User reviews

In Manhattan, the vampires Goody (Alicia Silverstone) and Stacy (Krysten Ritter) share an apartment and work and study in the night-shift. Goody was turned in vampire in 1840 by the evil Cisserus (Sigourney Weaver), who turned Stacy in the 90's, and they became best friends but Goody never told her real age to her friend. They only drink mice blood and refuse to drink human blood, and they go together to the Vampire Anonymous.

Stacy falls in love with her classmate Joey (Dan Stevens), and soon she learns that he is the son of the vampire slayer Dr. Van Helsing (Wallace Shawn). Meanwhile, Goody meets her former passion, Danny (Richard Lewis), in the hospital where his wife is terminal. When Stacy gets pregnant, Goody knows that the only way that the child can survive is killing Cisserus, since they would revert to their human ages. But nobody knows here her lair is.

I was afraid to see "Vamps", based on the background of director Amy Heckerling, with movies like "Clueless" and the franchise "Look Who's Talking" and the poster that recalls "Sex & the City"; so I was expecting a shallow sex and the city with vampires.

But I was wrong and I have just decided to see this movie and I found it surprisingly funny and cute. The screenplay has brilliant and lame moments, and the result is uneven. The footages from the past are outstanding and the conclusion alternates between a corny and a beautiful ending. I would never go to the movie theater to see "Vamps", but it deserves to be rented on DVD. In the end, I have enjoyed this movie. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Vampiras" ("Vampires")

Plot

Two female vampires in modern-day New York City are faced with daunting romantic possibilities.

Cast

Alicia Silverstone and Kristen Ritter lead while Sigourney Weaver, Wallace Shawn, Malcolm McDowell and Dan Stevens support.

Verdict

I'd not heard of this at all which I was surprised about considering the cast. Did it bomb? It truly came out of nowhere for me and yes truly unconditionally isn't exactly my genre. For all intent and purpose this is Clueless, with vampires.

Camping it up to 11 Silverstone and Ritter are saved to a degree by a surprisingly decent supporting cast but doesn't take away from what it is and that's pure nonsense.

It tries to be a comedy but it's just not funny, later in the film it tries to be deep but rushes it badly and by this point with the dramatic tone shift I just couldn't find it in myself to care.

Not a bad film, just a fruitless silly one.

Rants

Am I the only one weirded out when Malcolm McDowell doesn't play a bad guy, I mean yes he was Vlad the Impaler here but he was presented as a good guy, a nice guy despite this unlikely fact. He's a bad guy, he looks positively evil and has been typecast ever since. Whenever he's a good guy it makes me uncomfortable, like I'm being gaslit and any second he's going to do something positively ghastly.

Breakdown

Solid cast Just not funny Attempts at being deep and emotional fail hard.

I saw Vamps at the Fantasy Filmfest, where the comedy was well received by the public. The main actors were very funny, Alicia Silverstone and Krysten Ritter make a good duo. The story was fine and most of the jokes were great. The film is aimed more at middle-aged people than teens so I doubt it will be very successful. It is a little gem, yet miles away from Clueless or Fast Times. There was more potential for horror or gore, it is very tame in that department. Also, Sigourney Weavers sire vampire of both Goody and Stacy was too tame a character for my taste. Malcolm McDowell, Justin Kirk and Wallace Shawn were funny and as always great in their supporting roles. They can do no wrong.

I saw this movie at a screening and I hate to be the one to tell you this, but this movie is bad. Real bad. I mean it's not good at all. I really wanted to like it. I mean how could a Amy Heckerling/Alicia Silverstone comedy about chick vampires be bad, right? Well, trust me it is. The jokes try so hard to be young and relevant, but come across sounding like what an old person thinks is hip and current. The acting isn't much better. S. Weaver pretty much phoned it in and the rest of the cast if forgettable. I wouldn't be surprised if this film never sees the light of day. I'm betting on a straight to DVD, or better yet, straight to Netflix Instant release. Please don't waste your valuable time seeing this movie. I can honestly say it sucks. No pun intended.

