There are times when this movie is pretty hilarious; Jason Mews' (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) comedic timing and deadpan delivery of sailor-esq dialogue certainly helps that. And it probably doesn't hurt that Erica Cox is a sexy (and usually scantily clad) vampire that is constantly looking for way to get, er... 'close' to Mews. This movie is definitely more of a dark comedy rather than a horror movie, but the theme will satisfy your darker urges if your looking for a little horror flavor.
Like a lot of vampire movies, this movie isn't really about vampires; the thrust of this movie is about relationships. Everybody has a dark side, and some are just darker than others. Dealing with... er, addictions (?)... is difficult, and when you couple that with traditional relationship stumbles (e.g. housekeeping, personal space, etc.), the result can be... well, fatal, to the progression of the couple. The story element of this movie actually raises this movie up from a 3.5 to a 4. It could have been better, but I'm having trouble identifying the missing element that would have put it over the top. It's a fun movie, and there are plenty of decent laughs. You probably don't want to watch this one with your kids, but it's a fun and light-hearted (if bloody and possibly over-sexed) flick.
Movie to Skip: Deadline
To make a long story VERY short, this movie does not have the chops to pull off a true thriller/horror experience. I hate to say it, but other than her role in 8 Mile, I've never bought into anything Brittany Murphey has done. I hate to speak ill of the dead, but I'm just being honest here. Her character in this movie was nonsensical and unbelievable. I'm not sure how much of that can be chalked up to a schizophrenic performance or a terrible script, but either way, her character did not sell... which is the death knell for a psychological thriller that takes place in the psyche of the main character.
One bright-ish spot in the film is Thora Birch. Like the despondent memory of a spouse in Inception (played by Marion Cotillard), Thora Birch, as an actress, is NOT scary. Yet, also like Inception, every time she appears on the screen, you fear the moment the camera catches her eye. Unlike Inception, however, the real reason you are scared of Birch is because of a few key cgi overlays that make her a pretty scary ghoul at times. Cotillard, on the other hand, scared you with her solid acting performance -- that severe look is a window to a very scary place in that woman's soul, and you FEEL it. It's not that I think Birch is a slouch, but I wonder if she would have had the same effect without the visual crutch.
Overall, you can see the basic plot of Deadline done better in a whole host of other movies where a broken damsel goes off to spend time alone in a haunted house in order to find herself. It's a fairly tired story that requires much better writing and acting than this little number put forward. Honestly, Deadline is best left to collect dust on the video rental shelf.
