30 Ways To Fright(en)...groan...

Rating: 8/10 (15 January 2008)

Now this is how to do it.
I came to this film late, seeking an antidote for the tepid morass that was I Am Legend. And how I found it!
Thank you. a refreshing and invigorating take on a well-worn legend. The plot you'll be aware of so I won't take up time with a summary. I'll concentrate on the qualities this little gem possesses in abundance.
1) Intensity. It reminded me, due to setting but also the intensity of some set-pieces, of The Thing. A good Thing (sic, apologies.) The tension is cranked up and left taut.
2)It is totally Uncompromising. Although a gore-fest in many places, do not let that put you off. The reluctance to bow to the political correctness of many modern-day horrors or ease up on the relentless peril the protagonist and his band of depleting survivors face which the movie exudes is an incredibly admirable trait in today's market place of redemption and faux nicety.
The vampire clan here are no lost children of the Lord, they're downright feral and as similar a species to humanity as we are to the ape. There is neither the sense of pity, romance or longing invested in these creatures; a point worth noting the quality of acting by those playing them - not easy to pull off, and with potential to edge into cheese as we've seen before in countless lesser productions but a balance is nicely struck between animal aggression and intelligent darkness. Kudos to those involved in pitching it just right for necessary suspension of disbelief.
3) The Acting. As mentioned above, the vampires work very well, but so to do the survivors. Josh Hartnett was a convincing joy as the troubled, heroic Sheriff and each minor part was filled out to the max. Of course credit to the director for encouraging such quality of performance.
4) Cliché Management. Predictably in many other reviews of this, particularly the negative ones, the word cliché is thrown around like water at a 4 year old's summer birthday party involving a pool a lawn and copious water-pistol armament. Well, stop it now. Perhaps too many people fall upon clichés themselves when searching for the necessary language to compose reviews like this. I'd like to make a valid point here: When dealing with the horror/vampire genre the cliché, be it written, spoken, or visual is UNAVOIDABLE. Got that, moaners?
With any project like this, the management of the cliché is what is most important. And, with every man and his dog (see, a small cliché there) having an opinion/take on the vampire legend it's all a movie can do to put up convincing arguments both for and against convention. And I think this film does so with aplomb and no apology.
5) THE END. I've warned of possible spoilers but I'll try not to express any plot points here. Of course any smart kid with a Pc can declare on here that he/she KNEW such and such was going to happen. But as a veteran of these B-movie homages I can honestly hold up my 40 year-old hands and say the climax was a genuine pleasure, a genuine surprise and in no way signaled throughout the film.
It is the icing on the cake and closes off a tense, harrowing hour and 40 minutes of creeping dread in a unique way that does stamp this movie as different from the pack - not totally unique but certainly outstanding - and well worth your time.
In summary: It is savage, grim, gory, brutal and painful to watch at times but that's all positive when dealing with a new take on the genre. You'll wince and grimace and breath fast and your heart will race as you feel the tension. And that's quite a feat for a modern-day vampire flick.
I marked this 8 mainly because its brimming with gore, perhaps - and this is but a light criticism - overtly in some places. But you got to please the teenage crowd as well as offering plenty of intellectual engagement for those seeking more.
Also, I would have liked a bit more exposition on the nature of the vampires and their origins but that is maybe a very good sign - that the film held me enough for my curiosity to go along for the ride and left me wanting more. Yeah, add another half point, lol.
Do watch this. For its genre,it's a diamond in the rough. It deserves your time far more than most gargantuan-budget blockbusters, and it will neither insult your intelligence or leave your expectations wanting. Thoroughly enjoyable.