INNOCENT BLOOD
A film review by Ken Johnson
Copyright 1992 Ken Johnson
120 min., R, Horror, 1992 Director: John Landis Cast: Anne Parillaud, Robert Loggia, Anthony LaPaglia, Kim Coates, Leo Burmester, Don Rickles, Sam Raimi, Frank Oz, Alfred Hitchcock, Dan Quale (yes, the Vice President)
Anne Parillaud is a vampire who is running out of food. She always makes sure that her victims don't turn into vampires by finishing off the body. Parillaud turns to Italians as her next food source. She feeds off mob boss Robert Loggia, but doesn't get enough time to finish him off. Loggia comes back from the dead and sets off to make an undead mob force. Parillaud joins with cop Anthony LaPaglia to stop Loggia.
I enjoyed INNOCENT BLOOD and recommend, if you aren't sick of vampire movies yet, that you attempt to see this film. It has now left all the theaters in my area (I saw it on the last night it was playing) and will probably soon be doing the same in other cities. On a scale of zero to five, I give INNOCENT BLOOD a four. INNOCENT BLOOD is rated R for explicit language, adult situations, graphic violence, and female nudity.
Anne Parillaud, mostly a foreign film actress, does a good job. Robert Loggia gives a great and evil performance. Anthony LaPaglia does well in his role. Kim Coates (I seem to remember seeing him in this year's other vampire film BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER), also does a good job. There are many cameo performances in this film. Frank Oz shows up briefly as a mortician, Alfred Hitchcock, in a clip from one of his old films, and Dan Quale, in a television appearance. Director John Landis, who has brought forth such films as AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON and NATIONAL LAMPOON'S ANIMAL HOUSE has created a great movie, which actually made me jump once (which I normally don't do).
The eye effects were great. I loved how the eyes changed colors, it created a haunting image at some points. The special effects in general were outstanding. The bite wounds looked sickening and the vampire changeover facial effects were perfect. The film was very well written and didn't fall into too many vampire cliches. The film also did a good job with not portraying all vampires as vicious freaks. It said that some vampires have a sense of what is bad.
-------- Ken Johnson blj@mithrandir.cs.unh.edu
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