Bloodwine (2008)
Review by The Dhampir
The “Texas Blood” strikes again! This time with a vampire tale entitled Bloodwine by Doom Bunny Films, the company owned and operated by Patrick Keith (read interview) and Vicky Morgan Keith. I’m rarely enthused about vampire films and tend to keep my expectations low. Many times it is frustrating having to learn a new “mythology” with each film, as writers and directors tend to decide which “rules” apply to their vampires (i.e. how sunlight effects, or does not effect them, whether or not they have an aversion to crosses or garlic, etc.)
Bloodwine opens with an unknown woman (whom we later find out to be Andrea) engaging in battle with a vampire, eventually valiantly slaying the creature. Next we’re moved back in the story three months earlier to a college campus. Here at the college we’re introduced to our cast of characters, Brandy (Lora Meins), who is moving in to share a dorm room with her longtime friend Andrea (Melissa Johnson), who has been being tormented by classmates Mercedes (Heather Whitsell who also co-produced and did key make-up for the film) and her roommate Nicole (Christina DeYoung).
The meat of this story comes during the Thanksgiving break, as Andrea goes out to buy Brandy a birthday gift for Brandy’s 21st birthday. She gets her friend a bottle of imported brandy (insert joke here, the filmmakers did! Also, if you watch the scene closely you’ll glimpse a cameo by Patrick Keith himself!). So, Andrea gets the brandy for Brandy, Brandy finds the bottle, sneak a few sips and gets all kinds of sick, eventually turning into the undead creature we all know and love - a vampire! (Whatever happened to having to be bitten? Damn The Lost Boys!!)
So what is this film really about? Vampires? No! It’s about friendship, love, loss, life, revenge, and self discovery! The friendship between Andrea and Brandy is the strength of the film, driving the plot and action. It’s a smart film and doesn’t try to reinvent any of the old tried and true vampire myths, which to me is a plus. Also, there’s full frontal nudity, but not just nudity for the sake of nudity, because the scene in which it occurs helps move the story along and occurs in a realistic fashion. It’s not just tits for the sake of tits! (NOTE: I have no problems when that happens!)
Though it goes without saying, there are a few continuity flaws in the film (this is an indie film after all and how many writer/directors get their feet wet and learn!). The flaws do not detract too much from the film and if you’re not really looking for them, you may miss them!
The music in the film is well done and adds to the general effect of the film, and doesn’t seem to have been done with the intention of selling CD’s. Too many times these days you watch a film and “Go buy the soundtrack” is a fairly clear message you’ll find. The score in this film is fun from the song at the title sequence to the end credits, enlisting the aid of such bands as Slick Lady Six as well as the Transistor Tramps.
The dialogue is pretty good, in that Quentin Tarantino kind of way. The characters are also performed well. There is a slight lesbian vibe between Andrea and Brandy throughout the film, though I am not certain that it was intentional. Heather Whitsell as Mercedes almost perfectly channels the spirit of Paris Hilton. I am not sure if that is what she was going for, but it worked well! Christina DeYoung plays her role as Nicole in a half person, because without Mercedes around, she’s incomplete and goofy. Her scene with Andrea in the hallway, which I refer to as the “apology scene” is funny, not due to the joke which is told, but rather due to DeYoung’s performance of false sincerity and slight fear. Lora Meins, playing the “girl next door/best friend” as Brandy, encapsulates her role flawlessly! She is easily the most believable character in the film, her sincerity, sweetness and vulnerability shine. Even when she “vamps out” she again makes you believe that this is who she is, rather than whom she is trying to be in this film. I personally look forward to seeing her in more and more complex roles in the future.
All in all this is a great first film. Too many times we sit through filmmaker’s first work and we are left with questions caused by holes in the plot and poorly performed roles. With Bloodwine this simply is not the case. On an additional note, the Doom Bunny himself (a plush doll) makes numerous appearances in the film and there is also a “movie within a movie” that Keith filmed for Andrea’s character to watch on TV. I really enjoy seeing a filmmaker go that extra step to make their films more original. It’s too common and easy these days to simply use some old movie which is “public domain” to play in the background. Instead, Keith took that extra step and filmed an original one for the film. I am hoping that their “movie within a movie” will be part of the DVD extras. I know that I for one would like to see it, even if it is only a few scenes.
Go out to see this film, at a theater, if it gets a release, or at one of the festivals it will be screening at. I do not believe that you will be disappointed!
Doom Bunny Films: http://www.doombunnyfilms.com/
Bloodwine’s official site: http://www.bloodwinemovie.com/
Bloodwine on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/bloodwinemovie
Watch the Bloodwine Trailer:
Popularity: 18% [?]
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