This was an interesting vampire flick for the premise at least. The 1980's style is great and the film is very noirish, but the pacing is a bit slow and the actual editing is too fast paced, cutting from scene to scene too quickly and leaving you wondering how people got where they were or how things ended up like they did. The score is sorta typical of the mid-late 1980's, which isn't a bad thing as most people would have you believe. The setting and style of the film reminds me of Miami Vice or even Fright Night, which was a better film in my opinion. Still, all things considered, I've seen way worse movies. All in all, worth one watch at least and not the horrible dreck that some folks on here make it out to be. Certainly not the worst movie ever done.
22 Reviews
It had potential...
AlsExGal5 April 2017
...but just didn't follow through.
Ever wonder what Dracula would be like mashed up with Taxi Driver? Me neither, but I found this when I was cleaning out my stepson's room after he moved out, so I figured why not. Silvio Oliviero stars as an East European vampire working as a cab driver in NYC. He chooses his victims from the helpless and despondent fares that he picks up. He's grown world-weary, though, and is about ready to hang up his cape when he meets Michelle, a melancholy film director who has just learned she has an incurable fatal illness. They fall in love and mope together. Her former boyfriend doesn't approve, so he enlists a vampire-lore expert buddy to help put a stop to things.
There's also a subplot about all of Silvio's prior victims coming back as vampires themselves and causing a murder spree across the city, much to the concern of two NYPD detectives. This is a very low budget affair, and almost resembles a student film for much of the running. The acting runs the gamut from poor to passable, while the use of colored lighting and moving cameras has some flash, even if the picture quality itself is bottom of the barrel. There are long scenes of vampiric erotica, akin to a toothier version of Red Shoe Diaries. This isn't worth seeking out, but I've seen much worse. There's a sequel - "The Understudy: Graveyard Shift II". I'm giving it 5/10 on the novelty coupled with the nostalgia since I do love those 80's.
For some reason the DVD only seems available in full screen although it was originally shot in widescreen.
Ever wonder what Dracula would be like mashed up with Taxi Driver? Me neither, but I found this when I was cleaning out my stepson's room after he moved out, so I figured why not. Silvio Oliviero stars as an East European vampire working as a cab driver in NYC. He chooses his victims from the helpless and despondent fares that he picks up. He's grown world-weary, though, and is about ready to hang up his cape when he meets Michelle, a melancholy film director who has just learned she has an incurable fatal illness. They fall in love and mope together. Her former boyfriend doesn't approve, so he enlists a vampire-lore expert buddy to help put a stop to things.
There's also a subplot about all of Silvio's prior victims coming back as vampires themselves and causing a murder spree across the city, much to the concern of two NYPD detectives. This is a very low budget affair, and almost resembles a student film for much of the running. The acting runs the gamut from poor to passable, while the use of colored lighting and moving cameras has some flash, even if the picture quality itself is bottom of the barrel. There are long scenes of vampiric erotica, akin to a toothier version of Red Shoe Diaries. This isn't worth seeking out, but I've seen much worse. There's a sequel - "The Understudy: Graveyard Shift II". I'm giving it 5/10 on the novelty coupled with the nostalgia since I do love those 80's.
For some reason the DVD only seems available in full screen although it was originally shot in widescreen.
How I miss the 80's
m_roberts_0727 June 2012
I have to disagree with the last reviewer. The movie is not as bad as he makes it out to be. Yeah, of course it has it's faults like majority of 80's B Grade movies but I haven't seen Central Park Drifter in years up until now and still find the film to be watchable. If you are looking for the hairs to stand up on the back of your neck and want to watch this for thrills you won't get it here. If you just want a horror film to watch with vampires involved and has an OK storyline then you can be entertained. If you want to take this seriously as I speculate the previous reviewer did, then you won't. I rate this movie half for its efforts based on storyline and the performances of actors was OK. As for killings...the murders were average and showed little blood. You won't find it gory here.
Stylish but weakly scripted vampire movie
Wizard-815 October 2016
Warning: Spoilers
There is an interesting and entertaining vampire movie buried deep deep down in the Canadian effort "Graveyard Shift", and occasionally it comes out and bares its fangs. For one thing, while the movie had a painfully low budget, it actually looks very decent. The photography and lighting is very eye-catching, and it also manages to generate a little atmosphere - you really feel the cold and creepiness of this setting. If only the screenplay had been given as much care as the movie's look and feel. For starters, you never get a real sense of what is going on in the characters' heads, particularly the taxi driving vampire. What was his past? What are his motivations? We never get the answers to questions like those. And the subplot with the estranged couple also has some vague touches and is not resolved in a satisfactory manner. The unanswered questions really pick up in the second half of the movie, with the plot really starting to become muddled. If you don't care about the plot and characters and are just looking for basic horror thrills, you'll likely be disappointed - there is not much blood and gore, though to compensate there are several instances where the characters take off their clothes. I don't think the movie works in the end, but apparently it did work for enough people during its initial release on home video, because there was a sequel the following year. But I'm in no rush to track down a copy.
The badness is so bright that it's almost blinding.
