disappointment media
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About

BLOOD VESSEL -- A Mindlessly Fun Gore-Fest

7/21/2020

0 Comments

 
Review by Sean Boelman
Picture
Although World War II and the horror genre haven’t always mixed well, there are plenty of instances in which filmmakers tap into the wackiness of the genre with just enough self-seriousness for it to work. Justin Dix’s new vampire flick Blood Vessel does just that, offering a fun but predictable romp.

The movie follows the survivors of a hospital ship as they come across a seemingly deserted German ship, hoping it to be their refuge but soon discover that it may be occupied by an ancient evil force. And even though the film sticks pretty closely to its established and well-tested tropes, it manages to satisfy as mindless entertainment.

At just over ninety minutes long, the pacing is admittedly a bit aggressive. However, this allows it to feel quite like an old-school war picture in nature, each sequence serving the purpose of picking another member out of the group until it gets down to the central characters who bring it all home.

Unfortunately, with this, the character development in the movie is largely frustrating. Since it is so easy to predict the order in which the players are going to croak, it’s hard to form a connection to many of them, but the film does benefit from having a truly charming hero as the de facto leader of the batch.
Picture
The ensemble is filled with character actors and B-movie stars, and while there aren’t any particular standouts, they all do a good enough job in their roles. Admittedly, many of their performances are silly and over-the-top, but that is just what this movie calls for. It’s a film that’s barely meant to be taken seriously, and the cast seems to know that.

Part of what makes Dix’s movie stand out from similar films is that it is heavily based in mythology as opposed to science fiction. Although the take that Dix and co-writer Jordan Prosser offers is somewhat basic, it is nice to see even a moderately successful attempt at taking a classic monster back to its roots.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the movie, though, is its execution. For a B-movie, the production design and visual effects are shockingly good. There are a few sequences with the Strigoi that are among some of the most fun and creative in a horror movie this year so far, despite not having the suspenseful impact for which it is so obviously aiming.

Blood Vessel may not be the most upscale or intelligent genre picture, but it will fulfill fan’s needs for a gory and mindless bloodbath. While this isn’t the best WWII horror flick, there are certainly worse ones to be found.

Blood Vessel is now available on VOD.

​Rating: 3/5
               
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    Authors

    All
    Adam Donato
    Alan French
    Allison Brown
    Borja Izuzquiz
    Camden Ferrell
    Cole Groth
    Daniel Lima
    Dan Skip Allen
    Erin M. Brady
    Jonathan Berk
    Joseph Fayed
    Josh Batchelder
    Paris Jade
    Rafael Motamayor
    Sarah Williams
    Sean Boelman
    Tatiana Miranda

disappointment media

Dedicated to unique and diverse perspectives on cinema!
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About