When Rich said he had Mike Stoklasa disease, I thought it was going to lead to him admitting he feels compelled to bring up Star Trek in every conversation.
@@sillyquiet I'd forgotten she was in Generations! Probably because I tried to forget everything in Generations, just like that nice Mr Plinkett taught me to.
I've been living in Los Angeles since 2009, and very early on I discovered the Fairfax Theatre. In 2010, they did a screening of Near Dark using an old 35 mm print. Bill Paxton and Jenette Goldstein were both there and did a Q&A before the film. I got a chance to chat with both of them for a bit, and they were both awesome people. Bill in particular was exactly the way you hoped he'd be -- he was Bill Paxton! To this day, it's one of my favorite memories. I love this film. And I really miss Bill...
Love that Lance! I cast him as voice actor for Cyborg Superman in a Justice League video game and had the pleasure of directing his performance. Prior to the session, we hung out for about 20 minutes. Just Lance and me; on a couch. Bucket list goal complete!
ahah I disagree, I think it's sad to see them going for that cheap nostalgia trick so soon. This remake just feels fake, the original defined a generation while this pile of garbage will be forgotten very soon
@@sargentocapitao9668 I whole-heartedly agree. The original was a satirical commentary on reviews of Near Dark while this remake is just a review of Near Dark. It's missing all the contextual symbolism of the original.
@@dirt410 to me it just feels out of touch you know? Times have moved on, the way I see it what they're trying to say isn't relevant anymore in todays society
While the original version, from this morning, had a lot of heart and superb chemistry between the stars, you must admit that this remake is spot on to the source material and has undeniably better special effects. I mean I don't fault the original for using the antiquated technology of a few hours ago, they did the best they could with what they had at the time; but this version is down right gorgeous!
Sorry to reply to on old comment, but I just saw an anecdote that folks born deaf who later are able to gain some hearing are surprised the sun doesn't make noise/we can't hear it. And it WOULD be horribly loud but thankfully sound doesn't travel through space.
This version is missing a clip that got the episode blocked in the US. You may notice that the last 30 seconds of this version is a blank black screen because the episode is 30 seconds shorter than it used to be.
I really enjoy seeing Rich and Jay share some time together doing one of these. The Plinkett skits are great, the TNG stuff is great, but Rich deserves more time just talking about a movie with Jay.
Obviously, that was more of a niche, but I also miss Rich and Jack Packard talking about video games, on their now defunct "Previously Recorded" channel.
@@crakhaed As far as I remember, Jack didn't have the time anymore. And Rich finds that he's lacking the ability to entertain an audience on his own. He might also lack the motivation to do that. Just my assumption, though.
The closest similar film is 'Let the Right One In', as it strips away the mythology, and is relentlessly grim, it has the vampires living in poor circumstances, and it also has the ancient vampire in a child's body hanging out with a child. The intervention, blood transfusion, and recovery in 'Near Dark' are important to the 'drug' parallel, that's why it's in there.
Rich mentioned "Near Dark" and "Lost Boys" as beign the pioneers of this "Dracula-less" movie where the vampires are more like a community. "Vamp" (1986) did that a year before.
@@unityofvitality-5875 In the book, it explains that the girl vampire is actually from the ottoman empire, and was born a boy. When he was mortal he was castrated. We get a hint of this in the movie when her naked crotch is exposed and the wounds on her genitals are clearly visible. So he passed for a she, which wasnt hard since she never grew up . In the film she is an allegory for the effect of Muslim immigration to Sweden. She's a blood sucker, who lives off of others. She survived by seducing members of society to help her. Usually those who themselves are in some way vulnerable, and have weak morals. It's all displayed in the film quite clearly. The boy first meets her while stabbing a tree trunk and imagining it to be his bullies. She encouraged him to stand up for himself, and he cuts the ear off his bully. In exchange for his protection, the girl is willing to kill anyone that harms him. The vampire metaphor is commonly associated with the ottoman empire, and by extension, radical Islam. Any empire is essentially a vampire. It saps it's conquered territories of all it's potential and vitality. Witness how the Ottomans institutionalized the kidnapping of Christian children in the Balkans, castrating them, and making them elite troops loyal to the ottoman emporer. Is it any wonder that we inherited the story of vampires from Balkan nations? So when we witness the girl falling onto the drunks who were seated outside, and feeding on one, the metaphor is clear: it is the most vulnerable members of society she personally attacks. The drunks are a stand in for the lower and working classes. Those that, in real life, are often the target of drug addiction, theft, and forced protestution, etc. Finally, the alliance she established with the pedophile at the beginning of the movie, and with the boy at the end, symbolized how her entry to society will set its members against each other. She convinces her protectors to kill for her. To do the dirty work of draining the blood and essence out of their own countrymen. All this in exchange for her favor and love. You will see, more and more, members of different political parties dehumanizing each other. All over the supposed racism against "the Other." In Sweden's case the "other" are the Islamic extremists who have formed criminal gangs. They fight each other for the right to deal drugs to the native Swedish population. And their parasitic draining of the host society continues. There is no hate for Islam or Muslims in this movie. The criminal individuals are the only guilty parties. But the means and manner in which they were "let in," to Sweden, posing as refugees and victims of wars instigated by the West. Leveraging racism and religious differences to justify their crimes and predations on the host country-It is the same codependent dynamic the girl in the movie has with her two male protectors. So the film is an allegorical warning to societies that would seek to help the vulnerable. If you are going to act the role of the good Samaritan, and let strangers into your home, *make sure you let the right ones in*!
@@visicircle out of curiosity, is this stuff the author detailed, stuff that’s readily obvious in the context of the book, or just a series of observations you extrapolated from the material of said book?
I was able to watch this movie without paying $150 by checking it out of my local library. Obviously not every library is gonna have it, but it's worth checking if you want to see this movie or other ones that are similarly out of print.
When you consider what an incredibly talented comedian Rich actually is, it makes sense that he would be highly intelligent. He just doesn’t have a traditional ”smart guy persona”.
jim jarmusch's "only lovers left alive" is a great musician/vampire movie. for one depicting blood as being a drug which intoxicates and brings temporary pleasure is perfect. and two depicting time/lifespan to become a master musician the main character at one point picks up a dusty Stradivarius and plays a paganini piece effortlessly a infamously complex composition. paganini lore/myth says he made a faustian bargain to attain his skills.
That's an amazing movie. Abel Ferrera's The Addiction is another vampire film that treats the urge to drink blood as a metaphor for drug addiction (obviously). It's not as good as Only Lovers, but the B&W cinematography is outstanding.
I know its a dumb complaint about a great movie but it kind of bothered me that adam in that movie is this ageless being but the music he makes is just 90s rock
I don't know of any other movie that so successfully conveys how immortality is a curse, not a blessing. Also love how Tom Hiddleston's character is into obscure technology that you don't see in the wide world, ostensibly because he was around when competing technologies existed and he chose the road less traveled by.
Regarding the 80s vampire rennaissance, it was probably due to the publication of SALEM'S LOT in 1975 (made into a movie in 1979) and the book INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE in 1976. The latter took 17 years to get made into a movie, during which time it would have been all the buzz in Hollywood. People who couldn't afford to purchase the rights to the book went on to make these modernized vampire movies. Prior to those two novels, vampires were either still in the Bella Lugosi mould, or consigned to works of science fiction and comic books.
I was going to post about Interview With The Vampire as well, the first instance I'm aware of where vampires were depicted as something other than a Nosferatu or Dracula. In Interview Lestat, the foppish romantic vampire archetype, is only a side character who isn't even in half the book. The core theme of the story is how immortality is actually miserable and lonely. Sadly everyone latched on to foppish romantic archetype instead and he got so popular several sequels were written where he ended up the main character. But that's not how the first one was at all.
You're right, that's it! I saw Salem's Lot, maybe it was my first horror movie, when I was under 6. The kitchen scene with the parents and the friend scratching at the window, "open up, Danny".
The Jorge Luis Borges short story "The Inmortal" describes the inmortal people doing absolutely nothing because, he said, the experiences in life people can have are limited and these people has been through all these experiences several times since they became inmortal, so they are not just bored, they just lie down and see the time goes by. In the story one of the immortals has bird making a nest in his chest.
