Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1990)

Director:

Anthony Hickox

Writers:

John Burgess (written by) and
Anthony Hickox (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

2 November 1991 (Japan)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Western

Tagline:

There's two kinds of folks in Purgatory. Vampires and lunch.

Plot:

Reclusive vampires lounge in a lonely American town. They wear sun cream to protect themselves. A descendant...

Plot Keywords:

Vampire | Van Helsing | Severed Head | Cult Director | Tongue In Cheek

Cast

David Carradine	...	Mardulak
Morgan Brittany	...	Sarah
Bruce Campbell	...	Van Helsing
Jim Metzler	...	David
Maxwell Caulfield	...	Shane
Deborah Foreman	...	Sandy
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Mort
John Ireland	...	Jefferson
Dana Ashbrook	...	Jack
John Hancock	...	Quinton Canada
Marion Eaton	...	Anna
Dabbs Greer	...	Otto
Bert Remsen	...	Milt
Sunshine Parker	...	Merle
Helena Carroll	...	Madge
Elizabeth Gracen	...	Alice
Christopher Bradley	...	Chaz
Kathy MacQuarrie Martin	...	Burgundy
Jack Eiseman	...	Nigel
George 'Buck' Flower	...	Bailey
Erin Gourlay	...	Juliet
Vanessa Pierson	...	Gwen
Brendan Hughes	...	James
Gerardo Mejía	...	Pucci
Mike Najjar	...	Ramon
Phillipe Simon	...	Pierre (as Phillip Simon)
Chris Caputo	...	Dan - The Bodyguard (as Christopher Caputo)
Dean Cleverdon	...	Vampire #1
Jay Bernard	...	Vampire #2
Stuart Cohn	...	Vampire #3
Phillip Esposito	...	Tom 'Redneck' Pryor (as Phil Esposito)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Larry Barsky	...	Vampire (uncredited)

Directed by
Anthony Hickox

Writing credits
John Burgess		(written by) and
Anthony Hickox		(written by)
John Burgess		(story)

Produced by
Dan Ireland	....	executive producer
Jack Lorenz	....	executive producer
Jefferson Richard	....	producer

Original Music by
Richard Stone

Cinematography by
Levie Isaacks

Film Editing by
Christopher Cibelli

Casting by
Caro Jones

Production Design by
David Brian Miller

Art Direction by
Fernando Altschul

Set Decoration by
Robert Greenfield		(as Robert Greenfield Jr.)

Costume Design by
Leonard Pollack

Makeup Department
Rene Bresee	....	swing hair stylist
Rene Bresee	....	swing makeup artist
Katie Douthit	....	hair stylist
Tony Gardner	....	effects director: special makeup effects unit
Tony Gardner	....	special makeup effects designer and creator
Kathleen M. Hagan	....	makeup artist
Larry Hamlin	....	special makeup effects designer and creator
Cheryl Markowitz	....	swing hair stylist (as Cheryl Ann Markowitz)
Cheryl Markowitz	....	swing makeup artist (as Cheryl Ann Markowitz)
Beatrice Marot	....	makeup artist
Barbara Page	....	hair stylist: second unit
Barbara Page	....	makeup artist: second unit
Michael Burnett	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Production Management
John Engel	....	production manager
Mark Roche	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Seth Cirker	....	second second assistant director
John Engel	....	assistant director: second unit
Tony Gardner	....	second unit director
Richard Oswald	....	second assistant director
Jefferson Richard	....	second unit director (as Jef Richard)
Jonathan Tzachor	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Shad Armstrong	....	swing
Jerry Casillas	....	construction coordinator
Steve Caterson	....	model maker
Cary Howe	....	sculptor
Becky Knouff	....	scenic artist
Timothy Knouff	....	scenic artist
Peter Mark	....	property master

Sound Department
Andy D'Addario	....	sound re-recording mixer
Flash Deros	....	boom operator
Jeffrey J. Haboush	....	sound re-recording mixer
Warren Kleiman	....	adr mixer
Warren Kleiman	....	foley mixer
John A. Larsen	....	supervising sound effects editor
Howard Neiman	....	sound effects editor
Jackson Schwartz	....	adr mixer
Jackson Schwartz	....	foley mixer
Jonathon 'Earl' Stein	....	sound mixer (as Jon Earl Stein)
Jay Wilkinson	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Jim Braverman	....	special effects assistant (as 'Diamond' Jim Braverman)
Frank Furlong	....	animated special effects
Steve Greene	....	animated special effects
Jenny Hall	....	special effects assistant
Hal Miles	....	stop motion animation technician
Brian D. Veatch	....	special effects coordinator
Damien Veatch	....	special effects assistant
Rex Whitney	....	special effects assistant