Anonymous_Maxine4 November 2004
Given that the three people at the time of this writing who have reviewed Graveyard Shift (Not to be confused with 'Night Shift' or 'STEPHEN KING'S Graveyard Shift') on the IMDb have loved it, I assume I'm going to receive some angry e-mails, because this movie fits in with Nightmare Weekend as one of the worst horror films I've ever seen. On the other hand, one of those reviewers also said that the main character in this movie is the sexiest vampire in any movie ever, and this was written years after Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, and Gary Oldman had all played vampires. Thus is credibility erased.
What you have in Graveyard Shift is a vampire with a heart of gold, I guess. He's a cab driver named Stephen and he only feeds on women who are already dying or willing to die, which leaves them alive and (oops!) running around the city killing people themselves. You know, maybe this is a requisite, but I would really love to see a vampire movie in which the vampires did not gape their mouths open as wide as possible, their eyes bugging out of their heads as they throw their head back for the camera to get a good look at their teeth as they slowly move toward the victim's neck.
I'd like to say, on the record, that a great vampire movie could be made without showing a single fang.
Or how about this? How about a movie vampire that can drink blood without getting it all over his face? This is what I hate about vampire movies. Vampires are sluggish, sloppy creatures. They live forever, but it just looks so foolish the way they open their mouths so wide and slowly move in to bite, and then once they do bite they start spitting blood all over themselves. What predator eats like that?? And to make matters worse, Stephen loses his virginity in this movie. What little scare ability he might have had is instantly gone.
One of my favorite parts was the investigation of one of the murders that have been turning up. The police have caught on that it is a female killer (or killers), so I guess that's good. But check this out, here is a sample of the dialogue spoken between two cops when they find another body:
Cop 1: It's gotta be a different woman.
Cop 2: How do you know?
Cop 1: Because the wounds are different!
Ah, great thinking'. Different wounds, so there must be MULTIPLE female killers running around the streets. Interesting that they can be right and yet look so stupid, but that is what happens when you have a script as badly written as this one. These cops looks stupid because the screenwriter didn't know how to get them to realize that there is more than one woman out there killing people without having them circumvent all manner of serious police investigation. Logic would never lead them to the right answer in time, so we better just have them jump to conclusions.
Even simply as a vampire story the movie fails miserably. There is a goofy love story drama that develops throughout the movie, which isn't sure if it is supposed to be a horror movie or a soap opera. It tries to be both and ends up being neither. The acting is staggeringly bad throughout, there are shots where Stephen is wearing so much white make-up on his face and hair that he literally, LITERALLY looks exactly like a clown, the soundtrack is of the prehistoric electronic beeps and bongs that briefly reared its ugly head in bad 80s films like this, and the film jumps around so much that at some points you may be wondering why two characters are standing in a soundstage talking about the cemetery set in front of them, and then the next scene takes place in a cemetery, the very same one that we just looked at the set of!
I have never seen anything like that in a horror movie. The finale of this movie literally takes place in a cemetery, which we had just gotten a behind the scenes look at, and not only that, but one of the characters ends up running and escaping out one of the doors of the soundstage!
Somebody please, PLEASE explain to me how this is, in ANY way, a 'smart, stylish horror flick.'
This, my friends, is absolute drivel.
What you have in Graveyard Shift is a vampire with a heart of gold, I guess. He's a cab driver named Stephen and he only feeds on women who are already dying or willing to die, which leaves them alive and (oops!) running around the city killing people themselves. You know, maybe this is a requisite, but I would really love to see a vampire movie in which the vampires did not gape their mouths open as wide as possible, their eyes bugging out of their heads as they throw their head back for the camera to get a good look at their teeth as they slowly move toward the victim's neck.
I'd like to say, on the record, that a great vampire movie could be made without showing a single fang.
Or how about this? How about a movie vampire that can drink blood without getting it all over his face? This is what I hate about vampire movies. Vampires are sluggish, sloppy creatures. They live forever, but it just looks so foolish the way they open their mouths so wide and slowly move in to bite, and then once they do bite they start spitting blood all over themselves. What predator eats like that?? And to make matters worse, Stephen loses his virginity in this movie. What little scare ability he might have had is instantly gone.
One of my favorite parts was the investigation of one of the murders that have been turning up. The police have caught on that it is a female killer (or killers), so I guess that's good. But check this out, here is a sample of the dialogue spoken between two cops when they find another body:
Cop 1: It's gotta be a different woman.
Cop 2: How do you know?
Cop 1: Because the wounds are different!
Ah, great thinking'. Different wounds, so there must be MULTIPLE female killers running around the streets. Interesting that they can be right and yet look so stupid, but that is what happens when you have a script as badly written as this one. These cops looks stupid because the screenwriter didn't know how to get them to realize that there is more than one woman out there killing people without having them circumvent all manner of serious police investigation. Logic would never lead them to the right answer in time, so we better just have them jump to conclusions.
