American Vampire (film)

Last updated
American Vampire
American Vampire.jpg
Promotional poster
Directed byLuis Esteban
Written byRollin Jarrett
Produced byGrant S. Staley
Starring
CinematographyGoran Pavicevic
Music byMark Boccaccio
Production
company
Decatur-Staley Productions
Release date
  • 1997 (1997)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

American Vampire (also known as An American Vampire Story) is a 1997 American independent comedy horror film directed by Luis Esteban, written by Rollin Jarrett, and starring Carmen Electra, Adam West, Sidney Lassick and Trevor Lissauer. Its plot is about a young male teenager who encounters a female vampire while his parents vacation in Europe.

Contents

Plot

Teenager Frankie (Trevor Lissauer), is left in charge of the family home for a few weeks while his parents are vacationing in Europe. After a day of surfing on the beach, Frankie and his best friend Bogie (Danny Hitt) happen upon a group of sexy Bohemian vampires led by Moondoggie (Johnny Venocur) along with his minions Sulka and Katrina (Carmen Electra and Deborah Xavier) and invite them to stay in Frankie's house for a few days in hopes of getting lucky. When Frankie learns that the threesome have some secrets, he enlists the aid of the Big Kahuna, a legendary vampire killer (Adam West) who teaches Frankie how to solve his vampire problems.

Cast

Reception

The film attained cult-like status with its tongue in cheek humor and its many references to the Beach Party films of Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, which were hugely popular in the mid-1960s. An appearance by iconic surf guitar legend Dick Dale performing on the beach adds to the retro vibe of the film.

Home media

The film was released on VHS and DVD on March 20, 2001 [1] by York Home Entertainment. [2] An audio track featuring commentary from comedians from Los Angeles's Groundlings troupe was included. [2] This release featured over-dubbed audio tracks on the actors' performances. [3] It was re-released in 2005 by Digiview Productions in a slim-case package. [4] [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Kangaroo Jack</i> 2003 film by David McNally

Kangaroo Jack is a 2003 buddy comedy film directed by David McNally from a screenplay by Steve Bing and Scott Rosenberg with a story by Bing and Barry O'Brien. It is also produced by Jerry Bruckheimer with music by Trevor Rabin. The film tells the story of two childhood friends who get caught up with the mob and are forced to deliver $50,000 to Australia, but things go haywire when the money is lost to a wild kangaroo. It stars Jerry O'Connell, Anthony Anderson, Estella Warren, Michael Shannon and Christopher Walken, with Adam Garcia as the uncredited voice of the titular character.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frankie Avalon</span> American actor and singer (born 1940)

Francis Thomas Avallone , better known as Frankie Avalon, is an American actor, singer, and former teen idol. He had 31 charting U.S. Billboard singles from 1958 to late 1962, including number one hits, "Venus" and "Why" in 1959. He is the earliest surviving singer to have scored a solo number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Darren</span> American actor (1936–2024)

James William Ercolani, known by his stage name James Darren, was an American television and film actor, television director, and singer. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, he had notable starring and supporting roles in films including the youth and beach-culture film Gidget (1959) and its sequels. He also appeared in the The Gene Krupa Story (1959), All the Young Men (1960), The Guns of Navarone (1961), and Diamond Head (1962). As a teen pop singer, he sang hit singles including "Goodbye Cruel World" in 1961. He later became more active in television, starring as Dr. Anthony Newman in the science fiction series The Time Tunnel (1966–1967). He had the regular role of Officer James Corrigan in the police drama T. J. Hooker (1983–1986) and performed as Vic Fontaine, a recurring role in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1998–1999).

<i>Gidget</i> (film) 1959 American comedy film by Paul Wendkos

Gidget is a 1959 American CinemaScope comedy film directed by directed by Paul Wendkos and starring Sandra Dee, Cliff Robertson, James Darren, Arthur O'Connell, and the Four Preps.

