“The night, it’s deafening.”
There are vampire films, and then there is Near Dark. A high watermark to the gluttonous guff of the genre, Kathryn Bigelow‘s 1987 gem remains a stealth entry in the pantheon of vampiric content. It’s smart, it’s dirty, it’s unforgiving, and it’s stylish, all qualities that so many imitators have tried to nail down with a stake, only they’re left with splinters.
To be fair, it’s hard to compete with the blood and guts within this rental. You’ve got a murderers row of character actors (see: Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, and Jenette Goldstein), all coming off one of the decade’s biggest blockbusters (see: 1986’s Aliens.) You’ve got atmospheric titans Tangerine Dream doing the score. And then, of course, there’s future Oscar winner Bigelow behind it all, bringing her trademark to the whole shebang.
So, lots to love, but also lots to discuss, and the Halloweenies do just that in this exhaustive deep dive. In anticipation of its 35th anniversary this October, the gang has unlocked their 2020 deep dive that finds them discussing the state of the Western in the ’80s, the eclectic filmography of Bigelow, all of the James Cameron regulars, and why it’s impossible to find it. Special guest includes Daily Dead Managing Editor Heather Wixson.
(Again, though, this episode was recorded in August 2020 for our Patreon.)
Stream the episode below or subscribe via iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, Acast, Google Podcasts, and RSS. New to the Halloweenies? Catch up with the gang by revisiting their essential episodes on past franchises such as Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, and Scream.
You can also become a member of their Patreon, The Rewind, for hilariously irreverent commentaries (e.g. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Gremlins, Child’s Play) and one-off deep dives on your favorite rentals (e.g. Saw, 28 Days Later, Manhunter, Nightbreed). Each month promises something new and unexpected from the wildest corners of the genre.
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The post Kathryn Bigelow’s ‘Near Dark’ Has Aged As Gracefully as the Vampires Within [Halloweenies Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.