74 reviews
They play, they bite.
To get into a highly regarded fraternity, Keith and AJ agree to come up with the goods. That is finding a stripper to perform at a party. They need wheels and they turn to the dweeb Duncan for a favour. The three head off, and they come across a rather sordidly dark neighbourhood, which the After Dark club catches their attention. After this the night turns into a very surreal nightmare, as the place happens to be run by vampires. The trouble begins when AJ gets a personal encounter with the fetching dancer Katrina to hopefully perform at their party.
What starts off like your ordinary teen comedy, turns into a spontaneously imaginative and tantalizing vampire feature. The horror/comedy element more often comes off, despite some awkward moments and bad timing. The wry humour is blackly broad and weird, while the ominous thrills are jarringly explicit. Director / writer Richard Wenk gives the oddball concept unpredictable twists with a wide range of sub-plots that work in a lot of tact on climaxes, and the highly witty and clever script is a saucy treat with its banter. The script had a rapid touch about it, but the pacing of the story and direction can get scratchy. Wenk stylishly floods the seedy locations with neon pink and green lighting for ample effect, and Elliot Davis' singular angle photography gaudily displays a sinisterly lingering and nocturnal atmosphere. The make-up FX by Greg Cannom is pretty top-rate with many wicked and grisly images. The direction can feel loose, but it's visually enticing and at times suspenseful. It does look cheap, but this only enhances the mischievously neurotic air and helping out that tenor is Jonathan Elias' spiralling, steamy music score. The cast are on a real high. Chris Makepeace and Robert Rusler are ably good as the two central characters. Gedde Watanabe admirably pulls the strings in his obnoxiously weedy comic part. Grace Jones gets top billing, despite saying nothing and having little screen time. However she's naturally imposing and her dominance comes from her luridly effective physical actions and appearance. Especially those eyes! A bubbly and sincere Dedee Pfeiffer steals the film for me, and you got a memorably eerie Billy Drago as an albino thug of a street gang. Sandy Baron was also good fun. The comparisons with "After Hours (1985)" are justified, as both follow a path of triggered events during one bad night in an unrecognisable part of town for the unlucky foe/s. Also I wouldn't be surprised if "From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)" was influenced by 'Vamp'.
A neat, showy and off-kilter little horror/comedy romp of the 80's.
What starts off like your ordinary teen comedy, turns into a spontaneously imaginative and tantalizing vampire feature. The horror/comedy element more often comes off, despite some awkward moments and bad timing. The wry humour is blackly broad and weird, while the ominous thrills are jarringly explicit. Director / writer Richard Wenk gives the oddball concept unpredictable twists with a wide range of sub-plots that work in a lot of tact on climaxes, and the highly witty and clever script is a saucy treat with its banter. The script had a rapid touch about it, but the pacing of the story and direction can get scratchy. Wenk stylishly floods the seedy locations with neon pink and green lighting for ample effect, and Elliot Davis' singular angle photography gaudily displays a sinisterly lingering and nocturnal atmosphere. The make-up FX by Greg Cannom is pretty top-rate with many wicked and grisly images. The direction can feel loose, but it's visually enticing and at times suspenseful. It does look cheap, but this only enhances the mischievously neurotic air and helping out that tenor is Jonathan Elias' spiralling, steamy music score. The cast are on a real high. Chris Makepeace and Robert Rusler are ably good as the two central characters. Gedde Watanabe admirably pulls the strings in his obnoxiously weedy comic part. Grace Jones gets top billing, despite saying nothing and having little screen time. However she's naturally imposing and her dominance comes from her luridly effective physical actions and appearance. Especially those eyes! A bubbly and sincere Dedee Pfeiffer steals the film for me, and you got a memorably eerie Billy Drago as an albino thug of a street gang. Sandy Baron was also good fun. The comparisons with "After Hours (1985)" are justified, as both follow a path of triggered events during one bad night in an unrecognisable part of town for the unlucky foe/s. Also I wouldn't be surprised if "From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)" was influenced by 'Vamp'.
A neat, showy and off-kilter little horror/comedy romp of the 80's.
- lost-in-limbo
- May 23, 2007
- Permalink
16 Candles meets 13 Ghosts
If you like campy 80s flicks, don't even bother reading this review. Just go watch the movie. Now.