Even simply as a vampire story the movie fails miserably. There is a goofy love story drama that develops throughout the movie, which isn't sure if it is supposed to be a horror movie or a soap opera. It tries to be both and ends up being neither. The acting is staggeringly bad throughout, there are shots where Stephen is wearing so much white make-up on his face and hair that he literally, LITERALLY looks exactly like a clown, the soundtrack is of the prehistoric electronic beeps and bongs that briefly reared its ugly head in bad 80s films like this, and the film jumps around so much that at some points you may be wondering why two characters are standing in a soundstage talking about the cemetery set in front of them, and then the next scene takes place in a cemetery, the very same one that we just looked at the set of!
I have never seen anything like that in a horror movie. The finale of this movie literally takes place in a cemetery, which we had just gotten a behind the scenes look at, and not only that, but one of the characters ends up running and escaping out one of the doors of the soundstage!
Somebody please, PLEASE explain to me how this is, in ANY way, a 'smart, stylish horror flick.'
This, my friends, is absolute drivel.
Dull eighties vampire trash
The_Void14 May 2008
Not to be confused with the (actually slightly superior) film from 1990 of the same title, Graveyard Shift is the story of a vampire taxi driver. The premise of the film actually seems quite interesting; a taxi driver would be a good job for a vampire considering all the opportunity he would have for finding victims and this coupled with a trashy eighties vibe and some decent gore could have lead to a decent film; but instead what we end up is a thoroughly turgid vampire flick devoid of most of the elements that make the subgenre great. The base plot sprang from the central premise is that the vampire/cabbie meets a young woman that he likes and turns her into a vampire instead of killing her; leading her jealous husband to take revenge. The main reason the film doesn't work is down to the dull script which doesn't give us any reason to care for the characters or anything that is happening in the film. The script defies logic and most of the characters are just 'there'. There a few good moments in the film, but mostly it's just trash and ultimately rather boring too. I'm not surprised that this film has not won itself a better reputation - the reason is simply that it doesn't deserve one. Leave this rubbish well alone!
Even Vampires need a job!
devinecomic14 August 2005
So the taxi driver, on the night shift, is a vampire. Powerful, mystical, spiritual, all the usual vampiry stuff... but hey, he's gotta earn a living, get some o' them dollars, right??
Wrong.
The whole point of vampires is that they live a separate existence, feeding off of our race as they need. Their structured and mysterious society goes far beyond money, far beyond the need for the day to day, 9pm to 5am, shift work that the rest of us have to put up with. Taxi driver indeed! And it gets worse.
Our vampire hero, the love, lust, and blood full monty only becomes a vampire when someone has tipped a bag of flour over him, and turned on some blue scenery lights. Yep, the make-up and lighting budget was a bit strained. Made in the late 80's, this film also seemed more linked to the "Fame!" series than anything else. These aren't actors, they're dancers! The story is set around an 80's dance production, and yes, they definitely did stick with hiring dancers... even the vampire hero midget, with what looks like an astounding physique, will not doubt turn out to be a dancer when put under the microscope.
So, 80's dancing, leg warmers, shocking 80's music, awful 80's characters and situations... oh yes, the 80's was the decade when nothing really happened anywhere, unless there was an over choreographed modern dance show going on! And yes a ridiculous 80's script. There is nothing here for vampire or horror fans... nothing at all. A budget film, with budget cast and when the budget ran out they ended it with a sub-budget ending... it really is terrible.
Sure, they "Wanna live for ever", and after a quick nibble in the park, they probably will! I voted a "2"
Wrong.
The whole point of vampires is that they live a separate existence, feeding off of our race as they need. Their structured and mysterious society goes far beyond money, far beyond the need for the day to day, 9pm to 5am, shift work that the rest of us have to put up with. Taxi driver indeed! And it gets worse.
Our vampire hero, the love, lust, and blood full monty only becomes a vampire when someone has tipped a bag of flour over him, and turned on some blue scenery lights. Yep, the make-up and lighting budget was a bit strained. Made in the late 80's, this film also seemed more linked to the "Fame!" series than anything else. These aren't actors, they're dancers! The story is set around an 80's dance production, and yes, they definitely did stick with hiring dancers... even the vampire hero midget, with what looks like an astounding physique, will not doubt turn out to be a dancer when put under the microscope.
So, 80's dancing, leg warmers, shocking 80's music, awful 80's characters and situations... oh yes, the 80's was the decade when nothing really happened anywhere, unless there was an over choreographed modern dance show going on! And yes a ridiculous 80's script. There is nothing here for vampire or horror fans... nothing at all. A budget film, with budget cast and when the budget ran out they ended it with a sub-budget ending... it really is terrible.
