John Carpenter's Vampires [Blu-ray]

Director: John Carpenter John Carpenter

Overview

John Carpenter directed this horror-western, adapted from the novel Vampire$ by John Steakley, illuminating the pivotal figure of fearless vampire killer Jack Crow (James Woods), who lost his parents to the creatures. In a remote New Mexico location, Crow and his team, protected with chain-mail fang shields on their throats, blast away at a vampire nest, haul them out with the Jeep's winch, and then celebrate by pulling on other wenches at the Sun God Motel. Their revels are soon brought to an end by king vampire Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith), who became invulnerable after a bungled "inverse exorcism" during the 14th Century. Amid the motel mayhem, Jack escapes, along with his buddy Montoya (Daniel Baldwin) and hooker Katrina (Sheryl Lee). Since Katrina was already bitten by Valek, they use her as a decoy to locate Valek. Cardinal Alba (Maximilian Schell) sends padre Guiteau (Tim Guinee) to join Crow, who is unaware that Montoya has been bitten by Katrina. The hunt begins. Director Carpenter composed the film's music.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/24/2019
UPC:	0826663202151
Original Release:	1998
Rating:	R
Source:	Shout Factory
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:48:00
Sales rank:	13,718

Special Features

New interviews with director/composer John Carpenter, producer Sandy King Carpenter, actors James Woods, Thomas Ian Griffith and Tim Guinee, cinematographer Gary B. Kibbe and makeup effects artist Greg Nicotero; Audio commentary by John Carpenter; Isolated score; Original Making-of featurette; Theatrical trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

James Woods	Jack Crow
Daniel Baldwin	Tony Montoya
Sheryl Lee	Katrina
Thomas Ian Griffith	Valek
Tim Guinee	Ojciec Guiteau
Gregory Sierra	Ojciec Giovanni
Henry Kingi	Anthony
Maximilian Schell	Kardyna¿ Alba
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa	Actor
Thomas Rosales	Actor,Wampir
David Rowden	Bambi
Clarke Coleman	Davis
Mark Silvertsen	Actor
John Furlong	Ojciec Molina
Angelina Calderon Torres	Sprz¿taczka,Cleaning Lady
Jimmy Ortega	Wampirzyca
Danielle Burgio	Wampirzyca
Laura Cordova	Wampirzyca
Troy Robinson	Actor
Anita Hart	Actor
John Casino	Actor
Chad Stahelski	Actor
Steve Blalock	Actor
Marjean Holden	Actor
Cris Thomas Palomino	Actor
Julia McFerrin	Actor
Lori Dillen	Actor
Jake Walker	Actor
Michael Huddleston	Actor
Todd Anderson	Actor
Steven Hartley	Actor
Dennis E. Garber	Actor
Robert L. Bush	Actor
Frank Darabont	Actor
Mona Garcia	Actor
Candice Kirkiles	Actor
Neva Lucero	Actor
Helen Moreno	Actor
Janice Richmond	Actor
Juanita Romano	Actor
Ann Romero	Actor
Elisa Valdez	Actor
April Winters	Actor
Mark Boone Junior	Catlin
Thomas Rosales Jr.	Ortega
Mark Sivertsen	Actor
John Carpenter	Composer

Technical Credits

Don Jacoby

Don Jakoby

John Carpenter	Director
Don Jacoby	Screenwriter
Reuben Cannon	Casting
Eddie Dunlop	Casting
Jeff Imada	Stunts
Sandy King	Producer
Barr Potter	Executive Producer,Producer
Darrell Pritchett	Special Effects
Don Jakoby	Screenwriter,Producer
Scott Kodrik	Special Effects
Mario Roberts	Stunts
Darrell D. Pritchett	Special Effects
Hank Garfield	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

John Carpenter's foray into the vampire genre doesn't provide much in the way of scares, but works fine as a hyper-macho action film. James Woods is his old, reliable, leathery self as the head of a scrappy (but doomed) band of vampire slayers. These men are a morally ambiguous bunch, convinced of the presence of evil and the need to destroy it, but unsure of the role God plays in the universe. The plot echoes their suspicions, suggesting that the Catholic Church itself is responsible for creating the monsters, and the men of the cloth who fund the hunters are depicted as either ineffectual or corrupt. Indeed, Vampires sets some kind of record for priest abuse; they're punched, kicked, shot, cut, insulted, and decapitated throughout. Women don't get any role models here either, as the only ones on display are hookers or bloodsuckers or both. There's no need for messages in a vampire film, though, just a terse, gory story with a few twists to keep it fresh, and Carpenter delivers a reasonably entertaining, one-dimensional ride through dusty ghost towns and seedy motels.