Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat
Dir: Anthony Hickox
1989
***
Anthony Hickox's Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat is a welcome alternative to the Vampire genre, it has good moments of horror and comedy but never really has the impact I believe it could have. The reasons why it has since become something of a cult film is clear. Firstly, it stars the legendary Bruce Campbell. That sold the film to me to be honest. Secondly, Hickox has a unique and irresistibly quirky style about his films. His previous film Waxwork and its sequel Waxwork II: Lost in Time are both fairly silly but have something about that that makes them stand out among the deluge of cheesy comedy horror films that were available in the late 80s, early 90s. Some of the imagery should be regarded as laughable but most of the time they are so bizarre that many can't help but celebrate them, myself included. The humour isn't quite parody either, it's close but Hickox has also developed something new, a twist to both the comedy and horror elements. Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat isn't as fun as the Waxwork films and I'm not sure the director has ever matched the greatness of his first few films but I struggle to think of such an original take on the genre in the decade before or preceding. However, I can think of better.