Vamp-Films.com | "S" titles

Navigation

Inside Links

Lots of crap for you to contemplate.

SALEM'S LOT

- ** 1/2 -

IMDB Wiki

1979/183m.

D: Tobe Hooper

David Soul, James Mason, Lance Kerwin, Bonnie Bedelia, Lew Ayres

I am treating this one here as a movie, since it was released in limited theatrical runs here and in Europe, under either SALEM'S LOT: THE MINISERIES or SALEM'S LOT: THE MOVIE. Everything below refers to the tv minseries of 2 episodes.

Traditional vampire fare directed by a legend. When first shown on television, it was called the scariest made for TV movies ever (I disagree). Soul is a writer who comes to 'Salem’s Lot (Jerusalem’s Lot before the Revolutionary War) drawn by a mysterious yearning to write about a haunted house in the small town he had to leave in his early teens. Little does he know a Max Schreck-like revenant has just moved into the rotting abode.

Well-adapted from the cool Stephen King novel. Also shown as a movie on cable called BLOOD THIRST.

Spawned a movie sequel: A RETURN TO SALEM'S LOT ('87) a remake 2-part miniseries in '04 staring Rob Lowe, a 2024 movie for Max streaming and the Epix tv series Chapelwaite ('21) which is more of an anthology inspired by King's original book.

Salem's Lot (TV series)

This is covered within the entry above.

SANGRE ETERNA

See ETERNAL BLOOD

SAVED FROM THE VAMPIRE

- lost -

IMDB

1915/S/

D: Dell Henderson

Florence Lee, Gus Pixley, Madge Kirby, Clarence Barr, Dave Morris

Not too much is known about this one, since it is considered lost. Some production photos and reviews from 1915 only. See also here.

SCARS OF DRACULA

- ** -

IMDB Wiki

1970/95m.

D: Roy Ward Baker

Christopher Lee, Dennis Waterman, Jenny Hanley, Christopher Matthews, Patrick Troughton

Waterman is a womanizer cornered in a party by the guards of one of his conquests. To escape, he jumps out of a window into a carriage. The frightened horses take off, leading him into unfamiliar German countryside. Competently directed by Baker, who had notorious budgeting troubles with Hammer studios, and it shows (he didn’t even know what the budget was!)

Begins with a pile of dust and a cape on the floor, supposedly post-HORROR OF DRACULA. A vampire bat drips blood from its mouth, reviving the revenant, again played ably by Lee. He dies by a lightning strike which sets his cape aflame. Not very likely or believable.

By the way Hammer studios, vampire bats – including in the 1700s – are South American, not European.

THE SEVEN BROTHERS MEET DRACULA

See THE LEGEND OF THE SEVEN GOLDEN VAMPIRES

SEVEN GOLDEN VAMPIRES – THE LAST WARNING

See THE LEGEND OF THE SEVEN GOLDEN VAMPIRES

SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE

- nyr -

IMDB Wiki

2000/93m.

D: E. Elias Merhige

John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, Cary Elwes, John Aden Gillet, Eddie Izzard, Udo Kier, Catherine McCormack, Ronan Vibert

Review coming before the end of whenever.

SINNERS

- **** -

IMDB Wiki

2025/138m.

D: Ryan Coogler

Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Buddy Guy, Delroy Lindo, Li Jun Li

Actor Michael B. Jordan and director Ryan Coogler have made several film/tv projects together, and maybe this single movie should count as 2 for Jordan, since he plays twins. Both are returning to their Mississippi Delta town of Clarksdale after serving as soldiers in WWI and living and prospering in Chicago. Now they are monied (what they did up North is unknown, but thievery is suggested) and purchase a large barn-like building, previously a sawmill, to create a juke joint. The brothers are Elijah, known as "Smoke" and Elias, a.k.a. "Stack".

To get things moving, the brothers have to split up to recruit different helpers in the first night's activities. While Stack visits a train station to promote opening night and bring on a legendary local pianist, Smoke visits wife Annie, played by beautiful (and beautifully busty) Wunmi Mosaku, a hoodoo practitioner who -- no surprise here -- helps save some lives from becoming the living undead (or whatever).

The brothers take their cousin, an up-and-coming young Miles Caton, a gifted guitarist, and other local musicians to opening night. A single vampire (the word isn't even used until the 4th reel) had been chased by local Choctaws, only to transform a rural couple into his collective hive, which late in the movie includes almost all of the revelers in the juke joint. Music plays a central role here and for some stupid fucking reason is not available to purchase as a CD:( Also included in this gem are multiple references to pussy licking (so of course I like it..).

See this on the biggest and best screen you can, with the best sound system available. I'm getting the 4K for my awesome system the day it's released. This gem establishes story over action, and though it's a horror movie, it's far too sophisticated for the overused relic of a jump scare. Coogler, with this movie (if not the 2 BLACK PANTHER movies) establishes himself firmly on the high shelf of Spielberg-level genius directors.

Music fans, rejoice!

And stay until the end.

SLEEPLESS NIGHTS

- **1/2 -

IMDB

2002/98m.

D: William Hopkins

Jacqueline Anderson, Matthew Thomas, Richard Ryan, Bart Shatto, Courtney Moorehead, Adrian Alvarado, Gil Lopez, Duke York

Better than average ambitious low budget DV production. Anderson plays an agent in a federal vampire-killing bureau, the NCA, Necromorph Control Agency. She has a brain tumor developing, and (wouldn’t you know it) makes a pact to be an informant for one necromorph/vampire if he gives her the gift of vampirism. At the same time, a leading “bad vamp” is coming into possession of an ancient amulet which will enable them to live in the daylight and take over, turning humans into sentient cattle, servants for the new necromorph autocracy.

Two aspect of the film resemble QUEEN OF THE DAMNED, but overall this flick is quite decent in acting, story and videography (despite the most silly decapitation shot in the history of cinema). Jacqueline Anderson must be X-Files star Jillian’s even hotter younger sister (though not seeing her ample breasts ultimately disappoints).

A few tough decisions from both the stars’ NCA boyfriend and the leading “good vamp” help make this worthwhile.

Looses a possible ½ star for its surprising lack of knowledge on police procedures (and another ½ for not showing Jacqueline Anderson’s tits! (just kidding…kinda)).

Writer/Director Hopkins penned the story for CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT.

----------------------------------------------------------------------