NEAR DARK

US, 1987, 89 minutes, Colour.
Adrian Pasdar, Jennie Wright, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton.
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow.

Near Dark is a small-budget vampire film which has become something of a cult film. It was directed by Kathryn Bigelow. It has echoes of the Charles Manson family and - its vampire-like preying on society. There are also echoes of the living-dead horror films as well as many other examples of the genre. It also has the touch of the western.

These elements combine quite well to make-a more intelligent vampire film than is usual. However, there - is a relishing of the situations, the special effects and stunt work.

An allegory of American society through vampire story.

1. Audience interest in vampire stories? Vampires and horror? Nightmares? The living dead? In a small American town, on the American road? A piece of Americana?

2. The visualising of the town and the highway? Authentic atmosphere giving credibility? Special effects, the stunts, Tangerine Dreams score?

3. The credibility of the plot: its basis, the Manson and other families, American violence, preying on innocent. people, missing people, the living dead? Violence? The rescue?

4. The reliance on the vampire genre? Taking it seriously, spoofing it? References to other vampire films? An allegory of American society?

5. Caleb as hero, his type, the kids? The encounter with Mae? The bite, gradual effect, home? The van? His relationship with his father and Sarah? The family letting him live? His desperation, not knowing what was wrong with him, his illness and appearance? The bus station, the money, on the bus, getting off? Encounters? Meeting Mae and her helping him to survive, the blood? Love for her? The building up of the killings, the truckie and devouring him? The bar and the fight, the slaughter? The vehicles? In the motel, the shootout? Staying the night with Mae? Meeting Sarah and his father, the escape? His father giving his blood? The pursuit, the horse, the deaths, rescuing Mae? Pessimism about such violence in middle America? Optimism about the rescue and the transformation and recovery from, possession by evil?

6. The American family, the vet, the father's concern, his search, the meeting, the confrontation? Sarah and Homer? The kidnapping? Mae? The father's love helping his son to survive?

7. Mae and her luring of Caleb, the bite, not quite a vampire, the killings, the truckie, the siege? Romance, the night? tier saving Sarah? tier be-ling saved, seeing the sunlight. and recovering?

8. Jesse and Diamond Back: civil war, the later years, his ruthlessness yet the code within the group, killing the travellers, the brutality in the bar, taunting their victims, pursuing them, the siege, the final confrontation, fear of the sun, Caleb rescuing them, the final explosions?

9. Homer, age, pouting and tantrums, lying on the road, interaction with Sarah?

10. Severin, ugly, defiant, the spurs, killing?

11. The world of the dead, free, killing, the need for blood, parasites, their code? Brutal and callous attitudes towards humans?

12. Action, violence and horror? The use of conventions? The conventions of romance as saving?

13. The allegory of the United States, society, the past, parasites, violence? Hope?