What more can be said? "Vamp" is totally 80s to the max. Let's begin with the actors... We've got Chris Makepeace ("Meatballs", "My Bodyguard") sporting tight jeans and a oh-so-fashionable blue football jacket. We've got Robert Rusler ("Weird Science", "The Facts of Life") sporting a lovely pastel shirt and wool blazer with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. Then we've got Gedde Watanabe (Long Duk Dong in "16 Candles") reprising his classic nerdy role, only this time without the horribly contrived Asian accent so you can safely laugh at him without feeling racist. And of course we've got Grace Jones, 80s icon extraordinaire ("Conan the Destroyer", "A View to a Kill") sporting a wire bikini that makes Princess Leia's brass swimsuit look like a nun's habit.
But for my money, the actor who steals the show is the late, great Sandy Baron as Vic the seedy nightclub owner. You've definitely seen his mug all over TV in minor roles that always stole the show (on Seinfeld he was the cranky retiree who gave Jerry the "astronaut pen"). He definitely steals the show in "Vamp" as the lovably sinister old timer who just wants to get to Vegas, even if it means selling his soul to a clan of bloodthirsty vampires. Sandy even has a few dramatic monologues which add depth to this otherwise silly romp. When he proselytizes about his "service" of ridding society of the dregs, the wanderers and the losers, and he punctuates it with a toothy Cheshire-cat grin, it sends a chill right up your spine.
Plot-wise, it's your basic creatures-of-the-night-run-amok-in-a-bar story. You know, the one Tarantino recycled in "From Dusk Til Dawn" 10 years later. Yes, "Vamp" was the original and don't you forget it.
There's some great comedy in this movie, and for that reason it's hard to approach it as a horror film. The whole thing is tongue-in-cheek which takes away the terror and replaces it with laughs. It's a crying shame that director/writer Richard Wenk didn't do more films because he had a great approach to filmmaking: a cross between John Hughes ("16 Candles") and the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker team ("Airplane!").
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you buy the DVD, which you must, be sure to get the 2001 Starz/Anchor Bay release, NOT the 2011 Image Entertainment release. Why? Because the 2001 release includes the hilarious Richard Wenk short film "Dracula Bites the Big Apple". His first film short, this is what got him the "Vamp" gig, and you don't want to miss it. Why they didn't include it in the 2011 release (dvd OR blu-ray) is beyond me.
So there you have it. See this film for the 80s nostalgia, see it for Sandy Baron, just see it. Other campy 80s gems I recommend are "The Alien from L.A." (1986) which was Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Kathy Ireland's big break, "Elvira: Mistress of the Dark" (1988) which is so bad it's ...well... BAD. And although you've probably seen it you gotta see it again: "Beetlejuice" (1988).
What more can be said? "Vamp" is totally 80s to the max. Let's begin with the actors... We've got Chris Makepeace ("Meatballs", "My Bodyguard") sporting tight jeans and a oh-so-fashionable blue football jacket. We've got Robert Rusler ("Weird Science", "The Facts of Life") sporting a lovely pastel shirt and wool blazer with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. Then we've got Gedde Watanabe (Long Duk Dong in "16 Candles") reprising his classic nerdy role, only this time without the horribly contrived Asian accent so you can safely laugh at him without feeling racist. And of course we've got Grace Jones, 80s icon extraordinaire ("Conan the Destroyer", "A View to a Kill") sporting a wire bikini that makes Princess Leia's brass swimsuit look like a nun's habit.
But for my money, the actor who steals the show is the late, great Sandy Baron as Vic the seedy nightclub owner. You've definitely seen his mug all over TV in minor roles that always stole the show (on Seinfeld he was the cranky retiree who gave Jerry the "astronaut pen"). He definitely steals the show in "Vamp" as the lovably sinister old timer who just wants to get to Vegas, even if it means selling his soul to a clan of bloodthirsty vampires. Sandy even has a few dramatic monologues which add depth to this otherwise silly romp. When he proselytizes about his "service" of ridding society of the dregs, the wanderers and the losers, and he punctuates it with a toothy Cheshire-cat grin, it sends a chill right up your spine.
Plot-wise, it's your basic creatures-of-the-night-run-amok-in-a-bar story. You know, the one Tarantino recycled in "From Dusk Til Dawn" 10 years later. Yes, "Vamp" was the original and don't you forget it.
There's some great comedy in this movie, and for that reason it's hard to approach it as a horror film. The whole thing is tongue-in-cheek which takes away the terror and replaces it with laughs. It's a crying shame that director/writer Richard Wenk didn't do more films because he had a great approach to filmmaking: a cross between John Hughes ("16 Candles") and the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker team ("Airplane!").
