‘Near Dark’
Near Dark Joint Venture, 1987

starring: Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Bill Paxton and Lance Henriksen
directed by: Kathryn Bigelow

the plot: Caleb (Pasdar), an unassuming farm boy, falls hard for Mae (Wright), a comely, mysterious girl passing through town. After a night of stargazing and Caleb’s feeble attempts at seduction, Mae insists Caleb get her home before dawn. What Caleb doesn’t realize is that Mae is a vampire, and when he decides not to drop her off at home, she bites him and runs off. Caleb, now also a vampire, stumbles home, the sun burning him. But before he bursts into flame, Mae’s dysfunctional vampire family—including patriarch Jesse (Henriksen) and the psychopathic Severn (Paxton)—pick him up and take the boy on an interstate crime spree. But Caleb refuses to give into his new, predatory nature, and before long he finds himself at odds against a quintet of bloodthirsty killers.

why it’s good: “Near Dark” is a great vampire flick, pure and simple. It feels dirty and sweaty and grimy, like the band of nomadic vampires it portrays, and it doesn’t skimp on all the horror, either. Bigelow and co-writer Eric Red’s script is tight and uncomplicated, eschewing all the myth and romanticism usually associated with vampires in favor of focusing on the dark, violent world the characters inhabit. “Near Dark” has more in common with the Westerns of the late 1960s and early 1970s than it does with horror flicks of the same time. You won’t find sexy ruminations on the life of a bloodsucker (in fact, the word “vampire” is never uttered), but you will see bar fights and intense shootouts. The entire cast clicks, especially Paxton and Henriksen, both of whom exude such menace that they could kill with a glance. Trivia bonus: “Near Dark” reunites Paxton, Henriksen and Jenette Goldstein, all of whom starred together in “Aliens.”

why you should own it: After years of relative obscurity, Anchor Bay released a special edition of “Near Dark” in 2002, complete with commentary from Bigelow, deleted scenes, and a documentary on the making of the film. “Near Dark” is a must-own for horror fans.