I ended up watching PALE BLOOD because it came recommended as an 80's vampire flick. But honestly, I have to say it's not all that good. It actually all feels like a pretty wrong movie, really. But that's mainly because it's rooted so much in the spirit of the 80's, with that typical look & feel and pretty horrible music from a band called Agent Orange (not-so-good 80's punky/new wave/goth stuff). And why, oh why, did they always have to inter-cut to footage of that band performing? Incredibly ridiculous that was. On the upside, it is one of those more offbeat vampire flicks of which a lot were produced during the late 80's/early 90's (DANCE OF THE DAMNED, TALE OF A VAMPIRE, MIDNIGHT KISS,...). I can give it that much. The basic idea was even pretty good: serial killer/fake vampire finds a real vampire on his trail. But Wings Hauser pretty much is the only reason to see this flick, I believe. The little twist about the girl near the end was funny and the conclusion concerning Hauser's character pretty laughable. They sure don't make 'em like this anymore. Not good, not bad. Just a fun time-waster, in my opinion.
18 Reviews
Not Great
juliamacon3 July 2020
I'm not a huge vampire fan, so I might be a little biased, but Pale Blood didn't do much for me. There's a lot of atmospheric late 80's/early 80's shots of L.A. nightlife which do add a lot to the film, but the story itself is uninteresting and it doesn't help that Chakiris is a charisma vacuum as the male lead. Wings Hauser plays his usual sleazoid predator like he did in so many other 80's exploitation movies. The story itself is a bit hard to follow and I'm still not sure I know what it was about.
A Twilight-Esque Horror Thriller
nebk20 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
In Pale Blood, Michael Fury, a real vampire who doesn't kill people and can't let himself fall in love hires a private investigator called Lori to research and investigate a string of vampire-like-murders in L.A. She is a vampire obsessed woman and is convinced that the murderer is a vampire. Both have certain visions assisting them in their research. In the end it turns out that the murderer is a lunatic filming the murders who by the end manages to capture a real vampire. Fury in order to save himself and the investigator bites Lori, takes her blood and becomes stronger in order to overcome the psychopath who has captured them both.
There are some redeeming points to this movie but overall it drags and there are unnecessarily long scenes which add nothing to the story. The acting by the oscar winning George Chakris as Fury, Pamela Ludwig as Lori and Wings Hauser as sleazy photographer Van Vandameer is decent enough. There are some nice camera shots and there is some humor as well like when Fury tells Lori to stick to reality. Ultimately however the movie is an 80s cliche with all the neon, hairstyles and synth/goth/pop music.
There is also a twist as it turns out that Lori is already a Vampire. Fury says "I couldn't have hoped" and she responds "I'll never go away". So an immortal romance is on the cards. Sort of like in Twilight some 15-20 years later. You also have to wonder if Stephanie Mayer saw this movie years before thinking of and writing Twilight since it has a vampire who doesn't kill getting involved with a young woman who becomes his companion. They both seem to have visions. In the end he tells her not to come closer and that he wishes he never met her. She responds that he doesn't mean that as she throws herself at him already starting to take clothes off. Fury also at one time on the film basically uses his allure to hypnothise a girl called Jenny who tells him she is in love with him but he says he can't let himself love anyone. All that being said this is not a teenage romance film. It is a mystery thriller horror with a romantic ending for the two leads. It's a pity that the story wasn't better developed to make it more interesting as a horror movie or a romance one.
There are some redeeming points to this movie but overall it drags and there are unnecessarily long scenes which add nothing to the story. The acting by the oscar winning George Chakris as Fury, Pamela Ludwig as Lori and Wings Hauser as sleazy photographer Van Vandameer is decent enough. There are some nice camera shots and there is some humor as well like when Fury tells Lori to stick to reality. Ultimately however the movie is an 80s cliche with all the neon, hairstyles and synth/goth/pop music.
There is also a twist as it turns out that Lori is already a Vampire. Fury says "I couldn't have hoped" and she responds "I'll never go away". So an immortal romance is on the cards. Sort of like in Twilight some 15-20 years later. You also have to wonder if Stephanie Mayer saw this movie years before thinking of and writing Twilight since it has a vampire who doesn't kill getting involved with a young woman who becomes his companion. They both seem to have visions. In the end he tells her not to come closer and that he wishes he never met her. She responds that he doesn't mean that as she throws herself at him already starting to take clothes off. Fury also at one time on the film basically uses his allure to hypnothise a girl called Jenny who tells him she is in love with him but he says he can't let himself love anyone. All that being said this is not a teenage romance film. It is a mystery thriller horror with a romantic ending for the two leads. It's a pity that the story wasn't better developed to make it more interesting as a horror movie or a romance one.
