From Academy Award winning director Kathryn Bigelow comes a truly American take on the Vampire Legend featuring standout performances by Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen and Jenny Wright.
why couldnt i have been born 1960 instead of 94 my dad got to go to all the drive in movies.and tells.me all about his "acid" or meskalin drug trippin shit
I'm 36 now but grew up with a divorced father who pretty much let me watch what I wanted with him. Because of this, I was introduced to Near Dark and most the other films mentioned in this video, zero regrets. I really enjoyed this, thank you!
But I have seen it. Saw the movie in the theater in 1987, 3 times (never did that with any other movie). Bought the soundtrack on LP and CD. Have the music on my Spotify (always enjoyed Tangerine Dream), copies of my DVD are on my computer hard drive AND on USB sticks. So you could say I still enjoy this movie. Also had a MAJOR crush on Jenny Wright in this movie. :)
I watch these reviews to give me a bunch of 70s and 80s cult movies I've never seen. Not only do you talk about the movie in question but you also go very in depth into other movies that the cast and crew have worked on. I appreciate the time put in to these videos.
Near Dark came out when I was 10, so it holds nostalgic value. I'm now 46, and I love this film just as much now as I did 36 years ago. My #2 just behind 1985's Fright Night...Kathryn Bigelow is a fantastic director 💙
Great review and synopsis. I loved this movie, I haven't watched it in ages but something someone said brought it up in my memory tonight and I just had to go back and watch the trailer and this. Everyone has their opinions but to the, the best vampire movie ever.
"Near Dark" is a very unusual film about vampires, although the word "vampire" is never used in it. And vampires here are very far from standard image of Dracula or Nosferatu: neither garlic, nor holy water, nor crosses, nor an aspen stake act on them, they do not sleep in coffins and do not turn into bats, and in general they are completely devoid of gothic style and presented more like night bandits. The only thing they have is a thirst for blood and fear of sunlight. The most remarkable aspect of the movie is that vampirism is interpreted here as a metaphor for drug addiction and bad company, from which you can recover. The only question is what price you will have to pay? This is quite an interesting project in which Kathryn Bigelow is experimenting with genres: so the film perfectly combines melodrama, horror, and western, accompanied by dark atmosphere and noir aesthetics.
I loved "Near Dark" and it was in my top 300 favorite movies, but has fallen off the list. It is a great vampire movie for having a vampire who refuses to kill (concept of "Interview with the Vampire) and actually ends up with a method of reversing vampirism (in the Ann Rice series of books if you read enough of them) and ending with the man saving a girl from being a vampire to be a mortal love. I have no idea where it would fall now, but certainly in the top 300 to 350 movies of all the movies I've ever seen. "Let the Right One In" is the best vampire movie and "Interview with the Vampire" is the second best vampire movie. Dracula is #3 with Bela Lugosi, who captured my imagination as a child, and was what I always wanted to be for Halloween instead of a clown, and my favorite aunt Vera made me a vampire outfit that I then wore the rest of my childhood while "trick or treating." "Near Dark" would be under all these: 5) Let the Right One In (2008) - Swedish with English caption 27) Interview with the Vampire (1994) 73) Dracula (1931) 80) Nosferatu (1922) 240) Shadow of the Vampire (2000) 290) Hunger (1983) "Near Dark" would beat the Winona Ryder movie from 1992 called "Bram Stoker's Dracula," which would fall under it, but I do love Winona Ryder as an actress.
I was lucky enough to attend a 10th anniversary screening at the WGA with Kathryn Bigelow and Joshua Miller in attendance. Thanks for the tip on the new release.
You are wrong. I saw it in the theater, own the soundtrack on LP and CD, own a VHS copy, and have a collector's edition DVD. I HAVE seen this movie a few dozen times. :)
One extra little fact that you failed to mention is that this is the only vampire film, ever made, where the word; "vampire" is never uttered even once. It's something that annoyed me when I was younger. But now, looking back, "who cares"? This stands as one of the finest vampire flicks ever made.