Sure, they "Wanna live for ever", and after a quick nibble in the park, they probably will! I voted a "2"
Stark and stylish
angelynx-214 September 2003
This is a real find, a sharp, noir tale of isolation and loneliness on both sides of the mortal divide. Stylish compositions and lighting, made more effective by a storyline set entirely at night, shape the story of Stephen, a world-weary, centuries-old vampire drawing closer to his longed-for death by feeding only on already-dying women. The victims remain alive but develop an intense bloodlust which soon wraps the city in an epidemic of slasher murders, each needing blood at the same time as all the others (in a striking scene, one woman, trapped in prison at the moment that her sisters are killing, desperately tears open her vampire wound and drinks her own blood). Only the latest victim, Michelle, a terminal cancer patient with whom Stephen has fallen in love, is spared the craving. Michelle tries to save Stephen, but soon both the police and her jealous husband are closing in... The frequently half-naked female hunters add a fetishistic touch (but there's plenty of male nudity as well), and scene after scene takes place in red-walled rooms or tiny pools of light surrounded by pitch-black, neon-studded darkness and wet gleaming streets, lending an overall stark and haunting vibe. If you're a vampire fan but plush Gothic romances and big-budget killfests both leave you yawning, seek this one out.
hacks with blue lights
jonathan-57721 April 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Visually and dramatically, this movie heralds the Alliance Shift in Canadian film-making: the move from unpredictable, chaotic incompetence to shiny, meaningless competence. It brings to mind Stephen King's description of Prophecy: "Slick but also somehow cheesy, like a dead rat in a lucite block". And I use the word competence loosely; maybe 'professionalism' would be a better term. It's a vampire flick, so let's have a blue light going this way, a red light going that way, and instead of atmosphere you get a neon shop after hours: how 90s. (That's not even to mention the shots that didn't quite work out but got left in anyway: some of the indoor connecting stuff is Ug-Ly!) The funny thing, for a movie that is trying to channel Anne Rice, is how frumpy everyone is: the vampires have like wisdom fangs or something, they're way out at the side so they look all jowly and have to open verrry wide to display them. In full fetter the vampire cabbie looks like Gilbert Gottfried playing Al Lewis at a costume party. And Helen Papas comes off more like a line producer than a romantic lead; it's like she wandered in front of the camera by mistake. Or perhaps she was coerced by her pal the aspiring director.
Not bad.
Hey_Sweden16 June 2019
Michael A. Miranda stars here as Stephen Tsepes, a centuries-old vampire who works what would seem to be an ideal job for a blood sucker: a cab driver who strictly works the graveyard shift. His victims are women whom he determines are in their "cycle of death"; he refers to them as his lovers. Unfortunately, because he's not really finishing them off, they're all out and about committing homicide. Meanwhile, a music video director named Michelle Hayden (Helen Papas) who's dying of an unidentified disease and whose husband is unfaithful finds herself falling for the vampire.
"Graveyard Shift" (a more appropriate title than "Central Park Drifter", since not much of the story actually has anything to do with C.P.) is an engaging horror-drama. It's a Canadian product filmed entirely in Toronto. It's got some gore, some sexy ladies dressed provocatively, decent atmosphere, and that appealing love story at the centre. While it's obviously quite low budget, and while some viewers may find issue with the script, it's still pretty watchable, with two solid performances by Miranda and Papas to help it along. Certainly, its variation on the standard vampire movie formula makes it somewhat interesting. It's very "'80s" in its presentation, considering hairstyles and wardrobes, and the repetitive but catchy rock songs on the soundtrack. But that just adds to the amusement factor for anybody who grew up during that era.
Besides, the fact that the character of Michelles' husband Eric (Cliff Stoker) is a womanizer and something of a jerk presents a funny conundrum: although he turns into a dime-store version of Van Helsing for the finale, viewers might not be sure who to root for since Stephen typically comes off as more sympathetic. As a parting note, buffs will enjoy the fact that a minor character is named "Marlo Bava".
Followed by "The Understudy: Graveyard Shift 2".
Seven out of 10.
"Graveyard Shift" (a more appropriate title than "Central Park Drifter", since not much of the story actually has anything to do with C.P.) is an engaging horror-drama. It's a Canadian product filmed entirely in Toronto. It's got some gore, some sexy ladies dressed provocatively, decent atmosphere, and that appealing love story at the centre. While it's obviously quite low budget, and while some viewers may find issue with the script, it's still pretty watchable, with two solid performances by Miranda and Papas to help it along. Certainly, its variation on the standard vampire movie formula makes it somewhat interesting. It's very "'80s" in its presentation, considering hairstyles and wardrobes, and the repetitive but catchy rock songs on the soundtrack. But that just adds to the amusement factor for anybody who grew up during that era.
Besides, the fact that the character of Michelles' husband Eric (Cliff Stoker) is a womanizer and something of a jerk presents a funny conundrum: although he turns into a dime-store version of Van Helsing for the finale, viewers might not be sure who to root for since Stephen typically comes off as more sympathetic. As a parting note, buffs will enjoy the fact that a minor character is named "Marlo Bava".
Followed by "The Understudy: Graveyard Shift 2".
Seven out of 10.
This is a great movie, if you grab the crack pipe beforehand...
Aubeus27 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
So, I went into this movie thinking: Okay, a hairy Italian vampire who walks around without clothes on a lot of the time, how could it be that bad? Well, as it turns out, they found a way to do it. I was only uh.. 5 when this movie came out but, I still can't figure for the life of me what was going on during the script production. There was just a lot of things that didn't make sense. For example, why was Stephen going to die? How could he make himself die? By not drinking blood? The dialogue lead me to believe he had initiated something that would cause him to die, besides just not feeding. Also, why did the women seem to go insane after becoming 'lovers' with Stephen?
