Those F**kin' Vampires Are at it Again!
The only thing warm in Barrow, Alaska is blood - and luckily for a gang of thirsty trench-coat wearing vampires, there's enough to go around.
In "30 Days of Night," the new horror-on-ice flick from director David Slade ("Hard Candy"), a small Alaskan town is so far north that during the winter the sun does not rise for 30 days (Oh! That's what the title means!).
Steve Niles' groundbreaking comic miniseries is receiving it's own big screen treatment with the help of producer Sam Raimi ("The Grudge"). As you may have guessed, the premise is pretty simple - the last remaining rays of light fade away and winter begins. As the dark engulfs Barrow, a mob of vampires descends upon the town to feed on its residents.
It all starts when Sheriff Eben Oleson (Josh Hartnett) is dispatched to handle a disturbance and meets a mysterious stranger (Ben Foster) who has wandered into town looking for a bite, or as he might put it - "a little fresh meat." After being introduced to the cozy confines of a Barrow jail cell, the stranger prophetically speaks of an invasion by a terrifying evil.
First Barrow succumbs to darkness. Next, the power goes. No communication - no way to signal for help. "Bar the windows. Try to hide. They're coming," warns the stranger. To this cryptic calling our every-man sheriff asks, "They? Who are they?"
The Nosferatu are coming - a brotherhood of vampires - are the 'they' and why they're coming is fairly obvious. They're f**king vampires and that's what they do - they stay in the dark and they suck people dry. What better place to do that than an isolated Alaskan village with no way to call for help.
Leading this brotherhood is the horrifying Marlow (Danny Huston) who is as intelligent as he is cruel and brutal. Unlike the iconic Dracula, this ancient evil finds no need to drink blood from goblets or wear a tuxedo with a cape. In fact, Marlow and his gang only seek one thing - blood, and plenty of it.
With military precision, his gangs of bloodsuckers flood the town and snatch out the weaker citizens, leaving only a few poor souls left to fight back.
How long can the heroic sheriff Oleson keep his family safe and protect the town until the light returns, or will darkness (and evil) swallow them whole?
The atmosphere is reminiscent of John Carpenter's "The Thing," chilling to the bone. The bleakness of the Alaskan backdrop provides an icy canvas for director David Slade to showcase his talent for disturbing audiences.
And disturb it does. "30 Days of Night" is a graphically violent and gory celebration of horror - and it's about time. Too often lately have we as an audience been served brainless PG-13 drivel pawned off as "horror." Just in time for Halloween, "30 Days of Night" delivers on its promise - to leave you deeply disturbed and completely grossed out.
Actors Josh Hartnett, Danny Huston, Melissa George and Ben Foster are solid throughout the film and fill their roles nicely. As Eben Oleson, Josh Hartnett seems out-of-place but surprisingly he brings a real depth and realism to the role. The sheriff never becomes some crazy action hero, doing things beyond the realm of possibility - which is a nice change.
Ben Foster sets the mood perfectly as the stranger, warning Oleson and the other police officers, "That cold ain't the weather, that's death approaching." Foster has been on a roll lately with solid supporting roles in this film and "3:10 to Yuma." I think we can look forward to big things in his career.
My only gripe, and it's a big one, is the fact that Hollywood has taken every iconic horror myth and combined them into one super-monster. Gone are the days of slow-moving zombies or sophisticated and urbane vampires. Now we have vampires that exhibit the agility and deformed nature of the classic werewolf mashed up with a thirst for blood and flesh that is as immortal as they are.
I guess I was hoping for more subtlety in this film - but instead I got lots of wire-rigged jumping from rooftop-to-rooftop as if the Incredible Hulk was on the loose. "30 Days of Night" isn't the first movie guilty of this act, but it's certainly would that could have avoided the trend altogether.
Overall, "30 Days of Night" is a respectable adaptation of a chilling graphic novel. If you're not too grossed out by excessive blood and gore, then grab a ticket and enjoy a great horror flick perfect for the season. This is one vampire movie that doesn't suck.
"30 Days of Night" is Rated R for strong horror violence and language. 113 minutes.
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