30 Days of Night is from the groundbreaking graphic novel by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith. What could go wrong with a movie that was produced by Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures? Plenty!
Niles’ graphic novel is a visually insane look at the classic vampire. Set in Barrow, Alaska where once a year it becomes night for 30 days is a brilliant set-up for this vampire tale. The vision that Niles and Templesmith created within the novel set a new standard for vampires within the comic book genre. Their monsters were insane, viscous, and ugly. The glamour that Stoker created and transcended through dozens of vampire films has been left out. No capes. No flying. No lust beyond blood lust. This isn’t your granddaddy’s vampire.
The story is simple. Ben Foster plays the Stranger who rolls into Barrow just as the sun sets for the final time and begins spooking the locals. Josh Hartnett plays the town’s sheriff and the beautiful Melissa George plays his estranged firewoman wife (that happens to carry a gun) whose planned departure is delayed and now she’s stuck in Barrow for the month as the airport has shut down. Hartnett throws Foster in jail for public disruption and the lights begin to flicker.
“That’s not cold, it’s death approaching.”
Foster’s words make one squirm in their seats with masochistic glee. Danny Huston shows up as Marlow, the vampire clan leader. The slaughter and feast begins. Hartnett and company have to fight and survive for the next 30 days with the hopes of daylight making the vampires leave.
I highly suggest picking the graphic novel up before seeing the film, just so you get the comparison. Raimi sure didn’t want to muck up another horror film like he did with The Grudge 2 and The Messengers. He hired the brilliantly talented David Slade (Hard Candy) to direct the adaptation. The initial pairing of Niles and Slade was a horror fanatic’s bloody wet dream. And then came the rewrites. Stuart Beattie was brought on to flesh out the story and Slade’s ‘Hard Candy’ collaborator came aboard to polish. What we end up with is a vision of three writers & the word ‘AND’ between each of their names on the title block. In Hollywood, either a script with multiple writers looks like this;
Written by Jane Doe & John Doe
Or
Written by Jane Doe and John Doe.
The second example signifies that the two writers DID NOT work together or exchange ideas/notes.
This plagues the screenplay for this film. Niles’ vision got lost in the journey. They added characters that were unnecessary, simply had the vampires roll into town with no origin and had cliché relationships sprinkled amidst the bloodletting. There seems to be a disconnection throughout the film until the final act. It feels like an imbalance of tension, scares and unintentional comedy. Truth be told, Hartnett and George just weren’t convincing in their respective roles.
The bright spot was Danny Huston as the vampire leader. His performance shined through his simple mannerisms. The vampires have their own language, which again…origin wanted here…but towards the end, he spoke in English. With lines like “No God” and “There is only pain and hunger…” we start to be led down a terrifying path only to be dragged back by the other characters.
The reception of this film seems to be divided. Either you absolutely love it or hate it. I’m a fan of Niles, his graphic novel and David Slade as a director. I’m just not a fan of this screenplay. The film is worth a look on DVD, but more so in the theaters. Which I had the pleasure of seeing it. I feel as though a lot was missed on the DVD because the landscape & setting is so rich on the big screen.
Overall, this was a difficult translation but Niles and company did a pretty good job even though it lacked the scares our horror audiences thirst for this time of year.
Wherefore art thou, Bela Lugosi when you need him?
The DVD features Commentary with actors Josh Hartnett, Melissa George and Producer Robert Tapert. There are eight really cool behind the scenes Featurettes including the pre-production for 30 Days of Night, the building of the town, The feel and look of the overall film, the special effects, stunts, casting, shooting at night and of course the vampires. Plus a few more things.
– Jack Reher
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