Wings Hauser makes this film watchable
aztrshbyz30 May 2017
"Pale Blood" tries to be a stylish and inventive vampire flick and does only a fair job. Someone is murdering women in L.A. and it is suspected that the killer might be a vampire. Instead, the killer is a madman, pretty much played to perfection by Wings Hauser. When the real thing shows up to try to figure out what is actually going on with the help of a detective who has certain "gifts", the two are able to put a stop to the murders.
I can definitively say that I had a bit of a time making it through the whole film without leaving to find something else to do - it wasn't able to hold my interest for very long. I did finally finish it but not in one sitting.
As mentioned, I thought Wings Hauser did a great job, however, George Chakiris wore more eyeliner than a glam band and I found his performance to be tiresome after a while. He showed little emotion or range and it was like his face had been shot full of Botox or something - one of the main reasons I had a hard time sitting through the film. When the lead character in a movie bores you, its kinda tough to really enjoy what you are watching. Even when he was twitching (you'll have to watch the film to figure out why he was doing that) he bored me to death. However, when Wings Hauser showed his true colors, I finally got interested in the movie and watched it through to the end. And I have to say appreciated the detective's taste in film (Nosferatu)!
I'm assuming that all of the blue and red lighting used in the film was an attempt to be artsy or stylish but I found it absolutely unnecessary and thought it was rather silly - I feel that it took away from the film rather than enhancing it. It was quite overused. However, I did find the portable zip up coffin to be quite interesting.
Although some reviewers would disagree, I actually did like the band (where the eyeliner was well placed :)).
So if you can get past an emotionless vampire that shows no expression and wears more eyeliner than I do, go for it. You might want to take a look see at Mr. Hauser once he starts going off the rails, but you'll have to get through a lot of the movie before that happens.
I can definitively say that I had a bit of a time making it through the whole film without leaving to find something else to do - it wasn't able to hold my interest for very long. I did finally finish it but not in one sitting.
As mentioned, I thought Wings Hauser did a great job, however, George Chakiris wore more eyeliner than a glam band and I found his performance to be tiresome after a while. He showed little emotion or range and it was like his face had been shot full of Botox or something - one of the main reasons I had a hard time sitting through the film. When the lead character in a movie bores you, its kinda tough to really enjoy what you are watching. Even when he was twitching (you'll have to watch the film to figure out why he was doing that) he bored me to death. However, when Wings Hauser showed his true colors, I finally got interested in the movie and watched it through to the end. And I have to say appreciated the detective's taste in film (Nosferatu)!
I'm assuming that all of the blue and red lighting used in the film was an attempt to be artsy or stylish but I found it absolutely unnecessary and thought it was rather silly - I feel that it took away from the film rather than enhancing it. It was quite overused. However, I did find the portable zip up coffin to be quite interesting.
Although some reviewers would disagree, I actually did like the band (where the eyeliner was well placed :)).
So if you can get past an emotionless vampire that shows no expression and wears more eyeliner than I do, go for it. You might want to take a look see at Mr. Hauser once he starts going off the rails, but you'll have to get through a lot of the movie before that happens.
Stylish, erotic, and unbearably boring vampire film ......
merklekranz16 February 2013
Do not let the presence of Wings Hauser lure you into wasting 93 minutes on this stylish, erotic, and unbearably boring vampire film. George Chakiris is acceptable playing the role of a real vampire, on the trail of a fake vampire (an unhinged Wings Hauser). What is not acceptable is the throbbing punk soundtrack, meaningless redundant flashing images of murder victims, endless gratuitous traffic reports, etc. etc. The end result is a vampire movie that comes across more like a music video than a feature film. Sometimes the best surprise is no surprise, and "Pale Blood" fails miserably with its supposed surprise finale. The entire viewing experience is decidedly dull, and a real challenge to sit through. Not recommended. - MERK
An unpretentious, atmospheric, intelligent, B-grade vampire flick that totally deserves your attention.
elinguation17 March 2013
First off, despite the video release date of 1991, it's hard to think of a film that screams "1985" louder than this direct-to-video vampire flick featuring the steamy, neon-lit streets of LA in the 80s. Honestly, watch it and tell me you disagree. That goth-punk band that keeps rearing its feathered mane throughout the film (Agent Orange, a real band from Orange County who are still putting out records) - is that not 3000% 1980s? Anyway, I digress... and I haven't even started the review, which I guess is probably bad.