<i>Cheaper by the Dozen 2</i> 2005 film by Adam Shankman

Cheaper by the Dozen 2 is a 2005 American family comedy film directed by Adam Shankman. It is a sequel to the 2003 film Cheaper by the Dozen and stars Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, Tom Welling, Piper Perabo, and Hilary Duff with Kevin G. Schmidt, Alyson Stoner, Jacob Smith, Forrest Landis, Liliana Mumy, Morgan York, Blake Woodruff, and Brent and Shane Kinsman reprising their roles as members of the 12-child Baker family, alongside Eugene Levy, Carmen Electra, Shawn Roberts, Jaime King, Robbie Amell, Taylor Lautner, and Jonathan Bennett as new characters. It tells the story of the Baker family as they go on a vacation and contend with a rival family, the Murtaughs.

<i>Back to the Beach</i> 1987 film by Lyndall Hobbs

Back to the Beach is a 1987 American comedy film starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, directed by Lyndall Hobbs. The original music score is composed by Steve Dorff. The film generated a total domestic gross of $13,110,903. It received a "two thumbs up" rating from Siskel and Ebert, who compared it favorably to Grease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beach party film</span> Film genre

The beach party film is an American film genre of feature films which were produced and released between 1963 and 1968, created by American International Pictures (AIP), beginning with their surprise hit, Beach Party, in July 1963. With this film, AIP is credited with creating the genre. In addition to the AIP films, several contributions to the genre were produced and released by major and independent studios alike. According to various sources, the genre comprises over 30 films, with the lower-budget AIP films being the most profitable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gidget</span> Fictional character

Gidget is a fictional character created by author Frederick Kohner in his 1957 novel, Gidget, the Little Girl with Big Ideas. The novel follows the adventures of a teenage girl and her surfing friends on the beach in Malibu. The name Gidget is a portmanteau of "girl" and "midget". Following the novel's publication, the character appeared in several films, television series, and television movies.

<i>Gidget</i> (TV series) 1965 American TV series or program

Gidget is an American sitcom television series by Screen Gems about a surfing, boy-crazy teenager called "Gidget" and her widowed father Russ Lawrence, a UCLA professor. Sally Field stars as Gidget with Don Porter as father Russell Lawrence. The series was first broadcast on ABC from September 15, 1965, to April 21, 1966. Reruns were aired until September 1, 1966.

<i>How to Stuff a Wild Bikini</i> 1965 film by William Asher

How to Stuff a Wild Bikini is a 1965 Pathécolor beach party film from American International Pictures. The sixth entry in a seven-film series, the movie features Mickey Rooney, Annette Funicello, Dwayne Hickman, Brian Donlevy, and Beverly Adams. The film features a brief appearance by Frankie Avalon and includes Buster Keaton in one of his last roles.

<i>Ski Party</i> 1965 film by Alan Rafkin

Ski Party is a 1965 American teen musical comedy film directed by Alan Rafkin and starring Frankie Avalon and Dwayne Hickman. It was released by American International Pictures (AIP). Ski Party is considered as a beach party film spin-off, with a change of setting from the beach to the ski slopes – although the final scene places everyone back at the beach.

<i>Gidget Goes Hawaiian</i> 1961 film by Paul Wendkos

Gidget Goes Hawaiian is a 1961 American romantic comedy musical film starring James Darren, Michael Callan and Deborah Walley. Released by Columbia Pictures, the film is a sequel to the 1959 Sandra Dee beach film vehicle Gidget. Dee was under contract to Universal for the rival series film Tammy Tell Me True (1961) and would not be released to Columbia to reprise her hit role.

<i>Beach Blanket Bingo</i> 1965 film by William Asher

Beach Blanket Bingo is a 1965 American beach party film directed by William Asher. It is the fifth film in the Beach Party film series. The film stars Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Linda Evans, Deborah Walley, Paul Lynde, and Don Rickles. Earl Wilson and Buster Keaton appear. Evans's singing voice was dubbed by Jackie Ward.