Dark glam: A unique story around uncertainty 80's elements.
insomniac_rod19 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I've known this movie for years after being mentioned in many websites and specially in the IMDb Horror Board (my second home). While it's not a cult classic it has generated a solid fan database and I'm one of those who enjoyed it big time.
I watched this movie by mistake... It aired on Mexican late local t.v. (it started at 5:00 a.m.) and I decided to give it a chance BUT I didn't know it was the so much talked about "Graveyard Shift".
I was immediately caught by the movie's vibe, I mean, I thought it was a 1990 effort and nothing more because of the soundtrack, the clothes, the cinematography, and most of all, the atmosphere.
The plot is really interesting. I mean, a taxicab vampire driver who converts "troubled" women into creatures of the night and suddenly falls in love with a married but unhappy woman will always be a great idea in my mind.
The love story evolves as death, lust, and the risk of losing immortality happens. I dug the relationship between Michelle and Stephen because it deals with sensuality, resurrection, but most important of all, attraction in all the sense of the word.
But let me state that I really liked the movie because of the mixture of late 80's unique elements such as the soundtrack that I really enjoyed even that it only consists of a guitar-solo taken out from any Sega Genesis or Arcade game. It's just a unique sound that has a nostalgia feeling mixed with loneliness and the empty streets of a big city. The cinematography and art direction are a great combo most of all when it comes with dark settings such as when Michelle gets out of the cab and walks in front of a large, dying tree while in the background we see the sinister moon, adequate lightning, fog, and shadows. A great scene. Also, when Stephen makes his appearance near the ending , the music works perfect with the creepy and shadowy atmosphere.
The gore is really good! Specially when we get bites, be headings, bitten necks, and stabbing. Oh, and pay attention to the "Day OF The Dead" reference (when the bald guy with the crucifix gets chopped and eaten by female vampires!).
The sex scenes are very well done and add an extra spice for the movie. I really dug the "conversion" scene when Michelle decides that she's ready for eternal life at the cost of a vampire. The red cinematography works pretty well when mixed with the violence and sensuality.
The Cop/Detective sub-plot also works perfectly and reminds us of 80's Giallo but American style! And I mean a ridiculous female cop who becomes crazy and even slaughters a black male cop, and a gray haired Cop who kills the husband near the ending.
The love story mixed with death and dramatic situations (like the jealous husband!) is something to notice because we don't see it regularly in modern Horror Cinema.
Pappas is extremely sexy, provocative; I love her lips and her sensual face. Oliveria is simply great and delivers a "suave" vampire performance.
The Direction is stylish and dark at the same time. I dug anytime the creepy fake cemetery appears and most of the death sequences are well done. The make-up is really good, specially when applied to Stephen. He truly looks like a dead man walking! I can't understand the hate, this is an original vampire movie with a powerful 80's feeling; that is creepiness mixed with glam.
I can't understand what's going on with the uncertainty feeling in the film. I know it was about time to change to the 90's style but for 1987, I can feel the generational change very rushed. It's like the movie tried to cover what was about to come but without shaking the 80's glam.
Anyways, I like these kind of movies; in the style of "The First Power", "Satan's Princess", "The Horror Show", and "Exorcist III".
On it's way to become a cult classic, believe me. Time will make justice to it.
We need more movies like this...but with a better execution.
I watched this movie by mistake... It aired on Mexican late local t.v. (it started at 5:00 a.m.) and I decided to give it a chance BUT I didn't know it was the so much talked about "Graveyard Shift".
I was immediately caught by the movie's vibe, I mean, I thought it was a 1990 effort and nothing more because of the soundtrack, the clothes, the cinematography, and most of all, the atmosphere.
The plot is really interesting. I mean, a taxicab vampire driver who converts "troubled" women into creatures of the night and suddenly falls in love with a married but unhappy woman will always be a great idea in my mind.
The love story evolves as death, lust, and the risk of losing immortality happens. I dug the relationship between Michelle and Stephen because it deals with sensuality, resurrection, but most important of all, attraction in all the sense of the word.
But let me state that I really liked the movie because of the mixture of late 80's unique elements such as the soundtrack that I really enjoyed even that it only consists of a guitar-solo taken out from any Sega Genesis or Arcade game. It's just a unique sound that has a nostalgia feeling mixed with loneliness and the empty streets of a big city. The cinematography and art direction are a great combo most of all when it comes with dark settings such as when Michelle gets out of the cab and walks in front of a large, dying tree while in the background we see the sinister moon, adequate lightning, fog, and shadows. A great scene. Also, when Stephen makes his appearance near the ending , the music works perfect with the creepy and shadowy atmosphere.
The gore is really good! Specially when we get bites, be headings, bitten necks, and stabbing. Oh, and pay attention to the "Day OF The Dead" reference (when the bald guy with the crucifix gets chopped and eaten by female vampires!).
The sex scenes are very well done and add an extra spice for the movie. I really dug the "conversion" scene when Michelle decides that she's ready for eternal life at the cost of a vampire. The red cinematography works pretty well when mixed with the violence and sensuality.
