Pale Blood (1990)

Why so much hype?

Simply A Masterpiece

Good movie but grossly overrated

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Well made low budget vampire movie. Nice twist . Wings Hauser was excellent as always. He is the reason to watch this movie.

First off, despite the video release date of 1991, it's hard to think of a film that screams "1985" louder than this direct-to-video vampire flick featuring the steamy, neon-lit streets of LA in the 80s. Honestly, watch it and tell me you disagree. That goth-punk band that keeps rearing its feathered mane throughout the film (Agent Orange, a real band from Orange County who are still putting out records) - is that not 3000% 1980s? Anyway, I digress... and I haven't even started the review, which I guess is probably bad.So anyway, while this is a distinctly B-grade vampire flick, it certainly stands out among other films of its ilk. Where to begin? First of all, it features George Chakiris, who won an Academy Award for his role in West Side Story in 1961 (and never again appeared in anything legitimate for some weird reason), in the leading role of Michael Fury, vampire hunter. Mr. Fury slinks through the neon-bathed streets of nighttime LA stalking a vampire, or a killer who thinks he is one. Van Vandemeer (played by Wings Hauser), a sleaze-bag "video art" director who totally epitomizes bottom-of-the-barrel Hollywood, keeps getting in the way of the investigation. And then there is Michael's vampire-obsessed co-investigator Lori, who dresses all in black and hangs around her apartment at midnight watching Nosferatu on infinite loop. I won't give away any spoilers, but suffice it to say that nothing surrounding the trio is as it seems, and there are several unexpected twists and turns before the film finally slams to a surprising finale that recalls the intro in a very clever way.Look, for a film that's obviously low budget, all this is very well-done. The acting is surprisingly classy, especially George Chakiris, who totally exudes grace and dignity and always stays perfectly aloof and serious and just acts totally cool in dealing with all the other morons the film pits him against. Why haven't we seen more of this man? Wings Hauser is also very convincing and appropriately scummy in his role as slime-ball erotic trash director.Pale Blood is also super atmospheric. Without featuring any really stunning camera-work or anything of that sort, it manages to maintain a very specific, creepy, neon-lit atmosphere, especially in Michael's condo, the kind of weirdly abstract, ultra-modern sort of place that seems like the natural habitat of an aloof, nocturnal dude like him.Finally, the plot is really pretty capably executed, including, as I said, a really awesome surprise ending, although there are indeed points that might elicit a slight groan (this is a B-movie, after all). So why hasn't anyone ever heard of this? I dunno, but it's not because it isn't any good. I'm guessing that there may have been some issues surrounding the film that caused it to be shelved for a few years after its production, which obviously took place sometime before 1990. If you still don't believe me about this, note that all the Agent Orange songs featured in the movie came out in 1986. I mean, if you'll tolerate B-grade cinema, you'll immediately appreciate all the dark humor, atmosphere, and unpretentious yet intelligent craft-work that went into this hidden gem.Finally, a note about the location - if this was really filmed in Hong Kong instead of LA, as the IMDb credits indicate, it sure fooled me, and I live in LA... yet another curious point about this curious and enjoyable little film.

Do not let the presence of Wings Hauser lure you into wasting 93 minutes on this stylish, erotic, and unbearably boring vampire film. George Chakiris is acceptable playing the role of a real vampire, on the trail of a fake vampire (an unhinged Wings Hauser). What is not acceptable is the throbbing punk soundtrack, meaningless redundant flashing images of murder victims, endless gratuitous traffic reports, etc. etc. The end result is a vampire movie that comes across more like a music video than a feature film. Sometimes the best surprise is no surprise, and "Pale Blood" fails miserably with its supposed surprise finale. The entire viewing experience is decidedly dull, and a real challenge to sit through. Not recommended. - MERK

This is a very original take on the vampire genre during a time when a barrage of modern bloodsucking blockbusters filled our theaters and living rooms with originality and real bite.. 'The Lost Boys, 'Fright Night', and 'Near Dark' (just to name a few) kept us mesmerized at all the different styles and flavors filmmakers had to offer. Here's an overlooked and unappreciated little classic in the wake of the success of those great movies. Michael Fury (George Chakiris) is a classy and restrained vampire who travels to L.A. to investigate the many bodies turning up with fang marks and drained blood, and he's concerned about the impact it may have on the way people view the vampire community. Wings Hauser is a perverted filmmaker who's responsible for capturing the girls and staging their murders in order to catch a real vampire for his twisted collection of homemade films, and possibly become famous in the meantime. Pamela Ludwig is an occult enthusiast who instantly feels a strong connection for Michael, and story begins to unfold into an excellent final confrontation for the last thirty minutes or so of this unique concept that does a pretty good job of avoiding most of the worn-out clichés. Good direction, lots of surprises are abound, and you just gotta love Wings Hauser's intensely psychotic screen persona. The only thing that mars the mix is a slow first hour and an awful 80's goth rock band that unnecessarily interjects the action with a cheese-ball soundtrack. But all in all, 'Pale Blood' is an above average genre picture in drastic need of an official DVD release.