A band of professional, Vatican-sanctioned vampire hunters, led by hardened slayer Jack Crow (James Woods), battle a powerful master vampire called Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith), who is attempting to repeat the ritual that turned him into a vampire and which will enable him to walk in daylight.
Director John Carpenter is, of course, capable of much better than Vampires, but the film is also a long way from his worst (Ghosts of Mars, please stand up!). The plot plods at times, especially when the director focuses a little too much on style over content, but any film that features James Woods as a mean sonuvabitch vampire slayer, the gorgeous Sheryl Lee as a sexy hooker turned bloodsucker, some impressive set-pieces (the vampires burning up in sunlight being amongst some of the best bloodsucker deaths committed to film), and lots of outstanding gore effects by the brilliant KNB effects group is never going to be a total waste of any horror fan's time.
6 out of 10, bumped up to 7 for Mark Boone Junior's awesomely bloody demise (split up the middle by Valek's talons), the savage decapitation of a priest, and Sheryl Lee's nude scene (we don't really get to see her 'twin peaks' but we are treated to her delightful derrière).
Director John Carpenter is, of course, capable of much better than Vampires, but the film is also a long way from his worst (Ghosts of Mars, please stand up!). The plot plods at times, especially when the director focuses a little too much on style over content, but any film that features James Woods as a mean sonuvabitch vampire slayer, the gorgeous Sheryl Lee as a sexy hooker turned bloodsucker, some impressive set-pieces (the vampires burning up in sunlight being amongst some of the best bloodsucker deaths committed to film), and lots of outstanding gore effects by the brilliant KNB effects group is never going to be a total waste of any horror fan's time.
6 out of 10, bumped up to 7 for Mark Boone Junior's awesomely bloody demise (split up the middle by Valek's talons), the savage decapitation of a priest, and Sheryl Lee's nude scene (we don't really get to see her 'twin peaks' but we are treated to her delightful derrière).