If you read my blog regularly you know that I enjoy the horror movie genre. I’m not really sure why. I guess it’s because it gets my adrenaline pumping and heart racing. It’s exhilarating, in an off beat way.
I have always loved horror movies, even as a very young girl. I was especially keen on vampire movies. I think I’ve seen every vampire movie that Christopher Lee was in. He is a classic vampire. Unlike vampires of today who are sadistic, vicious and downright scary – Christopher Lee portrayed Count Dracula/Vampires as classy, debonair and handsome.
It is said that the story of Dracula was inspired by the ruler of Transylvannia, otherwise known as Vlad the Impaler. Vlad III the Impaler was a 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince. He was sometimes called Dracula. Dracula “Son of the Dragon”. Vlad was a member of the Order of the Dragon.
Bram Stoker used Prince Vlad the Impaler as his inspiration for his 1897 gothic horror novel, Dracula.
Bram Stoker wrote about a man who would suck blood from the necks of his victims. Vlad the Impaler did not do that. He was however a very cruel man. He was known to impale his enemies as part of his fondness for torturing and killing his victims. Some estimates have his victims ranging from 40,000 – 100,000 (as per Wikipedia). Vlad the Impaler was a sick, twisted and evil man.
Many films have been made about Dracula. Nosferatu is one of the first known films about Dracula, dating back to 1922 when the film was released (and later destroyed – but one copy did remain). Since Nosferatu dozens of Dracula/Vampire movies have been made. Some have been pretty good, others have been downright ridiculous and a “torture” to watch. 🙂
Despite the possibility of being a “hit” or “miss” movie, I tend to check out every vampire/Dracula movie that comes out.
There is a new movie that will be in theaters on October 31, 2013 called The Impaler. It will be in limited theaters as well as on VOD.
Here is the official synopsis;
Just over 500 years ago, Vlad the Impaler (Gregory Lee Kenyon) returns to his castle to find it over-run by Turks. He sells his soul to the Devil to save his wife and defeat the Turks, turning him to a monstrous demon. His Victory is short-lived, however, as his wife is revived just in time to see him dragged off to Hell.
In the Hollywood Hills, a party marks the end of seven friend’s high school careers. Dominic (Teo Celigo) seals his love for his anxious girlfriend, Chelsea (Marcienne Dwyer), with a ring that symbolizes their commitment. After they return to the group, Adam (Christian Gehring) reveals to everyone that he has been having increasingly potent dreams that seem to beckon him to a castle in Romania that he found to be the real castle of Vlad the Impaler. His half-mocking group of friend’s are shocked to find that he has booked the castle for a week to kick off their graduation Euro-trip. After arriving at the Castle, they find that they will not be the only residents as the castle’s groundskeeper, Veronica (Diana Busuioc), opens the castle gates and shows them their rooms. The specter-like groundskeeper proves to be more than she seems as she leads the kids through a bloody ritual to release Vlad from Hell.
Shadows, secrets, and scares abound in this dark modern revival of the world’s first vampire: the infamous, Dracula. The time has come to summon the world’s greatest evil back from Hell. No one will be safe.
I try to always watch a film without any preconceived expectations. It seems lately vampire/Dracula movies are pretty bad. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Dark Shadows and Fright Night are just a few examples are pretty bad vampire movies (sorry Johnny Depp and Colin Ferrall). To be honest, I was expecting The Impaler to be just another “gore-fest”. I was pleasantly surprised that it was not. There was some blood shed, but nothing too “over the top”.
All of the actors did a decent job. In fact, most of them were pretty likable and you found yourself rooting for them in hopes that they would be spared from certain death.
There is a twist in the movie about “seven demons” that I have never seen in a vampire/Dracula movie before. That was interesting.
I also don’t see this as a true vampire/Dracula movie. The evil character in this movie does not go around sucking the blood from people’s necks. He doesn’t turn into a bat either (which I have always thought was pretty silly). I honestly wouldn’t even classify this movie as a vampire/Dracula movie at all. It’s based on the man who the Dracula story was based upon, but it’s not a true vampire/Dracula movie. It really is about Vlad the Impaler as a sick, evil, twisted man – but with a bit of sorcery (for lack of a better description) mixed in.
There is some brief nudity and sexual situations sprinkled in the film, as well as drug use. I personally don’t see why people feel the need to include sex, drugs and nudity in films – especially horror films. I know “sex sells” but seriously, it’s not needed. Not just with this film, I’m referring to any film. You can do decent films without them.
I was very surprised by the ending. I thought it might be a bit predictable, but it wasn’t. Sometimes good doesn’t always trump evil. It’s nice to see a film that didn’t go for a cliché ending.
Overall I was pleased with the film. I didn’t find it scary, but there were a few scenes that might make the easily squeamish viewer jump.
If you would like to learn more about the film you can check out the official website – www.TheImpalerMovie.com. You can also “like” the movie on Facebook and follow on Twitter.
The Impaler is from Full Moon Films and Flawless Productions.
Here is the film’s trailer for your enjoyment.
Kimberly
*I received a free screener in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.