So anyway, while this is a distinctly B-grade vampire flick, it certainly stands out among other films of its ilk. Where to begin? First of all, it features George Chakiris, who won an Academy Award for his role in West Side Story in 1961 (and never again appeared in anything legitimate for some weird reason), in the leading role of Michael Fury, vampire hunter. Mr. Fury slinks through the neon-bathed streets of nighttime LA stalking a vampire, or a killer who thinks he is one. Van Vandemeer (played by Wings Hauser), a sleaze-bag "video art" director who totally epitomizes bottom-of-the-barrel Hollywood, keeps getting in the way of the investigation. And then there is Michael's vampire-obsessed co-investigator Lori, who dresses all in black and hangs around her apartment at midnight watching Nosferatu on infinite loop. I won't give away any spoilers, but suffice it to say that nothing surrounding the trio is as it seems, and there are several unexpected twists and turns before the film finally slams to a surprising finale that recalls the intro in a very clever way.
Look, for a film that's obviously low budget, all this is very well-done. The acting is surprisingly classy, especially George Chakiris, who totally exudes grace and dignity and always stays perfectly aloof and serious and just acts totally cool in dealing with all the other morons the film pits him against. Why haven't we seen more of this man? Wings Hauser is also very convincing and appropriately scummy in his role as slime-ball erotic trash director.
Pale Blood is also super atmospheric. Without featuring any really stunning camera-work or anything of that sort, it manages to maintain a very specific, creepy, neon-lit atmosphere, especially in Michael's condo, the kind of weirdly abstract, ultra-modern sort of place that seems like the natural habitat of an aloof, nocturnal dude like him.
Finally, the plot is really pretty capably executed, including, as I said, a really awesome surprise ending, although there are indeed points that might elicit a slight groan (this is a B-movie, after all). So why hasn't anyone ever heard of this? I dunno, but it's not because it isn't any good. I'm guessing that there may have been some issues surrounding the film that caused it to be shelved for a few years after its production, which obviously took place sometime before 1990. If you still don't believe me about this, note that all the Agent Orange songs featured in the movie came out in 1986. I mean, if you'll tolerate B-grade cinema, you'll immediately appreciate all the dark humor, atmosphere, and unpretentious yet intelligent craft-work that went into this hidden gem.
Finally, a note about the location - if this was really filmed in Hong Kong instead of LA, as the IMDb credits indicate, it sure fooled me, and I live in LA... yet another curious point about this curious and enjoyable little film.
So anyway, while this is a distinctly B-grade vampire flick, it certainly stands out among other films of its ilk. Where to begin? First of all, it features George Chakiris, who won an Academy Award for his role in West Side Story in 1961 (and never again appeared in anything legitimate for some weird reason), in the leading role of Michael Fury, vampire hunter. Mr. Fury slinks through the neon-bathed streets of nighttime LA stalking a vampire, or a killer who thinks he is one. Van Vandemeer (played by Wings Hauser), a sleaze-bag "video art" director who totally epitomizes bottom-of-the-barrel Hollywood, keeps getting in the way of the investigation. And then there is Michael's vampire-obsessed co-investigator Lori, who dresses all in black and hangs around her apartment at midnight watching Nosferatu on infinite loop. I won't give away any spoilers, but suffice it to say that nothing surrounding the trio is as it seems, and there are several unexpected twists and turns before the film finally slams to a surprising finale that recalls the intro in a very clever way.
Look, for a film that's obviously low budget, all this is very well-done. The acting is surprisingly classy, especially George Chakiris, who totally exudes grace and dignity and always stays perfectly aloof and serious and just acts totally cool in dealing with all the other morons the film pits him against. Why haven't we seen more of this man? Wings Hauser is also very convincing and appropriately scummy in his role as slime-ball erotic trash director.