Any rating of this film would be flawed, because it is a collection of extremes rather than a smooth average. Some of the scenes or references are great, especially for some older people, while some are simply horrendous. The cast is great, but the performances average. Some of the ideas and dialogues are incredibly interesting or funny, while others are simply garbage. You would have to watch it to truly tell if you liked it or not.

I never liked Alicia Silverstone, but at least before she was young and sexy. In this film she plays a vampire that has found a reason to live in her much younger friend and colleague in blood sucking. They are good vampires, meaning they only terrorize mice. They are part of a Vampire Anonymous organization where they count the years sans human blood, together with Vlad Tepes (which no one even remotely pronounces correctly) and a bunch of others. Things get more complicated when their maker Sigourney Weaver becomes mass homicidal and one of the vampires falls in love with a Van Helsing and becomes pregnant.

There is much to be said about references on older films and characters and history. That part was truly emotional. Unfortunately it wasn't done well and most of it would mean nothing to iPhone people anyway. And who else would look at a film with vampires that is labelled a romance? Also some of the acting was horrendous and some of the characters superfluous. There were some very funny jokes, peppered here and there, but overall it felt rather dull.

Bottom line: I had expected either a Sex in the City with vampires or a sexual exploitation of the genre. I did not expect deeper meaning or funny dialogue, and I was pleasantly surprised. But only bits and pieces were thus, while the rest was utter nonsense.

Not a bad movie, some very witty and funny commentary on vampire lore. For me the best parts were the constant use of classic black and white movie and news footage and references to people and events of the past as I'm a huge fan of history and old movies. Also some very old songs from the first half of the 20th century. Great use of fashion with the contrasting styles of the 2 main characters as well. Some relevant rants, even more so now, about the due falls of progress and technology in particular. Not as funny or as dark as "What we do in the shadows". Mostly light hearted fun with a bit of heart , especially the ending.

OK. I had reasonably high expectations of this movie after seeing the trailer. Well, it's OK. That's about it. The story is light but fine, there are a few humorous moments in there, and the characters are OK. But it's a bit of a drag. The special effects are a little hit and miss, and it was all wrapped up a little too neat, tidy and predictably. Another sad fact is that unfortunately Alicia Silverstone, although a babe, is getting a little too old to play these ditsy comedic roles anymore. To me, Dan (Downton Abbey) Stevens, Sigourney Weaver and Wallace Shawn were wasted in this movie. All a bit too lightweight, predictable and run of the mill for me.

I can't believe how many negative opinions surround this film. I mean granted, its not Oscar worthy or going to go down in time as one of those incredible films, but the humor, sarcasm and light hearted tone are greatly enjoyable. Perhaps some people cannot vibe with the blunt somewhat twisted humor, but I loved it.

This is a film for people who want to simply watch something fun. It's never serious and simply a parody. The cast and acting were excellent and I really liked seeing all the stars. I think this movie makes fun of the current state of our culture and perhaps that is what annoys some viewers. It also attacks our cultural vampire-obsession which has become quite ridiculous in my opinion. So, perhaps this is not a movie for twilight fans as it may ruffle their feathers? I don't know.

As a fan of vampire films and light hearted comedies, this film fully delivered for me. It's kind of got a feel good vibe but also a lot of demented moments. Perfect for me :) I would recommend to anyone who likes vampire movies, comedies or cheeky dramas with some slightly twisted humor.

I must say that "Vamps" was actually better than I had expected it to be. Sure, this is a chick flick, but still it was actually enjoyable.

Why? Well because of the cheesy and campy story, but also because it actually boasted some pretty impressive names to the cast list! And for a chick flick vampire romantic comedy it actually had some adequate special effects as well.

The story is about two ladies, Goody (played by Alicia Silverstone) and Stacy (played by Krysten Ritter) who are roommates and vampires! (Wouldn't a better term be coffinmates, then?) Living in New York, the two vampires have to deal with modern life and dating in the modern age. But something is threatening the vampire community, and can vampire find love in the Big Apple?

For a movie of this caliber, the story was actually fun and entertaining, despite being as campy and cheesy as it actually is. But what really made the movie work was the list of people credited to the cast; Alicia Silverstone, Krysten Ritter, Sigourney Weaver, Marilu Henner, Richard Lewis, Wallace Shawn and Malcolm McDowell.

