it, give Midnight Son a chance. You may be pleasantly surprised that a vampire film can still be unique.

WiHM: Favorite Female Fangs!

For our final week of Women in Horror, Marie will be your host as she highlights females from various paths of horror. Today she lets her blood lust free and spotlights the fanged femme fatales!
Onward!

I love vampires! That is no secret, so why not compile a list of all lady bloodsuckers! Obviously this isn’t nearly all of them, I just picked a handful, and if you need even more vampires after this list, you can revisit Christine and I's list of favorite vampires (of both sexes) here:

LUCY WESTERNA
Lucy is a favorite of mine, especially the version of her from 1992's Bram Stoker's Dracula.  Lucy starts out as the lusty best friend of Mina, but is slowly drained of her life by the Count, himself. In the novel she becomes known in the local papers as the Bloofer Lady, a ghostly woman in a white dress who steals little children at night. Buried in her iconic wedding dress, Lucy is beautiful and memorable as she is ghastly. I loved her so much I was her for Halloween last year!!

CARMILLA
This is the first widely recognized female vampire, and oh yeah, she’s a lesbian. Created by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu, the short gothic story Carmilla was published in 1872 and is about a vampiress and the young girl she preys on. Carmilla has been referenced countless times in all types of media, but perhaps my favorite adaptation is the 1960 film Blood and Roses.

JESSICA (True Blood)
This is Jessica’s second appearance in our Women in Horror Month themed posts, but we just can’t get enough of her! Bill’s prodigy is one sexy, fiery red head with an attitude and of course, a taste for blood.

CLAUDIA
One of the perks of being a vampire is that you cease aging. Eternal youth sounds great, right? Well, except if you are stuck in the form of a child, then it’s just creepy. As is the case with Claudia, the little vampiress of Anne Rice’s classic novel turned film, Interview with a Vampire.

KATRINA
Grace Jones is one freaky, hungry vampire stripper you don’t want to go backstage with in 1986’s Vamp.

COUNTESS MARYA ZALESKA
“She gives you that weird feeling,” boasts the poster. This lovely lady has the honor of being Dracula’s Daughter, the 1936 sequel to Universal’s classic Bela Lugosi. The poor countess yearns to be rid of her bloodthirsty curse, but alas, it is just not that easy.

TAE-JU
Tae-ju is transformed into a vampire by her reluctant lover in Chan-wook Park’s 2009 film Thirst, and boy does she love the lifestyle. So much so that her creator, Sang-hyeon, starts to realize the evil of their bloodthirsty ways and means to end her immortality much sooner than she’d like.

AMY PETERSON
Brewster’s lovely girlfriend, Amy, becomes one vicious vixen in the 1985 camptastic classic Fright Night.

And finally, I leave you with this:
 SATANICO PANDEMONIUM
A vampire uses the art of seduction to lure the victims into a relaxed situation where one might need to fit their mouth around a neck… Salma Hayek entranced men and women alike in From Dusk ‘till Dawn as the undead seductress Satanico. I’ve included a link to her unforgettable scene in the film. You will be speechless for the next four minutes.
 

OCTOBER 16: SIXTEEN VAMPIRES WE LOVE

COUNT DRACULA. (Bram Stoker's Dracula) Creepy and wrinkly or young and romantic, I adore either side of the Count. Gary Oldman gives one helluva performance to boot! ~MR

EDWARD DALTON. (Daybreakers) Sympathetic to the human's plight and desire to live, Edward tried his best to be a nice guy. Normally I'm not the biggest Ethan Hawke fan, but this character was intriguing and just a little bit sexy. ~CH

JERRY DANDRIGE. (Fright Night) The new neighbor is suave and sexy. I wouldn't mind popping into the club and having him seduce me on the dance floor. Remake star Colin Farrell can't compete with Chris Sarandon. ~MR

DAMON SALVATORE (The Vampire Diaries) - With two Salvatores to pick from, the choice isn't easy...but the charismatic older brother with the come-hither eyes will always win in my book.  He has just enough devilish charm and one helluva mean streak to make any woman weak in the knees....or in blood supply. ~CH

LOUIS. (Interview with the Vampire) Kind-hearted with luscious locks to boot. Christine and I both prefer this bloodsucker to his master, Lestat. ~MR

