Grave of the Vampire is an early 70s vampire flick that changes up the typical vamp story just enough to be moderately entertaining. There's not much here to rave about, but it passes the time all right. Probably the most interesting thing about the film is how the first half-hour or so seems like a completely different movie from what comes next. I mean, both halves keep a serious tone (I'm not sure if there's even a joke in this film), but I guess it'd be like an extended prologue. It plays out like you get a bizarre short film, followed by a shorter, unconventional vampire movie. Say what you well about Grave of the Vampire, but at least the structure keeps it from being boring.
Early on in the film, a vampire rises from the grave and attacks a couple making out in their car. Yes, they go to the graveyard to make out. How romantic! The vampire cracks the man's back over a tombstone (it looks cool!) and then proceeds to drag the woman down into his open grave and rapes her. (You don't see this, thankfully.) I'm trying to think of another vampire movie where I've seen this. There's almost always a sexual element to a vampire attack, but I don't remember ever seeing a vampire that's solely after sex. So that's different.
Anyways, she gets pregnant, and the doctor (somehow) instantly knows it's bad news. (There's actually a lot of that "just knowing" going on in this film - the doctor talks about that 'thing growing inside' her, and the cop investigating the attack just goes to "vampire" when he hears about it, as if a vampire is *ever* the first suspect.) The doctor wants her to get an abortion, but she's not having it. The baby is born, but seems sick and won't take any milk. But when mom is trying to breastfeed and accidentally cuts herself, she finds that the infant will in fact drink blood. It's actually a pretty creepy scene, and up to this point the film is a rather interesting and weird thing to behold. You assume you're going to spend *some* time with baby vampire - I for one was pretty stoked.
But I guess co-writer/director John Hayes was not as stoked, because no sooner than baby takes the blood do we flash forward to the half-human/half-vampire James Eastman (William Smith) as an adult. A convenient voiceover lets us know who he is, and how he has sworn vengeance against his vampire father Caleb Croft (Michael Pataki). James has tracked him down to a community college where he teaches a night class on folklore and mythology - and then enrolls in the class. (Instead of just getting vengeance - I'm not sure why.) James also falls in with two women (roommates!) who have an interest in vampiric legend, and the three of them sort of work together to expose Croft as the vampire he is. Or, in one woman's case, to let Croft bite her so she can become a vampire bride and achieve immortality. Good times!
So honestly, I liked the first third of the film quite a bit more than the last two. It felt a little more unconventional and almost a little outsider-artsy at times in the way it was willing to go to dark places (i.e. newborn drinking blood). And while the story of James seeking revenge isn't bad, there just isn't much spirit to it. The whole quest to identify/kill Croft is rather drab, and honestly happens way too easily. You don't see any of the search - he just shows up in class one day and Poof! There's the man he's been searching for all of his life. I respect that they wanted to keep the tone more serious (it feels and is shot like a straight-forward drama), but the characters and story just aren't engaging enough to justify that tone.
Horror-wise? Other than the cool business I mentioned in the first part of the film, there isn't anything too memorable here. As in, I watched it a few days ago and don't remember much of anything. I'm sure someone gets stabbed in the chest with a wooden stake or something, but the gore and tension don't seem to be the main concern of anyone involved. (Unless you count the weird scene where Croft, in professor mode, has a private student/teacher meeting in a darkened classroom. But that's less horror-movie scary and more molester scary.) Honestly, the thing I remember most is when one of the roommates is kind of depressed - she throws herself at James and totally gets shot down. She then begs Croft to bite her, so she can become a vampire. I'm sure she had some vampiric interests prior to this, but the way it plays is almost as if she says to herself "Well, James doesn't want me, I might as well die."
All that being said, Grave of the Vampire isn't bad... especially when you consider it was on the Pure Terror Budget Set. But this super-rad Japanese VHS art shows you the potential this film has and doesn't manage to live up to:
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| Thanks horrorpedia.com |
I'd guess it's kind of worth checking out if you're into 70's vampire flicks - the story is kind of unique and the very dry tone is at least a novel approach. Although if the first-third of the film didn't work as well as it does, it might be one to skip.
I would recommend the first half-hour of this film.
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