I agree about 'Next Level Chef' - the scene on the boat has one of the best penny-drop moments I've ever seen. Also, 'Gordon Ramsay' appearing in the church towards the end of the series is one of the greatest visuals in all of horror.
Yeah, how he eulogized the lamb steak, calling upon his chef trainees "YOU FOOKIN' DONKEYS. YOU SEE HOW FOOKIN' RAW THAT IS." before letting them take communion in it, biting into it, infecting them with a blessed strain of northern english salmonella that immortalizes, yet demonizes them in a cruel way. brilliant.
@@stevenlennie I don't wanna indirectly spoil it for the others, but if you look at Mike Flanagan's latest release on a certain streaming platform, you'll find it. It's damn fine.
The scene where David Bowie falls asleep and wakes up horribly old and dying after only about 45 minutes to 3 hours was low key the most terrifying thing I had ever seen in a vampire movie.
Allegedly there was an instance where Lance Henriksen and Bill Paxton were out joyriding off-set in their on-set costumes and were pulled over by a cop. Lance, who was driving, spoke and reacted to the officer in full-character as Jesse. He ended up scaring the officer so badly that at one point the officer started touching his firearm. They ended up not getting a ticket, however. The DVD extras also have Lance Heriksen telling about his Method Acting experiences like picking up hitchhikers to freak them out by acting as Jesse, and Bill Paxton's own Method Acting leading to him execute some cruel pranks in line with Severen's dark sense of humor.
I think I remember the one where Bill Paxton, in his gory makeup, would stumble into someplace and tell someone that he was involved in some sort of accident.
Near Dark was a heavily suggested viewing by White Wolf with respects to their Sabat Vampires. It was held in high regards by the table top Vampire the Masquerade players/fans.
The Player's Guide to the Sabbat features a drawing next to the Lasombra Clan entry that looks exactly like Bill Paxton's character standing at the bar with the shotgun over his shoulder.
Glad someone else here made the white wolf connection. As you said, it was listed in the intro to Requiem as suggested vamp fiction, and its focus on the “vampire night to night” relative to other movies was hugely influential relative to other vampire movies. This ran through all of WW’s vampire products, but requiem especially
Fun fact: the kid who plays Homer (Joshua John Miller) in Near Dark is the younger half-brother of Jason Patric, who played Michael in The Lost Boys. So Jay apparently wants to punch Jason Patric’s younger brother in the face.
I wonder if it was related to the popularity of the Anne Rice books. Interview with a Vampire came out in 76, and The Vampire Lestat in 85. She sort of introduced us to the idea of a more-than-human vampire, applying human thoughts and emotions to immortality and the guilt of bloodlust.
Yes, quite surprising they didn't bring up Interview. Those books were all about immortal anguish. And Kirstin Dunst as a child vampire should have been a one to one comparison.
Glad to see this movie getting props. I always felt this movie was almost literally Lost Boys backwards, because the time spent on the respective vampire and human families on both movies is almost flipped backwards (the vampire family is sidelined in Lost Boys, the human family is sidelined in Near Dark).
God, re:View helps me remember movies I saw in the 80s and 90s and then keep forgetting about even though I try to remember them. This episode brings up TWO movies I need to watch again: this and DOLL MAN. Thanks for reminding me of that.
This movie is clearly inspired by the Interview With The Vampire novel. Vagabond vampires, one is moping about having to kill people, a child is sired to fill an emotional hole. Ann Rice kicked off the Vampire renaissance, it just took 10 years to catch on.
I remember seeing it a long time ago, but I just saw it on the Criterion Channel and loved it and appreciated it so much more than I did before. It has got to be my favorite vampire movie ever!
I agree, love this movie, used to sneak watch on HBO when I was a kid. Fun fact that "annoying kid with the punchable face" is Joshua John Miller whose half brother, Jason Patrick, played the older brother in "Lost Boys". Their dad played Father Dominic in "Exorcist".
Hey guys I just want to say I discovered you last year and I've been binge watching ever since. It's pretty much my go to channel. I really enjoy the way you present your content. It's professional without being professional. It doesnt rely on the goofy amateur youtube effects we regularly see. I like all the shows, but I think Review is the best. Thanks guys, keep it up.
@@foxhound5043 the commentaries might be free, I can't remember, they're on bandcamp, there's some UA-camrs who make great videos mixing snippets of the best parts of the commentary with the movie and references they say throughout and are usually about 20-40 minutes long, search for RLM and Commentary and you'll find em.
I found a used copy on BluRay in a pawn shop. I was drawn to the film back in '88 because of Tangerine Dream's score, and it became a classic in my circle of friends. "Bombs away, little buddy!" "Hey, you ever hear the one about Buffalo Bill?"
I guess I'm one of the lucky few to have this Blu-ray, I had no idea it was so hard to find! As far as the 80's vampire films, Fright Night (1985) was maybe a good mainstream entry for that era, but The Hunger (1983) is another great pioneer into not only the concept of the vampire lifestyle, but also a great entry into the art house category.
I always thought that Caleb saw blood transfusion as an alternative to killing people for their blood and he discovered the cure accidentally because when he wakes up he looks surprised that he isn't a vampire.
Kinda shocked they went the whole review without either of them mentioning 'Let the Right One In', as I thought that would be right up their alley. That movie had a very similar feel that being a vampire is a miserable, lonely existence of having nothing in your unlife but randomly killing people and then moving on before the authorities catch you.
I feel like Jay is probably a fan of it, seems to tick all of his boxes. It’s also a cute adolescent love story despite its bleakness. The book is pretty great too and goes into a lot more of the miserable stuff that the movie did so well.
Specifically I have to stress the Swedish original, 'Låt den rätte komma in' as it is one of my favorites for sure. Harder maybe for an American to evaluate, but if you can make it past the fact you need subtitles, it is the superior movie. I seem to recall another movie called Only Lovers Left Alive, which is more of the "vampires are just boring" style stuff.
@@motinuppi oh I forgot that got a American version made. I’m in the camp that it’s completely incomprehensible why anyone would make a “county” version of an existing film. Just watch the original! Anyway the original was so messed up… coming up on 15 years later, after my single and only viewing, I still remember the saddest part to me where the old guy begs the vampire not to see the main character, and it becomes clear that he’s jealous and dejected, but too impotent to do anything about it.
I literally rented this movie yesterday bc I heard about it on another RLM vid, so it's awesome that they released this today. Feels like a neglected cousin of The Lost Boys(which I love to death) and deserves more attention.
@@HunterTinsley he might have a really good Library. Local libraries now have movies for rental. I say this is somebody that was flabbergasted with the selection the now is somebody with a contact on the inside...
When I was 6 Bravo aired something called “100 scariest movie moments” and there was a part where there was a cool punk rock cowboy vampire was walking across a bar and slit somebody’s throat with his spurs. Took me years to realize it was Near Dark and then years to be able to watch it
I saw Near Dark in 35 mm for the first time at the Egyptian Theater in Seattle recently. If it was a pure Western, I can see an alternate take where the vampire family is substituted for a gang of bandits, and the moral dilemma Caleb faces being more practical than supernatural, but still grim. He'd be expected to kill in either scenario. I still loved the movie as it is! Despite not seeing it before, I knew the word "vampire" wasn't spoken in the movie, and used that to answer a trivia question before the movie. I won a schlocky looking blu-ray called "Blood Hook" from Scarecrow Video.
I just referenced that movie today. We were talking about how Patrick Stewart raised the level of ST:TNG. And I mentioned that the first time I ever saw Stewart, he was getting kissed full on the mouth by Steve Railsback in that movie.
@@brandon17760 First i saw Lifeforce I was probably 14 (1986ish) and to this day the thought of that naked vampire alien lady gets me, umm, motivated... So no, I can't say I found it boring! lol
I swore to myself if I ever met Patrick Stewart I'd pretend I only knew him from Life Force and was a huge fan of it. ...Then I saw how he acted at Elia Kazan's awards ceremony and am tempted to spit on his shoe or face instead.
This movie! I only ever saw bits and pieces of it when I was a kid on apparently HBO, and never knew the name of it until now. I always wanted to see it from start to end. Now that I know the name of it I can. Thank you Rich Evans for Rich Evans'inng.
