Erin Stapletonit was dark for too long
September 5th 2008 14:00
"30 Days of Night" David Slade 2007
Now, I'm not sure why no one had thought of this before. It's such a simple, good idea. Set a vampire movie in some remote Alaskan town where in winter, it's dark for a month. No reprieve. But I must say, it does take some of the immediacy of the situation out of it... it's not 6 hours to dawn, gotta live those 6 hours, it's 27 days... and well really, if they were normal vampires, you're stuffed.
But, and here's the disappointing thing, David Slade's vampires are really more like zombies. And for zombies, it actually doesn't need to be dark, so the movie got a little silly. And a little less original. See, perhaps, if the town were bigger, one could have less devolved vampires, and still keep the suspense. In fact, the vamps were so much like zombies, there was a little girl one straight out of 'Night of the Living Dead'. Also, while I enjoy the audacity of the Blade-esque vampire, who doesn't just bite you, but rips your entire throat out, I have limited patience for it. No finesse.
Meanwhile, Josh Harnett plays the sheriff, or perhaps the sheriff's assistant, that's not really clear, but what is clear, is that Josh Harnett will be taken seriously one day. Today is not that day. The same cannot be said for Melissa George (sigh, a countryman) who embarrassed herself soundly. Between the two of them, they herd various townsfolk through the routine motions of a vampire (actually, zombie) situation. All the hiding and the waiting and the getting desperate and the grand standing ending in certain death by predictable party members.
To be honest, this would normally be an enjoyable, if unremarkable (with some novelty thrown in) vampire/zombie movie, but I'm a little bit disappointed with David Slade. He made "Hard Candy" a few years ago and everyone was impressed, if not a little disturbed. It was the sort of film that actually surprised you when it went in a new direction. And it has such an obsessive careful attention to detail. 30 days entirely lacks that. It also promises to be something unique in its opening sequences, with some stunning cinematography, and weird suspense (melted mobile phones) and then promptly lets you down.
What have we learned? Don't live anywhere so stupidly uninhabitable that there's no daytime at all for thirty days of the year.
Now, I'm not sure why no one had thought of this before. It's such a simple, good idea. Set a vampire movie in some remote Alaskan town where in winter, it's dark for a month. No reprieve. But I must say, it does take some of the immediacy of the situation out of it... it's not 6 hours to dawn, gotta live those 6 hours, it's 27 days... and well really, if they were normal vampires, you're stuffed.
(the vamps in this one LIKE fire)
But, and here's the disappointing thing, David Slade's vampires are really more like zombies. And for zombies, it actually doesn't need to be dark, so the movie got a little silly. And a little less original. See, perhaps, if the town were bigger, one could have less devolved vampires, and still keep the suspense. In fact, the vamps were so much like zombies, there was a little girl one straight out of 'Night of the Living Dead'. Also, while I enjoy the audacity of the Blade-esque vampire, who doesn't just bite you, but rips your entire throat out, I have limited patience for it. No finesse.
Meanwhile, Josh Harnett plays the sheriff, or perhaps the sheriff's assistant, that's not really clear, but what is clear, is that Josh Harnett will be taken seriously one day. Today is not that day. The same cannot be said for Melissa George (sigh, a countryman) who embarrassed herself soundly. Between the two of them, they herd various townsfolk through the routine motions of a vampire (actually, zombie) situation. All the hiding and the waiting and the getting desperate and the grand standing ending in certain death by predictable party members.
Devolved Vampire - can't get the blood off his mouth
To be honest, this would normally be an enjoyable, if unremarkable (with some novelty thrown in) vampire/zombie movie, but I'm a little bit disappointed with David Slade. He made "Hard Candy" a few years ago and everyone was impressed, if not a little disturbed. It was the sort of film that actually surprised you when it went in a new direction. And it has such an obsessive careful attention to detail. 30 days entirely lacks that. It also promises to be something unique in its opening sequences, with some stunning cinematography, and weird suspense (melted mobile phones) and then promptly lets you down.
What have we learned? Don't live anywhere so stupidly uninhabitable that there's no daytime at all for thirty days of the year.
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