Embrace of the Vampire (4 Stars)

This is a film that appeals to me, even though I can't give it my top rating. It's only two months since I last watched it, but I'm sure I'll watch it again. The film's main faults are in the story. There's no logical reason why the vampire is doomed to die unless he drinks Charlotte's blood on her 18th birthday. What happened to the three vampiresses who made him a vampire 400 years ago? Apart from that, someone needs to tell the director that the drug Ecstasy doesn't cause hallucinations.

The film's strength is in its atmosphere. Martin Kemp is the type of brooding vampire that we know from Anne Rice's novels. He wants to do good, but his overwhelming thirst for blood makes him do evil. The film has a burning eroticism which is only partially a result of the nude scenes.

There's a hint of scandal when Charlotte, the devout Catholic girl, shares a lesbian encounter next to a crucifix. As everyone knows, guilt makes sex more exciting, and religious guilt is the strongest guilt. I'm not a Catholic, but I can still feel the impact of this scene.

I recently heard that the film was remade in 2013. I'm curious to see it, even though I don't understand the point in remaking such a recent film. I sincerely hope the remake is good, but somehow I doubt it.

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