They can only auction off the case because Rich left his copy of Near Dark in his blu-ray player. He'll find it again in a decade when he knocks the player over in a Mr Pinkett drunk sketch.
There is going to be a casino in space called Moneystation where the rich elite go to gamble beyond all terrestrial laws. Someone is going to be thrown through glass into a server, and this blu-ray will pop out while they are electrocuted
I think it was the publication of 'Salem's Lot, Interview with the Vampire, and The Vampire Lestat that began the modernization of vampire mythology. If so, it is fitting that the updating of vampire lore would have a foundation in literature.
Never even heard of this movie in my life. Watched 17 minutes of this review, paused it, went and watched it, and oh man, I love it! The blood transfusion thing was a bit goofy I guess (Like there was a cure for vampirism all this time that isn't even that hard to do, but none of the vampires thought to ever try it?) but I thought it was really good overall! It really had me invested in the characters. Man, I miss Bill Paxton and younger Lance Henriksen. The musical score was fantastic too. I loooooved that ending credits song. I'm going to have to listen to some more of Tangerine Dream's work. Also I laughed really hard when in the shot where the MC is walking down mainstreet at night after getting turned, there's a cinema behind him that says "ALIENS" on the marquee.
Thank you for doing "Near Dark".....I hope more people now know about this 'cult classic and can appreciate it. Would love to see ya'll Re:View "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension" if anyone in the RLM likes that movie. Its just one of my favs and I wish more people knew of it/appreciated it for the sci-fi fun movie that it is.
That movie is maybe impossible for me to fully rewatch. It's a bad movie with some scenes of hysterical comedy. I remember seeing a Q/A where Peter Weller said something like "I don't know what this movie is about and we don't know why we made it." 🤣
@@michaelbush1374 Oh this movie has it problems, theres pacing problems galore....its just so much FUN. Just like...silly but the type of sci-fi from the comic, I think, translated to film very well. That's the best way I can explain it, sadly lol.
@@NashaWriter85 I hear ya 😂 I like to show my friends the clip on youtube where he sings a song to Peggy and she's ready to shoot herself. I don't think it's on youtube but I wish there was a clip of the scene where he's explaining to her how he dated her twin sister before. The whole bit of dialogue was gold 🤣
On the one hand, everyone should watch Near Dark before playing tabletop Vampire. The drug addiction metaphor is very apt. Characters need blood and ultimately will do anything to get it, to the point where players can lose control as their starving character simply goes berserk and eats the first thing they can get their hands on, up to and including their own still-living families. So, the trick to being a human monster is finding a way to drink what they need regularly without enjoying it, becoming too jaded, or making too much noise. Learning how to manage an addiction they cannot ever conquer is a big part of the game. Near Dark is a cautionary tale about the kind of monster you don't want to be, but would almost certainly become in the fullness of time. On the other hand, too many people would miss the point, try to be Bill Paxton's character, and get angry when the prince finally ran out of patience with all the wanton carnage and had their character ashed.
The vampire renaissance might have been due to Anne Rice. Interview with the Vampire (the book) came out in the late 70s, and a lot of vampire fiction since then has been about sexy semi-homeless people.
i think it was largely that, and "Salem's Lot" (& its TV miniseries). "The Hunger" (1983) showed it was economically viable to the mainstream as a film
Thank you. 1976. Explored all these themes with lestat Louis and Claudia. Inspired paleo-goth and an empathetic view of vampirism... Laid the foundations of vampire renaissance in the 80s movies along with 1975 Salem's lot and The Hinger with the the first lesbian movie scene. Sorry after dark was derivative and late... But interesting enough...
It would have been excellent if the purpose of having all the characters at different points of acceptance in being vampires was for Caleb to look at them and go “nah fuck that” and then do the walk into the sun as was said
In my opinion, that would be too much "on the nose". That setup would work for a short story, but in a ~90 minute movie, I'd expect a better thought out ending than that.
@@Kijinn You're so right, this kind of endings work more for shorts, after the movie takes you into a story for more than an hour it becomes dissatisfying
@@nukie2743 it’s on Amazon with a subscription to a second party streaming service. You could feasible sign up, watch it, then cancel it. Shudder also still lists it as being on their site.
It's streaming on Amazon if you get a trial/subscription to something called MovieSphere. I guess you could always sign up and cancel if you're okay at remembering to cancel things. I love Near Dark. Saw it on VHS back in the 90s and it still holds up. Glad Rich and Jay liked it.
Near Dark is currently available for rent on Amazon (at least in Canada). It would be hilarious if they have someone monitoring channels like this to make sure they make old movies available when reviews go up for them. Surely it would be worth the money.
The bluray copy is worth it, I love this movie! I would have added about 10-15 minutes of film with some scenes after the motel shootout of Caleb traveling around with the gang, making at least one kill and getting acquainted with each member/becoming more a part of the family. Establishing a connection, so to speak. I always thought this establishment as one of them would have the given the scene where his sister and father finally find him and he chooses to leave more of an impact. The finale between him and each member would have hit harder because the audience would know significant time and vampire experience had happened for Caleb, and we would see why they felt so betrayed at his leaving. Other than that such a kickass awesome 80s flick!
Loved this film as a teen. Classic Paxton. The obnoxious kid was a great actor in this and River's Edge, another bleak 80's fave... Keanu and Crispin and a Slayer soundtrack! So good.
I think Jay said in a video last year that it was on Shudder but leaving in a couple days which was literally the impetus for me to finally see this since it is about impossible to find. So thanks Jay!
Two things, I suspect, are what changed vampires in the '80s. The first is the goth scene. It took a while of slowly bubbling up in the underground throughout the '80s until it would finally explode into the mainstream in the early '90s. Which is also what happened to the other big influence: Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles. Interview with the Vampire was first published in 1976, but it would take time to grow and find its audience over the intervening decade. Getting big alongside the goth scene. Then we got the big hits in the '90s like Vampire: The Masquerade coming out in 1991 and quickly becoming popular. The film adaptation of Interview in 1994. By that point this sort of view of vampires had become widespread and mainstream, but until then it tended to percolate just under the surface with films like this that presented a different view from the classic Dracula style.
This review is 2 years old but I just wanted to say this video made me actually seek out and buy a DVD of this movie since it's not on Streaming and it's absolutely one of my favorite vampire films now. Thanks RLM.
Honestly, if I was James Cameron I'd probably feel better about losing the Oscar to my ex-wife than losing to Jason Reitman or Quentin Tarantino. Bigelow and Cameron continued collaborating on projects after they divorced and did some great work together on Strange Days, a fantastically underrated 90's film that feels strangely relevant when you watch it today.
James Cameron doesn't do what James Cameron does for James Cameron. James Cameron does what James Cameron does because James Cameron is... James Cameron.
Strange Days has never been underrated. It's a flawed movie with odd casting choices and an unsufficient production value for what it wants to be. It got exactly the amount of attention it still deserves: Very little.
We're going to have to start downloading these asap before they get taken down i have my hard drive copy of diamond cobra and that one with the creepy perv reviewing a Breen film.
You both manage to describe the ending to the Korean movie Thirst as how you would potentially want Near Dark to end. Awesome review of one of my favourite cult classics.
Another tie that the 1987 vampire double feature has is Jason Patric ("The Lost Boys") abd Joshua Miller ("Near Dark") are half brothers. Their father was Oscar-nominated actor Jason Miller ("The Exorcist").
Another crazy tie in to Lost Boys.. The actor who played Homer is Joshua Miller. Son of Father Karras himself Jason Miller. Who’s other son Jason Patric starred in Lost Boys. Wild!
Absolutely love this one! Saw it before it left the Criterion Channel a couple years ago, hopefully they’ll put it back on since it’s pretty much impossible to find legally nowadays. Also this seems like the perfect movie for Arrow to release, and I’m very surprised they haven’t already.
I wanted to rewatch this a couple years ago and was able to put a hold on it from my local library. Pro tip if you like physical media, and miss the old video store experience!