Visual Effects by
Anthony Doublin	....	special visual effects

Stunts
Bob Bragg	....	stunt coordinator
Johnny Hagner	....	stunts
Rae Lynn Kehr	....	stunts
Gary Littlejohn	....	stunts
Shanna Lynn	....	stunts (as Shanna Teare)
Jean Malahni	....	stunts
Billy Morts	....	stunts (as William C. Morts)
Paul E. Short	....	stunts (as Paul Short)
Brian D. Veatch	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Brian Bernstein	....	assistant camera: second unit
Brian Bernstein	....	second assistant camera
Russ Brandt	....	gaffer
Erik L. Brown	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Doug Dole	....	best boy
Allen D. Easton	....	camera operator
Allen D. Easton	....	director of photography: second unit
John Farr	....	gaffer: second unit
Jason Fife	....	key grip: second unit
Julie Fife	....	electrician: second unit
Todd Griffith	....	key grip
Steve Grnya Jr.	....	best boy: second unit
Jack Johnson	....	grip (as John Johnson)
Michael Lund	....	director of photography: second unit
Paul Martin	....	electrician
Melissa Moseley	....	still photographer
Dobber Price	....	camera loader
Drex Reed	....	best boy
Jim Saldutti	....	grip
Chris Squires	....	camera operator
Chris Squires	....	director of photography: second unit
Tom Stackpoole	....	first assistant camera
Amanda Stanley	....	electrician

Casting Department
Audrey Cohn	....	casting assistant: Los Angeles
Frederick Hampton	....	extras casting
Jack Jones	....	location casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marsha Barton	....	wardrobe supervisor: women
George Cooper	....	wardrobe supervisor: men
Mart Ann J. Sheldon	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Syd Cole	....	negative cutter
Ron Mathias	....	color timer
Robb Sullivan	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Philip Giffin	....	orchestrator
Conrad Pope	....	orchestrator
Allan K. Rosen	....	supervising music editor
Richard Stone	....	orchestrator
Mark Watters	....	orchestrator
Allan Wilson	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Larry D. Campbell	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Nancy Karlin	....	script supervisor
Dessa Kaye	....	production coordinator
Nancy Nyberg	....	assistant production coordinator (as Nancy T. Nyberg)
Arrahwanna Thomsen	....	script supervisor: second unit
Ray Tibbetts	....	location scout
Ronald Walkshorse	....	set security (uncredited)

Thanks
Lynn Dillon	....	very special thanks
Douglas Hickox	....	dedicatee
Jimmy Ienner	....	thanks
Ed Martin	....	thanks
Kim McDougald	....	thanks
Juliet Mills	....	thanks
Raymond Stella	....	thanks (as Ray Stella)
Tom Stocks	....	thanks (as Mayor Tom Stocks)
Ray Tibbetts	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Vestron Pictures

Distributors

• Avid Home Video (1991) (USA) (video)
• Indigo (2010) (Germany) (DVD) (Twilight Classics Nr. 02)
• Lionsgate Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Vestron Video (1991) (USA) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Doublin Effects
• Modern Moving Images
• The Physical Effects Group

Other Companies

• Albert G. Ruben and Company  insurance
• Cinelease  electrical and grip equipment
• Completion Bond Company  completion bond
• Graunke Symphony Orchestra  music performed by
• IDC Payroll Services Inc.  payroll services
• Magic Film Works  negative cutting
• National Backstage and Affiliated Services  catering

Also Known As:

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Arches National Park, Moab, Utah, USA

Company:

Vestron Pictures

Goofs:

Continuity: This movie makes it very clear that vampires do not have reflections, but in the scene when Shane corners Sarah Harrison in the bedroom (about 1:25 into the movie), we can see his legs in the mirror on the far wall.

Quotes:

Jozek Mardulak:We must learn to coexist.

Movie Connections:

References Theatre of Blood (1973)

Soundtrack:

YOU NEED ME

The Not-So-Evil Dead...

If you are a cheesy vampire comedies or a fan of Bruce Campbell, then you most definitely have to watch "Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat", if you haven't seen it already.

Why? Well, simply because it is a hilarious vampire comedy with a rather good story actually. A town of vampires have settled in a small town far out in the desert, keeping themselves off the map and rarely getting people passing through town. The vampires are making synthetic bottled blood to satisfy their taste for human blood. But of course some vampires are not content with this, wanting to sink their fangs into the flesh of the living and drink real, warm blood. But who is the mysterious Count Mardulak who runs the town. And who is the clumsy stranger with glasses who stumble into town?

"Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat" have a rather good list of actors and actresses on the cast list. David Carradine plays Count Mardulak, Bruce Campbell plays Van Helsing, M. Emmet Walsh plays Mort, and John Ireland plays Jefferson. These are but a few of the great people in the movie.

There is a wonderful mix of comedy and traditional vampire flick in this movie to make it all interesting, and the cheesy combination actually works out well enough, making the movie all the more enjoyable. And of course, Bruce Campbell brings along with him his usual lovable way of portraying semi-clumsy hero-like characters.

"Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat" doesn't rely heavily on special effects and CGI, though whatever effects were used worked out well and came of as believable.

I hadn't heard about this little gem before I ran across it on Amazon while searching for Bruce Campbell, and I am glad I added it to my DVD collection because it is sort of a weird mix between "The Evil Dead" and classic Western movies, though thrown in with a good amount of vampire fun.