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IMDb > Vampires (1998)
Vampires
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Vampires (1998) -- A vengeful vampire hunter must retrieve a cross before it falls into the hands of the undead, that could produce dire consequences for humanity.
Vampires (1998) -- A vengeful vampire hunter must retrieve a cross before it falls into the hands of the undead, that could produce dire consequences for humanity.

Overview

User Rating:
5.8/10   17,068 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 15% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
John Carpenter
Writers (WGA):
John Steakley (novel)
Don Jakoby (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Vampire$ on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
30 October 1998 (USA) more
Genre:
Horror | Action | Thriller more
Tagline:
From the master of terror comes a new breed of evil. more
Plot:
A vengeful vampire hunter must retrieve a cross before it falls into the hands of the undead, that could produce dire consequences for humanity. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
3 wins & 4 nominations more
User Comments:
Much better than its reputation! more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
John Carpenter's Vampires (USA) (complete title)
Vampire$ (USA)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for strong vampire violence and gore, language and sexuality.
Runtime:
108 min | Germany:104 min (cut version) | Argentina:106 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | Latin
Colour:
Colour
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital | SDDS
Company:
Film Office more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The symbol on the necklace that Daniel Baldwin wears in the movie is the Nordic rune meaning "Protector". more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Katrina is telling Jack and Montoya where the Master is, she screams "Oh, my God, he killed the priest!" Montoya asks how they were going to find which church in San Miguel, Jack says "The one that's missing an old guy". Katrina never said if the priest was young or old. more
Quotes:
Jack Crow: Let me ask you a question. When you were stabbing that vampire in there?
Father Adam Guiteau: Yeah?
Jack Crow: Did you get a little wood?
Father Adam Guiteau: Mahogany.
Jack Crow: Excuse me?
Father Adam Guiteau: Ebony.
Jack Crow: What?
Father Adam Guiteau: Teak.
Jack Crow: Are you possessed by demons?
Father Adam Guiteau: Major Chubby.
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Bloodsucking Cinema (2007) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
Padre's Wood more

FAQ

Is this movie based on a book?
more
32 out of 38 people found the following comment useful:-
Much better than its reputation!, 4 August 1999
10/10
Author: leo-96

I was puzzled by the low rating "Vampires" got, it's my favorite movie of 1998/99. Why do I give the date in that manner? I was (un)fortunate enough to see this movie in the uncut version (as shown in France), in the US version and just a few weeks ago in the German one.

But first things first -- I am female and I have read so many reviews and comments telling me, that I, as a woman, should feel disgust at the alleged misogynous undertone of "Vampires". I am sorry, but in none of the three versions I saw did I feel, hear or see anything which might support this allegation! Crow hated practically everyone except for Montoya and the first priest, Montoya -- while quipping left and right -- behaved quite kindly towards Lee's hooker except where she directly caused him to react violently and none of the other oneliners warrant, IMO, even a raised eyebrow regarding that special topic.

Let me add that I also am not religious, with my own perceptive view of enough past wrongs done by the Catholic church, so that any of the soi-disant "hate" directed at that church is in my opinion well-founded given the plot. Callan's explanation of how he views god, as well as several other references by Crow and Montoya underline the basic belief of the vampire hunters while maintaining their no-nonsense attitude.

With that back to why I liked the movie so much: it is in its own way as stark and streamlined as the best samples of its genre; the cinematography is just perfect with the right mixture of visual and non-visual storytelling; the dialogue is engagingly humorous throughout, feels real and allows each character his or her own voice; there are several deeply moving scenes, either visually or characterwise moving, which will stay with the audience; there are enough novelties incorporated to make this rendition of the vampire theme fresh and quite frankly, I liked Carpenter's score a lot too.

What wins me completely over is the very obvious fun all the actors had with their roles. James Woods was perfect as sardonic, illusion-free Crow and his brushing "campiness" with the tip of a finger, yet withdrawing just in time, is priceless. Daniel Baldwin makes the most of his character's arc, nicely underplaying his role, while he still manages to convey Montoya's journey by minimal changes of expression or voice. The final scene couldn't have been done any better. Sheryl Lee gives what I consider one of the strongest supports I've seen in quite a few years, whether by male or female actors, especially when you count in the scarcity of means she's handed over. Ian Griffith had several fine moments and the entire supporting cast was refreshing in their non-Hollywoody realistic, natural look and acting. The overall impression was of people enjoying what they're expertly doing.

An advice to the German audience, I noted while watching the dubbed release that the translation killed practically every single punch line and nearly all of the humor. And it *could* have been translated properly. The voice actors dubbing for Woods and Baldwin did so without recreating even a tenth of what both actors put into their voices in the original version. I do think that some of the disappointment expressed there is due the extremely low quality of the translation and dubbing. See the movie in its original language. I also can't see any reason for the loss of those scenes which were cut out of the US release when compared to the French one. The movie loses quite some strength this way.

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