Near Dark

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

"I ain't a person anymore. I don't know what I am."

Near Dark is a 1987 horror movie, written and directed by Kathryn Bigelow (best known for Point Break The Hurt Locker), and written by Bigelow and Eric Red. It stars Adrian Pasdar, Lance Henrikson, Bill Paxton, Jenette Goldstein and Jenny Wright. Along with The Lost Boys, it is credited for pretty much reinventing the vampire genre.

Bigelow had originally been intent on a Western, but realized that the interest in the Western genre at the time was almost non-existent. When then-future-husband James Cameron suggested that she "mix it up with something else", she decided to make a Horror Western.

It tells the story of Caleb Colton, a young Oklahoman, who joins and is subsequently rescued from a family of vampires. It mixes both a certain amount of gory action - Kathryn Bigelow doesn't do slow paced - with a character study of Caleb becoming a vampire and the choices he is required to make. These are not nice vampires as found in Twilight, nor the demons of Buffy, but each is distinctive. Severen is truly scary, Homer is unhappy, while Mae beautifully describes the attraction of living forever. Should be required viewing for anyone playing Vampire: The Masquerade.


Tropes used in Near Dark include:


Severen: Hey, Jesse, remember that fire we started in Chicago?