Number 18 — VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN
For the month of October, we’re counting down the best horror movies of 1995! Check back every day for a new entry in the list.
Knowing someone’s favorite movie genre is like knowing their zodiac. So much is implied by what someone chooses to sit down and watch; romantic dramas, thrilling sci-fi adventures, and action-packed flicks are just a few examples of the seemingly endless options there are. Since it’s the Halloween season I felt it was only appropriate to get back into all the horror genre has to offer. I figured, at least this time around, to keep things light with the 1995 should-be classic, VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN.
On a foggy night in New York City, an uncle and nephew working as night watchmen at a harbor are petrified when a boat comes crashing through the docks, causing chaos. The captain of the boat is Maximillian, a cocky vampire who had survived near extinction out in the Caribbean and was now on a quest to find a lover that could help restore his family lineage. Max’s eyes are fixed on a homicide detective with a mysterious past named Rita Veder. After transforming one of the watchmen, Julius, into his own personal ghoul, Maximilian sets out on his mission, terrorizing the NYC streets in search of love.
I don’t know about you, but I’m the type of person to read through the Wikipedia synopsis of movies before I watch them (probably because I wasn’t held enough as a baby), but I decided to be normal and go in with no knowledge of VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN and I am so glad I did. I was not expecting the amount of wonderful talents that would grace my laptop screen as I watched the movie. Stars like Eddie Murphy, Angela Bassett, Kadeem Hardison, and John Witherspoon are all perfectly cast and deliver solid performances that make the blending of horror and humor seamless. Some characters were portrayed as serious and rooted in reality, while others felt like they had come straight out of The Boondocks (2005) Halloween special. You can probably guess which actors fall into these categories, but I think that’s the point. The world of VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN works so well because of the wide variety of personalities on display and that contrast helps hold the attention of the audience through this rollercoaster of a story.
The universe in VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN is campy and fun, comparable to other iconic films like FRANKENHOOKER (1990) where scary themes mix with humor and slapstick to create something light and entertaining that still serves scares. One of the most charming aspects about the worlds in these kinds of films is the blend between reality and the supernatural. In VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN, ghosts, monsters, and especially vampires are considered fantastical imaginings of the human mind. That doesn’t stop gore and the more “subtle” supernatural aspects of the story from being the punchline to a lot of the comedy in a movie where most characters are considered skeptics. If you liked how the subject of the paranormal is framed in films like BEETLEJUICE (1990) I would highly recommend watching VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN. That last sentence may have come across as delusional to folks familiar with both movies because, frankly, VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN was a bit of a flop when it came out. And I get it, sometimes people are put off by media that tows the line between zany and dramatic. But that’s exactly why this movie works so well. A Rotten Tomatoes review back in 2020 described the film as “...one of those movies that I find delightfully corney [sic]” and I could not agree more! It’s ironic because even though ‘Juggler J’ and I are on the same page, their score for the movie was three out of five stars. Personally, I have to give VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN its 10s and I’m amazed that there hasn’t been some kind of cultural resurgence for the film. From the star studded cast, to its unique story, not to mention this movie was directed by the Wes Craven (for those woefully unfamiliar, that’s who’s responsible for A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984) and SCREAM (1996). It just baffles me that VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN has been paid dust by audiences for all these years.
I tend to spoil a lot of a movie whenever I’m writing about one, but the process of watching VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN had me not knowing how it was going to play out. Mind you, this is coming from someone who not only reads the summaries of movies they haven’t seen yet, but is constantly trying to guess how a story ends. That being said, the ending of this horror comedy is one of my favorites from the genre. There’s a mini twist right before the credits that is so beautifully corny, I immediately made a list of people I was going to watch the movie with just to get their raw reaction.
This movie is too good to be left behind and deserves to be in the annual rotation of horror-comedies people love watching whenever the weather starts to get chilly. If you’re sick of seeing the same handful of movies every single year during the month of October I think VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN should be added to your roster immediately.
References
Juggler J. (2020, December 23). Vampire in Brooklyn: Audience reviews. Rotten Tomatoes. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/vampire_in_brooklyn/reviews?type=user