MARTIN (Martin) - Probably the quirkiest vamp on our list, Romero's anti-hero uses syringes and razor blades to procure his victims, and yet the film is ambiguous enough that we're not sure that Martin is actually a fanged fiend or on the verge of a mental collapse.  But we love him either way. ~CH

COUNT DRACULA. (Dracula, 1979) Thank you Frank Langella, for bringing sexy back.  If you're gonna like the amorous style of vamp, you could do a lot worse. I've been in love with this count for years. ~CH

PRIEST SANG-HYEON.(Thirst)  I personally am glad this vamp left the church, he is too damn good-lookin' for the celibate life! ~MR

SPIKE. (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) A bad-ass with a British accent and a bleach job. What more could you ask for? ~MR

CHRISTOPHER LEE.  In any Hammer film with fangs, Lee will always be the king of the vampires. He has a knack for bringing his own blend of fright and delight to the role of the blood-thirsty count. ~CH

ANGEL. (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) Poor Buffy has TWO gorgeous vampires to choose from. If she's not going to call dibs on this sweet-eyed creature of the night, I will!~MR

BILL COMPTON. (True Blood) Although he is looked down on by most vampires for being kind of... a pussy, Bill is a charming, old-fashioned gentleman who is downright irresistible.~MR

PAM. (True Blood) She may be a little high-maintenance, but Pam is a bad-ass and a loyal protege. And boy, she can hold a grudge.~MR

NOSFERATU. (Nosferatu) He may not be a babe, but he is older and more respected than any other vampire on this list, and he has the most memorable (and creepy) appearance. Snow-white skin, long, clawed fingers, pointed ears and big, luminous eyes. Even his shadow is scary!~MR

ELI. (Let the Right One In) What looks like a little girl is a centuries-old vampire, and she is as lonely as she is hungry. Even though she could rip out my jugular with her teeth, I wouldn't mind hanging out with her. Maybe build some snowmen or something.~MR

ERIC NORTHMAN. (True Blood) I'm not saying we saved the best for last.  Okay, we might be saving the one we lust over the most for last.  Alexander Skarsgård is a combo of sweet and nasty, giving him the edge over most of his fanged counterparts. Finding out within these last two seasons that he does actually have a heart has only made him more attractive....and dangerous. ~CH

Dead And Undead In The 19th Century: Exit Humanity / Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Article by Marie Robinson

Greetings, readers! I hope you are enjoying your summer, because it is a cool 98 degrees in St. Louis (where is Nick Lachey when you need him?). Did I mention that I hate hot, humid weather? I have been trying to spend most of the daytime in air-conditioned movie theatres, and using the cool nights for walks. Speaking of creatures of the night…

When you think of the American Civil War, you probably think of the battles and the blood, the dead men strewn across the field, who now rest in chipping graves in their very own section of the cemetery (assuming you have a morbid imagination). However, two recent releases have turned our thoughts toward the undead in the eighteen hundreds.

2011’s Exit Humanity and 2012’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter tell tales of centuries-old monsters we know all too well: zombies and vampires. We all have seen a thousand films featuring both, but these two have a shared twist to the old trope.

One of the many things Christine and I have in common is we are sick and tired of zombies, or “dead-walks”, if we want to use the adorable nickname given in the film I have mentioned above. Don’t get me wrong, I love the classics, can’t get enough of the golden days of George A. Romero, but after a while, shit gets old. They have ceased to be scary and instead become stale. Yet as film companies seem to green light ANYTHING that features a drooling, vacant-eyed, blood-smeared face on the poster, I have begun to ask myself, “What else can they do?”

But when I caught wind of Exit Humanity and saw the trailer, I found myself actually excited for a zombie film (I’m sorry if I am hurting any zombie lover’s feelings, I hope I can patch things up between us as this article trails on). Written and directed by John Geddes (who seems to be building himself a career in the horror genre), the film is narrated by Brian Cox who introduces himself as Malcolm Lee. He reads to us from a journal that is written by a distant relative, Edward Young (Mark Gibson). Edward writes to us from a time where the war has just ended, in a Tennessee where zombies outnumber humans. Distraught after having to kill both his wife and son with his own shotgun after they had become monsters just like so many others, he now wanders the wooded South with his horse, Shiloh.