Something did strike me kind of odd though. Why would Vlad Tepes be living in New York, that was just a bit too far fetched. And also since they stayed fairly true to vampire lore and mythology, how come the vampires cast shadows? How come when they cast no reflection, you could clearly see the reflections of Goody and Stacy in the restaurant window when they carried out the Chinese guy? Or how come Goody's gloves were off in one scene, then magically appeared on her hands in the next, only to be off again moments after during the dancing scene? And finally, during the hilarious nosebleed scene, how come the blood was down to almost touching the upper lip in one scene, then magically retraced and just under the nostril in the next?

Despite these visual mistakes, "Vamps" is actually a fair enough movie. But hand on heart, then I am sure that you'd enjoy this movie a whole lot more if you are a woman.

What can I say? I thought I'd give this a try because of all the glowing reviews on IMDb - maybe have an enjoyable 'chick flick' night in with some popcorn and a few laughs. Besides, a movie with Sigourney Weaver and Malcolm McDowell couldn't be all bad? Boy, was I in for a big disappointment! Whilst the premise had potential (2 girly vamps, surviving in modern NY and abstaining from human blood, while trying to live 'normal' lives), the execution was dire - the acting was amateurish and I'm afraid that Alicia Silverstone is past the age of this kind of role - she acted more mature in "Clueless"! Sigourney must have cringed when she saw the finished result, she was given terrible material to work with and wasn't able to improve on it. Malcolm McDowell's cameo as Vlad Dracul was actually quite funny, but there wasn't enough of him to save the film. Dan Stevens as 'son of Van Helsing' just looked bewildered and sorry to be there, which I'm sure he was - this was not a good choice for a break-through role in Hollywood. Sincerely, don't waste your time - if you want a comedy vamp film, dig out "Love at First Bite" - if you want Sigourney being nasty, watch "Working Girl" - well, just watch ANYTHING other than this woeful mess!

This was one of the worst movies I've seen in a long time. I understand what they were going for, but they didn't come close to pulling it off. I think the script was probably decent until the director got hold of it. A really bad display of one not funny joke after another. I'm a Democrat but even I got sick of the non-stop push of the liberal agenda - ACLU, Vietnam, etc. Can't anyone just make a movie for fun anymore? Does every film have to push an agenda? I'm just so tired of it. Basically the entire movie reminded me of how my first project turned out in film school. And for that matter, how most of the projects turned out - ridiculous.

Oh where to start. I am busy with watching loads of vampire movies and I have to say that I wouldn't have watched this if it wasn't on the list. But I am glad I did! I don't get all the negative comments, but I actually like quite a lot of movies where this happens. The movie is maybe cheesy on the vampire part, but it is basically just like any other romantic comedy. It is something to watch for fun, with funny dialogs, good acting and enough girlie moments for every teen of grownup on her period. Krysten Ritter is not only a beautiful actress, she fits her role perfectly. And Dan Stevens looks just really hot! All by all nothing deep, some parts of the storyline I didn't really get, but it is fun and heartwarming. It makes you think of your childhood, of all the things that are changing around you, the world, fashion, views...I had to drop a tear at the end!

The cast are the drawing power, and the only real reason to stick around if you ask me. I mean, Alicia Silverstone, Krysten Ritter, Dan Stevens, Wallace Shawn, Sigourney Weaver...what's not to love there? It's just a shame the movie comes out feeling like a straight-to-DVD movie, or a mid-80s TV movie, because there's some good potential here aside from the cast.

There's a decent enough story here, and some really good performances, it just doesn't ever really rise above midday-movie level, even with the cast and crew it has. I'm also kinda disappointed because I watched this based on having found it on a list someone did up of "movies you don't expect to be sad, but are kinda sad" and...it wasn't sad at all to me. Unless you count the wasted talent, and the dismal box office returns of ~US$4000 on a US$16m budget...

Still, it's worth watching if you have nothing better to do?

Strange things went on with the release of this flick. Released for cinema only two weeks later it was already available on DVD or Blu Ray. It was with a bitter feeling that I start watching this. I came across this title due my best friend asking if it was something to watch with our children. But I should not recommend it for children. Therefor too many things are shown that children never would understand.