@@charlottecorday8494 Wild. That description doesn’t match my experience of libraries at all, having worked at two. But of course things are different wherever you go. It sounds like there are some needs in your community that aren’t quite being met, if the library has to step in like that. I’m sorry that experience has put you off libraries altogether. For me they’ve always felt like home. Oh - I guess that solves part of the mystery now that I say it…😄
I love this movie! I even have two copies of it, on VHS and on DVD (think German cover but with reflective print), but I have to admit I am more in the Rich Evans camp because of the ending. I am so glad they talked about it, I really hope more people get to see that movie and the fantastic bar scene!
I got to see Near Dark in an art house theatre. It was a blast to see with an audience. I'd like to suggest the move The Hunger with Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, and Susan Sarandon, kicked off the Vampire renaissance.
This movie just sounds like a vampire story where everyone is Cassidy from Preacher, but specifically the comic version. That whole series really fits the same sort of 'supernatural urban western' vibe that it sounds like Near Dark invokes.
Except Cassidy wasn't killing innocents left and right Also I fucking hate the show version of Cassidy so much. His character just becomes this absolute sad sack after season one, which is honestly a huge 180 from the first season which is kinda more accurate to the comic. I know he's supposed to slowly be portrayed as pathetic in the comic, but in the show he puts up no mask to hide his pain and is so much less complex and honestly just comes off as fucking annoying /rant
Garth Ennis(writer of Preacher)had certainly seen Near Dark by the time he wrote Cassidy.Preacher's vampres are almost identical to those of Near Dark(sunlight being their only weakness,exploding when they are exposed too much to it).Also,in the Punisher:Welcome back Frank comic series,also written by Ennis,a character mentons Near Dark.
Heyy i was going through prime video looking for something to watch and stumbled upon it! Loved it despite the spoilers (your commentaries are too good to miss guys I couldnt possibly skip a minute!). So prime video canada for anyone who's looking for it! Cheers
4:01 I'm thinking "The Hunger" (1983) needs a mention here. Early "contemporary vampire" concept, "vampirism as AIDS-like decease", David Bowie's in it. Good shit.
I'm pretty sure this movie did good numbers with home rentals, all of my friends in the 80s saw it and loved it. Bear in mind that this was released right on the heels of Aliens, with much of the same cast, so people were interested. Not sure why it faded from memory. Also, The Hitcher is streaming on HBO Max right now.
When Rich said he had Mike Stoklasa disease, I thought it was going to lead to him admitting he feels compelled to bring up Star Trek in every conversation.
I thought Rich said 'Mike Stoklasa deceased' and I almost became Mike Stoklasa deceased.
Sadly the only actor in the main cast to be in Star Trek was Jenette Goldstein, so there was little chance :(
@@sillyquiet I'd forgotten she was in Generations! Probably because I tried to forget everything in Generations, just like that nice Mr Plinkett taught me to.
I thought he meant alcoholism.
@@pinkimietz3243 That's Dan Haggerty's disease, a.k.a Cameron Mitchell's Syndrome
"wanna see a dead body?"
"What? You got a girlfriend now?"
That's the most Crispin Glover joke I could imagine.
Wow, I didn't even catch the meaning of that joke.
Dead chicks can’t say no…
Keanu Reeves* /
@@erm_its_amie No, it was Crispin Glover alright.
@@erm_its_amie You tried.
"I have Mike Stoklasa disease."
Being in such close proximity with him so often you were bound to catch a case of the hoodies eventually.
Let's just pray their bones somehow can be made normal again
I've been living in Los Angeles since 2009, and very early on I discovered the Fairfax Theatre. In 2010, they did a screening of Near Dark using an old 35 mm print. Bill Paxton and Jenette Goldstein were both there and did a Q&A before the film. I got a chance to chat with both of them for a bit, and they were both awesome people. Bill in particular was exactly the way you hoped he'd be -- he was Bill Paxton! To this day, it's one of my favorite memories. I love this film. And I really miss Bill...
I love that. Awesome story.
Did you ask him how you get out of this chicken shit outfit?
@@guilhermehank4938 you secure that shit Hudson!
I love this story - thank-you for sharing it with us 😁🖤.
Do you like his horror film 'Frailty'?
Love that Lance! I cast him as voice actor for Cyborg Superman in a Justice League video game and had the pleasure of directing his performance. Prior to the session, we hung out for about 20 minutes. Just Lance and me; on a couch. Bucket list goal complete!
So good I'm gonna watch it twice
Did something changed from the original version?
Yep
@@Iridium-77-g was it reuploaded or just hidden while it gets approved for ads?
@@Iridium-77-gImproved forehead shine
@@stephenmesquire It looks SO much better!
I grew up watching this review this morning. So glad it's getting the attention it deserves!
ahah I disagree, I think it's sad to see them going for that cheap nostalgia trick so soon. This remake just feels fake, the original defined a generation while this pile of garbage will be forgotten very soon
@@sargentocapitao9668 I whole-heartedly agree. The original was a satirical commentary on reviews of Near Dark while this remake is just a review of Near Dark. It's missing all the contextual symbolism of the original.
@@dirt410 to me it just feels out of touch you know? Times have moved on, the way I see it what they're trying to say isn't relevant anymore in todays society
While the original version, from this morning, had a lot of heart and superb chemistry between the stars, you must admit that this remake is spot on to the source material and has undeniably better special effects. I mean I don't fault the original for using the antiquated technology of a few hours ago, they did the best they could with what they had at the time; but this version is down right gorgeous!
This review is so underrated. Nobody ever talks about it.
“On the planet Earth, he’s 13 inches tall. OH FUCK.”
I’m fucking dead lol
The porn parodies practically write themselves!
I love that NEAR DARK and THE HITCHER shared a screenwriter.
One of the things I loved about Near dark was that the sun rising was represented as a distant rumble...almost like they could hear it.
Maybe they could, or perceive it like a spider sense
Sorry to reply to on old comment, but I just saw an anecdote that folks born deaf who later are able to gain some hearing are surprised the sun doesn't make noise/we can't hear it. And it WOULD be horribly loud but thankfully sound doesn't travel through space.
@@idiotette OH wow!...THAT is interesting thanks :)
Feels like this movie has gotten a bit of resurgence. This the second video on it I've seen today
🤣
It's like a vampire, you can't really kill it
@@garfself bruh
Had you searched it lol
Not sure if joking or not having any clue how YT algorithms work.
Rich: I have Mike Stoklasa disease.
Me watching this review a second time: Ye, me too.... dementia.....
*Slide whistle*
Deja Re:View: the feeling you've seen this episode before.
Right! Could of sworn I just watched this two hours ago....so confusing.
Was it previously uppity up up on their channel?
This version is missing a clip that got the episode blocked in the US. You may notice that the last 30 seconds of this version is a blank black screen because the episode is 30 seconds shorter than it used to be.
I really enjoy seeing Rich and Jay share some time together doing one of these. The Plinkett skits are great, the TNG stuff is great, but Rich deserves more time just talking about a movie with Jay.
Rich Evans and Jay are like the Phoebe and Chandler (in that order) of RLM. They rarely get any screen time with just the two of them together.
Obviously, that was more of a niche, but I also miss Rich and Jack Packard talking about video games, on their now defunct "Previously Recorded" channel.
100%
@@Kijinn was it ever said why they shut it down? Just didn't want to do it anymore?
@@crakhaed
As far as I remember, Jack didn't have the time anymore. And Rich finds that he's lacking the ability to entertain an audience on his own.
He might also lack the motivation to do that. Just my assumption, though.
The closest similar film is 'Let the Right One In', as it strips away the mythology, and is relentlessly grim, it has the vampires living in poor circumstances, and it also has the ancient vampire in a child's body hanging out with a child. The intervention, blood transfusion, and recovery in 'Near Dark' are important to the 'drug' parallel, that's why it's in there.
The Swedish version of that film is a political allegory. Perhaps the most poignant one I've ever seen.
@@visicircle The Swedish version is the better one. The US remake is not as good!
Rich mentioned "Near Dark" and "Lost Boys" as beign the pioneers of this "Dracula-less" movie where the vampires are more like a community. "Vamp" (1986) did that a year before.
@@unityofvitality-5875 In the book, it explains that the girl vampire is actually from the ottoman empire, and was born a boy. When he was mortal he was castrated. We get a hint of this in the movie when her naked crotch is exposed and the wounds on her genitals are clearly visible. So he passed for a she, which wasnt hard since she never grew up .