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you buy the DVD, which you must, be sure to get the 2001 Starz/Anchor Bay release, NOT the 2011 Image Entertainment release. Why? Because the 2001 release includes the hilarious Richard Wenk short film "Dracula Bites the Big Apple". His first film short, this is what got him the "Vamp" gig, and you don't want to miss it. Why they didn't include it in the 2011 release (dvd OR blu-ray) is beyond me.
So there you have it. See this film for the 80s nostalgia, see it for Sandy Baron, just see it. Other campy 80s gems I recommend are "The Alien from L.A." (1986) which was Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Kathy Ireland's big break, "Elvira: Mistress of the Dark" (1988) which is so bad it's ...well... BAD. And although you've probably seen it you gotta see it again: "Beetlejuice" (1988).
Deserves to be remembered
This is a decent vampire flick that, unlike some of its 80's counterparts (Fright Night, Near Dark, The Lost Boys) has been long forgotten. It features the exceptional concept of a group of ancient, once-powerful vampires now reduced to a bunch of losers who get their victims by operating a strip club in a desolate part of town (and believe they're performing a public service by getting rid of the bottom-rung members of society). Much more could have been done with this idea, but the focus is on the teenage leads as they stumble into the club and can't seem to stumble out. Chris Makepeace and Robert Rusler are okay, not too memorable, but Deedee Pfeiffer stands out for her incredible cuteness. Gedde Watanabe seems annoying at first but turns out to be a funny sidekick--his dying word is hilarious (seriously, watch the movie just for that). Sandy Baron also has a standout role as the pathetic club owner, and Grace Jones is, uh, quite freaky. For some reason the director has gone completely overboard with a neon pink and green color scheme, but it gives the movie a distinctive universe. The only irritating thing, if you like tradition with your vampire movies, is that the vampires turn into distinctly non-vampiric monsters when they attack, but this can be tolerated. 7/10.
- Chromium_five
- Oct 29, 2007
- Permalink
much underrated
After an unsettling start, this roars off in exciting manner through night streets, bathed as if by Mario Bava in streaks of green, pink and mauve. This could even be Planet of the Vampires, did we but know it. Inside a strip club we have a whole delirious section, fantastically designed and choreographed, the centre piece of which is the turn of Grace Jones. It is as good as anything she has ever done as she prances and dances and more to one of her own songs. Things get more vampiric and the delirium continues. Some time after halfway through, however, we suddenly notice the absence of the wondrous lady and realise just how flat and juvenile things have become. Things pick up towards the end and all in all, even including the music (very decent, especially for an 80s film) this is well worth a watch and much underrated.
- christopher-underwood
- Sep 19, 2017
- Permalink
Great horror movie!!
Vamp is a great movie! The comedy mixes with the horror to form an entertaining time! Grace Jones gives a great performance of Katrina! Very recommended. The rest of the cast is funny, and it's really worth it
Quite dull.
Not a very successful mix of horror and comedy. Too many dull and deadly stretches, too many endings, too much effort by Grace Jones to little effect. Furthermore, it's an ugly-looking movie, and the bland lead characters never come fully alive. Any good points? Well, SOME of the special effects are quite impressive, and there are perhaps two or three good lines.... (*1/2)
Vamp...'Camp' With an Edge
Well as usual most people don't get it. I mean the ones that gave it a low rating. This movie is what it is. Camp with an edge. And no, I don't mean 'camp' as in a 'gay' sense. Camp as 'outragously affected' or 'something self-consciously exaggerated'. Camp...Thanks in great part to Geddy Watanby. Playing the rich geeky college kid having to draw in 'pretend buddies' with his car and his money. He could be the best friend you'd never want to be seen with in public. Edge...Thanks to Snow and his crew. Here's a group I think we all wouldn't want to run into at a coffee shop late at night in a part of town where the majority of residence seem to be Vampires and sewer rats. Camp...Dedee Pfeiffer. An over the top upbeat perky cheery dancer/cocktail waitress whose neck has somehow escaped her vampire co-workers fangs. Edge & somewhat camp...The great and underrated Grace Jones. The head vampire whose eye-popping mouth dropping mesmerizing performance is only out done by her vampire persona (yes, somewhat camp), thanks to some great make-up and special effects. Edge...Location/scenes & music. For this you have to see the movie, speaks for itself. Camp...The copy cat 'Hitchcock' tilt camera effect. Although this was probably done hoping to effect the purpose that Hitch used it for, in a film such as Vamp, at least for me, it achieves a 'camp' effect drawn from the 'camp' side of this film.
