Near Dark (1987) *

 
I totally get why there were some vampire and horror fans critical of the transfusion "cure" for Adrian Pasdar thanks to his father, Tim Thomerson, in the cult favorite from the same year as "The Lost Boys" and "The Monster Squad", Near Dark (1987). "Fright Night" (1985) also gets lumped in with the vampire films of this era. But Kathryn Bigelow's western vampire film isn't beholden to any rules or tropes except for they die by sunlight. Henriksen's brood, consisting of Paxton, Goldstein, and Joshua John Miller, are very much nocturnal predators just like vampires, driving town to town, bar to bar, hotel to hotel, swapping vehicles, feeding off the unfortunate human cattle wherever they go. Pasdar and Jenny Wright's romance is what stops them. Jenny tells Pasdar that she was a victim of John Miller's, a high school student believing he needed tutoring since he was a child when bit by a vampire. Wright couldn't stand by and let John Miller feed from Pasdar's sister, nor allow Henriksen shoot the young man she loves. Paxton, in his early career, was quite a robust performer, very physical, enthusiastic, throwing all that electric personality into certain dirtbags and maniacs he played. That many consider him quite outrageous and a bit too over the top during the mid and late 80s is no surprise. I thought he was just at the right tone in Near Dark, compared to his ridiculous, obnoxious, gross Chet of "Weird Science". He's even a bit much in "Aliens" and "Mortuary". But because he has fun being a menace and killer, enjoying the bloodshed, Paxton's playful side can't help but come out. It sure isn't fun for a bar full of customers and the bartender. James Le Gros as a frightened teenage boy with a pool stick who is allowed by Pasdar to get away, much to the pack's rage. Look, when it comes down to it, it is the Arizona desert motif, that edgy personality and attitude of the cast and plot, and some really rad stuntwork involving burning vampires scorching under the hot sun, trying to cover up with blankets as protection. Seeing Joshua John Miller, an old man trapped in a kid's body, participating in all the ghoulish antics of his brood, can be quite shocking. Henriksen and Goldstein still sort of serve as his parents in a sense with Paxton like some surrogate big brother. This is a family, no matter how heinous they are to the human race. It was funny to me as I was reading through the IMDb user comments, seeing the opposing views and ratings. This is boring and overrated or it is the best vampire film of the 80s...I saw 1/10s and 10/10s. I was surprised to see a whole bunch of low ratings and bad reviews. It certainly has its detractors. I'm definitely not one of them. I think it kicks ass.