Byzantium

Byzantium might be one of the best vampires movies in some time. Despite strong showing at film festivals last fall, the theatric release was shamefully limited, though this trend in indie cinema finds the film getting the most exposure as it was just released on Showtime and dvd simultaneously .

 The movie embraces the human elements and romantic notions while keeping things gruesome in small doses when it is called for. The movie is beautifully shot and explores it's own take on the mythos. The vampires are not as supernatural as i might like, hell they don't even have sharp teeth , they just grow a mean thumb nail, not too mention my number one pet , they can walk in daylight. But even with those liberties playing against it the movie was able to win me over.

Vampire exhaust is not at a fever pitch as it was for zombies, who return from the dead became more tedious given the rather hipster cool zombies had taken in the past five years. Vampires are complex emotional creatures where zombie just chew scenery and are more of a back drop. The complex nature of vampires is what the film nails. the mother/whore, always believes she is doing what is best to protect her child, despite the glimpses we see of what a wicked predatory bitch she can be.

The dialogue feels natural and the only melodramatic moments come from the Vampire council who comes to hunt down the rogue vampires. This gives the actors a lot to work with and make their complex relationships and torn natures seem much more believable and answers the question about the nomadic life of a modern day bloodsucker , rather than making them super heroes who happen to suck blood. While my favorite vampires are the more monstrous variety depicted in 30 Days of Night, this is a good movie where the characters happen to be vampires, they very well could have been just serial killers and this movie would have been just as effective.

Saoirse Ronan steals the movie as usual, her acting chops are far superior to Gemma Arterton, whose sex pot vampire role, certainly has it's appeal, as she came across way sexier than she did in Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters, but Ronan continues to encompass a wider range of emotions in her roles. 

The flash back give you the back round story with out having to start with an origin or lay all the by laws for these vampires out for you. It covers it's bases and makes sense of the unique nature of it's character leaving few plot holes. There was enough of a bitter sweet element to it's ending to leave me statisfied , even though it did not adhere to my no survivors rule on horror movies.

Hopefully the On Demand options Show Time is offering will gain the audience this film deserves, a sequel would only cheapen this film , but the ending leaves it open for one. So if you are tired of the rather high school depictions vampires have gotten lately then this is a film that is worth your time.  

Nurse 3-d

This movie straddles a sometimes campy line and heavy handed premise, but might surprise you with the quality in which this film was made. I'm a fan of violence as long as the blood shed has a certain visually striking element to it. This film delivers that that regard and makes up for the dialogue that seems like it was dumbed down for a broader audience.

The 10 million dollars invested in this film was used very wisely, as the film really looks goo. Some of the sequences made the 3-d nature of the film's theatrical release very apparent, particularly in the high body count of the film final twenty minutes. Lionsgate was very conservative in the release as it opened in only 10 theaters.

Paz de la Huerta who frequently sans her panties for scenes , sometimes plays her role of an obsessed psychopath whose mainly weapon lies between her legs with almost too much camp. Yet it's clear this is stylistically what the film was aiming for, horror fans of the 80's and 90's will get this other audiences might miss the winks to the golden age of cheese that this movie draws inspiration from.

Director Douglas Aarniokoski has been the assistant Director on some high profile classics such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and From Dusk Til Dawn but has only ruled the directors chair on television shows along the lines of Sleepy Hollow and Criminal Minds, the latter shows it's influence the most. Sure there is a Fatal Attraction element to the film, as well as an 80's revenge flick meets torture porn vibe.

With big name actors such as Judd Nelson and Katleen Turner in a few supporting roles the bulk of the film is left to Paz de la Huerta , who uses her t&a more strongly than say Rebecca De Mornay in the Hand That Rocks The Cradle, though I would say Nurse is gory enough to easily cross over from thriller.

Sure sometimes the movie tries too hard to wink at it's naughty hi-jinks, it at times comes across like a tribute to these types of movies in the late 80's the same way Machete wants to be an exploitation film. However if you are like me and grew up on 80's horror then you might have an appreciation for this movie. Who doesn't miss the days where sex and slashing came to the screen hand in hand.

Fans of torture porn and revenge flicks will look past the often card board dialogue and take the movie in for the gory fun it turns into. There is the same blood spurting chaos that Asian extreme is known for though, not taken to such fountain like levels of absurdity. In some ways the main character's break down reminds me of Patrick Bateman from American Pyscho, she starts off with an almost Dexter like mission that descends into a blood bath when she can't keep crazy together. So despite the dialogue it comes pretty close to meeting my expectations.