<i>Max Havoc: Curse of the Dragon</i> 2004 action film by Albert Pyun and Isaac Florentine

Max Havoc: Curse of the Dragon is a straight-to-DVD action film directed by Albert Pyun and Isaac Florentine on the island of Guam in 2004. Swiss actor Mickey Hardt plays Max Havoc, an ex-kickboxer turned sports photographer. Max has to help an art dealer and her sister, played by Joanna Krupa and Tawney Sabley, flee from a yakuza clan trying to retrieve a valuable jade dragon statue. Aimed at the European market, the film was planned to kickstart a franchise, which would have included a sequel and a syndicated television series in the United States, but these plans did not materialize. A sequel, Max Havoc: Ring of Fire, was eventually shot in Canada.

Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer are American and Canadian filmmakers. They have primarily worked on parody films, which they began writing and directing during the mid-2000s. Friedberg and Seltzer's first five films between 2006 and 2010 received wide theatrical releases to mostly commercial success, but universally negative reviews; their films Epic Movie (2007), Meet the Spartans and Disaster Movie are considered among the worst ever made. Following Vampires Suck (2010), their subsequent releases in the 2010s garnered less attention, largely due to their limited theatrical distribution.

<i>Disaster Movie</i> 2008 American superhero comedy film

Disaster Movie is a 2008 American parody film written and directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer and produced by Peter Safran, Friedberg, and Seltzer. It stars Matt Lanter, Vanessa Minnillo, Gary "G Thang" Johnson, Crista Flanagan, Nicole Parker, Ike Barinholtz, Carmen Electra, Tony Cox, and Kim Kardashian in her feature film debut. It was released on August 29, 2008, by Lionsgate. The film is mainly a parody of the disaster film genre, although it also references many other films, TV shows, people, and pop culture events of the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmen Electra</span> American actress and model (born 1972)

Carmen Electra is an American actress, model, singer, and media personality. She began her career as a singer after moving to Minneapolis where she met Prince who produced her self-titled debut studio album, released in 1993. Electra began glamour modeling in 1996 with appearances in Playboy magazine, before relocating to Los Angeles, where she had her breakthrough portraying Lani McKenzie in the action drama series Baywatch (1997–1998).

<i>Fright Night</i> (2011 film) 2011 film by Craig Gillespie

Fright Night is a 2011 American supernatural horror film directed by Craig Gillespie and produced by Michael De Luca and Alison Rosenzweig. A remake of Tom Holland's 1985 film, the film's screenplay was adapted by Marti Noxon. It stars Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Toni Collette, Imogen Poots, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and David Tennant. The plot follows a teenaged boy who discovers that his neighbor is actually a vampire, which culminates in a battle between the two. The film held its world premiere at The O2 in London on August 14, 2011. It was released in the United States by Touchstone Pictures on August 19, 2011.

<i>Bikini Beach</i> 1964 film by William Asher

Bikini Beach is a 1964 American teen film directed by William Asher and starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. The film belongs to the beach party genre of movies, popular in the 1960s. This is the third in the series of seven films produced by American International Pictures (AIP).

Indigenous is a 2014 American horror film directed by Alastair Orr and written by Max Roberts. It stars Zachary Soetenga, Lindsey McKeon, Sofia Pernas, Pierson Fodé, Jamie Anderson, Juanxo Villaverde and Layla Killino.

References

  1. "An American Vampire Story". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  2. 1 2 American Vampire (DVD). York Home Entertainment. ASIN   B000055ZG4.
  3. Bosko, Mark Steven (2003). The Complete Independent Movie Marketing Handbook: Promote, Distribute & Sell Your Film Or Video . Michael Wiese Productions. p.  60. ISBN   978-0-941-18876-0.
  4. American Vampire (DVD). Digiview Productions. 2005. ASIN   B000BCM4QK.
  5. Westman, Ed (October 29, 2005). "K-tel Albums Return, Minus the Toll-Free Number". Billboard . Vol. 117, no. 44. p. 19. ISSN   0006-2510.