DVD Review: Vampire's Kiss (A-)

Vampire's Kiss (1989)
Directed by Robert Bierman
Starring Nicolas Cage, Jennifer Beals, Maria Conchita- Alonzo and Elizabeth Ashley
MPAA: R
Grade: A-

Review by Scott Standish

Nicolas Cage can over act with the best of them and nowhere is this more pleasantly obvious than the underrated indie film Vampire's Kiss. Originally released theatrically in 1989, Vampire's Kiss was marketed as a wacky vampire comedy, but nothing could have been further from the truth. A bizarre yet fascinating tale of psychosis and twisted boss/employee relations, Vampire's Kiss is a darker than dark comedy that, like it's lead character, constantly straddles the fine line between genius and insanity.

Peter Loew (Nicolas Cage) is an asshole literary agent in New York City that was recently dumped by his girlfriend. As he relates to his therapist (Elizabeth Ashley) he has developed a habit for picking up girls for one night stands, only to dump them cruelly. At the same time, he seems so messed up by his inability to maintain a normal relationship with these women, that he starts to have problems keeping a handle on things mentally.

During one of his trysts, Peter is bitten by a bat (or is he?), and before long, he begins to see symptoms that indicate he is turning into a vampire. At work, Peter starts to push the limits of acceptable human behavior as he finds an emotional victim to attack. Alva, an office worker for the agency, is given the impossible task of finding a meaningless document lost within thousands files. Peter mercilessly harrasses the timid Alva (played by Maria Conchita Alonzo) to find the file, and emboldened by her fear, he spirals deeper and deeper into the realm of what is, and is not, real.

The strange story line and bizarre themes rocketing through Vampire's Kiss make this a film that needs to be examined very closely. Vampire's Kiss deals with the fear of "never finding the right person" (as Peter says), the fear of being fired from your job, and ultimately, the fear of losing one's grip on reality. Sounds hilarious, right? Sure, there are these dark and serious undercurrents to Vampire's Kiss, but the comedic manner in which Nicolas Cage plays the lead character makes this film, at times, very funny.

Vampire's Kiss is not for everybody, that's for sure. But if you love Nicolas Cage when he's going over the top, or strange dark comedies, then its hard to find a better bet.

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