30 Days of Night makes a journey through hell a joyful fright

Rating: 8/10 (20 October 2007)

When you have to ask yourself if you want to see a Vampire movie, you know there is a good chance you may not want to. But you, that particular person, should watch the trailer. Watch that scene of the vampire on the top of the SUV. Notice the style with which that scene is shot. Doesn't it give you a feeling of nostalgia in a way? Perhaps that scene gives you memories of "vampire movies when vampires seemed real". Memories of what was scary was the vampire itself and not just what it does. I am here to tell you that is the case with this movie.
I was caught up in trying to understand this vampire movie from the start. In the opening, the one lonely man trekking across the snow covered tundra - is he villain or victim? And what was it behind him as well as ahead of him? How do puny humans defeat creatures that feed on fear and blood when they have so little to give them help or hope? It's a story in a nearly barren snow covered village that empties out once a year because it is that time when everyone knows they will not see the light of day for 30 days. A few remain, willingly or not. Some will see the light of day and some will not, nor should they.
This is not just one that offers you blood by the case. You get that and talent that doesn't go to waste. The talent is in the writing, cinematography, direction, makeup and performances. These vampires were going to take care of business and had no time for fancy kung-fu or flashy dialogue. They wanted blood, they smelled blood and they took blood.
While there were slow periods which gave me time to think to myself, "Hmm, that's Josh Hartnett" and a couple lines that made me wonder, "Hey, where is Josh Hartnett", I left the movie thinking, "Hey, that was Josh Hartnett and he was great!". But you will give credit to all the actors in this movie. I loved watching Melissa George, Mark Boone(Flass from Batman Begins), Ben Foster(Charlie Prince in 3:10 to Yuma) and all the very creepy vampires who reminded me why vampires scared me when I was a kid. An especially creepy vampire was Danny Huston who played the head vampire, Marlow. Danny Huston, in my opinion, gives Bela Lugosi a run for his blood money.
Thank you director David Slade(whose Hard Candy I will have to see now) and Writer Stuart Beattie(Pirates of the Caribbean).
8 of 10