Vamp (1986)
Film Information
Director: Richard Wenk
Producer: Donald P. Borchers
Writer: Richard Wenk, Donald P. Borchers
Date Released: July 18, 1986
Cast:
Chris Makepeace as Keith
Robert Rusler as AJ
Grace Jones as Katrina
Dedee Pfeiffer as Allison/Amaretto
Gedde Watanabe as Duncan
Billy Drago as Snow
Sandy Baron as Vic
Lisa Lyon as Cimmaron
Rating = 2/5/5 Graves
***May contain some spoilers***
Synopsis
In order to get into a fraternity, Keith (Chris Makepeace) and AJ (Robert Rusler) must find a stripper for tonight‘s fraternity party. In need of a vehicle, they recruit Duncan (Gedde Watanabe) and borrow his car in exchange for friendship for one week. When they search the local ads in the newspaper, they come across the strip club called the After Dark Club which is operated by a woman named Katrina. But little do they know that the club is actually a den for vampires.
Gore Factor
There are some gory scenes including the scenes involving vampire, Katrina. Otherwise, there is little in the way of blood or gore. However, the makeup and costume work are well-done.
The Grave Review
Vamp is a vampire film that hits upon common themes. On the surface, Vamp is not a terrific film, but there are some positive aspects of the film which make it enjoyable and entertaining.
The chemistry between roommates, Keith and AJ were the highlight of the film. On one hand, you have Keith who is the character that goes along with things but is cautious. On the other hand, there is the character, AJ who is tough and adventurous but gives little regard to the potential of consequences. It would have been nice to see more of their interactions even after AJ turned into a vampire. Towards the end of the film when AJ is in a vampire state, he tells Keith that he can always take night classes (referring to college courses). The humor is dark and subtle but adds a positive dimension to the film. Unfortunately, the film ends the interactions of the roommates fairly early on in the film.
In respect to individual performances, both Chris Makepeace, Robert Rusler and Gedde Watanabe performed well. As stated above, they really were the highlight of the film and made Vamp a fun campy 80s film. Grace Jones was also a perfect fit for the vampire character, Katrina. I also appreciate the fact that they incorporated some of her own fashion styles into the film. Jones is partially known for her fashion statements during her music performances and this film showcased that well. Whether that was intentional or not, the unorthodox fashion was something unique. It is also nice to see that the production crew incorporated her as she is of Jamaican descent. Too few films incorporate women of color so it was refreshing to see that, especially in the 80s.
The film was well paced and there was very little downtime between scenes. However, there just wasn’t a lot of depth to the story. Despite that fact that the performances were respectable, the film just didn’t have a lot to work with. Overall, Vamp is a descent film and is worth the watch for the acting, but is not a film I would revisit regularly.
For the foregoing reasons, Grave Reviews gives Vamp (1986) two and a half graves out of five graves.
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