THE PLOT THUS FAR
VAMPIRE’S KISS
Teetering on the edge of sanity, volatile literary agent Peter Loew (Nicolas Cage) tries to find purpose in his life through a cutthroat work ethic and a hedonistic night life. But when an encounter with a mysterious beauty leaves Loew convinced that he is turning into a vampire, his behavior turns positively outrageous.
HIGH SPIRITS
Daryl Hannah, Peter O’Toole, Steve Guttenberg, Beverly D’Angelo, Jennifer Tilly, Peter Gallagher and Liam Neeson star in this hilariously haunting comedy! When a castle-turned-hotel owned by Peter Plunkett (O’Toole) falls on hard financial times, he comes up with an idea to turn the place into a tourist attraction by billing it as Europe’s most haunted castle. But just when it seems he’ll have to give up the ghost, some real phantoms show up: and they’re none too thrilled about being exploited.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“Vampire’s Kiss” is more of a joke among horror nerds. Nicolas Cage really ate a cockroach and that’s the only thing people remember about a quarter century later. Since it’s a Vampire tale, this is yet another film about powers transmitted via paper thin STD metaphor. Due to the low budget and the desire for black humor, Cage is allowed to go off the reservation many times. It’s fun for a single view, repetition only serves to kill it.
“High Spirits” is a fun fantasy romp from Irish horror director Neil Jordan. But, this movie is a riff on the kind of Noel Coward movies that populated the Post War years. That being said, Guttenberg shows throughout this film why his career fizzled. He’s funny, but he never shows that he can be the lead. Peter O’ Toole and Beverly D’Angelo act circles around him, while Daryl Hannah shows up because she’s a girl. I remember a ton of adults renting this when I was a little kid, but I never got why.
The Blu-Ray comes with commentary on “Vampire’s Kiss” and a trailer as the special features. The A/V Quality holds up for lower budget entries of their day. The 1080p transfers sport some haze and noise on “Vampire’s Kiss”, but “High Spirits” holds up. The DTS-HD 2.0 master audio track holds up for films from the late 1980s. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase.
RELEASE DATE: 02/10/2015