I rated the film a 7. I rated this film for what it was, not for what I thought it should be. It was never intended to be a great cinematic piece of work. And it may not be the best 'camp' film either. But as a 'camp' film with an 'edge', it works out to be a solid 7.
I rated the film a 7. I rated this film for what it was, not for what I thought it should be. It was never intended to be a great cinematic piece of work. And it may not be the best 'camp' film either. But as a 'camp' film with an 'edge', it works out to be a solid 7.
Watchable but it really should have been more outrageous.
After Hours with vampires. And the Donger!
Vamp is a curious lost little lamb from the 1980's, all lit in bizarre green and purple tones and featuring all manner of Grace Jones wiggling around like a monster. It's a fun ride, cleverly done and not entirely unoriginal, with terrific acting talent and a loopy sense of humor pitched somewhere between After Hours and a sideways college comedy. Another aspect I appreciated was how each vampire had a personality, and they weren't always one hundred percent proud to be vampires. They're very aware that in a lot of ways they're perfectly lame. Fairly cool stuff, especially in the confrontation between a character who "turns" and the protagonist.
On the other hand, the last half lacks the zip and zap of the first and some characters seemed a little undernourished. The geek who owns the car seemed a little extraneous towards the end, and the albino gang, while sort of awesome, didn't really belong.
But either way. If you're interested in an offbeat 80's vampire movie or just seeing Grace Jones scare the s**t out of you with her face, by all means rent Vamp. You will become a much wiser person as a result and your parents will no longer hate you.
On the other hand, the last half lacks the zip and zap of the first and some characters seemed a little undernourished. The geek who owns the car seemed a little extraneous towards the end, and the albino gang, while sort of awesome, didn't really belong.
But either way. If you're interested in an offbeat 80's vampire movie or just seeing Grace Jones scare the s**t out of you with her face, by all means rent Vamp. You will become a much wiser person as a result and your parents will no longer hate you.
- David Sticher
- Apr 18, 2004
- Permalink
Ever have one of those nights?
- Lady_Targaryen
- Dec 2, 2005
- Permalink
It's Alright
Well, Vamp is not that bad but got some issues: first of all it is not very frightening, nor are the elements of comedy too strong, but without doubt we get some entertainment. Not bad, but not too good either. Recommended for the true vampire who needs his dose of fresh blood on a daily basis.
- Tweetienator
- Feb 21, 2022
- Permalink
A stylish and under-rated 80s vampire comedy.
Want to know where Quentin Tarantino got his idea for the script for Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn? Well, replace that film's bank robbers with a group of hormonal teens, swop gorgeous Salma Hayek for scary disco-diva Grace Jones, and turn Mexican biker-bar The Titty Twister into a skid-row strip club, and what you've got is Vamp, an under-rated teen horror from the 80s that was undoubtedly the inspiration for Rodriguez's horror hit.
Vamp follows three frat boys, Keith, AJ, and Duncan (Chris Makepeace, Robert Rusler and Gedde Watanabe), as they venture to the wrong side of town in the hope of hiring a stripper for a college party. After a run in with a nasty street gang, led by albino thug Snow (Billy Drago), the lads pay a visit to The After Dark Club, a sleazy joint that, unbeknownst to them, is home to a nest of vampires that feed on the lonely patrons.
When AJ is fed to Katrina (Jones), the queen of the bloodsuckers, Keith and Duncan attempt to flee the city, along with cute waitress Amaretto (Dedee Pfeiffer), but find their escape hampered not only by countless members of the undead, but also by Snow and his fellow gang members.
Featuring a witty script, excellent art direction, great make-up effects from Greg Cannom, and lively, fun performances from all involved, Vamp proves to be one of the better 'cheesy' horrors of the 80s, and is my third favourite teen vampire film of the decade (after The Lost Boys and Fright Night). The film makes stunning use of garish, coloured lighting (perhaps inspired by Dario Argento's Suspiria, which uses similar strong colours), giving the whole affair a freakish and rather unsettling look; this disturbing atmosphere is further compounded by a feeling of complete helplessness that is reminiscent of Scorsese's similarly surreal After Hours.
Admittedly, Vamp does occasionally veer a little too close to dumb teen comedy territory, and one or two scenes are rather convoluted or silly (what kind of vampire keeps metal drums full of flammable liquid in their crypt? And that Formica quip.... weak!), but on the whole, this is a refreshingly offbeat and stylish effort that deserves more recognition.
7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.