Pale Blood is also super atmospheric. Without featuring any really stunning camera-work or anything of that sort, it manages to maintain a very specific, creepy, neon-lit atmosphere, especially in Michael's condo, the kind of weirdly abstract, ultra-modern sort of place that seems like the natural habitat of an aloof, nocturnal dude like him.
Finally, the plot is really pretty capably executed, including, as I said, a really awesome surprise ending, although there are indeed points that might elicit a slight groan (this is a B-movie, after all). So why hasn't anyone ever heard of this? I dunno, but it's not because it isn't any good. I'm guessing that there may have been some issues surrounding the film that caused it to be shelved for a few years after its production, which obviously took place sometime before 1990. If you still don't believe me about this, note that all the Agent Orange songs featured in the movie came out in 1986. I mean, if you'll tolerate B-grade cinema, you'll immediately appreciate all the dark humor, atmosphere, and unpretentious yet intelligent craft-work that went into this hidden gem.
Finally, a note about the location - if this was really filmed in Hong Kong instead of LA, as the IMDb credits indicate, it sure fooled me, and I live in LA... yet another curious point about this curious and enjoyable little film.
Direct to video schlock
JoeB13117 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
The movie starts out with a lecture by a filmmaker... which at the end we find out is in an insane asylum.
So this Vampire hires a detective (who- spoiler alert, is also a vampire) to find out who is responsible for a bunch of vampire-themed murders. Except they aren't investigating very hard, as the killer is filmmaker who pretty much spends the whole movie right under their noses.
But this guy is the "nice" vampire who only takes enough blood to live and not enough to kill his victims. Or Something. The plot was kind of convoluted, and they padded it out with Second Unit footage that was better shot and more interesting than the first unit shooting.
So this Vampire hires a detective (who- spoiler alert, is also a vampire) to find out who is responsible for a bunch of vampire-themed murders. Except they aren't investigating very hard, as the killer is filmmaker who pretty much spends the whole movie right under their noses.
But this guy is the "nice" vampire who only takes enough blood to live and not enough to kill his victims. Or Something. The plot was kind of convoluted, and they padded it out with Second Unit footage that was better shot and more interesting than the first unit shooting.
Different take on blood sucking
spbump2 August 2018
Absolutely loved it
princessdestiny1 April 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I have loved this movie from the moment I saw it in the early 90's. It's absolutely impossible to find in order to buy it now-a-days, but I still remember it that fondly that I want to buy it.
Yes, it was a little slow, but I enjoyed the music played by Agent Orange, especially 'Bite The Hand That Feeds' which is sung live on a stage in a club during the movie.
I particularly remember the ending, as it was quite the twist and very romantic. The vampire found his mate in the most unexpected way. The movie was, at times, quite seductive in it's own way If you're a vampire buff-and especially if you're sick of seeing the vampire die in the end because he's either 'feeling so guilty he walks into the sun', 'he gets bumped off by the hero or the girl he's after', or some other anti-vamp ending-watch this.
Yes, it was a little slow, but I enjoyed the music played by Agent Orange, especially 'Bite The Hand That Feeds' which is sung live on a stage in a club during the movie.
I particularly remember the ending, as it was quite the twist and very romantic. The vampire found his mate in the most unexpected way. The movie was, at times, quite seductive in it's own way If you're a vampire buff-and especially if you're sick of seeing the vampire die in the end because he's either 'feeling so guilty he walks into the sun', 'he gets bumped off by the hero or the girl he's after', or some other anti-vamp ending-watch this.
A pleasurable stroll through the hungry night.
lost-in-limbo29 March 2008
A media storm is brewing in L.A. after a number of strange murders of young ladies being drained of blood. Michael Fury arrives in the city from London, and hires a vampire-obsessed investigator Judy to look into these murders. He encounters the erratic artist Van Vandameer, who seems to be interested in the case too, but for purposes unknown.
