Director Katt Shea Rubens' "Dance of the Damned" is a cut above the usual horror film. It proves that elaborate special effects and spectacle are not necessary elements of a compelling movie. What it does have is an intriguing script, co-written by Katt and Andy Ruben, and fine performances.
This is essentially a two character drama, and one that could easily work just as well on the stage. The lovely Starr Andreeff stars as Jodi, a *very* troubled stripper who's ready to end it all. That's when a stranger comes into her life, a good looking, brooding guy (Cyril O'Reilly), who claims that he can end her misery. You see, the stranger is a vampire, but before he feeds on her he wants to know what there is to know about human existence - specifically, what's it like to exist in daylight.
The balance of the film charts their evolving relationship, as each person lays bare their soul to the other, revealing past events that have come to shape the individuals that they have become. It's touching the way that ultimately, they make that connection. The vampire is moved by Jodi to the point where he's willing to help her make things right in her life and be with her son (Chuck Rhee) on his birthday, while she takes him to the beach where she attempts to simulate what the daytime is like.
Both Andreeff and O'Reilly are excellent; as their characters bring out the best in each other, so too do the actors create an affecting chemistry. When a film is dependent on character and performance, the actors really need to deliver, and, thankfully, that's what happens here.
There is one erotic sex scene, and some very tantalizing strip numbers to open the film; Debbie Nassar, Maria Ford (in her first film), and Athena Worthy co-star as Andreeffs' co-workers, and are pleasing to look at, but titillation is never the #1 goal of this modest and ambitious film, just an enjoyable bonus.
It really is a shame that this genuinely interesting low budget production hasn't gotten a DVD and/or Blu-ray release yet. Of the many films out there still waiting for that treatment, it deserves it more than some.
Eight out of 10.
This is essentially a two character drama, and one that could easily work just as well on the stage. The lovely Starr Andreeff stars as Jodi, a *very* troubled stripper who's ready to end it all. That's when a stranger comes into her life, a good looking, brooding guy (Cyril O'Reilly), who claims that he can end her misery. You see, the stranger is a vampire, but before he feeds on her he wants to know what there is to know about human existence - specifically, what's it like to exist in daylight.
The balance of the film charts their evolving relationship, as each person lays bare their soul to the other, revealing past events that have come to shape the individuals that they have become. It's touching the way that ultimately, they make that connection. The vampire is moved by Jodi to the point where he's willing to help her make things right in her life and be with her son (Chuck Rhee) on his birthday, while she takes him to the beach where she attempts to simulate what the daytime is like.
Both Andreeff and O'Reilly are excellent; as their characters bring out the best in each other, so too do the actors create an affecting chemistry. When a film is dependent on character and performance, the actors really need to deliver, and, thankfully, that's what happens here.
There is one erotic sex scene, and some very tantalizing strip numbers to open the film; Debbie Nassar, Maria Ford (in her first film), and Athena Worthy co-star as Andreeffs' co-workers, and are pleasing to look at, but titillation is never the #1 goal of this modest and ambitious film, just an enjoyable bonus.
It really is a shame that this genuinely interesting low budget production hasn't gotten a DVD and/or Blu-ray release yet. Of the many films out there still waiting for that treatment, it deserves it more than some.
Eight out of 10.