Stake Land II (2016)

aka: The Stakelander
Dir: Dan Berk, Robert Olsen

I would not have guessed that the vampire apocalypse film STAKE LAND would get a sequel. The film does offer a different take on end times, and does a wonderful job of world creation, but its deliberate pace and inward reflection (think Terrence Malick directing a vampire flick) did not lend itself to becoming a franchise. I found the film to be above average, a tad too slowly paced for the material, but recommend it to viewers looking for a fresh take on bloodsuckers rampaging across a broken country. Here we are six years later with a follow-up.

Martin (Connor Paolo CAMP HELL), his family destroyed by The Mother (Kristina Hughes FEROCIOUS), the leader of a vampire pack, searches for his former mentor Mister (Nick Damici who also wrote the script). His plan is to find the vampire slayer extraordinaire and team up to crush The Mother and her minions. His journey takes him across North America pitting him against vampires, the malignant cult The Brotherhood and other humans who seemingly have given up hope for a better world and have turned to cannibalism for sustenance and redneck gladiatorial combat for entertainment. The world is shit, humans are no longer working together.

Finding Mister the two do team up and find a community that does work together. They also learn that they have fallen into a trap laid by The Mother who's forces are gathered to destroy the community and Mister.

Most of the navel-gazing of the first film is gone leaving the basic framework of the post-apocalyptic road film (MAD MAX II, THE ROAD, PHANTASM series). The pace is picked up, this film runs a scant 81 minutes, with an emphasis on action rather than characters. Unfortunately the low budget, it is a Syfy Channel feature, hampers the action. A few of the action set pieces left me scratching my head as to why they were shot that way but in the context of not having the funds I can understand. Fortunately the world building carried over from the original film goes a long way to elevating this film. I found the world to be that rich in ideas. It would make for an interesting role playing game where there is no limit to the imagination's budget.

Steve Williams plays a veterinarian turned doctor in the community under siege by the vampires. Look for producer Larry Fessenden in a small role as a guard who isn't as perceptive as he needs to be.

For those who enjoyed the first film, keep in mind the tonal shift of the sequel. I found this film to be just as entertaining as the first but in a different way.

** 1/2 out of ****

Daylight's End (2016)

Dir: William Kaufman

You know Rourke (Johnny Strong GET CARTER remake) is a bad-ass as soon as you lay eyes on him.He rocks the manly stubble on his face, speaks only when it is necessary, carries a full auto M-14 and drives a beat up armoured Plymouth muscle car. Rourke is a survivor haunted by the death of this wife. A survivor in a world over run with vampires. Or are they vampires / zombies? No matter, the world has gone to shit and Rourke cruises what remains of it hunting and killing the creatures of the night.

One day he witnesses an ambush of a group by marauders. It's easy enough to pick out which group are the good guys; they drive a police car and stop to check on a woman cradling a baby in the middle of the street. The bad guys are just as easy to spot, they look menacing and are the ones about to rape the sole survivor of the ambushed group. Luckily for the young woman Sam (Chelsea Edmundson ISOLATION), Rourke finally jumps into the fray and caps the bad guys. As a way of saying thanks and asking for a ride home, Sam offers fuel and ammo once they make it back to her compound in Dallas.

A Mopar never dies

The compound is a former jail turned fortress run by the no-nonsense Frank Hill (played by the great Lance Henriksen). The survivors make the cells their home and by using the jail's technology such as security cameras and heavy doors they are able to survive the nightly attacks. Only the attacks lately have increased in ferocity with some of the creatures finding a way in. It's almost as if the creatures have gained purpose. Sam relates to the group that she found a cargo plane in good working order that can take everyone to a spot in Baha, 150 miles away from everything. Unfortunately an Alpha (ex-MMA fighter Krzysztof Soszynski) creature was spotted leading an attack on the compound and it is determined to get at the sweet, sweet human flesh hiding behind concrete and steel. Can our group of plucky heroes survive the night?

Writer Chad Law (THE HIT LIST) and director William Kaufman make the most of a small budget. Much of the film looks to have been shot on location and the jail really adds to the grittiness and despair. The plane, which is to take the survivors to the promised land, is only seen in a photograph. Yes, that low of a budget. But the scenes that take place on the streets of the big city look like I'd expect post the collapse of society so it is a job well done by production design. The budget is on the screen as they say and apparent in the multitude of action scenes.

The creatures, one bite from them brings on an infection which turns the victim in a short time, are a bit different from the usual vampire or fast moving virus zombie. They only come out at night as the sun will burn them to a crisp, and possess superhuman strength like a vampire but they can be killed by run of the mill bullets.

The film doesn't bother to go into detail if the creatures need to drink blood or are repulsed by garlic or a cross. It doesn't even bother with an explanation of how the apocalypse kicked off.

Lead Johnny Strong is a bit wooden trying his best to look stoic but he certainly looks the part of someone able to face vampires in a dystopian society. Lance Henriksen isn't given much to do but he's a plus to every film he appears in. Hakeem Kae-Kazim from television's BLACK SAILS has a small role.

DAYLIGHT'S END is a decent choice for those looking for mindless action.

**1/2 out of ****

Bloodsucking Bastards (2015)

Dir: Brian James O'Connell

Salary man Evan (Fran Kranz THE CABIN IN THE WOODS) is not having a good week. When girlfriend Amanda (Emma Fitzpatrick THE COLLECTION) professed her love for him, all he could choke out was a 'No!'. His slacker friend at work Tim (Joey Kern CABIN FEVER) is more interested in playing video games at work than helping Evan with the new product launch that could propel Evan from acting sales manager to sales manager. That glimmer of hope is then dashed when branch president Ted (Joel Murray GOD BLESS AMERICA) brings in the hard driving, charismatic Max (Pedro Pascal GAME OF THRONES) to usurp Evan as the next sales manager. And Max just happens to be a vampire.

To top it all off, Evan works for a company that sells shake weights and male enhancement products!

Oh, what a time to be Evan.

BLOODSUCKING BASTARDS is a horror comedy written and directed by members of the comedy troupe Dr. God. The emphasis is on comedy but once Evan and crew fight back against the vamps trying to turn or kill everyone in the office, blood is splashed everywhere. Neither the comedy nor the horror is all that effective. There are a couple of nicely done visual set ups but it wasn't enough to make up for the only mildly funny humour or my lack of interest in what happens to the characters.

** out of ****


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