Once more it's a Tuesday. And yes, I got in here on the right day this week. Only I'm sort of jammed for time and I don't think I'll even get tonight's main vampire blog post done on the other blog.... But I'm picking the movie club movie for this week as ..... Night Stalker.
The original 1971 movie that ended up having the spin off tv show not the one about the teenaged serial killer.
The film starts with the lead character Kolchak who is a reporter in Las Vegas, writing up notes from a tape recorder about one of the strangest cases he's covered to date. A string of murders, all women, all drained of blood and a killer on the loose who can not be captured.
He manages to convince the police that what they are dealing with is a man who they at first think, is believing he's a vampire. But as the case progresses and they finally corner him, they learn he is in deed the real thing. His make -up that allows him to blend in is washed off exposing his whiter then bleach skin and red eyes.
Kolchak follows him to his house and discovers his latest victim tied up and connected to an iv and pump, draining her of her blood. Himself and an FBI agent then manage to run a stake into the vampire's heart killing him.
Back at the police station, he's told that his news story can not run as is, and they are covering it all up by running another version of the events, claiming the killer was just a mad man.
Kolchak then learns that his girlfriend has been threatened by the cops to leave town, and he himself made to move to another city.
The last scene is once again of him listening to his tape recorder writing up a fresh copy of the story.
You almost have to wonder who the real vampires are in this, the actual vampire or the dudes who are covering it up? I think the theme of conspiracies is a perfect metaphor for vampirism. The whole idea of blackmail to get what you want and to bury the truth, fits fully into the idea of vampires, draining the passion and reason from others. The madness it can create.
This was a made for tv movie that was based on a book. And it's script was written by the same guy who did "I am Legend" so there is this idea of the lone individual fighting for survival. The idea that you're the only one in the situation.
I got the feeling from this, that the vampire - who is sort of a minor character in scope of the film- is dealing with a duel or dare I say neutral position. He's doing what he needs to survive. And since you don't get to know what makes him tick, in fact the vampire has no real lines, you never feel anything for him. Not in the way modern vampire films do. This is all done from Kolchak's point of view, and he's really the Van Helsing styled character.
and with that note... till later.
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