The Forsaken (2001)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

J.S. Cardone

Writer (WGA):

J.S. Cardone (written by)

Release Date:

27 April 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

The night... has an appetite.

Plot:

A young man gets embroiled in a war against vampires.

Plot Keywords:

Vampire | Virus | Car Accident | Shootout | Blood Splatter

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Nov. 9

4:00 PM

MAX

Cast

Kerr Smith	...	Sean
Brendan Fehr	...	Nick
Izabella Miko	...	Megan
Johnathon Schaech	...	Kit
Phina Oruche	...	Cym
Simon Rex	...	Pen
Carrie Snodgress	...	Ina Hamm
Alexis Thorpe	...	Teddy
F.J. Flynn	...	Hoot
Beth Ann Styne	...	Garage Woman
Bert Emmett	...	Desk Clerk
A.J. Buckley	...	Mike
Julia Schultz	...	Blonde
Tony Pierce	...	Mechanic
James Marsh	...	Mitch (as Jamie Marsh)

Also Known As:

The Forsaken: Desert Vampires (Australia) (promotional title) (UK) (DVD title)
Desert Vampires (International: English title)
Vampires of the Desert (Europe: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence/gore, language and sexuality.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:K-18 | Singapore:R21 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Canadian Home Video Rating) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Germany:18 (JK/SPIO) | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 | Japan:PG-12 | Norway:15 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #37930) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Utah, USA

Company:

Sandstorm Films

Trivia:

Carrie Snodgrass's last feature film.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Sean and Nick stop to help "The Forsaken" and give their car a jump. When The Forsaken's car is up and running Sean get's in his car to drive away but when he does you hear him start up the car. If he was really giving the car a jump his car would already be running thus causing him to not have to start up his car. He'd just be able to put it in gear and drive away.

Quotes:

Cym: Time to die, cowboy.

Movie Connections:

Features Terror Firmer (1999)

Soundtrack:

Monster

Not bad, but not great!

While most of the reviews were negative, this review is a positive one since I am a sucker (no pun intended) for vampire tales. THE FORSAKEN is a throwback to such 1980s classics as THE LOST BOYS, NEAR DARK, and THE HITCHER. While it's not nearly as good as those three flicks, it certainly is an interesting and occasionally intriguing picture. Unlike most teen horror films that have come out in the past five years, it is smart, original, and is actually scary at times. It's a fun horror movie that isn't perfect, yet still worth watching for its somewhat new take on the vampire tale. However, one can't help but get the feeling that THE FORSAKEN could have been so much more and it might have been had it not been heavily edited before its release due to the political climate at the time. Something tells me prior to being edited to death by the studio, THE FORSAKEN was something special. There are moments where one can see a better movie in the mix. Hopefully one day there will be a director's cut so audiences can see what J.S. Cardone originally intended the film to be like. I give it 5/10. It's not bad, though it's not great. Dracula 2000 is a better modern vampire flick, although Wes Craven was involved so of coarse it would be.