This stylish combination of expressionistic horror and deadpan black comedy centers on the activities of a beautiful female vampire on the streets of New York City. Playing fast and loose with the Dracula legend, the film examines the legendary count's children, particularly the alluring and mysterious Nadja (Elina Lowensohn). At the film's beginning, Nadja is celebrating her father's demise and hoping to begin a new life. She hopes that this life will include Lucy (Galaxy Craze), a spunky young
woman that she seduces after an encounter in a New York bar. Unfortunately, Lucy is already married, to the nephew of eccentric vampire hunter Van Helsing (Peter Fonda), who disposed of Nadja's father and has now set his sights on capturing the daughter. Matters are further complicated when Nadja's brother Edgar (Jared Harris), a vampire who wishes to give up his blood-sucking nature, also becomes involved. Gorgeously shot by cinematographer Jim Denault in a mixture of 35mm black-and-white and low-budget Pixelvision video, the film resembles a combination of the surrealist visions of co-producer David Lynch and the quirky humor and stylized sensibility of Hal Hartley. The convoluted narrative sometimes fails to gel, and the self-conscious, arty approach will not appeal to audiences looking for conventional thrills, but those with a taste for the unusual may find the film an appealing contemporary spin on a familiar legend. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
This offbeat horror item works much better as a dreamy mood piece with striking poetic images and as a semicomic appreciation of a few quintessential low-budget actors than as straight-ahead storytelling.
It's the kind of movie that deals with unspeakable subjects while keeping a certain ironic distance, and using dialogue that seems funny, although the characters never seem in on the joke.
Unfolding as a languid dream puzzle in Downtown Manhattan nether world, Michael Almereyda's blend of serious and frivolous ideas and mysterious and haunting images recalls David Lynch, who served as film's exec producer and also makes cameo appearance
While it is nice to see an occasional horror film making the art house circuit, this story of the undead just needs more life in the long middle section of the film.
One of the worst vampire movies I have ever come across. Its in my Suzy Amis Collection and the only reason I continued to watch it. Dracula gets hunted down and killed by the current Van Helsing. But Dracula's Daughter Nadja takes his place in the undead world. Nadja, coincidentally gets involved in a lesbian
relationship with Lucy, wife to Jim Van Helsing. Its in B&W which takes away from the overall movie, after all it was filmed in 1994.I didn't get much out of this, maybe an Art house Movie, not sure, just didn't work for me at all. 1 Star
October 1, 2009
Bruce Bruce
Super Reviewer
I love this movie. Absolutely never get tired of it. The best vampire movie ever made. I love everything about it from the way it is filmed in grainy black and white, to the soundtrack, the performances, particularly Elina Lownsohn - perfect. I must have watched this about ten times now. If you like Vampire
movies, then you must see this.
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