Rise: Blood Hunter (2007)

A reporter wakes up in a morgue and finds herself a member of the undead, before vowing revenge against the sect which put her there.

Director:

Sebastian Gutierrez

Writer:

Sebastian Gutierrez

Stars:

Lucy Liu, Michael Chiklis, Carla Gugino

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Forster	...	Lloyd
Cameron Richardson	...	Collette / Frannie
Lucy Liu	...	Sadie Blake
Allan Rich	...	Harrison
Samantha Shelton	...	LA Weekly Editor
Kevin Wheatley	...	Ethan Mills
Margo Harshman	...	Tricia Rawlins
Cameron Goodman	...	Kaitlin
Holt McCallany	...	Rourke
James D'Arcy	...	Bishop
Carla Gugino	...	Eve
Michael Chiklis	...	Clyde Rawlins
Paul Cassell	...	Detective Easton
Mako	...	Poe
Sam Cooper	...	Coroner's Assistant

Storyline

The snoopy reporter Sadie Blake is called by her nerd colleague Ethan Mills that has deciphered a code and found an address in Koreatown from information of the Goth Tricia Rawlins about a bloody cult. Sadie does not give attention to Ethan, but when she sees on the front page of the news that Tricia has been found dead in a dumpster in Koreatown, she decides to visit the address. She finds an abandoned house with a gruesome basement full of blood and she immediately drives to Ethan's apartment. She finds the place in a complete mess and is abducted by a stranger and taken to Bishop, who wants to know what Tricia has told her. Then, Bishop and his mate Eve kill Sadie and they have a necrophilic threesome with her body. Later, Sadie awakes in the freezer of the morgue and sooner she realizes that she is a vampire and promises revenge to her sire.

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Plot Keywords:

reporter | morgue | revenge | blood | vampire | 

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Taglines:

They didn't leave her alive. They left her UNDEAD.

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Genres:

Action | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong horror violence and gore, sexuality, nudity, language, and brief drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount Pictures [France] Sony Pictures [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 July 2007 (Turkey)

Also Known As:

Rise

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$59,371, 3 June 2007

Gross USA:

$114,306

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,850,927

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mandate Pictures, Kingsgate Films, Destination Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min 122 min (unrated DVD)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the second horror film directed by Sebastian Gutierrez and his fourth as a writer. He also directed the 2001 movie The Mermaid Chronicles Part 1: She Creature. As a writer, he has also worked on the 2003 supernatural thriller Gothika starring Halle Berry. In 2006, he was co-writer on the movie Snakes on a Plane starring Samuel L. Jackson. Sebastian also wrote the screenplay for the remake of the Japanese movie The Eye.

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Goofs

Just before Sadie stabs Preacher in the heart, there is already blood down his shirt, then in the next shot it is white, then in the next it is bloody again

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Quotes

Bishop: Why are you doing this, you're one of us?
Sadie Blake: Not by choice.
Bishop: Choice? What is that, who has a choice in anything?
Sadie Blake: You had a choice in raping me, and leaving me for dead!

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Crazy Credits

The persons portrayed in this motion picture are not intended to portray or represent any particular individual at LA Weekly.

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Alternate Versions

The film was released in two versions: an R-rated version running 98 minutes and an unrated (completely reedited) version running 122 minutes.

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Connections

Featured in Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film (2009)

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Soundtracks

Be Pop
Performed by Dan Dee

User Reviews

Lucy Liu vamps it up.

Lucy Liu stars as Sadie Blake, an intrepid reporter who comes a cropper when she pokes her nose too far into the world of a strange vampiric goth cult. None too keen to have their story told, they abduct the news-hound and suck her dry, dumping her body when finished.

But Sadie is a tough girl and refuses to just keel over. Instead, she joins the ranks of the undead, and sets out to get revenge on those responsible for her current state.

Director Sebastian Gutierrez presents a refreshingly different take on the whole vampire schtick with this low budget shocker that is both bloody and innovative (these vampires may lack fangs, but still pack plenty of bite). Great cinematography, an engaging story, and a decent cast all go to make Rise: Blood Hunter worth seeking out, although the gimmicky use of a non-linear storyline is a little unnecessary (so many films seem to use this idea these days).

A strong, sexy performance from Lucy Liu means that the film is never boring, although, at times, it does come across as a little too earnest for its own good. At times, Gutierrez strives so hard for an effectively moody atmosphere to suit his tale that the resulting gravitas detracts from one's enjoyment. Fortunately, Lucy Liu sees fit to shed her clothes at several points in the movie, so everything balances out nicely in the end.

If you love vampire films of all types, adore Gothic fantasy, or, like me, just want to see Ms. Liu in the buff, then Rise: Blood Hunter is recommended viewing.