Ambrogio: The First Vampire

I just watched "Ambrosio: The First Vampire" and I'm still reeling. Cool special effects, a great love story, and lots of twists and turns had me hooked. The music was awesome, and the romance was sweet. It's a wild ride with a great cast, and I loved every minute of it.

I watched parts of this movie be fimed in petson, and it was exciting to get to watch the product come out to be so great. This vampire movie is stunning. A movie that I feel fans of not just the genre of horror can enjoy. I've seen many movies on different platforms come out recently that just don't reach the level of greatness this movie hits. BRAVO!

Overall, I enjoyed the movie. I did not know the story of the "original" vampire, so kudos for writing a good story! There were some memorable dialogue and lines. I must admit, I turned on closed captions to appreciate the dialogue. The character Sarah was interesting and well acted. While Hades and Dracula were important to the story, I never fully got the evil vibe from them. Special effects were good. I wasn't able to feel connected to the character Ambrogio. His troubled soul yearned to be free, but it took a long time for him to find his peace. Nice touch to include some Italian and Greek dialogue in the movie.

Producers and Directors, take note-Alex Javo is the next Crowe in filmmaking. He doesn't just play a character; he brings them to life with depth and presence that jumps off the screen. When Ambrogio needed a lead with an "old soul," Alex delivered, bringing a rich, layered performance that truly makes this film a must-watch.

Angelina brings a natural charm to her role as Alex's love interest, and their on-screen chemistry is undeniable. Their connection feels effortless, with every interaction feeling authentic and compelling. Alex keeps Ambrogio's character grounded, remaining both relatable and deeply human, even amidst the film's supernatural elements.

Alex being a great actor as Ambrogio his accent melds with the time he is portraying. Niko'a had a very clever way of playing dracula which balanced out Alex's character with a nice BLOODY rivalry for the lovly Sarah played by Angelina. There were some good laughs in it that makes the movie even more enjoyable. Great take on the legends and good mix...praying for a 2nd one.

For the settings involved very well chosen. Unlike any other movie i watch Alex's team bring a fresh balance for the sounds vs talking. They take a great feel on a professional film while making it seem like a low budget film. Very well done you guys!

Ambrogio is a very impressive achievement for a first-time feature-length director, writer, and crew. Coming in at about 1 hour and 10 minutes, it's a respectable length that doesn't try to go too high too quickly. Even with the small budget, the story and its implications carry greater weight and scope, and the effective location choices help lend the right amount of credibility to these elements.

I was also impressed by the unique take on the vampire mythos by taking things back to their furthest roots and developing a character whose origins lie in the birthplace of vampirism. That sort of ancient mythos and lore is always exciting in fiction and fantasy.

I think the most successful elements of Alex Javo's film are the actors (especially Mitch Lemos as Hades and Niko'a Salas as Dracula), the music, and the costuming.

My one critique for the film, given the subject matter, is I wish a darker lighting scheme and perhaps even color palette had been used to accentuate the macabe and gothic nature of our vampire characters, especially in Ambrogio's home. The use of high contrast or back-lit shots would have lent to showing us a creepier or more mysterious side to Ambrogio.

That said, I think Alex and the film greatly succeed in what they set out to do, and its praise and accolades from the indie film community are well deserved.