Near Dark (1987)

A small-town farmer's son reluctantly joins a traveling group of vampires after he is turned by a beautiful drifter.

Director:

Kathryn Bigelow

Writers:

Kathryn Bigelow, Eric Red

Stars:

Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Lance Henriksen

1 win & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Adrian Pasdar	...	Caleb Colton
Jenny Wright	...	Mae
Lance Henriksen	...	Jesse Hooker
Bill Paxton	...	Severen
Jenette Goldstein	...	Diamondback
Tim Thomerson	...	Loy Colton
Joshua John Miller	...	Homer (as Joshua Miller)
Marcie Leeds	...	Sarah Colton
Kenny Call	...	Deputy Sheriff
Ed Corbett	...	Ticket Seller
Troy Evans	...	Plainclothes Officer
Bill Cross	...	Sheriff Eakers
Roger Aaron Brown	...	Cajun Truck Driver
Thomas Wagner	...	Bartender
Robert Winley	...	Patron in Bar

Storyline

A mid-western farm boy reluctantly becomes a member of the undead when a girl he meets turns out to be part of a band of southern vampires who roam the highways in stolen cars. Part of his initiation includes a bloody assault on a hick bar.

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Plot Keywords:

farm | vampire | blood | van | truck | 

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Taglines:

In one hot hungry kiss, he gave her everlasting love. She gave him everlasting life.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Horror | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 October 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Aux frontières de l'aube

Filming Locations:

Eloy, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$3,369,307 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

F/M, Near Dark Joint Venture

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min 86 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Near Dark got a K18 rating in 1988 by the Finnish Board of Film Classification. That meant, in those days, 'for theatrical release only'. However, some film critics received VHS copies (most probably from Transworld Video) with Finnish subtitles ca. 1990. There were also reports that videos were accidentally available a few days to the general public before they were drawn back from video stores.

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Goofs

When Caleb is running from the motel and burning in the daylight at one point you can see the pipes running up the back of his jacket making the smoke.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Caleb Colton: [crushing a mosquito] Dumb suck.

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Connections

References Aliens (1986)

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Soundtracks

NAUGHTY, NAUGHTY
Performed and written by John Parr
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products
Polygram International Music B. V.

User Reviews

Bill Paxton stole the show

This film is obviously stolen by Bill Paxton and although the plot is very simple there are some interesting points of discussion for example the whole blood transfusion scenario. It is an enjoyable vampire western, however the word vampire is never expressed in the film. It neglects all the vampire clichés, and is impressive for it's time. It's quite obvious that films such as From Dusk Til Dawn and The Forsaken have taken there inspiration from this movie. The best scene is by far the bar slaughter. For Kathryn Bigalow's first film it is a triumph and a film to be proud of. I think that anyone who hasn't seen this film should give it a look, because it cleverly combines comedy, drama, horror and gore, but for people who are slightly sickened by the site of blood and horrific killings, be wary of Severens' spur to the neck slaughter.