Sleepless Nights

This movie, although it moved slow in parts and the acting was marginal, had a lot to redeem it. If they made it with a budget and people who could act, it might be pretty good.

The story is that a government agency is hunting down vampires, while the lead vampire takes control of a Scientology-type church. An agency operative has identified a 'good' vampire who only takes enough blood to live. She concludes he's on their side, a claim rejected by the agency head. She teams up with the good vampire, on the promise he'll turn her before she dies of cancer.

Overall, not a bad little movie made for all of $10.53.

This vampire flick is obviously a labor of love, created by fans of the genre who have been able to compensate for their meager budget by infusing their work with ingenuity and imagination. With its atmospheric music and earnest performances, it takes an old-fashioned approach to the material and manages to deliver something we don't see much of these days: a low-budget genre film which relies more on its involving plot and interesting characters than on excessive gore. That's not to say the film doesn't have some genuinely gruesome moments. But what makes Sleepless Nights work is its screenplay, a solidly crafted piece that is several notches above the average for films of this type. The film is also well served by its cast, an attractive group of newcomers led by Jacqueline Anderson, Matthew Thomas and Richard Ryan. Anderson, a glamorous presence with great sex appeal is ably supported by Thomas and Ryan, two handsome, talented actors we expect to see more of in the future. Also making an impression is Duke York, who plays the villainous Lord Malgaard in a delightfully campy style that brings to mind Vincent Price in his scenery-chewing prime. Malgaard has in his thrall a dog collar-wearing mortal named Stritch, entertainingly played by Adrian Alvarado, who, with his intense expression and emphatic line readings, comes across like a Latin Udo Kier. To be sure, the telltale signs of Sleepless Nights' tiny budget are evident in the sets, costumes and special effects, leaving us to wonder what it would've looked like if the filmmakers had had some real money to work with. But it's a mark of the producers' courage that they attempted to make a film as lavish as this on such limited funds and it's to their credit that they've succeeded as well as they have. And so, while vampire fans are waiting for the next Lestat installment or the next incarnation of Dark Shadows, they might sample this intelligent little flick. At its best, it provides some genuinely pleasurable moments of escapist entertainment, something which--in the horror genre, at least--is in short supply these days.

This movie was better then most independent horror films I've seen. It has a good and believable story, well filmed. The low budget had an impact, especially on the special effects, but it is still worth viewing. The characters are well performed and believable. You can see the producers certainly tried to do a better then average job on this flick and they succeeded. Not only is there typical vampire action, but the story and personal conflicts makes us feel for the characters. The ending leaves us sad and happy at the same time. I would love to see a sequel. A treat in this type of film. Well done to the writer and director. Vampire lovers will enjoy this one.

This is one of the more unusual entries I've seen in the low budget horror DTV market. Instead of going the usual route of near pornographic violence,the writer/director takes the virtually untrammeled path of character driven drama. What a concept!

A good way to describe it would be- Dark Shadows meets Dracula AD 1972: The Necromorph Control Agency (sort of an anti-vampire Swat team) wages war against the urban undead, their principle target being the followers of the evil Malgard -an ancient vampire set on ruling the world. Christian is a vampire hunter tragically turned vampire, who wrestles with his blood hunger, and walks the night world alone, an outcast from both the living and the undead. Kaitlin is the NCA cop who accidentally discovers Cristian during her investigative work . One day Kaitlin gets some information that compels her out into the night, on her own, with the dangerous intent of finding this lone vampire...

The principal leads are attractive, and by and large good to adequate in their roles. There are plenty of places where it would be easy for an inexperienced actor to fall flat on his or her face, and the actors playing Christian and Kaitlin come through in convincing form. Other secondary characters are also well handled.The film is also nicely paced and moves quickly.

The scene I was most impressed with was the NCA team's raid on a Malgard compound. Despite a 2 dollar budget, this scene is convincingly handled, and tersely edited. It reminds me of a bit of George Romero, and also, some of the fight action scenes in Peter Jackson's earlier efforts (such as Bad Taste) that showed the promise of that director, in spite of budget limitations.

If you're a horror/vampire film buff, do yourself a favor, and check this film out.

If you are into "Buffy" or "Angel" or any of the bad guy vs. good guy vampire type shows, you are sure to get a kick out of this movie. The theme we seem to have going in this movie is the guy turned vampire but wants to do good instead of bad. Eventually, Kaitlin Moore (Played by: Jacqueline Anderson) from the "good team" gets a soft spot for Christian Grey; the good Vampire (played by: Matthew Thomas) always keeping him one step ahead of the NCA and ends up wanting to become a vampire after finding out about her health situation.

The Special effects are kind of fun, and the setting is mostly dark, dim lit, or just plain night, for obvious reasons. There are things that will make you cringe, laugh, and roll your eyes. However there is not much in the way of dead silence, there is always "effect music" in the background which always helps.

If you like Vampire type things, you should probably look for this and rent it before you buy. 4 out of 5 stars from Igor.