You know, it’s not that often Movie Night Adrian and I get together on a Friday night to catch a movie.
But, given that neither of us are football fans — and with nothing else on TV that caught the attention of either of us — we both thought a film would be something to catch.
Handy Adrian had a copy of the 2009, Spierig brothers directed, Daybreakers going begging, really …
Which, if you’ve a taste for a vampire movie, or two, is a rivetingly good watch.
And one that had me, at least, playing my usual game of ‘Spot the Reference’, as well!
Not that I’m a trainspotter!
Having an anorak, half a dozen pen-protectors, and at least 18 technical manuals for The Flying Scotsman doesn’t count, before you say anything, Adrian … !!
Because Daybreakers is a vampire movie that is both a well thought out modern-day take on the idea of fighting this particular movie monster, one that hack’s back to earlier vampire movies — cult Kathryn Bigelow vampire film, Near Dark comes to mind, there, as does the 1971, Boris Sagal film, The Omega Man — and one that has a lot of internal consistency in its world building: something I know I’m always impressed with.
Daybreakers sees vampire hematologist, Dr Edward Dalton, working for pharmaceutical company, Bromley Marks: a pharmaceutical company headed by Charles Bromley — Sam Neill being even more devilish than he was in The Omen 3: The Final Conflict — and one that’s coming more and more to prominence, in the near-future setting of 2019.
Because this near future is one that sees the Earth, after a plague hasn’t exactly killed everyone: the Earth’s population has, instead, all turned into vampires.
And the company that Ethan Hawke’s character, Dr Dalton, works for is desperately searching for a substitute for human blood, as more and more people are becoming vampires.
Food’s running out.
And the company’s supplied of battery-farmed humans is slowly dwindling …
Which is where the influences really can be felt, actually: because, in a way I thought was definitely reminiscent of Near Dark, there’s a cure.
Or a couple of them.
Helpfully supplied by the Willem Dafoe character, Lionel ‘Elvis’ Cormac, and Edward’s younger brother, Frankie — played by Michael Dorman — both cure’s come into play towards the end of the film …
Which is where I think I can leave it …
After all, I’d rather not spoil thing’s totally for you … !
All I think I need to say, though, is that this is a very watchable film, for those of us who’d like to see a very well thought out vampire flick.
Granted, that idea of an ostensibly evil being redeemed may be a bit old hat for some*, but Hollywood can do these things rather well.
That makes Daybreakers well worth the money.
* One of these day’s, we’ll see a European or Bollywood take on the idea: that might just make everyone’s eyes pop out …
