Near Dark: Special Edition (2 Discs)

Cocky cowboy Caleb bites off more than he can chew when he lassos May-a spaced out horse-frightener with a nasty bite. After forcing a kiss, Caleb ends up with a bad case of sunburn, a rotten stomach, and an angry bunch of rednecks breathing down his neck.
Bigelow's vampire-western has garnered an excellent reputation over the years and there is a lot to like; the unholy trinity of Henriksen, Paxton and Goldstein, red hot after Aliens excel in their roles. Paxton in particular chews the scenery along with the flesh and steals every scene he is in.
The Tangerine Dream score is first-rate; a heady mix of dreamlike synths and driving techno that really layers a sinister atmosphere and a sense of wonder to the dust bowl setting.
The two main set-pieces are electrifying; the slaying of the inhabitants of a bar is both funny and sickening with Paxton grabbing the best lines, "It's finger licking good" and "I hate it when they ain't been shaved." The daytime shootout is also a standout; bullets do no damage but the shafts of light that follow them their holes are lethal-as Severen says, "I'm down to my last inch of skin."
Under closer scrutiny Near Dark doesn't quite deserve the unwavering plaudits it has garnered over the last 20 years. Pasdar and Wright are never as interesting as the Aliens actors and Wright is often responsible for some terrible acting full stop. The pace is incredibly slow sometimes and all credibility is lost when Homer explodes in the daylight. However Bigelow at least proved herself on Near Dark to be an action director of some skill.

I agree with the other reviewer on this movie it is brilliant despite a disapointing ending, i felt the need to review this as it has been largely overlooked possibly due to the fact that it was released at the same time as The Lost Boys and does have some similarity story wise but is actually otherwise very different stylistically. I heard comparisons about this movie to The Lost Boys which coincided with its showing on tv, i didnt really like this at first cant explain why maybe because i am also a big fan of The Lost Boys and this just seemed too different style wise and almost a rehash at the time? Needless to say i gave it another go and came to my senses fully appreciating it a 2nd time, this is a seriously atmospheric movie with some clever snippets of info/lines that reveal things but dont give it all away, not only that but it is a lot more intense check out the bar scene-seriously nasty stuff! there are some great visual metaphors if you look close and some great and fresh new takes on the vampire myth, it may take some getting used to but its worth it. Look out also for a show stealing Bill Paxton, clearly enjoying himself in the role of Severen-one of the best examples of over-acting paying off nicely. This movie has some great action sequences and a little romance all put together quite eerily, in the words of Severen-'Bullseye!'

This is a forgotten classic, The movie came out at the same time as The Lost Boys, and was always left in it's shadow.But this is a slightly better movie,that's aimed at adults and not teenagers, as with the lost boys. The film is a original take on the vampire movie, and goes to great lengths not to mention the "V" word. The cast of the vampires is excellent, with 3 of the cast of Aliens playing the nomadic blood suckers, Henrickson as the leader, Paxton as the cowboy nut job and her who played Vasques. This is no suprise as director Kathryn Bigelow was married to Aliens Director Cameron at the time of making this. The film is sheer class and a violent trip into the heart of darkness. Just watch the scene where the Gang take control of a bar to see waht I mean. Also the music is very good. Why this film never was a hit at the time of it's cinematic release is a crime, and only now over 20 years later is the film getting it's cult classic status it truely deserves. This is a brilliant, brutal and original take on the Vampire movie. That is only slightly let down by a weak ending.
Please buy this movie and spread the word !

Kathryn Bigelow really shakes you awake here with this superbly filmed classic.The assembled cast are mainly from the 'Cameron' stable and are all superb.....especially Lance and Bill..........the fx are also superb with the vamps really reacting violently to sunlight!!!!!Also i loved the characterisation of Jesse and his spin on it.I know it was a tough shoot with many long nights and weather influences but it pays off big time in setting a great atmosphere which it maintains until its climax!!!!!!Superb.

I thought this was another stupid horror vampire movie but i was so wrong. It is more like a vampire western as it out in this countryside or small towns. Lance henrikson is very good as the leader of the vampire faction. He delivers the famous line "i fought for the south. . . we lost" or something like that and so is the young vampire who is the best of the lot. Watch out for the great scene in the bar. Really great