Sidewalks On The Corner

From the graphic novel created by Steve Niles and illustrated by Ben Templesmith comes one of the most terrifying vampire films to date. "30 DAYS OF NIGHT," directed by David Slade and produced by Sam Raimi, arrives just in time for Halloween.

Follow up:

Every winter the town of Barrow, Alaska shuts down as it prepares for thirty days of darkness and a very harsh snowstorm. Most of Barrow's town people head to southern Alaska to escape the bitter cold, but there are those who chose to wait it out. While this small town is under hibernation, some strangers come to pay a visit … some very thirsty visitors. A series of murders begins after a stranger (Ben Foster) comes to town, and Sheriff Eben Olsen (Josh Hartnett) suspects that this stranger is behind them. The mysterious stranger starts to harass some of the town’s folk and mentions that the visitors are coming. Sheriff Olsen and his ex-wife Fire Marshall Stella Olsen (Melissa George) don’t hesitate to handcuff him and lock him away, until they can figure out what's going on. Then the blood shed starts.

Ravenous vampires attack like pit bulls in this bloodthirsty, messy horror flick that is sure to make you jump out of your skin. I'm not easily frightened by horror movies that much, but from it's opening shot, "30 Days of Night" causes your pulse to quicken, your breathing to almost halt, and the adrenalin to pump through your veins like crude oil. But there is no violence or blood shed in the first 20 to 30 minutes of the movie. That's when you have to tell yourself it's just a movie, it's just...a movie. It's the mere thought of being trapped in one area, in the freezing cold, in almost total darkness for 30 days that make you feel truly scared. In contrast, the quick jerk camera movement that obscures your vision of the true violence and terror reminds me of "28 Days Later" (notice the film title similarities). The fast paced direction of David Slade leaves you with the sense of panic and sheer horror. The vampires attack with such lightning speed you don't have time to process what's happening. This is a good thing in a horror movie because it literally causes you the flinch and squirm in ways that will make you pull a muscle. There are also elements of "Night of the Living Dead" in that there is a claustrophobic atmosphere to it, where the characters are trapped in dark buildings trying to escape from the vampires. These kind of elements create the since of "there is no hope" or "what do we do now". Now, imagine the bloodiness and violence of John Carpenter classics like "Vampires" times two, as well as the cold, dark, and bleak look of "The Thing". All of these script and direction points, make for a cult hit and an icon in the horror genre.

The cast gave superb performances. Josh Hartnett pushes his character to the limits. The realism came out in his lines, and the look of concern and real terror were written all over his face. Melissa George's character added strong reinforcement to Hartnett. She wasn't the typical female actor to fall victim to her enemy. George fought tooth and nail along side her counterparts and became somewhat of a heroine. The supporting cast backed the main characters pretty well. As for the actors playing the vampires, they were the vampires; meaning they did not for one moment leave there parts. They were relentless, brutal, and bloodthirsty. Danny Huston plays the head vampire (or master vampire as in legendary stories). Speaking only in the ancient tongue of the vampires, Huston is able to portray his character master vampire Marlow with conviction. His dead pan, glazed over stare, and slow ominous speech pattern struck fear in his victims.

Overall, the ending is (for lack of a better word) shocking. It's messy, bleak, icy, bloody, quick paced, etc. (if I missed anything let me know). It is the stuff nightmares are made of. “30 Days of Night” is not for everyone, but it is primed to reach cult classic status. I'm adding this one to my horror movie marathon that I hold every October from the 1st thru 31st. This movie will not get out from under your skin. Happy Halloween.