In the film she is an allegory for the effect of Muslim immigration to Sweden. She's a blood sucker, who lives off of others. She survived by seducing members of society to help her. Usually those who themselves are in some way vulnerable, and have weak morals.
It's all displayed in the film quite clearly. The boy first meets her while stabbing a tree trunk and imagining it to be his bullies. She encouraged him to stand up for himself, and he cuts the ear off his bully. In exchange for his protection, the girl is willing to kill anyone that harms him.
The vampire metaphor is commonly associated with the ottoman empire, and by extension, radical Islam. Any empire is essentially a vampire. It saps it's conquered territories of all it's potential and vitality. Witness how the Ottomans institutionalized the kidnapping of Christian children in the Balkans, castrating them, and making them elite troops loyal to the ottoman emporer. Is it any wonder that we inherited the story of vampires from Balkan nations?
So when we witness the girl falling onto the drunks who were seated outside, and feeding on one, the metaphor is clear: it is the most vulnerable members of society she personally attacks. The drunks are a stand in for the lower and working classes. Those that, in real life, are often the target of drug addiction, theft, and forced protestution, etc.
Finally, the alliance she established with the pedophile at the beginning of the movie, and with the boy at the end, symbolized how her entry to society will set its members against each other. She convinces her protectors to kill for her. To do the dirty work of draining the blood and essence out of their own countrymen. All this in exchange for her favor and love.
You will see, more and more, members of different political parties dehumanizing each other. All over the supposed racism against "the Other." In Sweden's case the "other" are the Islamic extremists who have formed criminal gangs. They fight each other for the right to deal drugs to the native Swedish population. And their parasitic draining of the host society continues.
There is no hate for Islam or Muslims in this movie. The criminal individuals are the only guilty parties. But the means and manner in which they were "let in," to Sweden, posing as refugees and victims of wars instigated by the West. Leveraging racism and religious differences to justify their crimes and predations on the host country-It is the same codependent dynamic the girl in the movie has with her two male protectors.
So the film is an allegorical warning to societies that would seek to help the vulnerable. If you are going to act the role of the good Samaritan, and let strangers into your home, *make sure you let the right ones in*!
@@visicircle out of curiosity, is this stuff the author detailed, stuff that’s readily obvious in the context of the book, or just a series of observations you extrapolated from the material of said book?
Not even the UA-cam copyright bots can keep Rich Evans down! GO RICH!
@@danielmartini3229 copyright claim from Studio canal, old video was same runtime as this though
Nothing can stop Rich Evans!
Not UA-cam bots.
Not even.....
AAAAY-IDDDDDDDSSSSSSSS!!!
@@DomoAggro or the OMEGA variant!
If Billy Bob Brockali, and Satan himself couldn't keep him down; I don't think a UA-cam bot could do the same right?
I assume they included a clip of the show Jay was actually talking about, instead of Top Chef or whatever
I was able to watch this movie without paying $150 by checking it out of my local library. Obviously not every library is gonna have it, but it's worth checking if you want to see this movie or other ones that are similarly out of print.
Going to do that, then put it on Ebay and still make a profit after paying the replacement fee.
I found the Blu-ray at a used movie store for $4.99. They had no idea how underpriced it was.
yo ho ho and a bottle of rum...
It’s on Shudder. Watched it last night.
Pirate Bay???
Never realized Rich was so thoughtfully analytical. He points out a lot of subtle elements and nuances that I wouldn't have thought about.
You've been tricked by his cartoon laugh and the fact that when he gets warmed up on a point his voice goes into a range only dogs can hear.
Yeah, I know Jay and Mike are the film school guys but Rich is my favorite on re:View.
Been watching for a decade. Rich always makes great points
When you consider what an incredibly talented comedian Rich actually is, it makes sense that he would be highly intelligent. He just doesn’t have a traditional ”smart guy persona”.
Yeah but none of them have anything to do with Star Trek.
Kathryn Bigelow is awesome and Near Dark is an absolute classic.
jim jarmusch's "only lovers left alive" is a great musician/vampire movie. for one depicting blood as being a drug which intoxicates and brings temporary pleasure is perfect. and two depicting time/lifespan to become a master musician the main character at one point picks up a dusty Stradivarius and plays a paganini piece effortlessly a infamously complex composition. paganini lore/myth says he made a faustian bargain to attain his skills.
yes! my fav vampire film and just a great flick regardless of genre.
@@grahamgreene779 yes sir! i see it as much a movie about addiction than anything else. and the music is absolutely fantastic!
That's an amazing movie. Abel Ferrera's The Addiction is another vampire film that treats the urge to drink blood as a metaphor for drug addiction (obviously). It's not as good as Only Lovers, but the B&W cinematography is outstanding.
I know its a dumb complaint about a great movie but it kind of bothered me that adam in that movie is this ageless being but the music he makes is just 90s rock
I don't know of any other movie that so successfully conveys how immortality is a curse, not a blessing. Also love how Tom Hiddleston's character is into obscure technology that you don't see in the wide world, ostensibly because he was around when competing technologies existed and he chose the road less traveled by.
Regarding the 80s vampire rennaissance, it was probably due to the publication of SALEM'S LOT in 1975 (made into a movie in 1979) and the book INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE in 1976. The latter took 17 years to get made into a movie, during which time it would have been all the buzz in Hollywood. People who couldn't afford to purchase the rights to the book went on to make these modernized vampire movies. Prior to those two novels, vampires were either still in the Bella Lugosi mould, or consigned to works of science fiction and comic books.
kinda perfectly timed.. would have been a bit more tragic in the 80s
I was going to post about Interview With The Vampire as well, the first instance I'm aware of where vampires were depicted as something other than a Nosferatu or Dracula. In Interview Lestat, the foppish romantic vampire archetype, is only a side character who isn't even in half the book. The core theme of the story is how immortality is actually miserable and lonely. Sadly everyone latched on to foppish romantic archetype instead and he got so popular several sequels were written where he ended up the main character. But that's not how the first one was at all.
Well that and the success of slasher (horror) movies from the late 70s to the late 80s.
You're right, that's it! I saw Salem's Lot, maybe it was my first horror movie, when I was under 6. The kitchen scene with the parents and the friend scratching at the window, "open up, Danny".
It's now called Interview With THE Vampire.
The Jorge Luis Borges short story "The Inmortal" describes the inmortal people doing absolutely nothing because, he said, the experiences in life people can have are limited and these people has been through all these experiences several times since they became inmortal, so they are not just bored, they just lie down and see the time goes by. In the story one of the immortals has bird making a nest in his chest.
Thats awesome
Just read it, finding out who his travel buddy was gave me a good "Wow!" moment I haven't had in a while. Great reccomendation.
To be fair, if I had done everything already, I would probably also just lay down and let the end of the world be like a Timelapse to me
Nunca hubiera imaginado encontrar una cita a Borges en un hilo de comentarios de RLM, gracias Juan
Borges referenciado en RLM mira nomás que crossover.
I agree about 'Next Level Chef' - the scene on the boat has one of the best penny-drop moments I've ever seen. Also, 'Gordon Ramsay' appearing in the church towards the end of the series is one of the greatest visuals in all of horror.
I’m intrigued to watch this but I genuinely have no idea what TV show they are talking about.
Yeah, how he eulogized the lamb steak, calling upon his chef trainees "YOU FOOKIN' DONKEYS. YOU SEE HOW FOOKIN' RAW THAT IS." before letting them take communion in it, biting into it, infecting them with a blessed strain of northern english salmonella that immortalizes, yet demonizes them in a cruel way. brilliant.
@@stevenlennie midnight mass
@@stevenlennie I don't wanna indirectly spoil it for the others, but if you look at Mike Flanagan's latest release on a certain streaming platform, you'll find it. It's damn fine.
@@stevenlennie The show is called Midnight Mass on Netflix
Never under estimate "The Hunger", I think that helped spark the change in vampire flicks in the 80's.
The scene where David Bowie falls asleep and wakes up horribly old and dying after only about 45 minutes to 3 hours was low key the most terrifying thing I had ever seen in a vampire movie.
And it helped bring Bauhaus into the public eye.
I underestimate it because that movie fucking sucked
@@moritzzz1 Vampires suck.