At first I didn’t think I was going to like the movie, it seemed like just another fight for survival among the undead. Now although I am usually very stubborn to watch zombie movies - because I think the story can only be so unique - there is something about zombies that allow for quite a bit of creative flexibility: they don’t exist. But there are a consistent set of traits that people have established about them over the years, and our Civil War era zombies are given the following: they are have no speed beyond a stagger, they must be dealt a fatal wound to the head to be killed, and they possess wide, unsettling, inky-black eyes.

As the movie progressed and the plot thickened, I found myself more and more enthralled by the film. Edward stumbles upon a fellow living person named Isaac (Adam Seybold) who basically forces him to accompany on his crazy mission to find his sister, whom he believes was kidnapped by the dreaded General Williams (played by Bill Moseley, who has been a horror veteran since the 80’s) who has a sinister plan of his own.

Although the time period gave Exit Humanity the film and the genre a refreshing twist, it isn’t the first time we humans have heard of zombies in the American South.

Painting of a Haitian zombie

Voodoo was introduced to Louisiana through Haitian slaves in the seventeen-hundreds, and became abundant in the 19th century. It became a dominant religion among slaves and was also a way for them to express their culture and stay in touch with their tribal roots.

Zombies exist in Voodoo culture as a reanimated corpse, devoid of its soul, that had been resurrected by a Voodoo priest or queen. Voodoo queens became important and powerful figures in the eighteen-hundreds, particularly around the time of the Civil War. Voodoo zombies are usually used as servants, or to carry out some task for the creator; they were often used to work the fields. A priest or queen must capture the soul of the deceased person in order to create a zombie, prevention of this included relatives stabbing a dead loved one in the heart, or cutting off the head.

On encountering his first zombie, our protagonist Edward Young says, “It was though he was alive, but had been stripped of his soul…”

I must admit that I did want to see Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, but the reason I followed through is because I got to see it for free (perks of working at a movie theatre). I suggest that you see it ONLY if you can view it under similar circumstances. The 3D was impressive, and I was into it for about thirty minutes, and then when it started trying to have this whole “serious plot” thing, I was pretty much done.

Unlike zombies, I CANNOT get enough of vampires. If there is a movie where vampires are involved, there is a 90% chance that I will see it, and probably a 70% chance that I will like it.

Similar to zombies, you can play around with appearances and traits, and I must admit, the bloodsuckers were pretty bad-ass looking in Abraham Lincoln. Once they got a taste for that crimson human sweet stuff, their faces get all distorted and hideous—Buffy style! These vamps can also walk in the sun, but they can’t be seen in mirrors… Not that I can really get mad about it—like I’ve said before, they aren’t real.

The film, directed by Timur Bekmambetov (known for Wanted and the Night Watch series) and written by Seth Grahame-Smith (the same guy wrote the book), doesn’t begin during the Civil War. First you meet a poor, young Lincoln who finds his hatred for the undead in the vampire who killed his mother. Years later, in a bar, he meets a man who tells him that he is a vampire hunter, and can teach him the ways of killing the beasts—which isn’t with a wooden stake, but with silver.

Abraham wields his weapon of choice—an axe with a silver blade—and goes to work. Things get awkward for the Yankees when they discover that the Confederacy has vampires in their army, but luckily, Honest Abe is Commander in Chief, and he just-so-happens to be a bad-ass slayer.

Bill Compton serving in the Civil War

Seth Grahame-Smith may think he had the cutest idea by writing Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and he sure as hell made a lot of money on it, but he isn’t the first one to think that the South is a good place for fangers.

True Blood’s own Bill Compton fought for the Confederacy just before he was made into a vampire, and we can’t forget Charlaine Harris, who wrote the series of books that inspired the show that I am truly obsessed with. Horror author heroine Anne Rice, who is a Louisiana native, has written of bloodsuckers in her hometown of New Orleans.

I even have the pleasure of owning a book entitled Vampire Stories from the American South edited by Lawrence Schimel and Martin H. Greenberg, which features stories published as early at 1939.

The South is perhaps the most whimsical, cultural, and mysterious place in the United States; it’s no wonder that the people who die there refuse to stay dead.