HOOP-TOBER 8
3 FILMS WITH A POC LEAD OR DIRECTOR

Having now finished Vamp, I think that my research led me a bit astray. The lead of this film is most certainly not a Person of Color, however, I will say that the most captivating part of it, Grace Jones' Katrina, is.

Vamp is a fair attempt at a horror comedy, even if it starts to kind of wander away from the setup that made it most effective. After three college kids wander into a bar looking for a stripper to impress their fraternity, they quickly realize that the club they have found themselves in is truly a den of vampires. (You can hear Quentin Tarantino's wheels turning as you watch the film)

I think the setup for Vamp is actually pretty great, but it starts to kind of break down once the characters leave the club. I think if Wenk had kept the characters inside of the club, desperately fighting for survival, it would have made for a tighter, more compelling narrative. But once we venture outside of the club, it starts to feel less focused on Katrina and her power over her minions.

Some pretty fun moments of comedy here and Grace Jones silently delivers quite a terrifying performance. She is truly horrifying with her eyes and fangs. The film is smart to hint at her age and how long she's been a vampire rather than simply tellling us all of that (since it doesn't really matter in the long run anyway), where you could see a more modern film wanting to slow down and, for some reason, give you a whole montage of ancient Egypt and yada yada yada.

Fun, even if I didn't love it.