Monsters (TV Series) The Vampire Hunter (1988) User Reviews

Lacks a twist

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 28 March 2015]

THE VAMPIRE HUNTER is a rather odd episode of the MONSTERS TV series. These programmes seemed to be based around short, monster-themed stories with twists in the tale, and often had the old moral that "humans are the worst monsters". THE VAMPIRE HUNTER is different because there's no twist here, no surprises in story at any point, making it feel all a little lacklustre.

The story features an old-time vampire hunter (clearly modelled on Van Helsing), who's asked to help take out a sinister, masked vampire who looks like Lestat crossed with Hannibal Lector. Initially the vampire hunter refuses, but pretty soon he finds himself being drawn into the case regardless.

The story features a Gothic set, a little gore here and there, and a story which seems to copy the old Universal and Hammer horrors, but it can't do much on the low budget, meaning it's a bit of a lost cause.

Decent enough Monsters episode.

[poolandrews · 5/10 · 23 January 2009]

Monsters: The Vampire Hunter starts as renowned Victorian Vampire hunter & killer Ernest Chariot (Robert Lansing) informs his younger protégé Jack Avery (Jack Koenig) that he intends to retire from the Vampire hunting business. Then Chariot is visited by a young woman named Maura Warren (Page Hannah) who begs for his help as she suspects her brother has been turned into a Vampire, Chariot seems uninterested & sends her away but Jack is taken with her & when she speaks to him alone that night he agrees to help her. However Maura is not what she seems & Jack has unwittingly become a pawn in a larger game of revenge...

Episode three from season one of Monsters this originally aired in the US during November 1988, directed by Michael Gornick this is a reasonable way to pass twenty odd minutes but it's rather forgettable & there's no twist at the end which I always think are essential for these short horror anthology programmes to work. To be fair the plot isn't too bad although it does feel like a standard Hammer horror Vampire film condensed into twenty minutes, there's the Peter Cushing style Vampire hunter, there's the Christopher Lee style Vampire bad guy & the Victorian setting. The one big disappointment here with The Vampire Hunter is a lack of any real twist's or surprises, it's just too straight forward & a little bit predictable. Still, it moves along at a decent pace, it's short, the character's all serve their purpose well enough & it manages to tell a reasonable story within it's limited duration although like a lot of Monsters episodes it finishes abruptly just as your getting into it.

Like most Monsters episodes The Vampire Hunter takes place on only two or three sets & features a small cast but the Victorian period sets are well realised & look quite nice while the costumes & props help the overall look & feel of the episode. There's a bit of gore when a Vampire has a stake driven through his chest at the end & there's a disfigured Vampire with burn scars across his face which are revealed when he removes his Hannibal Lector style face mask. The acting is good, TV & film veteran Robert Lansing plays the stately Vampire hunter while the main Vampire appears to have been dubbed for most of his screen time.

The Vampire Hunter doesn't feel like a Monsters episode as such because of the lack of twist's, it feels more like a cut down period Hammer horror film which is no bad thing in itself but personally I would rather watch the real thing. Fans of the show should like it but it's not the best example.

Yawn!

[Aba74 · 4/10 · 14 August 2020]

The great actor Robert Lansing is wasted in this episode. There is no suspense, horror or storytelling, a run of the mill vampire story. Stoker is turning in his grave!

Redundant

[Bored_Dragon · 5/10 · 18 September 2018]

A classic vampire story, well-made considering the low budget, but good acting, directing and atmosphere can not cover essential flaws, such as the complete lack of originality, plot twist and point.

5/10

Passable vampire story

[Woodyanders · 7/10 · 14 June 2019]

Famous vampire hunter Ernest Chariot (a fine and credible performance by Robert Lansing) must save his young protégé Jack Avery (a likeable portrayal by Jack Koenig) from being transformed into a bloodsucker by vengeful old adversary Charles Poole (smoothly played by John Bolger).

Director Michael Gornick relates the predictable, but still fairly engrossing story at a steady pace, presents a rich Gothic Victorian atmosphere, and stages the thrilling big confrontation between Chariot and Poole with aplomb. Moreover, the lovely Page Hannah makes for a highly appealing and enticing damsel in distress. Alas, Edithe Swensen's strictly serviceable script doesn't offer any fresh twists and ends on a rather frustrating inconclusive note. A decent show that could have been better.

Old style gothic vampire story.

[blanbrn · 6/10 · 19 November 2020]

This "The Vampire Hunter" from season one of "Monsters" is one episode that doesn't really provide many frights and too it seems not to really have much drama or suspense. Set back many years in the Victorian days it involves an old vampire hunter who has some work cut out for him he is trying to save his friend or will it backfire and will he become a blood sucker vamp of the night! Really pretty simple and slow like story not even one of season one's better ones still if you are watching the series you will probably check it out.

Good, but needed a twist to be great!

[b_kite · 6/10 · 24 June 2017]

The Vampire Hunter starts in Victorian Era Europe were we meet famed vampire hunter Ernest Chariot (Robert Lansing) and his prestige Jack Avery (Jack Koenig). One day a young woman Maura Warren (Page Hannah) comes calling for help, believing her brother to be a reclusive vampire. Ernest however turns her help down but, it is later accepted by the young Jack. However he soon realizes that he has been trapped by the young Maura who is really working for the vengeful vampire Charles Poole (John Bolger) who wants his revenge on Ernest, but, can he arrive in time to save his prestige and defeat his long time foe?...

I must say I enjoying this rather straight forward tale, which seems to borrow heavily from the classic Hammer horror films. The setting is once again in what seems to be Victorian era Europe and its also the 2nd of the first 4 tales to actually be a period piece, and this one has to be the best. The costumes look great, and the cast even speak in Victorian style language. As was my complaint with the previous episode, everyone here is 100% on board and the acting is very good from everyone involved and legendary TV actor Robert Lansing being the best of the bunch does a wonderful job here. We have three settings what looks to be two living rooms, and then a dark creepy chamber, each being darkly lit and create great atmosphere for the story. However, on the downside the episode doesn't have a twist and since it comes from a horror anthology show its rather disappointing, it really needed another minute or two, like what happened to Jack after he was bitten? maybe he could have returned as a vampire, and then it was also maybe revealed that Maura was also a vampire as well. It leaves several questions unanswered. The monster itself really isn't a creature of some sort, but, more of a deformed vampire, the makeup used is decent looking. All in all, "The Vampire Hunter" leaves some questions unanswered and the lack of a twist is rather annoying, however, the good performances by the cast, the nice Hammer style story, and nice production value for a low budget episode make it watchable in the end.