Vamp follows three frat boys, Keith, AJ, and Duncan (Chris Makepeace, Robert Rusler and Gedde Watanabe), as they venture to the wrong side of town in the hope of hiring a stripper for a college party. After a run in with a nasty street gang, led by albino thug Snow (Billy Drago), the lads pay a visit to The After Dark Club, a sleazy joint that, unbeknownst to them, is home to a nest of vampires that feed on the lonely patrons.
When AJ is fed to Katrina (Jones), the queen of the bloodsuckers, Keith and Duncan attempt to flee the city, along with cute waitress Amaretto (Dedee Pfeiffer), but find their escape hampered not only by countless members of the undead, but also by Snow and his fellow gang members.
Featuring a witty script, excellent art direction, great make-up effects from Greg Cannom, and lively, fun performances from all involved, Vamp proves to be one of the better 'cheesy' horrors of the 80s, and is my third favourite teen vampire film of the decade (after The Lost Boys and Fright Night). The film makes stunning use of garish, coloured lighting (perhaps inspired by Dario Argento's Suspiria, which uses similar strong colours), giving the whole affair a freakish and rather unsettling look; this disturbing atmosphere is further compounded by a feeling of complete helplessness that is reminiscent of Scorsese's similarly surreal After Hours.
Admittedly, Vamp does occasionally veer a little too close to dumb teen comedy territory, and one or two scenes are rather convoluted or silly (what kind of vampire keeps metal drums full of flammable liquid in their crypt? And that Formica quip.... weak!), but on the whole, this is a refreshingly offbeat and stylish effort that deserves more recognition.
7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.
- BA_Harrison
- Jan 4, 2009
- Permalink
80s vamps vamp it up for anyone who can't remember the 80s
Plastic, neon, paisley, turned up cuffs, buckets of hairspray, a synth soundtrack and Grace Jones; I think this might be the 80's.
- stevelomas-69401
- Jun 27, 2020
- Permalink
B-movie hokum
This is the second-time I've seen Vamp. The first time was 30 years ago as a thirsty teenage boy stirred by Grace Jones's seduction of the frat boy (pre-vamp, of course!) and charmed by Dedee Pfeiffer's lovely turn.
30 years later both ladies remain the highlight of this flick, while the rest is forgettable cheap hokum. There might've been potential in tapping into a mythology of an ancient pharaonic vampire (à la Anne Rice's novel Queen of the Damned) but the film doesn't go there other than the odd headpiece.
Some humour lands, FX are good enough, the characters are fine if a little thinly drawn, dialogue is basic, camera & sound too. The action isn't very serious so it doesn't impact as much as it should: there's no real tension or drama. From the tone, Vamp feels like a vampy American Werewolf in London. Grace's dance is memorable (cool song too), otherwise there's not many standout scenes.
Certainly not a bad movie, but 30 years later there's not enough here to fully-recommend, unless you're a Grace Jones, or even Dedee, fan.
30 years later both ladies remain the highlight of this flick, while the rest is forgettable cheap hokum. There might've been potential in tapping into a mythology of an ancient pharaonic vampire (à la Anne Rice's novel Queen of the Damned) but the film doesn't go there other than the odd headpiece.
Some humour lands, FX are good enough, the characters are fine if a little thinly drawn, dialogue is basic, camera & sound too. The action isn't very serious so it doesn't impact as much as it should: there's no real tension or drama. From the tone, Vamp feels like a vampy American Werewolf in London. Grace's dance is memorable (cool song too), otherwise there's not many standout scenes.
Certainly not a bad movie, but 30 years later there's not enough here to fully-recommend, unless you're a Grace Jones, or even Dedee, fan.
Love at first bite
This has to be the most underrated vamp flick that i have come across, most could be put off by bottom shelf, fading icon Chris Makepiece gurning his way through frat-cliche after another, but sit tight and you will become witness to invention in a low budget movie not seen since the likes of The Black Gestapo and You can't buy love. Grace Jones makes compelling viewing as the said vamp and the soundtrack is a lesson in the tried and tested sublime to the ridiculous pitch. All in all this is a quality movie and very creepy i might add, could have toned down the pink and green lighting though (maybe Jerry Bruckheimer got a job onset as exec producer)
- thomaspemberton
- Apr 20, 2003
- Permalink
Do not get stuck for the drinks
Not sure what this movie is trying to be. Most people read the review before purchasing. However, most reviews are misleading or waste time describing the technology used in the presentation.
Fraternity pledges looking to find a cushy environment decide it is easier to provide a hooker than to hand themselves. They recruit a local geek (Gedde Watanabe) with money to travel to the seamy side of town to procurer their quarry; however, when they meet Katrina (Grace Jones) who is the quarry?
