PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Wildeye Releasing’s Visual Vengeance series is really breathing new life into late 90s/early 00s shot-on-video stuff by doing deluxe collector’s edition type releases that are normally reserved for the more familiar genre films. Being from Northern Ohio, I’m pretty surprised I hadn’t heard of Cleveland based writer/director Les Sekely (Night of the Living Date; Yes, This Is Comedy!) before. But with the new Blu-ray release of his 1998 flick Vampire Time Travelers, that is all about to change!
Synopsis:
Four college girls battle vampires and other supernatural forces when they pledge a strange sorority, stumbling into a hallucinatory mix of butt-biting bloodsuckers, unexplained time jumps, and increasingly ridiculous situations.
Yes, you read that synopsis right. I thought the same thing too.
Pledging a sorority is not easy. College life is stressful enough with classes, culture shock, and hazing without being stalked by a vampire bent on revenge for something your sister did to her sister a few years back. That’s the predicament that the lovely Sue-Ann Marie (J. J. Rodgers; Two and a Half Men) finds herself in. Besides her and her friends – the nerdy Heidi (Ali Elk; Lucky 13) and hot guitarist Zoe (Kat Facchino; Vampire Night) – being tormented by the bitchy (and sexy) Vaughn (Lynne Baker) and her minion Jenna (Mickey Levy; Rail & Ties), they have to deal with the recently awakened Lorilei (Jillian Weisz; Hard), a vampire bent on revenge and being egged on by her not-quite-“mega dead” sister (Rodgers again). Despite what you may think possible, things get even weirder after this with some time jumping, a network of closet tunnels, remedial vampire quizzes, spiked tennis balls, Buffy jokes, and a light man who looks straight out of a 90’s porn film (Jimmy Jerman; Amazon Warrior) that almost saves the day!
Vampire Time Travelers works, for the most part, because it never takes anything, and I mean anything, too seriously. From the kids looking for skin mags accidentally freeing Lorilei, “fang trash” put downs, and werewolves to a hilarious and perfectly brief musical vignette with the “dark master” (J. Adam Young; The Duke) urging Lorilei to “bite her in the butt” all while looking oddly like John Carl Buechler, Vampire Time Travelers delivers the corny campiness without laying it on too thick.
The horror/comedy films that work do so because of that perfect balance and, more often than not, Sekely and crew toe that line with aplomb. Weisz absolutely kills it (pun intended) as the bumbling antagonist, bringing perfect comic timing that juxtaposes superbly with Rodgers’ cheerleader-type co-ed. Baker, as Vaughn, brings a sultry evil while she hazes – sometimes while packing heat – her pledge victims and when Facchino grows fangs, watch out! She relishes the opportunity to get back at the music exec who ignored her (Sekely in a cameo) with a funny, sinister glee. Great casting and top-notch filmmaking keep this flick from devolving into a directionless mess, which could have easily happened given everything that occurs in Vampire Time Travelers’ brisk 70-minute run time.
As always, the Visual Vengeance package is flat out amazing! Reversible art, slipcase, mini poster, and stickers, as is the norm. And extras?? So many like a commentary track and interview with Sekely, DP and AD interviews, actor interviews, a bonus Sekely short (Not So Grim Reaper) and an additional 2000 feature film (I Know What You Did In English Class) that both offer more horror spoof fun, trailers, more interviews, and you get the point. They left nothing out!
Visually, the film proper (along with the bonus films) looks great, with a clean hi-def transfer despite the pre-opening warning and the sound is even across the spectrum. A great job once again from the folks at Wildeye in cleaning up a low budget film shot on potentially dubious source stock.
Bad puns, even worse jokes, and some groan inducing over-the-top silliness, Vampire Time Travelers checks all the boxes for a fun, campy, fang-filled romp. With a gorgeous cast of 90s indie starlets, a deft hand at comedy, and some sort of cool effects, it makes a great popcorn film to watch with a group. Remember to yell “bluefish!”
Wildeye Releasing’s Visual Vengeance Blu-ray of Vampire Time Travelers is available now from fine retailers.
