Rating: 
Summary: Misogynist Monster Mash Mess
Review: Okay. So it's a Friday night, and I want to settle down with a good horror flick. John Carpenter's "Vampires" looked to fit the bill: horror, humor, and what looked like some interesting twists in the plot (ie, vampire hunters working for the Catholic church). Boy, was I wrong. Certainly, the opening scenes with James Woods swaggering in those tight jeans, leather jacket, and sunglasses lent an interesting machismo, but as the film progressed, the plot and imagery deteriorated rapidly, and frankly became quite disturbing. Some brief examples...Sheryl Lee plays a prostitute bitten by Valek, the original 'master' vampire. Apparently, although not dead, she will "turn" within 48 hours; Woods and Daniel Baldwin want to use her psychic link with Valek to find and destroy him before he obtains the "black cross" and be able to live in the daylight. Lee is therefore dragged, slapped, stripped and degraded; yet, Baldwin inexplicably falls in love with her with no real explanation or character development (maybe the actor's fault?). The film also has a love-hate relationship with the Catholic church: priests are slapped around and degraded (at least they're not stripped), and the brief religious mention at the end of the film doesn't redeem the basic message of violence. The villains, except for Valek, are indistinct; the special effects and editing are choppy. And if you don't guess the three lines Woods says to Baldwin at the end of the film, you don't get out much (hint: it begins "I will hunt you down...). "Buffy" and "Angel" on television pack more of a punch.
Rating: 
Summary: LOVE IT
Review: This movie is one of the top Vampire movies ever made. It does slow down a lot after the first 30 minutes, but it is still good. This one takes away the 'Fairy Tail' aspects that vampires have. This movie makes you believe that vampires exist. What I found most interesting about this movie is Valek ( The Original Vampire). The 'goons' in this movie are implicted as monsterous savages. But Valek, on the other hand, is very cool at his work. Except for his white face, or when he's in a bad mood, you wouldn't think that he is a vampire until it is too late. That's the scariest type. This one is full of obsene language but if you can overlook that, this is a good one to see.
Rating:
Summary: Without a Doubt, My Favorite Vampire Movie
Review: The plot has been discussed by dozens of previous reviewers. The movie has been picked apart by people who hated it. All I add is this: this is without a doubt my favorite vampire movie of all time. The scenes are breathtaking. The acting IS spotty at times, but hey. The story is good. I think the reason I like it so much is that I prefer more "realistic" vampires, if you can even talk of such a thing. If there WERE such a thing as vampires, they would be like the monsters in this movie. And if there WERE people who hunted them, they would probably be like the people in this movie. This movie has a lot of replay value - I absolutely had to have it in my collection. I've watched it many, many times. As far as the DVD edition is concerned, I so much enjoyed watching it with John Carpenter's commentary turned on. There have been so many negative reviews, there must be SOMETHING that is turning the average viewer off, though. My advice: rent it first. You'll either hate it, or (like me) you'll love it and know that you have to own it.
Rating:
Summary: MR WOODS IS ONE OF THE BEST ACTORS IN THE WORLD
Review: This is one of my favorite films of all time. Its just something I can watch over and over again because of a couple of things : the cast is excellent,the music is some of the best that Ive heard,the fact that its a john carpenter film.screw that film review right before the customer reviews section above about a strong opening sequence and then it dies off.Anybody who has ever seen any john carpenter films before know how his films are going to be.You know that his films attempt to build suspense and give you something different then you have ever seen before.one more thing whats with the picture quality rating of 3? its a 5 if there ever was a 5.this film is a classic.
Rating:
Summary: 'Vampires': A Modern-Day Horror Film
Review: John Carpenter's 'Vampires' is probably the best "modern-day" vampire movie to date. Unlike films such as 'Interview With The Vampire' (which is an excellent film), which is set farther back in time, 'Vampires' takes place in the present day. Because the history of the vampire goes back many centuries, filmmakers of the past have set films to this older time frame. Probably the first and maybe the only silent horror film on vampires is 'Nosferatu' (which has been digitally remastered and re-released on video and DVD). Originally made in the very early 19th century, 'Nosferatu' gave ideas to filmmakers since then, however for John Carpenter, his idea was a little bit different. 'Vampires' is set in modern-day New Mexico. The film opens up with a skyview of an old farmhouse that has been abandoned and left to weather away in the dry land. On a hill in the distance stands Jack Crow, played by James Woods. Crow operates under the Vatican, and is sent by the church to locate and wipe out any and all vampires in his sector of the United States. Crow has zero patience, a violent temper, and one goal: total annihilation of all vampires. To accomplish this goal, he receives help from his team called the "Slayers". A Slayer is anyone who hunts and destroys vampires, and for Team Crow, the chances of doing this are high. Crow's team consists of himself, assistant-like Tony Montoya (Daniel Baldwin), a handful of Slayers, and a priest (referred to as "padres"). As the two trucks arrive at the farmhouse, the Slayers prepare to enter the domicile on a hunch that a nest of vampires lurk inside. For the Slayers, the objective is to rid the shack of vampires. For Crow, the objective is the same, along with a second. Crow had received word that a "master vampire" was residing within the house. Basically, master vampires are those that lead bands of vampires, and are reportedly much stronger and cunning than an average one. It is believed that if a nest of vampires are located, then their master is sure to be with them. As Crow cautiously leads the team into the house, their first surprise (besides a dead body) is an attack by a female vampire. As we have seen in vampire movies of the past, there are several ways to kill a vampire, however in 'Vampires' there are only two, one