The Cop/Detective sub-plot also works perfectly and reminds us of 80's Giallo but American style! And I mean a ridiculous female cop who becomes crazy and even slaughters a black male cop, and a gray haired Cop who kills the husband near the ending.
The love story mixed with death and dramatic situations (like the jealous husband!) is something to notice because we don't see it regularly in modern Horror Cinema.
Pappas is extremely sexy, provocative; I love her lips and her sensual face. Oliveria is simply great and delivers a "suave" vampire performance.
The Direction is stylish and dark at the same time. I dug anytime the creepy fake cemetery appears and most of the death sequences are well done. The make-up is really good, specially when applied to Stephen. He truly looks like a dead man walking! I can't understand the hate, this is an original vampire movie with a powerful 80's feeling; that is creepiness mixed with glam.
I can't understand what's going on with the uncertainty feeling in the film. I know it was about time to change to the 90's style but for 1987, I can feel the generational change very rushed. It's like the movie tried to cover what was about to come but without shaking the 80's glam.
Anyways, I like these kind of movies; in the style of "The First Power", "Satan's Princess", "The Horror Show", and "Exorcist III".
On it's way to become a cult classic, believe me. Time will make justice to it.
We need more movies like this...but with a better execution.
An enjoyably rare 80s vampire flick.
b_kite27 March 2019
What a very unique little obscure oddity this thing is. What really helps Graveyard Shift (aka Central Park Drifter or Central Park Driver) is its heavy use of style, using a variety of neon's, reds, blues, and ultimately coming off very neo-noirish, not to mention its soundtrack which relies on a variety of synths and other types of 80s style music. While the acting isn't the greatest, the film gives us a lot nudity and stylish sex scenes. The overall product really reminds me a lot of Tony Scott's The Hunger. Defiantly recommended.
I Now Know How It Feels To Have The Blood Sucked Out Of Me.....
blurnieghey17 November 2020
Of all the horror movie genres, vampire flicks have always been my least favorite, even as a child. Why? Well the things just don't come off as all that scary or hard to defeat, never mind that the guy usually portrayed as the head vampire often comes off as, shall we say, something of a "man's man" and a little light in the loafers, making it that much harder to swallow that chicks would even want anything to do with them. The folklore surrounding vampires is just dumb, superstitious nonsense that I can't relate to on any level. The real world is full of blood suckers and they should all be as easy to get rid of as the creatures portrayed in these movies.
With the above statement in mind, I'll attest that Graveyard Shift pretty much checks every box for what annoys me about these movies. You have some greaseball guy that looks like an extra from "Cruisin'" playing the skahwry, skahwry vampire and, worse yet, he's one of those sensitive vampires with a heart of gold who only goes after chicks who want to die anyways. How nice. Since there is no action or horror, the film attempts to be stylized and arty, but it's just boring trash and nothing really happens until the last 15 minutes and, even then, it's still awful. None of the characters are likeable, the dialogue at times is over-the-top pretentious, and there is nothing going on that you can relate to on any level so you're just watching people move around, waiting for this bore fest to end. Apparently, there is an audience for this junk, as people keep making movies like this, but I'll never get the appeal. Honestly, I can't think of a single nice thing to say about this movie and, unbelievably, it appears they made a sequel. I think I'll pass.
With the above statement in mind, I'll attest that Graveyard Shift pretty much checks every box for what annoys me about these movies. You have some greaseball guy that looks like an extra from "Cruisin'" playing the skahwry, skahwry vampire and, worse yet, he's one of those sensitive vampires with a heart of gold who only goes after chicks who want to die anyways. How nice. Since there is no action or horror, the film attempts to be stylized and arty, but it's just boring trash and nothing really happens until the last 15 minutes and, even then, it's still awful. None of the characters are likeable, the dialogue at times is over-the-top pretentious, and there is nothing going on that you can relate to on any level so you're just watching people move around, waiting for this bore fest to end. Apparently, there is an audience for this junk, as people keep making movies like this, but I'll never get the appeal. Honestly, I can't think of a single nice thing to say about this movie and, unbelievably, it appears they made a sequel. I think I'll pass.
* * * out of 4.
brandonsites19811 June 2002
350 year old vampire works as an all night cab driver and only kills females that are about to or willing to die. His newest target is a TV producer who is dying from terimanal cancer, but he falls in love with her. Also, seems he didn't finish off all his victims cause female vampires walking the streets are slaughtering off innocent people.
Smart, stylish horror flick is well directed and features a good premise. Fast editing, snappy pacing, some seriously sexy moments, and a good finale make this very low budgeted film much better then expected. The special effects could have used a bit more work though.
Rated R; Strong Sexual Content, Extreme Violence, Graphic Nudity, and Profanity.
Smart, stylish horror flick is well directed and features a good premise. Fast editing, snappy pacing, some seriously sexy moments, and a good finale make this very low budgeted film much better then expected. The special effects could have used a bit more work though.
Rated R; Strong Sexual Content, Extreme Violence, Graphic Nudity, and Profanity.