Well, this turned out to be one nice surprise. I never even heard of it, but the video case looked tempting enough, and plot outline capped it off for me to purchase it. What comes of "Pale Blood" is a highly stylish, sparsely slow-tempo low-budget vampire yarn that's a little more unusual, and clever than most of its ilk. However I can see why some might find it a turn off though, but while it's not a faultless exercise. I was reasonably transfixed. The premise does come off slight (but there are some neat ideas, and references within), and the messy screenplay makes little sense with the main concerned being on the moody nocturnal atmosphere filled with dreary lighting, steamy downbeat Los Angeles locations, piercing sound effects and an ominously ticking time-bomb music score. It scores big hit on those facets. There's a real art house feel to it, and just what was the deal with the inclusion of that punk band. Every so often it would cut to them in the club playing their song. Boy did it ponder, although I got to hand it to them that it was a tune that doesn't leave your head anytime soon. So from what you grasp, the soundtrack is largely filled with sleek, bouncy rock songs that enlivens the late 80s feel. V.V. Dachin Hsu garnished direction seductively cruises along and pulling out elaborate suspense by effectively generating disorienting spells of slow motion and trippy visuals filled with blue or red shades. Some sequences are quite blurry and move along like a music video clip, while the production limitations draw up a welcoming claustrophobic edge. The performances are reliable, if mostly dry. George Chakiris' perfectly shaped understated, sullen performance emit's a dark, youthfully heart-broken vampire. Now that's the opposite for a Wings Hauser. His nutty, slime ball performance was good fun to watch. An admirably unhinged Pamela Ludwig is decent. Diana Frank and Darcy DeMoss are there to look pretty, and than show off their acting expertises.
A fine, minor offbeat vampire flick that didn't blow me away, but it peaked my interest.
Well, this turned out to be one nice surprise. I never even heard of it, but the video case looked tempting enough, and plot outline capped it off for me to purchase it. What comes of "Pale Blood" is a highly stylish, sparsely slow-tempo low-budget vampire yarn that's a little more unusual, and clever than most of its ilk. However I can see why some might find it a turn off though, but while it's not a faultless exercise. I was reasonably transfixed. The premise does come off slight (but there are some neat ideas, and references within), and the messy screenplay makes little sense with the main concerned being on the moody nocturnal atmosphere filled with dreary lighting, steamy downbeat Los Angeles locations, piercing sound effects and an ominously ticking time-bomb music score. It scores big hit on those facets. There's a real art house feel to it, and just what was the deal with the inclusion of that punk band. Every so often it would cut to them in the club playing their song. Boy did it ponder, although I got to hand it to them that it was a tune that doesn't leave your head anytime soon. So from what you grasp, the soundtrack is largely filled with sleek, bouncy rock songs that enlivens the late 80s feel. V.V. Dachin Hsu garnished direction seductively cruises along and pulling out elaborate suspense by effectively generating disorienting spells of slow motion and trippy visuals filled with blue or red shades. Some sequences are quite blurry and move along like a music video clip, while the production limitations draw up a welcoming claustrophobic edge. The performances are reliable, if mostly dry. George Chakiris' perfectly shaped understated, sullen performance emit's a dark, youthfully heart-broken vampire. Now that's the opposite for a Wings Hauser. His nutty, slime ball performance was good fun to watch. An admirably unhinged Pamela Ludwig is decent. Diana Frank and Darcy DeMoss are there to look pretty, and than show off their acting expertises.
A fine, minor offbeat vampire flick that didn't blow me away, but it peaked my interest.
Wanna be vampires
pumaye1 March 2004
Warning: Spoilers
WARNING ***SPOILERS*** This is a mediocre, but not totally flawed thriller masquerading as a vampire flick: a series of brutal murders are attributed by press and television to a vampire. In fact, is a madman, a would be photographer, trying to capture a real vampire. Alas, he takes two of them, one male and one female and his fate was doomed (he'll finish inside an asylum, talking vainly of his discoveries). Wings Hauser, as the wanna be vampire and true murderer, steals the scene with a very good villain, while the two vampiric leads, are not so convincing (especially Pamela Ludwig who is a Rosie McGowan look alike, but with less boobs). All in all, there are worst ways to spend 90 minutes, but this is not necessarily good.