I only saw the Blu-ray so I cannot compare media. However, this is not one of those movies that need any special media unless you are looking for something on Grace that I missed. Naturally, voice-over comments add another dimension.
Fraternity pledges looking to find a cushy environment decide it is easier to provide a hooker than to hand themselves. They recruit a local geek (Gedde Watanabe) with money to travel to the seamy side of town to procurer their quarry; however, when they meet Katrina (Grace Jones) who is the quarry?
I only saw the Blu-ray so I cannot compare media. However, this is not one of those movies that need any special media unless you are looking for something on Grace that I missed. Naturally, voice-over comments add another dimension.
- Bernie4444
- May 9, 2024
- Permalink
What the .....!
- baldrick2dogs
- Nov 19, 2005
- Permalink
Colourful visual style and Grace Jones as a vampire - whats not to like?
Vamp is a really good example of a very 80's vampire movie. It's one that is far less well-known than the likes of The Hunger (1983) or The Lost Boys (1987) but it has that unmistakable 80's gloss which makes it kind of fun even if overall it's a bit uneven. In true 80's tradition, its story is very simple too. Three frat boys go into the city in search of a stripper to perform at one of their parties; they wind up at a nightclub run by vampires. And that is really about it as far as any plot-line is concerned. The reason it works is that it has enough style about it to ensure it remains interesting.
It also adheres to that other sub-genre so very popular in the 80's, namely the horror-comedy. It's pretty rare for these types of films to truly be successful in that the horror is usually diluted, while the comedy is normally weak. To a certain extent that rule also applies here, with quite lame humour sprinkled throughout and nothing that really constitutes genuine horror. But this isn't such a deal breaker as this film benefits quite a bit from having a very colourful aesthetic, with lots of effective use of lighting of various hues. This ensures that there is a nicely hyper-real feel to events and it sort of creates its own little world. There are few locations used but the ones we have are integrated well enough. A strip club is a good central location for a vampire lair, while the catacombs below the streets make for an interesting nest for these creatures of the night. The two star performers in this one were probably the two main villains. Grace Jones is a very exotic Egyptian queen vampire, she is introduced while executing a dance routine while covered in zebra stripes and she adorns various elaborate costumes throughout; she also is made more mysterious by never uttering a word of dialogue at any point. The other most interesting presence was Billy Drago who successfully played a somewhat sinister albino gang leader. The rest of the cast are serviceable enough.
I think Vamp is a movie that has kind of gone under the radar somewhat. It's no classic to be fair but it definitely has a few good things about it. It's a bit of nicely stylised 80's vampire action and there's always room for a bit of that in my book.
It also adheres to that other sub-genre so very popular in the 80's, namely the horror-comedy. It's pretty rare for these types of films to truly be successful in that the horror is usually diluted, while the comedy is normally weak. To a certain extent that rule also applies here, with quite lame humour sprinkled throughout and nothing that really constitutes genuine horror. But this isn't such a deal breaker as this film benefits quite a bit from having a very colourful aesthetic, with lots of effective use of lighting of various hues. This ensures that there is a nicely hyper-real feel to events and it sort of creates its own little world. There are few locations used but the ones we have are integrated well enough. A strip club is a good central location for a vampire lair, while the catacombs below the streets make for an interesting nest for these creatures of the night. The two star performers in this one were probably the two main villains. Grace Jones is a very exotic Egyptian queen vampire, she is introduced while executing a dance routine while covered in zebra stripes and she adorns various elaborate costumes throughout; she also is made more mysterious by never uttering a word of dialogue at any point. The other most interesting presence was Billy Drago who successfully played a somewhat sinister albino gang leader. The rest of the cast are serviceable enough.
I think Vamp is a movie that has kind of gone under the radar somewhat. It's no classic to be fair but it definitely has a few good things about it. It's a bit of nicely stylised 80's vampire action and there's always room for a bit of that in my book.
- Red-Barracuda
- Aug 29, 2016
- Permalink
Bloodsucking '80s comedy
VAMP is a well-known '80s comedy about a strip club that just so happens to be home to a gang of vampires who murder their patrons and drink their blood in order to make a living. The story writes itself and is a low budget yarn with plenty of vampire jokes and humour and a few bloody death scenes to keep it moving along. As an '80s comedy horror flick it's one of the lesser ones I've seen, purely because the execution isn't great and the jokes aren't very funny.
