Director:
Richard Poche
Studio/Production Company:
Poche Pictures
Genre:
Horror
Length:
Feature
Website:
http://www.crimsonthemovie.com
Score:
2.5/5
The vampire genre holds so much appeal to filmmakers and audiences alike but this insatiable thirst for new entries into the canon often presents an issue for anyone embarking on a new production. For whatever reasons, both those working in the genre and fans of it always seem to want something new, a unique twist on the familiar themes, after countless versions of the classic “Dracula” man-in-a-castle model. So, there have been vampires from/in space, female vampires, Wild West vampires and so on. The range in quality is at least as wide as the range of approaches to subject matter so it is often exciting to see someone even attempt to do something fresh and original whether it works or not.
Director Richard Poche and writers Daniel Chant and Mark Grant give it a really good shot in their impressively stylish “Crimson”, an apparently low-budget piece that, for the most part, rises above the financial constraints of the production. The film might best be described as VH1’s “The Hills” meets “The Lost Boys”, that is, it centers on a catty group of bitchy, but beautiful, roommates who have a run in with the head of a cult of vampires. The ladies, nursing students, come to the rescue of a young woman, Sammi, apparently on the run and the victim of a fair degree of trauma – in both cases attributable to the ravishing, devious and diabolical Rachel, who is looking to widen her circle of associates and create a team of vampires to do her bidding.
While Poche and company definitely appear to be aiming for some classic territory, the type of B-movie stuff that came out in the late 60’s and early ‘70’s the film has a very contemporary vibe, thanks mostly to the uniformly appealing cast of mostly new-comers or actresses who have been around the indie horror scene for the past few years. Actually, it is the rapport amongst the characters that really makes “Crimson” distinctive even during some spots when the plot starts to meander and slow down. These young women have well-established relationships with each other and the ups and downs of the plot have genuinely personal implications for all of the participants; everyone has a perspective, an agenda, a point of view – even if it is one as simple as “don’t get bitten by the vampire.”
Unmistakably low budget, the film does not attempt anything too ambitious technically although shooting brunettes at night without lights does not create an especially attractive effect. Overall, fans of the vampire genre and the neo-retro indie horror filmmaking style will probably find this film worth watching.
Richard Poche
Studio/Production Company:
Poche Pictures
Genre:
Horror
Length:
Feature
Website:
http://www.crimsonthemovie.com
Score:
2.5/5
The vampire genre holds so much appeal to filmmakers and audiences alike but this insatiable thirst for new entries into the canon often presents an issue for anyone embarking on a new production. For whatever reasons, both those working in the genre and fans of it always seem to want something new, a unique twist on the familiar themes, after countless versions of the classic “Dracula” man-in-a-castle model. So, there have been vampires from/in space, female vampires, Wild West vampires and so on. The range in quality is at least as wide as the range of approaches to subject matter so it is often exciting to see someone even attempt to do something fresh and original whether it works or not.
Director Richard Poche and writers Daniel Chant and Mark Grant give it a really good shot in their impressively stylish “Crimson”, an apparently low-budget piece that, for the most part, rises above the financial constraints of the production. The film might best be described as VH1’s “The Hills” meets “The Lost Boys”, that is, it centers on a catty group of bitchy, but beautiful, roommates who have a run in with the head of a cult of vampires. The ladies, nursing students, come to the rescue of a young woman, Sammi, apparently on the run and the victim of a fair degree of trauma – in both cases attributable to the ravishing, devious and diabolical Rachel, who is looking to widen her circle of associates and create a team of vampires to do her bidding.
While Poche and company definitely appear to be aiming for some classic territory, the type of B-movie stuff that came out in the late 60’s and early ‘70’s the film has a very contemporary vibe, thanks mostly to the uniformly appealing cast of mostly new-comers or actresses who have been around the indie horror scene for the past few years. Actually, it is the rapport amongst the characters that really makes “Crimson” distinctive even during some spots when the plot starts to meander and slow down. These young women have well-established relationships with each other and the ups and downs of the plot have genuinely personal implications for all of the participants; everyone has a perspective, an agenda, a point of view – even if it is one as simple as “don’t get bitten by the vampire.”
Unmistakably low budget, the film does not attempt anything too ambitious technically although shooting brunettes at night without lights does not create an especially attractive effect. Overall, fans of the vampire genre and the neo-retro indie horror filmmaking style will probably find this film worth watching.
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