It's full of old footage from old horror flicks like Metropolis and Nosferatu and so on. Further they return into time to see old footage from New York. I guess children wont understand it. But for horror buffs this is a trip to memory lane if you can guess all the flicks shown. and not alone that, they even speak of old actors and stuff.

The flick itself never becomes eery, it's a comedy but I must say that I never laughed. It's just a flick to watch with the family. The effects used are mostly CGI. I didn't have a problem with it because otherwise it would become an real horror flick.

The acting was okay for such a flick. Still, I think teenagers will have their doubts with all that footage used and wont understand it all. And for horror buffs this is a big joke. I watched it for Sigourney Weaver and Malcolm McDowell, old favorites from the genre.

Luckily it didn't laugh with vampirism or isn't ridiculous like Twilight. Just a flick that everyone can see, nothing more, nothing less. Funny to hear Das Pop in the soundtrack.

Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 4/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 1/5

I saw this movie and died laughing. I'm a huge Heckerling fan of course, and Vamps fits right into her already ridiculously impressive catalog. Alicia Silverstone is hilarious and adorable, and Krysten Ritter is even better than she was on Breaking Bad (which is practically impossible in my opinion.) This could be my favorite Silverstone movie of the decade, just sayin'. Wallace Shawn is ruthlessly hilarious as always, and Sigourney is at her most devilish. And then out of no where, Justin Kirk shows up (Uncle Andy, from Weeds) and he had me cracking up from his vampire accent. And Malcolm McDowell too... this cast is stacked. The movie is a real delight. Fingers crossed for a sequel!!

During this era of well rated movies like Ted, this one might not be worth everyone's while. But there is a catch. IT JUST MIGHT BE. I have seen tons of movies which are rated stupidly low on IMDb but movies in itself are so SO much better.

Why i chose to watch this? Well ... THREE reasons.

1. Krysten Ritter -- It was the movie "Shes out of my League" where i noticed her not-so-special role. She's got good looks and can act well. Plus, for the role ... she was really well suited.

2. Alicia Silverstone -- She can act, i tell you that. And i can bet you that she will be the only one you'll love watching every minute. Anyone remember a former "Bat Girl" from "Batman & Robin"? Hm?

3. Movie's Idea -- "Two female vampires in modern-day New York City are faced with daunting romantic possibilities." Not exactly how the movie put it, but it was close.

I liked how they mixed a little bit of "Ancient Times" in it. Above all, those scenes were presented very well. The movie is supposed to be Comedy. While this may not be as Comedic as Ted, its still very enjoyable and fun to watch.

It was VERY enjoyable. Plus, it has a likable ending, exactly the kind I like. Happy Endings.

The Song "This Road is Long" by The Lost Patrol... it was so Lovely. This movie made me a HUGE fan of this American band "The Lost Patrol". Follow them here: soundcloud.com/the-lost-patrol

Their songs "Lost at Sea", "Homecoming", "I am onto you" and especially "Little Girl" are wonderful and have been my favorite for quite some time.

Turned into a vampire sometime in the 19th Century, "Goody" (Alicia Silverstone) has seen the world change all around her. Since she doesn't age she finds it difficult to maintain relationships with those who do. As a result she becomes very lonely. However, sometime in the 1980's the vampire who sired her, "Cisserus" (Sigourney Weaver) also sires another vampire named "Stacy" (Krysten Ritter). Soon Goody and Stacy become the best of friends due in large part to their mutual interests. But that's not all-both Goody and Stacy only consume blood from rodents and attend regular meetings similar to "Alcoholics Anonymous" in order to abstain from drinking the blood of humans. As it so happens, one of the regulars at these meetings is another vampire by the name of "Vlad Tepish" (Malcolm McDowell) who was once the infamous "Vlad the Impaler" but has now taken up knitting. At any rate, rather than detail the entire story and possibly ruin the movie for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this is one of those films that is essentially "hit or miss". It had some good parts but all too often the humor fell flat and the movie failed to maintain any consistency. Alicia Silverstone and Malcolm McDowell did okay but quite frankly this wasn't a good role for either of them. The direction was clumsy, the dialogue was weak and the humor lacked originality. In short, this wasn't a good movie and I rate it as below average.