I can lay the blame for this squarely on the shoulders of the various writers who really should be making this on par with the likes of RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD or NIGHT OF THE CREEPS. It pales in comparison to other '80s vampire movies like FRIGHT NIGHT and THE LOST BOYS. Story-wise, the set-up is a little similar to FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, but without the urgency or excitement of that movie. Instead what we get is a whole lot of teen speak and boring character humour, and a memorable striptease sequence from the ever-bizarre Grace Jones. Some of the gooey special effects are good, and it's a delight to see Billy Drago in support, but otherwise VAMP is a disappointment.
I can lay the blame for this squarely on the shoulders of the various writers who really should be making this on par with the likes of RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD or NIGHT OF THE CREEPS. It pales in comparison to other '80s vampire movies like FRIGHT NIGHT and THE LOST BOYS. Story-wise, the set-up is a little similar to FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, but without the urgency or excitement of that movie. Instead what we get is a whole lot of teen speak and boring character humour, and a memorable striptease sequence from the ever-bizarre Grace Jones. Some of the gooey special effects are good, and it's a delight to see Billy Drago in support, but otherwise VAMP is a disappointment.
- Leofwine_draca
- Oct 29, 2015
- Permalink
"last stop"
along with Fright Night and The Lost Boys this is my favourite 80s horror movie. The Chinese guy steals the whole show, and Billy Drago as "Snow" is funny too. The neon lighting and 50s music, and sleazy girls and lame 80s music set it all up for a great ride.
- jamesspoons
- Mar 25, 2002
- Permalink
Pretty Good 80's Horror Comedy!
- gwnightscream
- Apr 11, 2018
- Permalink
Cute
The only time Robert Rusler attempted to act. Not bad, better than he was in "Weird Science".
His best part was when he showed up early in his underwear.
Chris Makepeace was cool in this one. What ever happened to him?
His best part was when he showed up early in his underwear.
Chris Makepeace was cool in this one. What ever happened to him?
An extremely underrated comedy...
When I started using IMDb, one of the first movies I wanted to check out was this one. I knew in the back of my mind that its rating would be low, and that not too many people would have seen it. It seems that both of my assumptions were correct. In any case, this movie is a personal favorite of mine. It's one of those films that make you feel at home (as odd as that may sound), because it's a movie my dad introduced me to when I was young, and that we've continued to watch, quite often, in all subsequent years. If you watch it as if it's a horror movie, then you're going to hate it, as I did the first time I saw it (when I was 8 or 9-years-old, I think). But, if you watch it without any preconceptions, you'll walk away with a big, dumb grin stretched across your face. One of the most quotable movies I've seen, and one of the funniest (for its sheer quirkiness). My dad and I are constantly throwing lines of this movie into conversation, most notably "Kid, I used to own thiiis cluuub. You know who used to work here? Louis Prima, Buddy Greco, Phil Harris: class!" along with "Do they do that in Vegas? Whoa! That's classy, now that's classy!". Is it Oscar worthy? Not even a little bit. Is it a perfect film? 'Course not, but it does what it's supposed to do: entertain. And very well, at that. For that reason alone, I'd say it's a great film.
8/10
8/10
- xxdisintegrationxx
- May 27, 2006
- Permalink
Amazing Grace
Scary, violent, and playful, Vamp is the quintessential 1980s mashup of Brat Pack comedy and trash horror. It's one a handful of films directed by Richard Wenk, these days better known for writing blockbusters like The Equalizer and The Magnificent Seven.
Keith and AJ (Chris Makepeace and Robert Rusler) are two kids looking to sleaze their way into the college fraternity. They intend to do so by hiring the ultimate stripper. With the help of the infinitely wealthy Duncan (Gedde Watanabe) they go to the city and find themselves at the After Dark strip club. It's owned by Katrina (Grace Jones), who also turns out to be their dream girl. What they haven't banked on is that the club is populated by vampire strippers, queen among whom is Katrina herself. A raunchy road trip turns into a desperate lunge for survival, as the bloodsucking bad guys close in on their prey.
Vamp is pure energy and efficiency: 90 minutes of gaudy, gory fun. There's always a wink in its eye: upon entering the city, the boys find themselves in the back alleys via a car accident, the vehicle spinning like the house of Dorothy Gale. One character quips, "We're not in Kansas anymore". After that it's a neon-lit nightmare all the way, impaled with Dario Argento-style pinks and greens.
The chemistry between the characters is a breeze. There's the easy banter between Keith and AJ, and the less-than-easy chemistry between Keith and Allison (Dedee Pfeiffer). Allison, an old flame of Keith's, may be oddly ignorant to the true nature of her murderous colleagues, but she's not naive; she may be bouncy and adorable, but she's no pixie dream girl. Duncan, meanwhile, embodies the swagger and impotence of 80s excess – his money buys them into trouble but cannot get them out again.
