It's machismo run amuck in a dusty, dusky Southwestern setting with a Ry Cooder-twinged country blues score. And Carpenter loves it.

I killed my own father, padre. I got no trouble killing you. Not half as bad as some reviews in 1998 made it out to be, Vampires is worth taking a peek at these days. Without the heavy weight of expectation for a return to form for John Carpenter, it proves to be a schlocky and bloody good time. James Woods stars as a Vatican backed vampire slayer, something he does with considerable relish. But now he is up against an uber vampire in Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith), a leader with powers unbound. Daniel Baldwin and Sheryl Lee are along for the gore laden ride. Woods is cool, with a quip on the tongue and a deadly weapon to hand, his by-play with Tim Guinee's priest provides much of the film's humour. The photography, choreography, editing and tension building are all high in quality, and while the story is weak and there's a whiff of misogyny in the mix, for a horror popcorner there's a good time to be had here. 7/10

Never been a big fan of this movie, and of vampires in general, but seeing it again after many years, did kind of enjoy it primarily for James Woods and to some extent Thomas Ian Griffith's over-the-top performance (and Sheryl Lee is easy on the eyes for sure). Certainly not top tier John Carpenter and the editing was a mess, but still somewhat entertaining. **3.0/5**

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