Underrated vampire flick with another Wings Hauser trademark psycho-performance!
kclipper23 June 2011
Warning: Spoilers
This is a very original take on the vampire genre during a time when a barrage of modern bloodsucking blockbusters filled our theaters and living rooms with originality and real bite.. 'The Lost Boys, 'Fright Night', and 'Near Dark' (just to name a few) kept us mesmerized at all the different styles and flavors filmmakers had to offer. Here's an overlooked and unappreciated little classic in the wake of the success of those great movies. Michael Fury (George Chakiris) is a classy and restrained vampire who travels to L.A. to investigate the many bodies turning up with fang marks and drained blood, and he's concerned about the impact it may have on the way people view the vampire community. Wings Hauser is a perverted filmmaker who's responsible for capturing the girls and staging their murders in order to catch a real vampire for his twisted collection of homemade films, and possibly become famous in the meantime. Pamela Ludwig is an occult enthusiast who instantly feels a strong connection for Michael, and story begins to unfold into an excellent final confrontation for the last thirty minutes or so of this unique concept that does a pretty good job of avoiding most of the worn-out clichés. Good direction, lots of surprises are abound, and you just gotta love Wings Hauser's intensely psychotic screen persona. The only thing that mars the mix is a slow first hour and an awful 80's goth rock band that unnecessarily interjects the action with a cheese-ball soundtrack. But all in all, 'Pale Blood' is an above average genre picture in drastic need of an official DVD release.
Fun vampire flick highlighted by a wonderfully wild Wings Hauser performance
Woodyanders5 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Here's one of the more stylish and intriguing vampire fright features from the early 90's, a period when these pictures were seriously glutting the direct-to-video market. The chronically maniacal (and always delightful) Wings Hauser, who earned his B-movie cult stripes with his awesomely electrifying portrayal of the sublimely hateful'n'heinous psycho pimp supreme Ramrod in the great'n'gritty knock-out "Vice Squad," does his patented first-rate fruity'n'frenzied freakazoid act as Van Vandameer, a totally crackers psychotic video artist who's brutally butchering attractive young honeys in Los Angeles (the victims are thoroughly drained of their blood, which qualifies as par for the course as far weird s**t in L.A. is concerned). George Chakiris (the suave Latino gang leader in "West Side Story"), looking very pallid, handsome, elegant and uncannily youthful, gives a surprisingly fine, intense and sympathetic performance as Michael Fury, a dour, composed, reticent, decidedly undeadly and semi-heroic aristocratic European bloodsucker who hires diligent, energetic, outgoing private detective Lori (a spirited, beguiling Pamela Ludwig, a lovely lass who previously co-starred with Hauser in the passable post-nuke sci-fi/action item "Dead Man Walking") to help him track down Van Vandameer, who's the kind of contemptible good-for-nothing mortal miscreant who gives respectable real-life vampires a notoriously bad name.
Hong Kong director V.V. Dachin Hsu brings a galvanizing surfeit of smoky, hazy, nightmarishly garish and bravura style to the reasonably artful, intelligent and original script, adding a few nifty, witty wrinkles to standard vampire lore (e.g., Chakiris sleeps in a portable leather suitcase come coffin -- complete with zipper! -- and doesn't like to drink Coke), neatly drawing distinct and engrossing characters, staging the frequent bloody violence with considerable flair (the climactic confrontation between Hauser and Chakiris especially swings), and injecting the funky, gleaming nighttime downtown Los Angeles locations with a finely atmospheric sense of pure skin-crawling dread. Moreover, incomparable trash movie goddess Sybil Danning can be briefly glimpsed walking down a street and the hip'n'ripping punk band Agent Orange perform a few thrashy numbers in a club. Crafty and involving, professionally done all around and a praiseworthy effort overall, this unjustly overlooked horror sleeper comes highly recommended, particularly to admirers of Wings Hauser's always deliciously loony, dynamic and exuberant bug-eyed histrionics.
Hong Kong director V.V. Dachin Hsu brings a galvanizing surfeit of smoky, hazy, nightmarishly garish and bravura style to the reasonably artful, intelligent and original script, adding a few nifty, witty wrinkles to standard vampire lore (e.g., Chakiris sleeps in a portable leather suitcase come coffin -- complete with zipper! -- and doesn't like to drink Coke), neatly drawing distinct and engrossing characters, staging the frequent bloody violence with considerable flair (the climactic confrontation between Hauser and Chakiris especially swings), and injecting the funky, gleaming nighttime downtown Los Angeles locations with a finely atmospheric sense of pure skin-crawling dread. Moreover, incomparable trash movie goddess Sybil Danning can be briefly glimpsed walking down a street and the hip'n'ripping punk band Agent Orange perform a few thrashy numbers in a club. Crafty and involving, professionally done all around and a praiseworthy effort overall, this unjustly overlooked horror sleeper comes highly recommended, particularly to admirers of Wings Hauser's always deliciously loony, dynamic and exuberant bug-eyed histrionics.
