BLOOD AND DONUTS
A film review by Jeff Barnum
Copyright 1995 Jeff Barnum
***Canuck film sheds blood***
Cineplex Odeon Daily
Film by Jason Margolis
This is turning out to be the cinematic era of the vampire.
We've already had INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE and A VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN, I caught the ultra-hip Dracula sequel NADJA when in Vancouver recently, and theres still Abel Ferrara's THE ADDICTION and the Robert Rodriguez/Quentin Tarantino vehicle FROM DUSK 'TIL DAWN to look forward to before Christmas. Canada's contribution to this Nosferatu festival is director Holly Dale's black comedy BLOOD AND DONUTS.
BLOOD AND DONUTS tells the story of Boya Zsekely, a reluctant vampire who wakes up after a 25-year self-imposed slumber to find a modern world full of decay. Boya, played by Gordon Currie, is something of a humanist who resists his vampiric thirsts and is shocked by the evil he sees in mankind.
Not being independently wealthy, Boya checks into a fleabag Toronto hotel the same one he stayed at during his hippie days in 1969 and befriends several fringe dwellers, including immigrant cab driver Earl and Molly, the well-read donut shop waitress.
Meanwhile, Boya's ex-girlfriend, a middle-aged hairdresser named Rita, is searching for him, hoping he might finally bless her with the gift of eternal life and beauty.
It sounds like a promising premise, but it is not fulfilled. This could have been a wonderful film, if the script wasnt so flimsy. Paul Sarossy's cinematography combines a slick Hollywood gloss with moody lighting to perfect effect, masking the low budget of this production.
The soundtrack is filled with appropriate music (including songs by Concrete Blonde and Screamin' Jay Hawkins) and eerie score by Nash the Slash (yeah, that's the mummy musician, how appropriate) Documentary director Dale has made the most of her weak script, supplying us with a quick, humorous pace and intelligent charm.
The pacing is also due to fine editing by Brett Sullivan, currently in Edmonton cutting the series "Jake and the Kid." Sullivan, who is also trying to become something of an amateur magician told Vue that the film was shot for $300,000.
- Special effects -
That's an incredible feat considering BLOOD AND DONUTS has possibly more special effects than all previous Canadian films put together, with the exception of JOHNNY MNEMONIC. Sullivan also mentioned that several scenes did not make it to the final cut of the film, which explains a lot. A note to the producers: this film could have easily been fifteen minutes longer and been much more satisfying.
As a consequence of the producers' effort to keep the film to a short running time, Boya remains underdeveloped and probably one of the least seductive vampires in film history, losing out even to Tom Cruise's Lestat and Nicolas Cage's wannabe Peter Loew from VAMPIRE'S KISS. Also undeveloped is Boya's budding romance with Molly.
Fortunately, Justin Louis as Earl is a bona fide scene stealer and a prime candidate for a Best Supporting Actor Genie. Earl is at once wonderfully sweet and slimy; a truly original character speaking in imperfect English.
Are you inferring to me? he states in broken homage. TAXI DRIVER's Travis Bickle. Earl has some problems with the Toronto mob that need to be worked out, allowing for a great cameo from Canadian director David Cronenberg (DEAD RINGERS) as the eccentric mob boss who works out of the back of a bowling alley. Um, David, just wondering ... with your recent appearance as a Mafia hitman in TO DIE FOR, is there some sort of trend developing here?
And for film reviewers who unfoundedly gripe about lack of Canadian content in our home productions, it should be noted that BLOOD AND DONUTS is proudly Canadian. One of the film's highlights is the ridicule of a street thug, born and raised in Toronto, who speaks in movie gansgter lingo.
It should stack up against independent American competition, although it would have been so much better with a stronger script. By the way, stick around after the credits for an extra scene....
-- Jeff Barnum Upfront Publishing <http://www.tgx.com/upfront> interVue, Edmonton's hottest online weekly <http://www.ccinet.ab.ca/vue>
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