Misses the mark of the vampire.
mark.waltz19 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
A ridiculously dull vampire film coming out at a time when there were a lot of them, some of which are now considered modern classics. It has an interesting premise with a city cab driver working the graveyard shift seducing one of his passengers and ending up turning her into a vampire when his toothy nature takes over. But she apparently has an estranged husband who is out for revenge.
That pathetic plotline turns out to be the premise for 85 minutes of sexual activity surrounding a teeny tiny plot. The cast is very boring and really hasn't any Spark and the film just isn't all that interesting although a scene where the cab driver vampire is attacked by a group of thugs who shoot him and he rises from the presumed dead did amuse me. The fact that there is a sequel to this makes no sense, especially since both films came from an independent production company that was apparently in business for about 10 minutes.
That pathetic plotline turns out to be the premise for 85 minutes of sexual activity surrounding a teeny tiny plot. The cast is very boring and really hasn't any Spark and the film just isn't all that interesting although a scene where the cab driver vampire is attacked by a group of thugs who shoot him and he rises from the presumed dead did amuse me. The fact that there is a sequel to this makes no sense, especially since both films came from an independent production company that was apparently in business for about 10 minutes.
A sickly taxi driving vampire seeks the perfect soul mate.
Captain_Couth8 September 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Graveyard Shift (1987) is a cheesy movie about a love sick vampire named Stephen who drives a cab at night to pay the bills. When he's not attending to his posse of the living dead, he's pining his attention on a terminally ill woman named Michelle (Helen Papas) who has struck his fancy. Looking like death warmed over, this wimpy looking vampire dresses all in black and cruises for fares and victims. But poor Stephen can't seem to get his dream girl out of his mind.
Eventually the two hook up. Michelle's off again on again boyfriend doesn't take to kindly to this interloper. One time he catches Stephen in her room and threatens to wake him up from his daytime coma by pulling the curtains!! Too bad he didn't because it would have be interesting. The vampire's world collapses when the cuckolded boyfriend puts two-and-two together. He has the cops raid his hang out. To his horror her finds his woman about to be snacked on. by Stephen. Weeks later there's a new cabbie on the beat dressed in black working the night shift. It's Michelle living out her life as a vampire. I guess she's working the night shift as well.
Slightly recommended.,
Eventually the two hook up. Michelle's off again on again boyfriend doesn't take to kindly to this interloper. One time he catches Stephen in her room and threatens to wake him up from his daytime coma by pulling the curtains!! Too bad he didn't because it would have be interesting. The vampire's world collapses when the cuckolded boyfriend puts two-and-two together. He has the cops raid his hang out. To his horror her finds his woman about to be snacked on. by Stephen. Weeks later there's a new cabbie on the beat dressed in black working the night shift. It's Michelle living out her life as a vampire. I guess she's working the night shift as well.
Slightly recommended.,
Devilishly handsome, night stalking vampire, Stephen, took a BIGGER bite out of the big apple than most!
Weirdling_Wolf5 December 2022
Jerry Ciccoritti's darkly erotic, appealingly stylised Canadian shocker has brooding swarthy-sexy vampire, Stephen Tsepes, (Michael A. Miranda) moonlighting as a taciturn NY cabbie, tirelessly working the gloomy night shift. This ancient predator hides in plain night; as some of, Stephen's more physically enticing female passengers only belatedly discover that their journey is about to take a terminal turn onto roads FAR less travelled!
This weirdly romantic, deliciously eccentric, unfairly neglected Canadian creature feature is engagingly performed by a talented cast of unknowns, with a number of splendidly grisly kills, plus an appreciably sensual, frequently skewed atmosphere that is heightened by ace composer, Nicholas Pike's spare, fabulously evocative synth score. An imaginative, creatively photographed, smartly directed horror film, and I think it's reasonable to say that in an era of conspicuously recycled mediocrity, it's more than just to single out the delirious hidden delights of uncommonly strange 80s horror fare like sleeper cult classic, 'Graveyard Shift' aka 'Central Park Drifter'. Jerry Ciccoritti's pervy, plasma-packed nightmare remains a toothsome terror treat well worth sinking your hungry, horror-loving fangs into! - In a blackened city infamous for its nefarious nocturnal denizens, sinisterly stalking Vampire cabbie, Stephen Tsepes, is a fare to remember!'
This weirdly romantic, deliciously eccentric, unfairly neglected Canadian creature feature is engagingly performed by a talented cast of unknowns, with a number of splendidly grisly kills, plus an appreciably sensual, frequently skewed atmosphere that is heightened by ace composer, Nicholas Pike's spare, fabulously evocative synth score. An imaginative, creatively photographed, smartly directed horror film, and I think it's reasonable to say that in an era of conspicuously recycled mediocrity, it's more than just to single out the delirious hidden delights of uncommonly strange 80s horror fare like sleeper cult classic, 'Graveyard Shift' aka 'Central Park Drifter'. Jerry Ciccoritti's pervy, plasma-packed nightmare remains a toothsome terror treat well worth sinking your hungry, horror-loving fangs into! - In a blackened city infamous for its nefarious nocturnal denizens, sinisterly stalking Vampire cabbie, Stephen Tsepes, is a fare to remember!'