Then there's Grace Jones, whose unique persona is put to great use here. Her striptease is frightening and sensual. She's the original Lady Gaga and she's off the leash. She doesn't say a word throughout the whole film but she doesn't need to – her eyes and hair and clothes do all the talking.
The makeup effects are seriously special. Queen Katrina is a grotesque creation: the deliberate antithesis of Jones's pristine elegance. As for the excellent sound design, well, the noise of gorging on carotid blood has never been so fantastically disgusting and guttural.
As the film wears on it does begin to lose some of its initial spark. The final onslaught has more in common with a zombie horde than a pack of lethal vampires. The eerie atmosphere and the visual gags slip away – an early moment when the owner of a greasy spoon cafe dons a priest's robe and cross at the end of his shift is never topped – in favour of more ordinary action dynamics.
From frat house to strip club to sewer, Vamp is a far cry from the opulent castles of Stoker's myth. Its heightened grottiness is all its own, and its simple storytelling and memorable characters have stood the test of time. I watched it once on grainy VHS, and it's a pleasure to rediscover it as one of the better comedy horrors of the decade.
Keith and AJ (Chris Makepeace and Robert Rusler) are two kids looking to sleaze their way into the college fraternity. They intend to do so by hiring the ultimate stripper. With the help of the infinitely wealthy Duncan (Gedde Watanabe) they go to the city and find themselves at the After Dark strip club. It's owned by Katrina (Grace Jones), who also turns out to be their dream girl. What they haven't banked on is that the club is populated by vampire strippers, queen among whom is Katrina herself. A raunchy road trip turns into a desperate lunge for survival, as the bloodsucking bad guys close in on their prey.
Vamp is pure energy and efficiency: 90 minutes of gaudy, gory fun. There's always a wink in its eye: upon entering the city, the boys find themselves in the back alleys via a car accident, the vehicle spinning like the house of Dorothy Gale. One character quips, "We're not in Kansas anymore". After that it's a neon-lit nightmare all the way, impaled with Dario Argento-style pinks and greens.
The chemistry between the characters is a breeze. There's the easy banter between Keith and AJ, and the less-than-easy chemistry between Keith and Allison (Dedee Pfeiffer). Allison, an old flame of Keith's, may be oddly ignorant to the true nature of her murderous colleagues, but she's not naive; she may be bouncy and adorable, but she's no pixie dream girl. Duncan, meanwhile, embodies the swagger and impotence of 80s excess – his money buys them into trouble but cannot get them out again.
Then there's Grace Jones, whose unique persona is put to great use here. Her striptease is frightening and sensual. She's the original Lady Gaga and she's off the leash. She doesn't say a word throughout the whole film but she doesn't need to – her eyes and hair and clothes do all the talking.
The makeup effects are seriously special. Queen Katrina is a grotesque creation: the deliberate antithesis of Jones's pristine elegance. As for the excellent sound design, well, the noise of gorging on carotid blood has never been so fantastically disgusting and guttural.
As the film wears on it does begin to lose some of its initial spark. The final onslaught has more in common with a zombie horde than a pack of lethal vampires. The eerie atmosphere and the visual gags slip away – an early moment when the owner of a greasy spoon cafe dons a priest's robe and cross at the end of his shift is never topped – in favour of more ordinary action dynamics.
From frat house to strip club to sewer, Vamp is a far cry from the opulent castles of Stoker's myth. Its heightened grottiness is all its own, and its simple storytelling and memorable characters have stood the test of time. I watched it once on grainy VHS, and it's a pleasure to rediscover it as one of the better comedy horrors of the decade.
Disgraceful Grace Jones movie
This movie was perhaps intriguing and sensual at its time, but the overall impression is that is does not deliver anything it promises: It is not funny, not scary and by no means sexy. The plot is simple: Two college kids go to the big city to find a stripper to please their college fraternity. They end up being chased by some not-so-classic 80s villains (Billy Drago amongst them) into a strip club filled with vampires, with Jones as a queen of sorts. It takes for ever for anything to happen, and when it sometimes does, it is all in pink and green neon, even underground. Grace Jones is supposed to be the main attraction in this horror flick, but her dancing number is at best mildly artsy. There is no way one can get engaged in whatever plot there might be, and hard to find anything to cherish - not even for its lameness.
- centaurothomahawk
- Oct 16, 2008
- Permalink