I love the Rich and Jay dynamic. The Carpenter list was so much fun and so was this.
There are few pleasures in life that compare to pausing a re:View 6 minutes in to watch the film they are reviewing.
i did the same...also at 6 mins in
Wow guys! You both must have access to some kind of lightning fast blu-ray delivery service
@@LosBerkos nah theres sites with every movie for free.
Bill Paxton is at his best in this movie.
@Russell Collier He is truly great in everything he's been in. My favorite actor. He's been missed.
IMO, Frailty is Bill Paxton at his best, but this runs a very close second.
Allegedly there was an instance where Lance Henriksen and Bill Paxton were out joyriding off-set in their on-set costumes and were pulled over by a cop. Lance, who was driving, spoke and reacted to the officer in full-character as Jesse. He ended up scaring the officer so badly that at one point the officer started touching his firearm. They ended up not getting a ticket, however. The DVD extras also have Lance Heriksen telling about his Method Acting experiences like picking up hitchhikers to freak them out by acting as Jesse, and Bill Paxton's own Method Acting leading to him execute some cruel pranks in line with Severen's dark sense of humor.
I think I remember the one where Bill Paxton, in his gory makeup, would stumble into someplace and tell someone that he was involved in some sort of accident.
Near Dark was a heavily suggested viewing by White Wolf with respects to their Sabat Vampires. It was held in high regards by the table top Vampire the Masquerade players/fans.
The Player's Guide to the Sabbat features a drawing next to the Lasombra Clan entry that looks exactly like Bill Paxton's character standing at the bar with the shotgun over his shoulder.
That explains a lot.
Glad someone else here made the white wolf connection. As you said, it was listed in the intro to Requiem as suggested vamp fiction, and its focus on the “vampire night to night” relative to other movies was hugely influential relative to other vampire movies. This ran through all of WW’s vampire products, but requiem especially
The character from the intro fiction to 2nd ed rev guide to the Sabbat was basically Bill Paxton with a political agenda lol
The best part of thus ReView was that "Dollman" trailer, that was phenomenal
Somehow I had never heard of _Dollman,_ so I found it on Amazon and watched it at my next movie night. It was amazing.
For me, that it looped three times 💀
Fun fact: the kid who plays Homer (Joshua John Miller) in Near Dark is the younger half-brother of Jason Patric, who played Michael in The Lost Boys. So Jay apparently wants to punch Jason Patric’s younger brother in the face.
And their father is none other than Jason Miller (aka Father Damien Karras from The Exorcist). These two brothers were born into the horror genre.
He's also a gay screenwriter. There goes Jay again, punching gay kids in the face
Chazz michael michaels is figure skating...BOOM
@@kggregorie Well cut him some slack, he's just projecting his frustration about not being able to come out (ALLEGEDLY)
He was also the little brother in Class of 1999 and I've been wanting for redletter to watch that or review it for like a decade because it kicks ass
I wonder if it was related to the popularity of the Anne Rice books. Interview with a Vampire came out in 76, and The Vampire Lestat in 85. She sort of introduced us to the idea of a more-than-human vampire, applying human thoughts and emotions to immortality and the guilt of bloodlust.
Yes, quite surprising they didn't bring up Interview. Those books were all about immortal anguish. And Kirstin Dunst as a child vampire should have been a one to one comparison.
Interview with THE Vampire.
Glad to see this movie getting props. I always felt this movie was almost literally Lost Boys backwards, because the time spent on the respective vampire and human families on both movies is almost flipped backwards (the vampire family is sidelined in Lost Boys, the human family is sidelined in Near Dark).
Richs idea for a vampire ending is why the ending of 30 Days of night always stuck with me.
God, re:View helps me remember movies I saw in the 80s and 90s and then keep forgetting about even though I try to remember them. This episode brings up TWO movies I need to watch again: this and DOLL MAN. Thanks for reminding me of that.
Thank you guys for years of consistently great entertaiment 👍
This movie is clearly inspired by the Interview With The Vampire novel. Vagabond vampires, one is moping about having to kill people, a child is sired to fill an emotional hole. Ann Rice kicked off the Vampire renaissance, it just took 10 years to catch on.
You're wrong because these are very common tropes and Anne Rice didn't invent them.
I remember seeing it a long time ago, but I just saw it on the Criterion Channel and loved it and appreciated it so much more than I did before. It has got to be my favorite vampire movie ever!
It’s on Tubi! Right now! May 2024!
I've been telling everyone who doesn't care to listen on every discord server I'm on. Such a great film. 🍻
I agree, love this movie, used to sneak watch on HBO when I was a kid. Fun fact that "annoying kid with the punchable face" is Joshua John Miller whose half brother, Jason Patrick, played the older brother in "Lost Boys". Their dad played Father Dominic in "Exorcist".
This was definitely a film I watched late night on a random channel. Never really knew what it was nor its name until later in life. Great film.
Just as good as the first time this was uploaded
Hey guys I just want to say I discovered you last year and I've been binge watching ever since. It's pretty much my go to channel. I really enjoy the way you present your content. It's professional without being professional. It doesnt rely on the goofy amateur youtube effects we regularly see. I like all the shows, but I think Review is the best. Thanks guys, keep it up.
In case you dont know and want more content, they have movie commentary tracks available and their patreon has BTS, extras, and blooper type vids too.
@RxYouth OK, cool. I'll probably stick to the regular yt stuff. I will definitely be dishing out a few bucks for the channel. Well deserved.
Ditto for all of this. Except I discovered them a decade ago.
@@foxhound5043 the commentaries might be free, I can't remember, they're on bandcamp, there's some UA-camrs who make great videos mixing snippets of the best parts of the commentary with the movie and references they say throughout and are usually about 20-40 minutes long, search for RLM and Commentary and you'll find em.
@RxYouth Bro, no offense but I'll stick with the source material. Thanks.
I found a used copy on BluRay in a pawn shop. I was drawn to the film back in '88 because of Tangerine Dream's score, and it became a classic in my circle of friends. "Bombs away, little buddy!" "Hey, you ever hear the one about Buffalo Bill?"
Tangerine Dream is the only reason I've heard of this movie.
I guess I'm one of the lucky few to have this Blu-ray, I had no idea it was so hard to find! As far as the 80's vampire films, Fright Night (1985) was maybe a good mainstream entry for that era, but The Hunger (1983) is another great pioneer into not only the concept of the vampire lifestyle, but also a great entry into the art house category.
I saw The Hunger for the first time last year, awesome movie
I always thought that Caleb saw blood transfusion as an alternative to killing people for their blood and he discovered the cure accidentally because when he wakes up he looks surprised that he isn't a vampire.
If you’re looking for a great vampire movie that pretty much remains a “slice of life” throughout, Park Chan-Wook’s Thirst fits the bill.
The themes were all explored in 1976 Interview with a vampire
Also not about vampires, but Highlander deals with a bored immortal
Yeah Rich might like that one considering he hated the ending of this
@@alarabi7 Interview with the Vampire is the OG. That book is mesmerizing - RIP Anne Rice.
Kinda shocked they went the whole review without either of them mentioning 'Let the Right One In', as I thought that would be right up their alley. That movie had a very similar feel that being a vampire is a miserable, lonely existence of having nothing in your unlife but randomly killing people and then moving on before the authorities catch you.
I feel like Jay is probably a fan of it, seems to tick all of his boxes. It’s also a cute adolescent love story despite its bleakness. The book is pretty great too and goes into a lot more of the miserable stuff that the movie did so well.
Not enough weird perv stuff for being on Jay's list. Maybe he is fan of the book.
Specifically I have to stress the Swedish original, 'Låt den rätte komma in' as it is one of my favorites for sure. Harder maybe for an American to evaluate, but if you can make it past the fact you need subtitles, it is the superior movie.
I seem to recall another movie called Only Lovers Left Alive, which is more of the "vampires are just boring" style stuff.
@@motinuppi The American remake is titled "Let Me In', and I agree it was both unnecessary and not as good.
@@motinuppi oh I forgot that got a American version made. I’m in the camp that it’s completely incomprehensible why anyone would make a “county” version of an existing film. Just watch the original!
Anyway the original was so messed up… coming up on 15 years later, after my single and only viewing, I still remember the saddest part to me where the old guy begs the vampire not to see the main character, and it becomes clear that he’s jealous and dejected, but too impotent to do anything about it.
