Vampire’s Kiss
Official Synopsis:
“Teetering on the edge of sanity, volatile literary agent Peter Loew (Nicholas Cage) tries to find purpose in his life through a cutthroat work ethic and a hedonistic night life. But when an encounter with a mysterious beauty leaves Loew convinced he is turning into a vampire, his behavior turns positively outrageous.”
On the Nicholas Cage timeline of insanity, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where he went off the deep end. I submit to you Vampire’s Kiss, a movie so absurd it has to be seen to be believed.
Peter Loew longs for connection. He sees it everywhere he turns. His one night stands are not enough, however, and he yearns for something different. Really different.
After a late night encounter with a bat, Peter begins to fantasize about becoming a vampire. His delusion reaches unfathomable proportions as he believes a stranger he met in a bar is a vampire and has turned him into one as well.
All the threads that tether him to the real world begin to be cut, and he slips further and further into madness. One of the last things that let him cling to the mortal life is his secretary, Alva (Maria Conchita Alonso), whom he berates and yells at for no reason. Things reach a frightening climax as he chases her down to rape her. As she fights him off she pulls a gun filled with blanks to scare him off. Peter takes the gun and puts it in his mouth and pulls the trigger to end his curse, but nothing happens, solidifying his belief he has joined the undead.
Nicholas Cage gives an honestly unforgettable performance as an eccentric publishing executive that would give Patrick Bateman a run for his money. Most people have a love him or hate him relationship with Nicholas Cage, his method of acting puzzles most, and it is extremely hard to separate the line between actor and man. This is definitely one of those films, which seems to be tailor made for an over the top performance such as his.
The story is so dark, absurd, and unique. It wasn’t until halfway through the film I realized this was a dark comedy and was able to fully appreciate it. Even more so after learning the writer wrote one of my favorite, lesser known Scorsese films, After Hours. Just as that film does, it spirals into overdrive and takes the viewer on a journey they never could have expected.
Video
The video is presented in 1080p 1.85:1. The opening credits start rather rough, with roller scratches noticeable, but it clears up and looks pretty good during the rest of the film.
Audio
The audio is presented in DTS Master Audio 2.0. The audio sounds fine, nothing spectacular, but does its job in providing clear dialogue with not much else going on in the film.
Special Features
Commentary with Director Robert Bierman and Nicholas Cage
Although this commentary was recorded in 1999, it is still highly entertaining to hear some of the stories about filming. Nicholas Cage shares some of his insights on his decisions about his acting method, and even pokes fun at himself at some of the things he got away with doing.
Theatrical Trailer
High Spirits
Official Synopsis:
“Darryl Hannah, Peter O’Toole, Steve Guttenberg, Beverly D’Angelo, Jennifer Tilly, Peter Gallagher and Liam Neeson star in this hilariously haunting comedy! When a castle-turned hotel
owned by Peter Plunkett (O’Toole) falls on hard financial times, he comes up with an idea to turn the place into a tourist attraction by billing it as Europe’s most haunted castle.
But just when it seems he’ll have to give up the ghost, some real phantoms show up– and they’re none too thrilled about being exploited.”
High Spirits touts an all star cast but can’t quite make up its mind on what kind of a film it is. It is a blend of comedy, romance, and horror, and really do none of them very well.
The story begins as Peter Plunkett desperately finds a way to save the castle that has been in his family for generations. Nothing has seemed to work, and he is at the end of his rope, literally. As he is about to hang himself, he concocts a brilliant idea to turn the castle into a hotel and use cheap gimmicks to make patrons believe it is one of the most haunted places in the world.
His first group of visitors arrive, and things immediately begin to go awry as the people in his employ have no experience at these types of deceptions. After being discovered a fraud, many of the tourists try to leave, but are prevented by what they find out to be the real ghosts that inhabit the castle.
It is at this point that the financial storyline takes a back seat. Steve Guttenberg witnesses a chilling scene from the history of the castle as Darryl Hannah is murdered by her husband each night. Confused, he tries to stop it and succeeds, breaking the cycle that has continued for two hundred years. He quickly falls in love with her, and desperately wants to find a way to save her from her tragic past.
Although it is a very impressive cast, the star of the film is Guttenberg, the film’s number one drawback. I was never a fan of Steve Guttenberg myself. He is iconically 80’s, and to me embodies everything embarassing about that time.
Regardless if you’re a fan or not, there is so much more talent here that is wasted. Peter O’Toole is such an accomplished actor, it pains me to see his performance, which delivers on so many levels, take a back seat to Steve Guttenberg. I’m sure Guttenberg himself had a hard time believing that.
The film drags on until the end, shifting focus constantly, never really giving us someone to root for or to care about. At the end when true love is supposed to transcend all time, Guttenberg’s character can’t see the beauty within, and for the sake of a bit of unfunny comedy, totally destroys the moral of the story yet still ends up happily ever after.
Video
High Spirits is presented in 1.85:1 1080p. As expected with such an old film there are signs of wear every now and then, but overall it has held up quite nicely. Colors are saturated quite well and there were few blemishes noticed.
Audio
The audio is presented in DTS Master Audio 2.0. Dialogue is delivered crisp and fairly clean throughout the film, and is the majority of what you’ll hear.
Special Features
There are no Special Features available for this film.
This paranormal double feature from the 1980’s may not be for everyone, but what it does offer is two unique films that probably would not have seen the light of day separately. The sheer weirdness of Vampire’s Kiss is worth it alone to any Nicholas Cage fan. What Scream Factory! does best is bring us forgotten films and gives an entirely new generation a chance to see and enjoy them. That is what this set represents, two films that may find their success decades later.
