Another day, another horror flick! It’s one week to Halloween. It’s not even 5 o’clock and it’s near dark already. Perfect time for an 80s vampire flick that’s not The Lost Boys or Fright Night, classic sthough they are. No, This Guy’s in the mood for something a bit different. Something from a director who wouldn’t get proper acclaim for another 25 years, with a bit of western flair.

So,  if you want something a little different, with an awesome cast and great dialogue, join This Guy and watch…

Kathryn Bigelow’s Near Dark

Vampire flicks with a touch of camp had become a bit too trendy by the mid 80s. So Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty), a relatively green director at the time wanted to do something a little different. Originally intending to write a western, she decided to cross horror.  and Near Dark was the result.

“Howdy. I’m gonna separate your head from your shoulders. Hope you don’t mind none.”

The story finds Caleb meeting a young beauty, Mae, who he immediately falls for. She takes a quick bite out of him at the end of the night, as you do, and runs off, returning later with her “family” to take him away. Lance Henriksen leads the vampire clan as Jesse Hooker. His girlfriend Diamonback (Jenette Goldstein), and their psychotic companion Severen (Bill Paxton) round out the group. Basically the most badass trio of vamps you could ever hope to see on screen together. They nearly made the cut for This Guy’s Top 5 Movie Vampires. You’ll note that all 3 cast member were in James Cameron’s (a good friend, and later Bigelow’s husband) Aliens.

The flick is shot beatifully, especially for an 80s horror. It’s got an awesome cast, snappy dialogue, and when it gets wonderfully violent, it’s sudden, brutal, and sticks with you something fierce.

So, one week to Halloween, and This Guy’s watching Near Dark. And you should too!