IMDb RATING
5.5/10
4.7K
YOUR RATING
Three students get caught in the struggle between a good vampire and his evil brother in the Transylvanian mountains.Three students get caught in the struggle between a good vampire and his evil brother in the Transylvanian mountains.Three students get caught in the struggle between a good vampire and his evil brother in the Transylvanian mountains.
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Did you know
- TriviaThis was the first American film to be shot in Romania, particularly in the aftermath of the fall of Communism in Romania.
- ConnectionsEdited into Full Moon Fantasy (1993)
Featured review
Inventive and enjoyable (for vampire fans)
It's the classic story of good brother vs. bad brother as the vampire sons of old King Vlad - handsome, noble, boring Stefan and hideous, jealous, scheming, fascinating Radu - battle over the rights to their inheritance. At stake (sorry) are ancient Castle Vladislas, played to perfection by ancient Castle Hunedoara, and the family's prize, the mystic Bloodstone; a holy relic that drips the blood of saints. (What a unique invention! I wish the movie said more about its nature and history.) Into the middle of this gory sibling squabble wander the obligatory clueless bunch of cute American students, doing a research project on local folklore, and we're off to the races.
Has its weak spots, especially the awkward animation and matting-in of Radu's tiny demon servants, but its energy, enthusiasm and imaginative ideas - such as the "shadow transit" by which the vampires travel, and the reptilian relish of Anders Hove's performance as Radu - easily carry it over these gaps. Add in some gore and nudity for the high-school crowd, and the pleasure of seeing a vampire film actually shot in Romania and using its wonderful medieval locations so central to Western vampire lore, and you have a thoroughly capable and enjoyable little horror film. Those who appreciate bloody but clever small-scale horror such as Brian Yuzna's Lovecraft films should have no trouble adopting this one.
(If you enjoy my reviews, you can read more of them under my previous name - just plain "angelynx".)
Has its weak spots, especially the awkward animation and matting-in of Radu's tiny demon servants, but its energy, enthusiasm and imaginative ideas - such as the "shadow transit" by which the vampires travel, and the reptilian relish of Anders Hove's performance as Radu - easily carry it over these gaps. Add in some gore and nudity for the high-school crowd, and the pleasure of seeing a vampire film actually shot in Romania and using its wonderful medieval locations so central to Western vampire lore, and you have a thoroughly capable and enjoyable little horror film. Those who appreciate bloody but clever small-scale horror such as Brian Yuzna's Lovecraft films should have no trouble adopting this one.
(If you enjoy my reviews, you can read more of them under my previous name - just plain "angelynx".)
helpful•292
- angelynx-2
- Apr 11, 2000
Details
- Runtime1 hour 23 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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