| While not a sign of Tsui Hark back on form, writing and producing this Wellson Chin directed vampire flick at least signals the attempt to awake a filmmaking. Taking on the horror elements made popular by the likes of Mr. Vampire, the choice for the new millennium comes via the ability to enhance matters. CGI makes some visits on occasion but even within a fairly low-budget frame, the ideas to make proceedings a bit more grisly than usual does make the computer work integral. One of the main ingredients here being how our super vampire of the piece drains the life out of victims not by biting but by basically inhaling them and there is additional morbid content by design as the plot take refuge to the mysterious Jiang mansion where Yu Rong-Guang's character lurks. Even when welcoming the hopping vampires, Tsui and Wellson wisely chooses to think about echoing the horror of it all and it's not totally ineffective. The characters certainly are though, with no distinction in terms of authority in the Taoist masters or in their semi-naughty followers. But The Era of Vampires does overcome via its slight content and the ideas brought up wouldn't have been unwelcome in a bigger budget feature. Film stars Michael Chow, Lam Suet, Ken Chang, Danny Chan, Ji Chun-Hua, Anya, Chen Kuan-Tai, Lee Lik-Chi and Horace Lee.
Be sure to track down the Singapore version under the original title ("The Era Of Vampires") that contains 15 or so minutes chopped out of the US edit. Aside from dialogue extensions and minor extra scenes, actual notable additions includes more "depth" to the ongoing romances, a longer prologue and the epilogue goes on a bit longer, creating less of a confusing downer ending compared to the shortened version of the film. It's definitely welcome to have "The Era Of Vampires" play out slightly more elaborately and not as tight. |
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