By Melissa Antoinette Garza
“Wait a minute. You’re going to trust your money to a guy named Smooth?” Amy – (Jocasta Bryan)
Once in a while, everything comes together in just the right way and the outcome is an original, fun, and compelling film. “Strange Things Happen At Sundown,” is a perfect example of how a low budget movie can end up delivering on a scale that Hollywood productions often fail.
Jimmy Fangs (Joseph DeVito), Joey the Butcher (Joshua Nelson), Paulie Hands (Michael Massimino) and Nickie the Tooth (Giovanni DeMarco) are a couple of Goodfellas style gangsters who decide to move in on some territory in the narcotic business. They quickly take out the competition, but not in standard mobster fashion. These boys are vampires. Jimmy, however has no interest in the drug business for usual purposes. Instead, he wishes to spread a strange formula of marijuana that can turn ordinary people into working slaves. He wants to build an army to guard him.
Soon, a woman vampire (Masha Sapron) begins to track down the hoodlums. She kills them one after another, and Jimmy is forced to enlist the help to try and find out who’s after his men. Unfortunately, that’s not his only problem.
A young vampire Marcel (J. Scott Green) and his girlfriend Amy (Jocasta Bryan) make their way out of town with $90,000.00 of Jimmy’s money. To take out this ingrate, Jimmy seeks out a vamp only known as the Reaper. His face is unknown because its always covered by a cape. He is the most vicious killer anyone has ever known. He’d kill an old lady or a chid without thinking twice. Still, he is a dedicated family man who puts up with his wife’s emotional breakdowns.
Now, on the surface it may seem that these sub-plots hinder the overall film, but the opposite is true. None of the main players fail or fall short, because each one brings enough to the table to gain the recognition they deserve. The dialogue is well delivered and witty. The actors do great in their roles and remain convincing throughout even the most absurd situations. It is rare to say, especially in a low-budget film, that all of the acting was up to par, but here that statement is true. Not once, did anything feel forced. Each scene was natural and every character interesting. That is no small feat for any movie, but for one with such limited means, it is commendable.
The best aspect of this production is how truly unique it is. In a day, when the majority of films are mere ripoffs of others, it is so refreshing to see something that hasn’t been shown before. The setting and atmosphere provided a dramatic feel and the fast paced murder sequences were well-done.
If there was one shortcoming, near the end the pace does slow down, but there is a justifiable explanation. With all of the subplots there are loose ends that need to be tied up, and the film pays close attention to this. The picture does an excellent job leaving no question unanswered. The downfall is that at times the conclusion feels as though it drags on longer than it should.
Overall, this was a pleasant surprise. The gore and body count will without doubt be well-received, but all of that is just a bonus to a movie that could have easily survived without it. In the end, this will survive the test of time as an underrated cult classic. It’s much better than the Twilight series which lacks the necessary action that this film provides. All in all, it is a tamer From Dusk Till Dawn feel and should definitely be given a once over.
Scared Stiff Rating: 6.5/10
