New Blood Awakening (2016)
Chase Will
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Starring Melissa Zahs, Allan Meyette, Sarah Bertz Thomas
Directed by Chad Zuver
New Blood Awakening is a big leap for Shattered Images Films and for writer-director Chad Zuver. The film is a sequel to 2014’s New Blood Rising and the second installment in Zuver’s vampire trilogy. The first question you might be asking as a horror fan is: “Why the fuck should I care about ANOTHER vampire movie?!” If you’ll give me just a few minutes, I’d like to make my case.
First, the storyline’s the tits. We cold-open in the aftermath of the first film: Vampires are the global majority and the undisputed rulers of the nighttime, and humans scurry indoors when a nightly alarm warns them of sunset. Fortunately, the vampires in Zuver’s universe abide by much of the classic lore and therefore can’t enter a home uninvited. Also, sunlight kills them, so you don’t have to worry about watching any angsty teens sparkle like cheap-ass Dollar Store chandeliers.
Despite the movie’s two-hour runtime, the inciting incident occurs quickly when two young lovers sneak out one night and faux-Romeo gets picked off by vampires as his Juliet flees. Humans decide this latest death is the last straw for the bullshit they’ve endured, and they form a pitiful rebellion which is quickly defeated. I won’t spoil where the story goes from here, but just like in any war, neither population is without discontent, and enemies of enemies quickly become allies. (Or is one side just full of “suckers”?? Go ahead… roll your eyes; I deserve it.)
Is the plot completely original? No, but that’s easy to overlook once the action picks up and Zuver takes things confidently in his own direction.
Second, there aren’t many “how I’m feeling and what I want” monologues, which are screenwriting sins that make even God go flaccid. There are a few groan-worthy moments which could’ve been shortened for better pacing, but they’re full of noteworthy actor performances.
Sarah Bertz Thomas, who plays Callidora, the raging-bitch vampire, stands out among the movie’s villains by delivering each line like poisoned artisan chocolate—if you’re not rooting for her to get a stake through the face, you’re fucking dead inside.
Melissa Zahs, another Shattered Images favorite, plays sweet and well-intentioned Paige, girlfriend to the aforementioned faux-Romeo. As demonstrated in Night of the Living Dead, the company’s 2014 feature, Zahs has the screen presence necessary to keep audiences engaged as they follow her through loss, heartache, and brief moments of hope.
Third and finally, New Blood Awakening is exciting because it’s another chapter in the continued growth of an indie company hell-bent on mastering the genre and learning from their previous projects. The movie is definitely flawed—the lengthy runtime, touchy sound quality, and cheesy kill sequences bothered me in particular—but it’s hard not to notice the love, risk, and sense of adventure contributed by all parties involved.
To me, this effort is worth championing. Roll your eyes if you want, or brush this movie off as “cute,” but how many times in recent years have marketing campaigns for studio-produced horror movies fooled us into paying for absolute trash made by someone who obviously doesn’t know or like the genre? How many times have you exited the theater struggling to feel optimistic about the state of horror? In my opinion, sad as it makes me, the bad has far outweighed the good lately, and we’ve become so jaded as horror fans that it’s difficult for us to embrace budding production companies who claim they’re not just here to make a quick buck.
You want me to back up my claim Shattered Images is different? Here are just a few things they’ve improved at since New Blood Rising: The editing is no longer choppy, the lighting and camera movement don’t give the impression you’re watching a class project made by college freshmen, and, most importantly, you’re given an entertaining adventure rather than just the Sparknotes outline of what might’ve been something kick-ass.
Bottom line: New Blood Awakening is worth finding, and as Shattered Images Films continues discovering its voice in the oversaturated world of indie horror, you’ll be glad you started paying attention early—remember the ugly kid from your old high school? The odds are high they’ve developed favorably over time.
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
