If I said it once I’ve said it a million times already. There are too many dam vampire films. The problem is they all seem to have a similar plot and it seems rare to find a vampire film these days with an original plot that does not borrow from a slew of other vampire films. The Bleeding may have an ensemble cast, but it’s just another vampire film that does not deliver as well as it should have.
The Bleeding is about a U.S. Army Ranger named Shawn Black (Michael Matthias). He returns home from war to find out that his parents have been killed. He soon discovers that his war hero brother has gone missing, however when he finds out what really happened to him, he soon relizes that his brother is now king of the vampires and is going by the name of Kane ( Vinnie Jones). Shawn makes a pack to avenge his parent’s death and with the help of Father Roy (Michael Madsen) and a party girl (Rachelle Leah) they will go on a vampire hunting spree and attempt to wipe out the army of vampires plaguing their town.
I was actually very disappointed with the way this film started off. Honestly, going into this one I really thought it was going to be a great vampire flick. The sad truth is that at the beginning of the film the story is all over the place. I was at a bit of a loss with the story, I really had no clue what was going on and where the story was heading. After the first act, the film does settle down and the story becomes one that is basic, where a man hell bent on revenge goes on a vampire killing spree. The second act is what really makes the film worthwhile, however it’s still nothing new in terms of originality.
The film has an all star cast which includes the likes of Michale Matthias, Michael Madsen, Vinnie Jones, Rachelle Leah, DMX, Kat Von D and Armard Assante. What disappointed me about the film the most was the use of the cast. DMX’s character for example was a Blade like vampire hunter (minus the fact that he is not a vampire) that just got his as kicked over and over again before meeting his maker. Kat Von D was a vampire with hardly any dialogue which makes me think she was just added to the film because she is a well known name. The use of the cast could have been better, its not that all the roles were cast poorly I just think better use of them would have worked better for the film.
The high point this film had were in its make-up and visual effects. There were some really cool kill scenes with plenty of gore to go around. The effects were impressive. The set design and locations were decent also. One set in particular was Kane’s torture room, where he has his victims in chains as he picked and choose from them. He would lay them down on his death table and feed on them in front of all of his next victims
The DVD does not have much when it comes to special features. There is a feature about the films stunts and make-up and effects, Cast Interviews and the films trailer. There are also English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired.
Overall The Bleeding is just another vampire film. Its one that fans of vampire films might like, but as for me it’s just another vampire film in a long line of vampire films that I think most will forget about. It has its moments, especially in the last two acts, however it’s not a memorable film, so give it a go if you want, but don’t expect anything groundbreaking.
– Horror Bob
- 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