First time I saw this was almost by accident. Stayed overnight at a friends house after a party. After everyone else had passed out I was flipping through movie channels looking for something to watch. This caught my eye and when i saw Lance Henrikson's name i new it would probably be pretty good. Loved Bill Paxton using his spurs. Not a perfect movie but very few are. Never was a fan of the "cure" for the disease, but the rest of the film made up for that.
My favorite, and possibly the best line of the movie was in the showdown at the end. "The last thing you'll hear, on your way to hell, are YOUR guts... snapping like a bull whip!"
i just want to say thanks! i loved this vid. thank you for the thoughtful and hard work! i love your writing style. you would be a fantastic column writer for music and movie reviews.
Oooh .. Here's an oddball little channel right up my alley - now going to have to look up The Hitchers and The Loveless, thanks dude! You win a like. 35 years later and I still watch this flick once a year. This is from a time when WRITERS still wrote SCRIPTS instead of looking for a story to paste together CG montages. Now hindsight is always 20/20 .. but I honestly don't think even with such that they could have made a better movie with a better cast. Btw .. the trucker Caleb punches in the bar scene .. That's the "You forgot to say please" biker in Terminator 2. Paxton's "Didja hear the one about Buffalo Bill?" .. Priceless. Will definitely be watching more of this channel. Nice work.
Good observation on Elliot blood feeding from May. While there wasn't any naked scenes with them just that oil pump scene alone was very sexual and displayed in that precise way to give that feeling. Very good ideas in this film and very memorable as well
I heard on the DVD extras that the director put Aliens on the marquee of the movie theater as sort of an apology for using Cameron's cast from the movie. :)
This is an underrated movie. It's also pretty cool to see a good group of actors sharing a string of performances. A lot of faces from the Terminator movies as well as Aliens.
I remember being 17 and one day while skipping class watching Near Dark in the theater ( which i actually did more than once). I was blown away by the movie and just how beautiful Jenny Wright was ( my teenage heart belonged to Ms. Wright lol). One of the best movies I've ever watched and the soundtrack by Tangerine Dream is amazing. Great review and subbed.
Had a very similar experience in my teen years. Saw this movie with zero knowledge of what it was or who was in it. And I adore it (and Jenny Wright) to this day. Thanks for watching
This, terminator, aliens, evil dead and return of the living dead were my favorite movies as a kid and an adult. Could you do a review of The Divide thanks love the video
Great summary, whilst I do think the end is 'too easy' in a way, throughout the imagery and in particular the Bar Scene meant that this fan of Aliens, was more than satisfied when it's cast turned up as Vampires. Great movie, great dialogue and really well done. Yet everyone loves the Lost Boys more, I don't get it!
I think the lost boys was a more 'family friendly' fun film and it was aimed at the masses. Near Dark, however, is the polar opposite. Understated and lacking all the crap that the masses demand when they insist on being told what to like. Understated and beautifully done, atmospheric and deliciously dark enough to sink in to. I love this film!
another link to Terminator films...the bearded guy at the bar is the one Arnie takes clothes from in Terminator 2. And where do I know the bartender from?
Good catch. And Bill Paxton was one of the punks killed in the beginning of the first Terminator. Also, if we include some other James Cameron films, he was in True Lies and Titanic as well. And Jeanette Goldstein, not looking at all like Vasquez, also had a bit part in Titanic. Bigelow was briefly married to Cameron, so I guess it isn't too surprising they knew the same crowd.
I recall reading somewhere that Bill Paxton tried convincing fellow Aliens actor Michael Biehn to take the role of Jesse Hooker, but Biehn felt that doing a cheesy vampire movie after Aliens would be a step backwards. So the role ultimately went to Lance Henriksen. How wrong Biehn was.
You should show Near Dark footage whilst saying "Greatest Vampire film of all time". Otherwise its a bit too much like Kanye West at Taylor Swift's Grammy ceremony :)