of which can only be done in a limited amount of time: a wooden stake through the heart and direct contact with sunlight. As Crow fires his crossbow into the vampire, Montoya eagerly awaits outside. The arrows are connected to cables, which are attached to the front of one of the trucks, which is then pulled via remote by Montoya. The female vampire is yanked outside, burns in the sun, and is finally sent to eternal rest by the priest. Crow and crew clean out the rest of the house, with a total of nine slain vampires (jokingly called "goons" by the Slayers). Crow is satisfied, but not completely, for the master was nowhere to be found. As Team Crow drive off into the sunset, just in time, a beastly hand reaches from out of the ground. In celebration of their victory, the team heads to the Sun God Motel, for a night of much deserved booze and prostitutes. As the party carries deep into the night, a figure in black walks across the hotel lot. He is Valek, the master vampire that Crow was in search of. A former priest who turned against the church in the 16th century, Valek makes his appearance by slaughtering the Slayers and prostitutes one by one. As the only survivors, Crow and Montoya barely escape the carnage, and run out to the trucks. What they find is Katrina, the only surviving prostitute who was bitten by Valek prior to his massacre. Crow grabs Katrina, as she will provide a great deal of help for Crow and Montoya. When bitten by a master vampire, the victim can telepathically see what they see, hear what they hear, and feel what they feel. With this, Crow can seek out and destroy Valek. After a rough night, the daylight brings two scenarios: Crow heads back to the hotel and disposes the bodies, and Montoya and Katrina shack up in another hotel until they hear from Crow. If I was to disclose anymore information, then I would be giving away the movie. However at this point, questions may start to arise such as how Valek knows Crow's identity, why Crow has such a deep hatred towards vampires, and what Valek's intentions are. What also adds more "western style" to this tale is the film's soundtrack. Carpenter composed most of the music himself, and it varies between hard blues rock to soft acoustic ballads. I am pretty sure that you will like 'Vampires', regardless of what kinds of movies you like. I hope you enjoy the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Perhaps best Vampire film I've ever seen.
Review: Firstly let me say I've seen nearly every vampire flick under the sun, all are different and unique in their own ways. Some viewers like the story to come from the vampire's perspective (Interview with the vampire), others like it from the people's perspective (From Dusk til Dawn). This movie may offend some as the thought of charming, euro-trash accent vampires is abolished here and stated also by the lead character in the film Jack Crow (played by James Woods). It's a must for horror fans, specifically of the Vampire genre. If you liked From Dusk til Dawn you will cherish this film, if you didn't like From Dusk til Dawn ... please seek medical attention. Don't pass this one up, as you will find it will be one of those movies that you can watch 20 times and still want to see it again.
Rating:
Summary: If I Were A Carpenter
Review: ...named John, I'd go back and ask Hollywood to give him less money so he can make classics like "Halloween." "Vampires" opens with a wonderful action sequence where the "batbusters" raid a nest of "goons," their terminology for vampires. After that, it's downhill. Although the tongue is definitely in the cheek, it gets caught on several occasions. Some of the lighting and camera work are truly inspired, but the acting is mediocre, and even the inimitable James Woods cannot save his character. The "surprise" with Maximilian Schell as the Cardinal is also pretty farfetched. The lovely Sheryl Lee did a much better job wrapped in a plastic bag on "Twin Peaks" and as for Daniel Baldwin, well, he certainly looks like his brother Alec...that's where any comparison ends. There are so many plot holes and unanswered questions, you'd think John Carpenter directed by proxy. Disappointing...watch "Halloween" and "The Thing" for true Carpenter magic!
Rating: 
Summary: James Woods over the top. What a surprise!
Review: Listening to the director's commentary on this DVD was quite insightful, because you see how much leeway director John Carpenter gave actor James Woods. A lot Woods' improvisation got into the final cut of the film, which is okay because once you get into the film he's just about the only good guy left. The film begins with a neat idea: a paramilitary group of vampire hunters with their well honed techniques of taking out the vamps. Add to this the nice twist of a Master Vampire and his cadre of cohorts. The problem is the rest of Woods' group gets wiped out early on, just when I was thinking that it would be neat to have a Vampire version of Aliens. This is not a subtle ride, but a fine B-flick worthy of a bucket of popcorn with added butter.
Rating: 
Summary: ...
Review: No really, the film version of the genious novel Vampire$ is totally stupid. The opening scene is as about as close as this film comes to the feel of the novel then it quickly dissolves into your standard fare action movie. I was really hoping for James Woods as Jack Crow, who in the novel first comes on as a tough as nails vampire killer but then breaks down and starts crying later, Jack Crow in this movie is just like any other action film hero. Whats even worse is John Carpenter did this movie, you would think with him directing he would put everything in the novel onscreen then make it even better like he did with The Thing. Here it seems he was just pointing the camera and collecting his paycheck, absolutely no effort at all put into this film from anyone. John Carpenter only seems to produce good work when his budget is limited (Halloween, The Thing, Prince of Darkness). When studios give him big dollars he puts out stale forgettable .... And that's what this movie is, read the book, it will blow you away.
Rating:
Summary: The Absolute Worst Movie I Have Ever Seen!
Review: If you are considering buying this badly written, poorly acted fodder DON'T! Instead do yourself a favour and buy Blade (Wesley Snipes) or Interview With The Vampire (Tom Cruise) instead. These are both "vampire" movies and well worth the cash. John Carpenter's Vampires? Lets just hope they don't make a second one!
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