To Sleep With a Vampire

Customer Reviews:

Good Remake of Dance of the Damned.......2004-08-05

What makes To Sleep With a Vampire so fascinating is that it uses the same script, with only a minor rewrite, as Dance of the Damned made only three years before. Dance of the Damned was written by Andy Ruben and Katt Shea (credited as Katt Shea Ruben) and directed by Katt Shea. In To Sleep With a Vampire total script credit was given to Patricia Harrington with no mention of Ruben's or Shea's contribution at all. This strikes me a more than a little disengenuous. Credit for a rewrite, sure. Total script credit, no.

In Dance of the Damned, Cyril O'Reilly plays a vampire who hates killing, and each feeding requires he drain his victim of so much blood it will indeed kill them. Thus he puts off each kill until he's almost starved, on the edge of dying himself, and chooses as victims only those his psychic senses tell him long for death. Starr Andreef plays Jodi Hurtz (the Dickensian properties of the last name, given Jodi's personality, are not lost on me), a depressed, near-suicidal stripper. Jodi is the sort of person who has no joy in life but can't quite find the balls to end it all herself. The vampire makes her an offer she can't refuse - because he's not giving her a choice - they'll spend one night together, she will tell him of her life, assuaging his loneliness, and at dawn he'll end her pain.

In To Sleep With a Vampire, the vampire is played by Scott Valentine and the stripper, renamed Nina, by Charlie Spradling who, despite her first name, is most definitely a girl. As if there were any doubt, she proves this by getting mostly naked numerous times throughout the film. Most of the dialogue, the situations, the characters, are identical between the two movies. But To Sleep With a Vampire has more nudity and violence than its predecessor. I do not put that forth as a negative comment, just an observation - in all cases these elements serve the story in my opinion. Both films are actors' movies. Except for a handful of minor characters, mostly walk-ons, the vampire and Jodi/Nina are the only roles. Thus the films stand or fall on the quality of the performances. Fortunately, all four actors do really quite impressive work.

If I had to pick one movie as better, it would be Dance of the Damned. Starr Andreef does an excellent job of believably portraying Jodi as a woman sick unto death of life, just totally strung-out and depressed. Charlie Spradling's Nina is still feisty, and quite willing to fight for her continued existence. Which of these takes on the character appeals more to you will be very much an individual reaction.

Director Katt Shea in Dance of the Damned, more so than Adam Friedman in To Sleep With a Vampire, to my mind does a better job of setting up and recording truly impressive imagery. Note the differences in the scene where the vampire rips open a door toward the end of the film. In To Sleep With a Vampire it's straightforward and over in an instant. In Dance of the Damned it's one of the most emotionally affecting, visually impressive moments I've seen in any film, regardless of budget.

The final freeze frame of Dance of the Damned is a homage to one of the most famous images in Western culture, Adam reaching for God on Michaelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling. It's an ambiguous ending that can be interpreted in numerous ways. To Sleep With a Vampire, whatever else you say about it, is not an ambiguous film - there's no doubt what happens at the end of that movie.

Watching both Dance of the Damned and To Sleep With a Vampire is a textbook study of the dramatic possibilities inherent in a single script, of how, with only minor script revision, a different director and actors, and emphasis on particular elements over others, you can wind up with movies quite different in feel and overall effect. Fortunately in this case both final products are well worth watching.

A sleeper of a film.......2002-08-16

This film is more brooding than bloodletting. A vampire with Angst decides to tell his woes to a beautiful Charile (are they real?) Spralding (she's just as beautiful in Meridian: Kiss of the Beast).

He's about to bite her, then tells her of his woes. Then he's just about to bite her, & he decides he's a few more woes to tell about. This continues for the rest of the film till they finally 'do it' in a scene that I beleive is only PG-rated.

It must be tough to be a vampire. It was tough watching this film.

An Unusual Vampire Film.......2002-07-16

Here we find Scott Valentine playing a vampire who goes out searching for somebody who wishes to die when his bloodlust finally gets so strong he can't put off killing any longer. This time he chooses a [prostitute] who seems to be at the end of her rope. As it turns out, the [prostitute] is more than a handful and a bizarre friendship is born. At the end of the night, one of them will end up with a new will to live and one of them will die . . . but which one will live? It's and engaging film if you like the brooding type of vampires and it's set in modern times. It's certainly not of the caliber of some of the better known films in the genre but I'd nonetheless recommend it for your vampire film collection.

