Arrow Video FrightFest Reviews: “There’s No Such Thing as Vampires,” “Hail to the Deadites,” and “The Horror Crowd”
By: Joseph Perry (Twitter - Uphill Both Ways Podcast)
There’s No Such Thing as Vampires
Director Logan Thomas’ There’s No Such Thing as Vampires is a valentine to 1980s horror and genre movies that often wears its influences on its cinematic sleeve but ultimately comes across as a potential franchise starter. Films are name-checked, shown on walls, or paid homage in set pieces in this fast-paced, fun outing.
The movie starts off at full speed, as shirtless, bloodied protagonist Joshua (Josh Plasse) tries to hide in a cinema to no avail and then implores stranger Ariel (Emma Holzer) to use her car to get them out of the area quickly before a vampire named Maximillian (Aric Cushing) catches up to them in his RV. Ariel drives the pair to the home of a film-studies–academic friend (Will Haden) who recognizes Joshua from a surprising source — adding a bit more mystery to the proceedings — and it isn’t long before Maximillian is in hot pursuit.
With so many recent films attempting to recreate the look and feel of 1980s horror and science fiction offerings — The Barn, The Void, and Turbo Kid, to name a few — There’s No Such Thing as Vampires presses all the right nostalgia buttons for scope, cinematography, score (John Carpenter nods aplenty), and mise-en-scène, but separates itself from the pack by emphasizing action rather than splatter.
Thomas, who cowrote the screenplay with Cushing, directs with aplomb, investing the film with an infectious energy. The practical effects are impressive and fit the tone of the film wonderfully, and the cast members give game performances.
For a horror film that pays respect to its predecessors but also feels like it could have been a VHS offering back in the 1980s heyday of video rentals, There’s No Such Thing as Vampires delivers a frenetic good time.
Hail to the Deadites
The fandom behind Sam Raimi’s original Evil Dead movie trilogy — The Evil Dead (1981), Evil Dead II (1987), and Army of Darkness (1992) — is legendary, and here writer/director Steve Villeneuve interviews fellow fanatics of the franchise at conventions and their homes, the latter of which sometimes house sizable collections of Evil Dead merchandise and film-used props. Viewers witness an Evil Dead wedding, cosplayers doing their best impressions of the trilogy’s hero Ash, and cast reunions, among other events.
Speaking of Ash, star Bruce Campbell appears with his thoughts on fans of the films, and there is an engaging story about whether he was the anonymous donor who made one cosplayer’s dream about meeting him at a convention come true. Rather than using clips from the original films, Villeneuve inserts segments from fan-made shorts, making this a true fan-friendly effort. The documentary is a love letter from one big-time fan to others, and serves as a fun time for pretty much anyone who enjoys the trilogy, or any type of horror fandom.
The Horror Crowd
Horror movie fans know well the joy of talking to like-minded spirits about their favorite films and books, how they were introduced to the genre, and what they were like as children (for example, nerdy kids who could relate to the classic Universal monsters or straight-laced young’uns who discovered the joys of fear fare while spending the night at a friend’s house). Director Ruben Pla captures this type of casual, in-the-know feel with a group of independent and big-studio filmmakers and actors in the engaging new documentary The Horror Crowd.
Pla — well known for his roles in such fright films as Insidious, Contracted, and American Nightmare — interviews friends, acquaintances, and industry professionals about the questions posed in this review’s opening sentence and also queries them about other topics, including the importance of relationships in the horror movie industry and how family plays into being an artist. The interview subjects include genre-favorite actress Lin Shaye (whose career spans from such 1980s offerings as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Critters, and Alone in the Dark to more recent projects such as the Insidious franchise and the TV series Penny Dreadful: City of Angels), prolific director Russell Mulcahy (whose fright-fare career started off in the 1980s with Razorback, A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, and episodes of the Tales from the Crypt TV series), writer/director/actress/comic book writer Brea Grant (whose directorial effort 12 Hour Shift also screened at this year’s FrightFest, and who stars in After Midnight and 1980s-feel Beyond the Gates), to name only a few.
Many of the interviewees cut their horror cinema teeth on rentals from video stores courtesy of liberal parents, and their output sometimes reflects this. The interview subjects are at ease with Pla, and the tone is rather convivial throughout.
One issue with The Horror Crowd is that with so many talking heads and topics, not a lot of deeper details are given and, because of fast edits, many sequences come off as sound bites rather than meaty discussions. Overall, though, the documentary celebrates the camaraderie and inclusivity that the titular circle can offer, and examines what it takes to become a successful player in today’s fear-fare cinema world.
The Horror Crowd received its world premiere on August 29 at FrightFest Digital Edition 2020. There’s No Such Thing as Vampires and Hail to the Deadites also screened as part of Arrow Video FrightFest, which ran August 28-31.
Joseph Perry is one of the hosts of When It Was Cool’s exclusive Uphill Both Ways podcast (whenitwascool.com/up-hill-both-ways-podcast/) and Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror: The Classic Era podcast (decadesofhorror.com/category/classicera/). He also writes for the film websites Diabolique Magazine (diaboliquemagazine.com), Gruesome Magazine (gruesomemagazine.com), The Scariest Things (scariesthings.com), Ghastly Grinning (ghastlygrinning.com), and Horror Fuel (horrorfuel.com), and film magazines Phantom of the Movies’ VideoScope (videoscopemag.com) and Drive-In Asylum (etsy.com/shop/GroovyDoom).
If you found this article interesting consider becoming a Patreon supporter. That is how When It Was Cool keeps our website and podcasts online, plus you get lots of bonus content including extra and extended podcasts, articles, digital comics, ebooks, and much more. Check out our Patreon Page to see what's up!
If you don't want to use Patreon but still want to support When It Was Cool then how about a one time $5 PayPal donation? Thank you!
