Manuel Veloria
Creepy, creepy, creepy….as the darkness envelopes gore enthusiasts a little early for Halloween, even though being an early-bird for trick-or-treat, the cold did deliver a bloodcurdling sensation as “The Stranger” (Ben Foster) said, “That cold ain’t the weather. That’s death approaching” in “30 Days of Night.”
“30 Days of Night” delivers a dark and eerie feeling as vampires made blood spurts from the theater screen as it was released nationwide Friday. The 113-minute movie is rated R for strong horror violence and language.
The film is an adaptation of the successful mini-series comics “30 Days of Night” written by Steve Niles which came out in 2002.
Director David Slade had created a new style of the vampire in the horror genre. Instead of Slade making his vampires do the repetitive sexual, seductive monologues and slow cunning approach of killing, he made his bloodsuckers look like a pack of hungry wolves who are out there to kill you quick and fast.
In addition to the new marauding vampires, the film made it original and interesting by having the perfect setting for our bloodsucking creatures, a place where vampires can feast on helpless humans without having the burden of getting in their coffins because of deadly sunlight (to vampires that is).
The backdrop is in Barrow, Ala., where the sun doesn’t rise for 30 days. (The truth is 60 days, but that would take out the “zing” in this amazing movie and will make the movie tedious.) As for the film production shooting, the film was entirely shot in New Zealand.
Plus, if the scenario of being stuck in a town with no means of communication doesn’t give the sense of fright, the make-ups and costume will. The vampires are given with a new sinister look with sharp teeth (sans two sharp fangs), dark dreadful facial expression and blood stains on their faces made them look like they just went all out in a baby back rib eating contest.
The film starts slowly because of dramatic farewells to their loved ones , as they prepare for the 30 days of nigh time(if the sun’s going to be gone for 30 days in Alaska better make those propane ready) and marital problems from the heroines. Even with the slow beginning, the horror gradually intensifies as the film’s first blood stains the barren white clean snow of Barrow.
Josh Hartnett gave an outstanding performance in the role of Sheriff Eben Oleson, the main protagonist of the film who leads the paranoid survivors of the town to safety. Hartnett has always excelled in horror genre movies, as he had played hero in movies such as “The Faculty” and “Halloween H20: 20 Years Later.” The film will be another great addition to his career. As for another rising actor, Ben Foster “The Stranger” will have an additional leverage to his portfolio on his role in the film. His character gave the sense of “warning, danger coming” as he arrives in the town with the ghastly attitude and message to the sheriff. As the leader of the ravaging vampires, Danny Huston (Marlow) played the role to its finest as he presented a good stature of a blood-thirsty, ruthless and unmerciful chief of the hungry life pillaging vampires.
On the other hand, the films’ intense gripping plot expired during the last minutes of the film as it dwindles to the concise scenes of the survivors trying to outlast the overwhelming hungry vampires that attacked the quiet town of Barrow. It could have been more attention-grabbing if there were added background information of the vampires such as what’s their origin. Where did they come from and how did they end up in Barrow?
Yet despite its flaws, “30 Days of Night” will surely make you grab the handles of the chair and will jerk you out from the theater’s seat as the film is abundant with gore, severed-blood shooting arteries and terrifying “out-from-nowhere” scenes that will make audiences scream for a sequel.
Overall rating: B+