Search - Maria's B Movie Mayhem: Vampire at Midnight on DVD

Christopher M. (GilesGoatboy) from FAIRFAX, VA
Reviewed on 9/24/2013...

The true mystery of this film is why it's so overlooked and underappreciated. It's an American answer to a Hammer film if there ever was one. Most films that try to transpose 19th century Gothic themes to comtemporary time fail miserably...while this one succeeds admirably.
Nights in Souhtern California have never looked so spooky....
Gustav Vintas is appropriately creepy, carrying most of it naturally, without garish makeup.
There's more violence, gore and nudity than expected, but not enough to ruin the film and story.
Jason Williams, more mature here, is quite good...(his casual and likable machismo and his fit appearance would have been great in the role of John D. Macdonald's Travis McGee series.)
Two of the supporting characters who become victims are standouts, too: the female cop who stalks Jason's character and a stand-up comic whose original frantic phone call to identify the serial killer initially brings Williams into the case.
I won't go into detail about the plot, but the film is very effective from the opening scene until the final frame...and, surprisingly, it's the only "vampire film" you'll ever see that leaves you with the feeling that it could have really happened.