Stake Land (2011) R

The vampire genre has come a long way since 1922's Nosferatu. There have certainly been some great vamp films as of late. It's worth mentioning 2008's Swedish game-changer Let the Right One In and it's American remake Let Me In. Another film that you vamp fans need to check out is 2009's Korean thriller Thirst, which is a vampire film like you've never seen before. It's extremely well-made and awesomely grotesque. I don't categorize I Am Legend as a vampire film, mainly because they turned the vampire-zombies from the amazing book (by the same name) into monster-like gang-bangers. I still like that film (starring a very effective Will Smith), but I'd recommend 1964's The Last Man on Earth which is a much better adaptation of Richard Matheson's thrilling book. And of coarse there's the first Underworld film. The franchise has since spiraled out of control, but the first film was fresh and rather sexy (thanks to Kate Beckinsale).

Unfortunately there are many more bad vampire films then there are good ones, and by a wide margin. I don't think I have to tell you just how bad the Twilight films are (yes, I've seen them). I'm sure if I was an 11-year-old girl I'd enjoy those unbelievably brutal "vampire" films, but anyone over the age of 15 (male or female) who enjoys these films should take a long, hard look into the mirror. In recent years we've been graced with some pretty hilarious (not in a good way) vampire efforts which includes 2009's Daybreakers. That film bolsters one of the most unforgettably awful scenes in recent memory. If you haven't seen it already then I envy you, but there's a bloody-orgy scene towards the end of the film that is so terribly hilarious. Then there's Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant. Other than a funny performance by John C. Reilly (Cedar Rapids, Step Brothers), that film is complete trash, which comes as no surprise. Here are a few other films you need to stay away from: Queen of the Damned, The Breed, Rise: Blood Hunter, any of the BloodRayne films, Priest, Vampires Suck, any vampire movie with the word "lesbian" in it, Ultraviolet and any upcoming Twilight film of coarse.

Now that the history lesson on the difference between good and shitty vampire movies is over, we can start the review of 2011's Stake Land. The men behind 2007's Mulberry Street are back at it here with a different kind of terror: vampires. The year: i don't know, the location: somewhere by Louisiana possibly? Vampires have slowly taken over our great nation one bite at a time. And it's worth saying that these aren't your average vampires. Once you get bitten you will soon turn into one ugly SOB with a thirst for human blood (and maybe some flesh too). This film sort of has a 28 Days Later meets The Road meets 30 Days of Night feel to it. It truly is unlike anything I've ever seen before. Co-writer, editor and director Jim Mickle (Mulberry Street) has crafted a terrific atmosphere for his actors, and they come through. His writing partner Nick Damici (Mulberry Street, World Trade Center) is also the lead character. He's surprisingly very effective.

The film begins with a teenage boy (Connor Paolo) whose family gets ripped to shreds by a blood-thirsty vampire. The vampire-like creature even sucks the blood from his infant brother. Martin (the teenage boy) is next in line, but a man comes from behind the shadows to rescue Martin and kill the vampire. Guns are practically useless against these vampires as you might expect. The only thing that will kill these savage beasts is a stake to the heart (the good, old-fashioned way). This strange man doesn't have a name, so Martin begins to call him Mister and it sticks. Mister takes young Martin under his wing and shows him the way of the stake. Some scenes reminded me of Bangkok Dangerous where Nic Cage is teaching some Asian dude how to kill a man. Except in this film it takes more than a five second session to learn how to use a weapon. Who knew?

As you might have guessed they can walk around safely during the daytime, but when night rolls around you better shack up some place where these vampires can't find you or it's game over. Mister's goal is to take Martin to a safe zone called New Eden. New Eden is across the Canadian border, and they're down in the deep south somewhere. It's safe to say that they have a long way to go. Luckily Mister has a working car, so they're able to cover a lot of ground. Their vehicle is well-covered in case of an attack at night. While on the road they come across a few humans who aren't bitten attempting to rape a helpless woman (Kelly McGillis). Mister doesn't waste any time killing these rapists. They let her tag along with them until they find a safe haven for her.

It isn't long before they run into some trouble however, but it's not what you'd suspect. They come across a cult that is run by a man (Michael Cerveris) who claims is doing God's work. This man believes that the vampires that now terrorize the nation were sent by God to cleanse the Earth of all the sinners. He's got himself an army of men who do his dirty work. They all have crosses tattooed on the back of their heads. These men are obviously completely insane, but it's not a stretch to believe that in such a situation some people would lose themselves and try to find an answer to all the madness (quite similar to The Book of Eli). They capture Mister, Martin and the women they saved. They leave Mister for dead in the wilderness to battle the vampires that lurk at night. They keep the woman for their sexual pleasure and have Martin do their chores until they decide what to do him. Martin flees into the night to try and find Mister. After a long night of searching he eventually finds an exhausted Mister. Together they go back to save the woman and kill the cult. When they arrive on the scene she is nowhere to be found, but Mister murders the entire gang anyway (except for their leader). Instead, Mister chains the leader to a tree and cuts him up. Vampires can smell blood from miles away, he won't last the night.

So Martin and Mister once again hit the road. They finally find civilization, but the townsfolk are very selective of who they let in. Mister shows his collection of vampire teeth to prove his worth, so they allow them to spend the night amongst them. It's extremely rare to see kids that are Martin's age, but a young pregnant girl named Belle (Danielle Harris) is living in this broke down village. She sings at the local bar for every ones enjoyment. Martin and Belle strike up some conversation as Mister grabs himself a few brews. The next morning Belle asks if she can join. She's pregnant but Mister shows his compassionate side and allows her to take the road with them.

Days go by as they slowly make their way towards Canada. They came across another town, but this one is much bigger and is run by a group of former Army soldiers. They have fire-power and resources to possibly start a new city. That night they have themselves a celebratory festival, but it's cut short when vampires get into the city limits. I'm not going to tell you how they get in to save the surprise. Mister, Martin and Belle do survive however and they're now joined by Willie (Sean Nelson). They once again take to the open road, but when their car breaks down things begin to get grim. Will they reach New Eden? Does New Eden actually exist? Will they survive to find out? I ask that you please rent this hidden gem to find out.

Writer/director Jim Mickle is a horror director to keep an eye on. This is well-made, low-budget horror film with good graphics, a good plot and a tight script. The cinematography is top notch considering the budget thanks to Ryan Samul (The Missing Person, Mulberry Street). It's also worth mentioning the eerie score by Jeff Grace (The House of the Devil, Meek's Cutoff). He's proven that he can provide some atmospheric music to a gloomy and depressing film. Despite a seemingly average cast, Mickle gets the best out of them. While this film won't give you nightmares or have you jumping out of your seat it will certainly grab your attention and hold it throughout. It also proves that this genre is definitely not dead, and that there are still some independent horror filmmakers out there that know what they're doing. This film passes every test with flying colors and I just hope all you horror/vampire fans seek it out.
B