A gem of a film...for some........2001-12-26

This is absolutely one of my all-time favorite films, and it's difficult to explain why. It's not a porn flick though one of the protagonists happens to be a stripper (well-played by Charlie Spradling) and yes, there's nudity. Ultimately the film explores two troubled people; a lonely vampire and a suicidal dancer. Like a cult film, it may not appeal to the general public, but will resonate nonetheless with those able to appreciate what the story's really about.

Under Rated Vampire Flic.......2001-07-23

From the reviews I read on this movie I was expecting typical B movie fair. Yes it's B movie, but high end B. Resonable acting, interesting plot line, and novel twist on the vampire story. Personally I enjoy varity and like vampire movies which dare to play with the conventions. I wonder at the reviews which call this soft porn. This is only mildly erotic in my opinion. Most main stream films have more sex and show more flesh. Watch this because you like vampire flics not for an erotic thrill.

No Idea Presents - The Fest 3 [Region 2]

Average customer rating:

No Idea Presents - The Fest 3 [Region 2]
Starring: Against Me! , Hot Water Music , Planes Mistaken For Stars , Fifth Hour Hero , and Whiskey & Co.
Manufacturer: No Idea Records
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000H5VAC0
Release Date: 2006-09-06

Description

60 Bands, 64 full songs, 3 Hours!

Against Me! Hot Water Music Planes Mistaken For Stars Whiskey & Co. Assholeparade Fifth Hour Hero Grabass Charlestons The Holy Mountain North Lincoln J Church Glass and Ashes Strikeforce Diablo True North Gunmoll Billy Reese Peters Army of Ponch Rehasher This Bike is a Pipe Bomb Engine Down Baroness Tiltwheel Toys That Kill Lucero The Blood Brothers Mates of State Mercury Program New Mexican Disaster Squad Savage Brewtality Smoke or Fire Circle Takes the Square The Sainte Catherines Kudzu Wish The Tim Version Fin Fang Foom Fiya Stressface Deadsure Escape Grace Sir Prize Fighter The Horror Dove Chin Up Chin Up The Lovekill Don Knotts No More Ninja Gun J Page Victory at Sea The Rogue Set Altaira Dukes of Hillsborough Vena Cava Loaded For Bear Moments in Grace Towers of Hanoi Bishop Allen Behead the Romantic Lucky Stranger Fuel the Fire The Y

Average customer rating:

Kung Fu? Not really, but still a decent plot.

Kung Fu-less Disappointment

No kung-fu , just Fuuuuu!!

Not a very good movie

One of the best films you have never heard of

Hero's Blood
Starring: Robert Mak , Gina Pan , Darren Shahlavi , and Mark Huston (II)
Director: China Chung
Manufacturer: Bci / Eclipse
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video
General | Martial Arts | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video
Shahlavi, Darren | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Martial Arts | Action & Adventure | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000067IWG
Release Date: 2002-05-28

Customer Reviews:

Kung Fu? Not really, but still a decent plot........2004-12-03

Hero's Blood was marketed as a martial arts film, but it's really a drama with slight sperts of action.

The film begins with a young woman luring a travler to a mansion. In the mansion lives Su Ou, the rich daughter of the local terriotry offical. Su Ou spends the night with the man, but has him killed the next day. Next, the film flashes back to how Su Ou became this way. Apparently, her father's palace had been attacked and looted a few years earlier. She was kidnapped by the gang leader. Her finace, General Yue, fails to save her when she is kidnaped out of fear, . But a lower ranking General, Chang attempts to save her. He fails however, and looses an eye trying.

Later Su Ou discovers that her father has also been captured by the bandits, and can do nothing to save her. Also, General Yue is captured and fails to stand up for her again at the bandits lair. Su Ou is advised by her father to stay with the Bandit Leader as his wife. Feeling betrayed and discarded she stays with him, but eventually begins to enjoy life with him. Later however, her father assmbles an army and attacks the bandits hideout. General Chang rescuues Su Ou and is promised to marry her. Mainly because SU Ou won't take General Yue back due to his cowardness twice in a row. General Yue becomes enraged by this and is dismissed as the territory general. Later he attacks and kills General Chang the day he and Su Ou are to be married. SU Ou's father builds her a mansion to help ease her sorrow over her tragic life. She then begins to behave strangly by having men killed after she sleeps with them. She alos has them fight for her amusment. Like a spite reflex due to her let downs by men close to her. Eventually Lau Jung, another travler, is lured to the mansion and becomes Su Ou's body guard. He however, is really there by the hand of General Yue, who wishes Su Ou dead. Lau Jung falls in love with her however, and must confront General Yue one more time to settle matters.