Direct to Vampire
BandSAboutMovies12 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
A direct-to-video film shot in Hong Kong, Pale Blood tells the story of Michael Fury (George Chakiris, West Side Story), who is a vampire out to preserve the honor of being a bloodsucker by stopping whoever is killing people and draining them of their blood. He's helped by occult-obsessed investigator Lori (Pamela Ludwig, City Limits).
This has a cast of people who will delight those of us who rented way too many videos in 1990, including Wings Hauser and Darcy DeMoss (Vice Academy 3, Hardbodies).
It was written and directed by female director V.V. Dachin Hsu, who was also the second unit director of a movie that was often discussed in my home, Phat Beach. Her co-director was Michael W. Leighton, who also made 1989's Rush Week and wrote the Hauser and Sybil Danning-starring L.A. Bounty. He also acted in Carter Stevens' 1979 adult film Punk Rock (which also has Robert Kerman from Cannibal Holocaust).
Speaking of punk rock, Agent Orange appears in this movie. It has plenty of on-location images of the Sunset Strip to make you think that more of this movie was made in the U.S.
This has a cast of people who will delight those of us who rented way too many videos in 1990, including Wings Hauser and Darcy DeMoss (Vice Academy 3, Hardbodies).
It was written and directed by female director V.V. Dachin Hsu, who was also the second unit director of a movie that was often discussed in my home, Phat Beach. Her co-director was Michael W. Leighton, who also made 1989's Rush Week and wrote the Hauser and Sybil Danning-starring L.A. Bounty. He also acted in Carter Stevens' 1979 adult film Punk Rock (which also has Robert Kerman from Cannibal Holocaust).
Speaking of punk rock, Agent Orange appears in this movie. It has plenty of on-location images of the Sunset Strip to make you think that more of this movie was made in the U.S.
Interesting Vampire Movie
ladymidath18 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Pale Blood isn't bad but it's not great either. I love the early nineties look and sound. The film is looks gorgeous but the acting and dialogue are not that great. Wings Hauser is fun to watch and George Chakiris is fine as the vampire hunting a killer who is murdering young woman in a vampiric style by draining their blood. The rest of the cast are good but nothing really stands out. The twist at the end was nice. All up a good movie to watch but ultimately forgettable.
Forever Knight did it better especially with great characters like LaCroix.
Forever Knight did it better especially with great characters like LaCroix.
If You Like Forever Knight or Highlander, You'll Love This
Dark_Lord_Mark9 May 2020
It's a nice movie. It features 90's style camera angles and a quick moving story, but it is well paced like I said.
Story is about a mysterious man who is looking to solve crimes where victims are drained of blood. He meets up with a women who also wants to solve the mystery of the murders.
That is all you really need to know. It;s a great throwback to when a movie was devoid of politics and full of fun, cool characters and no CGI.
Highly enjoyable and recommended for 90's kids and adults
9 out of 10.
Story is about a mysterious man who is looking to solve crimes where victims are drained of blood. He meets up with a women who also wants to solve the mystery of the murders.
That is all you really need to know. It;s a great throwback to when a movie was devoid of politics and full of fun, cool characters and no CGI.
Highly enjoyable and recommended for 90's kids and adults
9 out of 10.
mindbird
mindbird17 March 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Watch this movie for George Chakiris' perfect, perfect performance. I saw it on late night TV and there were some indications that scenes near the end had been cut out to make it TV-acceptable, or else the plotting became slightly choppy, but then it proceeds nicely to the ending. The traffic scenes used to take us through the daylight hours are a nice touch. There is a satisfying twisty ending. Not a great movie, but for me, Mr Chakiris' performance was a 10, and the reason I rated this movie so highly. Bela Lugosi set the standard. Chakiris is one magnificent standard-bearer and no one has done it better. The female lead Pamela Ludwig seems a little gauche in comparison, and one of his achievements is that his performance somehow highlights this AND works with it to highlight his character's sense of more-than-human age and experience. Ludwig is cute, and she gets better. Hauser is boiling over the top from his first scene, as his character requires, and I guess his fans would like this movie, too.
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