An excellent and underrated 80's horror vampire winner
Woodyanders18 July 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Burnt-out 350-year-old vampire Stephen Tsepes (a fine and brooding performance by the handsome Michael A. Miranda) works the graveyard shift as a taxi cab driver in New York City and preys on lovely ladies who have lost the will to give. Tsepes meets a kindred lonely and tortured spirit in Michelle Hayden (superbly played with spot-on affecting bone-weary cynicism by Helen Papas), a director of trashy Gothic music videos who's dying of cancer. Michelle's jealous and estranged husband Eric Hayden (a solid turn by Cliff Stoker) enlists the aid of nerdy occult expert Robert Kopple (nicely essayed by Dan Rose) to rescue Michelle from Tsepes' hypnotic spell. Writer/director Jerry Ciccoritti ably evokes a moody, spooky, and melancholic lurid neon nocturnal urban atmosphere while exploring the basic human need for contact, alienation, and the anguish and torment of both mortality and immortality alike. Moreover, Ciccoritti further spices things up with a genuinely hot and sizzling heightened eroticism, a generous sprinkling of tasty female nudity, a handy helping of graphic gore, and a rousing climax set on a cemetery studio set. The sound acting from the capable cast rates as another substantial asset: Mirandas and Papas do sterling work in the lead roles, with sturdy support from John Haslett Cuff and Don James as the hard-nosed detectives investigating a baffling series of grisly murders, sugar Bouche as luscious stripper Franne, Lesley Kelly as the alluring and aggressive Officer Arbus, and Michael Brockner as a no-nonsense coroner. Robert Bergman's striking cinematography gives this picture a slick and dazzling MTV music video-ish look, with especially smooth and graceful pans and stunning use of bright and garish artificial lighting. Nicholas Pike's spirited shuddery score likewise hits the shivery spot. Marred only by some regrettably shoddy make-up and lackluster special effects, this movie overall qualifies as an unjustly neglected and under-appreciated sleeper.
An erotic vampire film!
GOWBTW-5STARreviewer1 November 2022
I've seen a lot of vampire movies in my day. It is mostly about Count Dracula, or descendants of him. This one, Stephen(Silvio Oliviero) is looking for a fare, moonlighting as a taxi driver. He sets his sights on the victims and claims her as his true love. The bloodlust is so intense, the appetite is insatiable. A video maker is the next victim. She is dying, and wants a second chance of life. The encounter is so intense, but causes conflict with her husband. He's not as faithful as he claims, but he wants to work things out. Most vampire films goes straight to the jugular. This one goes straight to the heart. Way more sexual than other films. I like it very much.
2.5 out of 5 stars.
2.5 out of 5 stars.
Graveyard Shift
nogodnomasters22 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This was a very popular movie rental under the title "Graveyard Shift" back in the 80's. The movie has a combination disco/ Miami Vice feel to it. The Travolta looking lead as well as the sound track gives it that classic 80's feel. Steven is a vampire in NYC who, like all vampires works the Graveyard Shift. Steven senses when women are in their "death cycle" at which time he makes them his lover and gives them a nibble. They in turn become vampires, who Steven never calls. He is a cab driver.
There is a subplot involving a woman named Michelle, who directs vampire videos, but apparently not to well. She is also terminal. Steven eventually ends up at a Halloween party at her house. Michelle's husband, who plays the field, is jealous, but Michelle is in love. The women vampires kill their victims. The cops are trying to figure out where the bodies are coming from.
The film uses red and blue lighting to represent heat and cold, hot and cold bodies. Sometimes it is effective, other times it doesn't work and is annoying. The movie also had some erotic nudity, especially one blue-lit scene with Kim Cayer, which was perhaps the main reason for its popularity. They don't even show her scene on the back cover and they should have plastered it on the front. It sold the movie. I think they did themselves a disfavor by re-releasing it under a different title, especially a bad one.
Sex and nudity. Not much blood for a vampire film.
There is a subplot involving a woman named Michelle, who directs vampire videos, but apparently not to well. She is also terminal. Steven eventually ends up at a Halloween party at her house. Michelle's husband, who plays the field, is jealous, but Michelle is in love. The women vampires kill their victims. The cops are trying to figure out where the bodies are coming from.
The film uses red and blue lighting to represent heat and cold, hot and cold bodies. Sometimes it is effective, other times it doesn't work and is annoying. The movie also had some erotic nudity, especially one blue-lit scene with Kim Cayer, which was perhaps the main reason for its popularity. They don't even show her scene on the back cover and they should have plastered it on the front. It sold the movie. I think they did themselves a disfavor by re-releasing it under a different title, especially a bad one.
Sex and nudity. Not much blood for a vampire film.
Hot, shirtless, hairy-chested, nude Italian vampire
NancyBoySF7 October 2003
Silvio Oliviero has got to be one of the sexiest actors every to portray a vampire. His John Travolta SNF hair, muscular hairy chest, and ascent all add tremendously to the sex quotient of this film. So much hotter and more humane than any portrayal of Lestat could possibly be.
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