Well as you can tell their was a complex story to the film, which is a goood thing. Martial Arts, however, are lacking. The action was poorly choreographed and dated. The dubbing was poor and Su Ou tended to faint a little too much for my tastes. (very girly girl) Also Su Ou's maid in waiting was a lot cuter then her and it made me wonder why the guys wern't going for her over Su Ou.

The realease company for this DVD is Brentwood Home Video. They have very few special features, only an art of kung fu biography.(which is strange because this was not a Kung Fu film)

In the end I'd say Hero's Blood won't appeal to hard core martial arts fans. So if you're looking for that, look elsewhere. The film does have a decent plot however, some nice sets, and good costuming, so it's not a total waste of time.(reason for 3 stars) Just know that it's really more of a Chinese period piece with very little hard core action. It held my intrest to the end despite the dubbing. Doubt it's a keeper though, so buy it as cheap as possible.

Kung Fu-less Disappointment.......2004-04-07

Do not, I repeat, do not buy this film, unless you want to test your perseverance with an utterly disappointing movie. Not one of the cast appears to have any martial arts training at all. The storyline is too weak to rationalize the complete lack of believable action. Save your money for another title, for an authentic Hong Kong import version DVD. Or spend it on popcorn.

No kung-fu , just Fuuuuu!!.......2003-08-27

Ok, this one is weird. I get the feeling they cut out some of this film for ratings purposes perhaps, seems like when something steamy was going to happen there was a splice in the copy. Basically a pointless story about a disturbed woman who lures unsuspecting goofball samauri into her bedchamber then kills them the next morning. We dont get to see the alleged sex, we barely see the alleged killing, and the fight scenes ( what few there are) are actually spliced together to make the moves appear lightening fast (as they may be if anyone on the film had any actual martial arts skills). HONEST, the fight scenes look like something my little brother and I did with our first VHS camcorder when we were kids!!!
ONE POSITIVE NOTE, for fans of goofy dialogue and bad dubbing, there is plenty to laugh at here but don't pay more than 2 dollars for this one!!

Not a very good movie.......2002-06-07

This was one of the worst martial arts films I have seen and I am a big fan of Kung fu movies. I got the movie because the price was so cheap. The DVD quality is okay, put the plot and action are not good. There is only a couple of 5 second sword fighting scenes in this movie. A woman is forced to marry her fathers enemy. She eventually grows to love him, but he gets killed. She falls in love again, but finds out this guy was sent to kill her. She has no fight scenes. The couple of sword fighting scenes in the movie arent worth talking about.

One of the best films you have never heard of.......2001-06-25

Dumped on the American market as if it were just one more cheap kung fu movie, this is actually a fairly opulent historical drama (devoid, as it happens, of martial arts action, though there are several battle scenes, with much sword fighting). It begins with a beautiful sequence: A woman walks through the night, playing a flute. The music draws a man from the woods. He follows her silently, to the bedchamber of a woman of noble demeanor. "Is she a woman, or a monster?," the man asks. He stays for a night of passion--and is taken away in the morning to be killed by two deaf-mutes. This leads into an elaborate, violent tale of love, betrayal, and revenge. Even with the usual moronic dubbing, this is better than many films that have won Academy Awards. I recommend it highly.

Average customer rating:

Old Skool Killaz: Blood of a Hero
Starring: Old Skool Killaz
Manufacturer: Crash Cinema Media
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( O ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Action & Adventure | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000A1IMPY
Release Date: 2005-11-15

Average customer rating:

Hero's Blood
Starring: Robert Mak
Manufacturer: Bci Eclipse
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Action & Adventure | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0007XG518
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Average customer rating:

Deadly Duo + Hero's Blood
Director: Yeung Chung Chen , and David Chan
Manufacturer: East West Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

2 Feature Films
English Language

ASIN: B000QF81DW

Product Description

Two feature length Martial Arts films on one DVD. In the first movie, DEADLY DUO, Chinese patriots attempt to rescue a kidnapped prince from Ching troops who have invaded the north of China. In the second movie, HEROS BLOOD, a beautiful princess is torn between the various warriors in her life.

Average customer rating:

Real American Hero/True Blood
Starring: Real American Hero , and True Blood
Manufacturer: Krb Music
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Drama | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0006I4H6O
Release Date: 2006-03-28

Product Description

This DVD includes 2 movies,2 cartoons ("A Popeye" & A Sherman"), & some old-fashioned TV commercials.

DVD:

DVD

DVD