You should definitely talk about The Hitcher on re:View because it's supposed to come out on 4k/blu ray this year
It's finally comming out?? It was like borderline lost media for ages
Its not streaming anywhere.
And that is why physical media is needed.
And pirating..
I’ve been waiting to see this movie for years. Over 20 years. Watching it now. It’s amazing!
I literally rented this movie yesterday bc I heard about it on another RLM vid, so it's awesome that they released this today. Feels like a neglected cousin of The Lost Boys(which I love to death) and deserves more attention.
How do you rent a movie in 2022?
@@HunterTinsley he might have a really good Library. Local libraries now have movies for rental. I say this is somebody that was flabbergasted with the selection the now is somebody with a contact on the inside...
@@HunterTinsley you can rent movies on streaming services dude
When I was 6 Bravo aired something called “100 scariest movie moments” and there was a part where there was a cool punk rock cowboy vampire was walking across a bar and slit somebody’s throat with his spurs. Took me years to realize it was Near Dark and then years to be able to watch it
A video so nice I gotta watch it twice 🖤
I saw Near Dark in 35 mm for the first time at the Egyptian Theater in Seattle recently. If it was a pure Western, I can see an alternate take where the vampire family is substituted for a gang of bandits, and the moral dilemma Caleb faces being more practical than supernatural, but still grim. He'd be expected to kill in either scenario. I still loved the movie as it is! Despite not seeing it before, I knew the word "vampire" wasn't spoken in the movie, and used that to answer a trivia question before the movie. I won a schlocky looking blu-ray called "Blood Hook" from Scarecrow Video.
Homer is awesome. I watched when I was young. It was awesome to have an older brother in the 1980"s. I got to watch so many great movies.
I only own about a dozen DVDs, and Near Dark is one. Also "Lifeforce" which is another great 80s vampire flick. So great!
A forgotten Tobe Hooper classic! I also own it on DVD. Does it get you laid all the time too?
I just referenced that movie today. We were talking about how Patrick Stewart raised the level of ST:TNG. And I mentioned that the first time I ever saw Stewart, he was getting kissed full on the mouth by Steve Railsback in that movie.
Really? I thought lifeforce was so damn boring lol
@@brandon17760 First i saw Lifeforce I was probably 14 (1986ish) and to this day the thought of that naked vampire alien lady gets me, umm, motivated... So no, I can't say I found it boring! lol
I swore to myself if I ever met Patrick Stewart I'd pretend I only knew him from Life Force and was a huge fan of it. ...Then I saw how he acted at Elia Kazan's awards ceremony and am tempted to spit on his shoe or face instead.
This movie! I only ever saw bits and pieces of it when I was a kid on apparently HBO, and never knew the name of it until now. I always wanted to see it from start to end. Now that I know the name of it I can. Thank you Rich Evans for Rich Evans'inng.
They can only auction off the case because Rich left his copy of Near Dark in his blu-ray player.
He'll find it again in a decade when he knocks the player over in a Mr Pinkett drunk sketch.
There is going to be a casino in space called Moneystation where the rich elite go to gamble beyond all terrestrial laws. Someone is going to be thrown through glass into a server, and this blu-ray will pop out while they are electrocuted
I think it was the publication of 'Salem's Lot, Interview with the Vampire, and The Vampire Lestat that began the modernization of vampire mythology. If so, it is fitting that the updating of vampire lore would have a foundation in literature.
yep, it didn't start with movies. As usually it comes from books.
Never even heard of this movie in my life. Watched 17 minutes of this review, paused it, went and watched it, and oh man, I love it! The blood transfusion thing was a bit goofy I guess (Like there was a cure for vampirism all this time that isn't even that hard to do, but none of the vampires thought to ever try it?) but I thought it was really good overall! It really had me invested in the characters. Man, I miss Bill Paxton and younger Lance Henriksen. The musical score was fantastic too. I loooooved that ending credits song. I'm going to have to listen to some more of Tangerine Dream's work.
Also I laughed really hard when in the shot where the MC is walking down mainstreet at night after getting turned, there's a cinema behind him that says "ALIENS" on the marquee.
@The Wizard of Oswald The Pirate Bay
Thank you for doing "Near Dark".....I hope more people now know about this 'cult
classic and can appreciate it.
Would love to see ya'll Re:View "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension" if anyone in the RLM likes that movie. Its just one of my favs and I wish more people knew of it/appreciated it for the sci-fi fun movie that it is.
"Wherever you go...there you are"
That movie is maybe impossible for me to fully rewatch. It's a bad movie with some scenes of hysterical comedy. I remember seeing a Q/A where Peter Weller said something like "I don't know what this movie is about and we don't know why we made it." 🤣
@@michaelbush1374
Oh this movie has it problems, theres pacing problems galore....its just so much FUN. Just like...silly but the type of sci-fi from the comic, I think, translated to film very well.
That's the best way I can explain it, sadly lol.
@@NashaWriter85 I hear ya 😂 I like to show my friends the clip on youtube where he sings a song to Peggy and she's ready to shoot herself. I don't think it's on youtube but I wish there was a clip of the scene where he's explaining to her how he dated her twin sister before. The whole bit of dialogue was gold 🤣
On the one hand, everyone should watch Near Dark before playing tabletop Vampire. The drug addiction metaphor is very apt. Characters need blood and ultimately will do anything to get it, to the point where players can lose control as their starving character simply goes berserk and eats the first thing they can get their hands on, up to and including their own still-living families. So, the trick to being a human monster is finding a way to drink what they need regularly without enjoying it, becoming too jaded, or making too much noise. Learning how to manage an addiction they cannot ever conquer is a big part of the game. Near Dark is a cautionary tale about the kind of monster you don't want to be, but would almost certainly become in the fullness of time.
On the other hand, too many people would miss the point, try to be Bill Paxton's character, and get angry when the prince finally ran out of patience with all the wanton carnage and had their character ashed.
The Vampire: The Masquerade community is the reason I was made aware of this wonderful film. It’s great inspiration for characters and chronicles
The whole time while watching this I was thinking "this movie sounds like a very RP heavy Vampire the Masquerade game." Glad I wasn't the only one.
@@KrillLiberator Absolutely.
The vampire renaissance might have been due to Anne Rice. Interview with the Vampire (the book) came out in the late 70s, and a lot of vampire fiction since then has been about sexy semi-homeless people.
I thought so too, but it was before my time so I couldn’t say with certainty.
i think it was largely that, and "Salem's Lot" (& its TV miniseries). "The Hunger" (1983) showed it was economically viable to the mainstream as a film
Thank you. 1976. Explored all these themes with lestat Louis and Claudia. Inspired paleo-goth and an empathetic view of vampirism... Laid the foundations of vampire renaissance in the 80s movies along with 1975 Salem's lot and The Hinger with the the first lesbian movie scene. Sorry after dark was derivative and late... But interesting enough...
But the TRUE vampire renaissance started with Fist of the Vampire (2007).
re:View is now my favourite show of yours. Every episode is great and gets me interested in a new movie.
It would have been excellent if the purpose of having all the characters at different points of acceptance in being vampires was for Caleb to look at them and go “nah fuck that” and then do the walk into the sun as was said
In my opinion, that would be too much "on the nose". That setup would work for a short story, but in a ~90 minute movie, I'd expect a better thought out ending than that.
@@Kijinn You're so right, this kind of endings work more for shorts, after the movie takes you into a story for more than an hour it becomes dissatisfying
I've always wanted to see a vampire western but didn't know one existed. Will definitely check this out.
Good luck trying to actually watch it.
Morning I will do the best I have mmk
you should also watch from dusk till dawn, its kinda a western action vampire movie dude
@@nukie2743 it’s on Amazon with a subscription to a second party streaming service. You could feasible sign up, watch it, then cancel it. Shudder also still lists it as being on their site.
@@nukie2743 Yarr! It can be found upon the seven seas!
It's streaming on Amazon if you get a trial/subscription to something called MovieSphere. I guess you could always sign up and cancel if you're okay at remembering to cancel things. I love Near Dark. Saw it on VHS back in the 90s and it still holds up. Glad Rich and Jay liked it.
