This week on the B movie docket is Vampire in Brooklyn: Vampires Coming To America
B movies are the glue stuck in between all the other genres, oftentimes refusing to conform to any particular genre presets. Some but not all of the hallmarks of a B movie include scripts that read like they were written by a room full of eighth-graders, poor visual effects, cringe-inducing dialogue, low budget production design, and zany plot contrivances. You’re aware of the hallmarks, right? B-movies often reek of amateur flair. Thought you were about to watch a great white shark hunted in dramatic fashion like only Steven Spielberg can deliver? Nope, this is Sharknado.
Why do we love B movies? I think B movies are comforting. You know what you’re about to watch is bad. If you’re fortunate it may be so bad that it’s good. You’ll often scratch your head trying to work out the plot. Out of the many good films you’ve seen, I bet you can talk with more vigor about the worst ones you’ve seen. They’re unforgettable. There’s something comforting about that I think. Besides they’ve been around just as long as the movie industry.
Believe it or not, chances are there’s a B movie for you. So I compiled a list of 50 B movies you must see before you die. No decade is off-limits. No rating is too taboo. For the next 49 weeks, I will introduce and recommend a B movie for your viewing pleasure. Yes, these are exciting times indeed my fanatical friends.
WEEK 19 – Vampire in Brooklyn
This weeks film is a B movie about blood sucking vampires and ghouls in New York City. It stars Pluto Nash’s Eddie Murphy, A Different World’s Kadeem Hardison, Friday’s John Witherspoon, Black Panther’s Angela Bassett, and Tyler Perry’s House of Payne‘s Allen Payne. What went wrong with all that talent at Craven’s disposal? A part of me wishes this film had been a massive commercial blockbuster. Instead late director of Nightmare on Elm Street, Wes Craven made a B Movie more in vein with Coming to America.
Here is a synopsis for Vampire In Brooklyn:
In the wake of her mother’s death in a mental institution, detective Rita Veder (Angela Bassett) is assigned to a baffling serial murder case. After examining the crime scene — a corpse-filled ship found adrift at sea — Rita meets Maximilian (Eddie Murphy), a smooth-talking Caribbean playboy determined to romance her. When Rita begins suffering from crippling hallucinations, she calls upon Dr. Zeko (Zakes Mokae), an occultist who suspects a vampire is on the loose.
A Total Mess
Vampire In Brooklyn was marketed as a horror movie. I imagine it was supposed to make the amount of cash one would obtain by purchasing a fleet of Brinks trucks full of cash. The opposite in fact occurred during its theatrical run as the movie only earned $19 million dollars on a budget of $14 million dollars.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the film reviews put the final nail into the coffin of any sequel potential. Though genuine scares are far and few between, Craven has crafted a delicious B movie. As of this writing Vampire In Brooklyn holds a 10% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Ouch! The poor box office returns, and negative reviews really burned this movie.
Wes Craven
By the time horror auteur Wes Craven directed this campy classic he already had amassed one dozen theatrical directing credits. Vampire In Brooklyn would be Craven’s 13th movie. Had it been properly marketed; I believe this movie could have been a success. Instead, the movie was buried under negative critical reviews.
Moviegoers let this one slip by because it was marketed as more of the next chilling phase in Craven’s career. When it most definitely was not. I’ll tell you what Vampire In Brooklyn is not. It is not I Am Legend, Guillermo del Toro’s The Strain, or even Daybreakers.
Picture this: Mars Attacks meets What We Do In The Shadows. See Vampire In Brooklyn is full of humor. It’s just the marketing that was a mess.
Characters
Eddie Murphy portrays the last of his kind, vampire Maximilian.He portrays Preacher Pauly, he portrays Guido, and he portrays a wolf. Vampire In Brooklyn is a movie that very much has more in common with The Nutty Professor than it does Let The Right One In.
Camp Horror
It’s hard to go wrong when you have Eddie Murphy in front of the camera. Once you get over your expectations of seeing Interview With A Vampire with black people you’ll be just fine. Craven does a bang-up job crafting atmosphere so thick you could taste it.
What sort of situation would merit a vampire disguise himself as a priest to impress a woman? The sort of situations A Vampire In Brooklyn is ripe with. You have to see A Vampire In Brooklyn because last time I checked, Blacula isn’t getting a remake.
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