Near Dark is currently available for rent on Amazon (at least in Canada). It would be hilarious if they have someone monitoring channels like this to make sure they make old movies available when reviews go up for them. Surely it would be worth the money.
After Wish Upon's numbers I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't.
I've always loved this movie! Thank you for the re:View
Jay’s patience to wait for the edit to correct rich is admirable
The bluray copy is worth it, I love this movie! I would have added about 10-15 minutes of film with some scenes after the motel shootout of Caleb traveling around with the gang, making at least one kill and getting acquainted with each member/becoming more a part of the family. Establishing a connection, so to speak. I always thought this establishment as one of them would have the given the scene where his sister and father finally find him and he chooses to leave more of an impact. The finale between him and each member would have hit harder because the audience would know significant time and vampire experience had happened for Caleb, and we would see why they felt so betrayed at his leaving. Other than that such a kickass awesome 80s flick!
Loved this film as a teen. Classic Paxton.
The obnoxious kid was a great actor in this and River's Edge, another bleak 80's fave... Keanu and Crispin and a Slayer soundtrack! So good.
Underrated movie. Glad to see it get some attention
Clicking on and starting one of your videos , is like putting on your old favorite cotton T! Your work is truly appreciated fellows!
I think Jay said in a video last year that it was on Shudder but leaving in a couple days which was literally the impetus for me to finally see this since it is about impossible to find. So thanks Jay!
Two things, I suspect, are what changed vampires in the '80s. The first is the goth scene. It took a while of slowly bubbling up in the underground throughout the '80s until it would finally explode into the mainstream in the early '90s. Which is also what happened to the other big influence: Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles. Interview with the Vampire was first published in 1976, but it would take time to grow and find its audience over the intervening decade. Getting big alongside the goth scene. Then we got the big hits in the '90s like Vampire: The Masquerade coming out in 1991 and quickly becoming popular. The film adaptation of Interview in 1994. By that point this sort of view of vampires had become widespread and mainstream, but until then it tended to percolate just under the surface with films like this that presented a different view from the classic Dracula style.
Interesting fact, the actor who plays the kid vampire is related to Jason Patric who played the "hero" vampire in lost boys.
Nepotism strikes again!
@@kostajovanovic3711 Don`t you mean vampirism? :)
Neat
He is also the son of Jason Miller who played Father Damien Karras in The Exorcist.
I grew up watching this one on a bootlegged VHS tape. Awesome film!
This review is 2 years old but I just wanted to say this video made me actually seek out and buy a DVD of this movie since it's not on Streaming and it's absolutely one of my favorite vampire films now. Thanks RLM.
Honestly, if I was James Cameron I'd probably feel better about losing the Oscar to my ex-wife than losing to Jason Reitman or Quentin Tarantino. Bigelow and Cameron continued collaborating on projects after they divorced and did some great work together on Strange Days, a fantastically underrated 90's film that feels strangely relevant when you watch it today.
I didn't realize Cameron was involved with Strange Days, thanks for the comment.
This. 👆
James Cameron doesn't do what James Cameron does for James Cameron. James Cameron does what James Cameron does because James Cameron is... James Cameron.
Strange Days has never been underrated. It's a flawed movie with odd casting choices and an unsufficient production value for what it wants to be. It got exactly the amount of attention it still deserves: Very little.
say 'strange' one more time. I dare you.
We're going to have to start downloading these asap before they get taken down i have my hard drive copy of diamond cobra and that one with the creepy perv reviewing a Breen film.
You both manage to describe the ending to the Korean movie Thirst as how you would potentially want Near Dark to end. Awesome review of one of my favourite cult classics.
30 Days of Night also has such an ending to an extent, though only one of the couple became a vampire.
You can always count on Korean movies to provide the bleakest possible ending.
Original was taken down after rich gave his true thoughts on 9/11 before relieving himself
Another tie that the 1987 vampire double feature has is Jason Patric ("The Lost Boys") abd Joshua Miller ("Near Dark") are half brothers. Their father was Oscar-nominated actor Jason Miller ("The Exorcist").
Another crazy tie in to Lost Boys..
The actor who played Homer is Joshua Miller. Son of Father Karras himself Jason Miller. Who’s other son Jason Patric starred in Lost Boys.
Wild!
Absolutely love this one! Saw it before it left the Criterion Channel a couple years ago, hopefully they’ll put it back on since it’s pretty much impossible to find legally nowadays. Also this seems like the perfect movie for Arrow to release, and I’m very surprised they haven’t already.
I wanted to rewatch this a couple years ago and was able to put a hold on it from my local library. Pro tip if you like physical media, and miss the old video store experience!
But then you have to deal with homeless people...
@@charlottecorday8494 believe me, most homeless people don't care about libraries, and the ones who use libraries usually aren't shitty people
@@brandon17760 Come to South Dakota sometime and witness the horror
@@brandon17760 you must not live in an area experiencing heavy homelessness.
@@charlottecorday8494 Wild. That description doesn’t match my experience of libraries at all, having worked at two. But of course things are different wherever you go. It sounds like there are some needs in your community that aren’t quite being met, if the library has to step in like that. I’m sorry that experience has put you off libraries altogether. For me they’ve always felt like home. Oh - I guess that solves part of the mystery now that I say it…😄
Does this bring back memories! Sixteen year old me watching this on the big screen and completely mesmerized by that bar scene. Just as disturbing now
I love this movie! I even have two copies of it, on VHS and on DVD (think German cover but with reflective print), but I have to admit I am more in the Rich Evans camp because of the ending. I am so glad they talked about it, I really hope more people get to see that movie and the fantastic bar scene!
I am so happy i have this incredibly beautiful strange gem of a movie on both dvd and blu-ray❤
Rich spending almost an hour looking for a blu-ray he had JUST put in his PC just murdles my sides.
How can you play a blu-ray using Political Correctness?
@@pillsareyummy He means Player Character, i.e. a character that plays blu-rays.
@@aaronwebb1548 I was joking. Also, I think he meant Personal Computer.
Abe Simpson: IT'LL HAPPEN TO YOU!
Where do you even get a computer with an optical drive these days?
I got to see Near Dark in an art house theatre. It was a blast to see with an audience. I'd like to suggest the move The Hunger with Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, and Susan Sarandon, kicked off the Vampire renaissance.
This movie just sounds like a vampire story where everyone is Cassidy from Preacher, but specifically the comic version.
That whole series really fits the same sort of 'supernatural urban western' vibe that it sounds like Near Dark invokes.
Except Cassidy wasn't killing innocents left and right
Also I fucking hate the show version of Cassidy so much. His character just becomes this absolute sad sack after season one, which is honestly a huge 180 from the first season which is kinda more accurate to the comic. I know he's supposed to slowly be portrayed as pathetic in the comic, but in the show he puts up no mask to hide his pain and is so much less complex and honestly just comes off as fucking annoying /rant
@@lurksnitchtongue8986 My understanding is that Preacher is a pretty bad show in general.
Garth Ennis(writer of Preacher)had certainly seen Near Dark by the time he wrote Cassidy.Preacher's vampres are almost identical to those of Near Dark(sunlight being their only weakness,exploding when they are exposed too much to it).Also,in the Punisher:Welcome back Frank comic series,also written by Ennis,a character mentons Near Dark.
Heyy i was going through prime video looking for something to watch and stumbled upon it! Loved it despite the spoilers (your commentaries are too good to miss guys I couldnt possibly skip a minute!).
So prime video canada for anyone who's looking for it!
Cheers
A very unique take on vampires, one of my favorites. Great director, cast, plus, Tangerine Dream soundtrack!
Wow I got to see the original. Can't wait to not see what changed because I won't remember.
4:01 I'm thinking "The Hunger" (1983) needs a mention here. Early "contemporary vampire" concept, "vampirism as AIDS-like decease", David Bowie's in it. Good shit.
I'm pretty sure this movie did good numbers with home rentals, all of my friends in the 80s saw it and loved it. Bear in mind that this was released right on the heels of Aliens, with much of the same cast, so people were interested. Not sure why it faded from memory. Also, The Hitcher is streaming on HBO Max right now.
I remember always seeing it in the store for rent.
Thanks for the vid. Always great.
didnt expect to see this movie here! i love it!