Vampire’s Kiss

“Very good.  You know your alphabet.”

Life in the big apple can be so . . . draining.  Literally.  For the lawyer at the center of this black comedy, it begins with a bat flying around in his apartment and it ends with him discovering his own arousal while in mortal danger with the same damn rodent.

"has developed a massive cult following thanks to the performance of the one and only Nicolas Cage"


Welcome to Vampire’s Kiss, a black comedy directed by Robert Bierman (Apology, The Moonstone) and written by Joseph Minion (who also wrote After Hours).  While it failed to do much of anything at the box office, the film has developed a massive cult following thanks to the performance of the one and only Nicolas Cage, who believes himself to be turning into a vampire after a one-night stand.

I’ve said it before, and I will keep repeating it.  Nicolas Cage IS a national treasure.  It doesn’t matter what he is doing on the screen, his interpretation of characters, line deliveries, and overall character traits cannot be outdone or overstated.  Take his performance as literary agent Peter Loew who, at the height of his career, finds himself falling for Rachel (Jennifer Beals) - even as she sucks all the life out of him!

Or so he believes, but is it all in his head?  Vampire’s Kiss absolute success is marked by Cage’s absurd performance and, looking back at his career, it can also be viewed as the blueprint his career would take as Peter grows more and more eccentric after his one-night stand with a vampiress.Vampire’s Kiss

His therapist (Elizabeth Ashley) believes he is going crazy and his girlfriend, Jackie (Kasi Lemmons) hasn’t a clue why the yuppie she fell in love with is ditching her at museums and doesn’t seem to see his reflection in mirrors.  He nicks himself shaving and believes it to be a bite from the vampiress he just met.

Co-starring María Conchita Alonso as Alva Restrepo, his secretary and a constant target for Peter, Vampire’s Kiss is both hilarious and wild as Cage goes off the rails in his new life as a lawyer-turned-vampire.  With no one believing him (even the woman he believes to be the seducing vampiress), he has few to turn to for support.

Forget about the cocaine, man!  This yuppie is now an untouchable vampire.  Seduction. Romance. Murder. The things one does for love.  Vampire’s Kiss is now on blu-ray thanks to the MVD Rewind Collection.

4/5 beers

 

Vampire’s Kiss

Blu-ray Details

Home Video Distributor: MVD VIsual
Available on Blu-ray
- June 21, 2022
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles
: English, French, Spanish
Audio:
English: LPCM 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Living in the big city is enough to drive anyone bats, and the pressure of it proves too much for Peter Loew (Nicolas Cage, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Con Air), At the peak of his career, yet in the depths of despair, his life is in turmoil until he meets Rachel (Jennifer Beals, Flashdance), the woman of his dreams. During their first night together, Rachel takes more than his heart – she takes his blood too – and from that moment on, Peter Loew believes he is a vampire. What is it about Rachel that makes him feel this way? Is she really a blood-lusting creature of the night? Or just a product of his fevered imagination? Because if it turns out he is really a vampire – then there’s more than just his life at stake!

Video:

The newly transferred High-Definition Blu-ray (and Standard Definition DVD) presentation of Vampire’s Kiss is on point.  While it takes place mainly in and around big cities, this 1080p transfer captures crisp details in clothing and in locations that are textured and fine.  Loaded with juicy details, this is an atmospheric release that doesn’t shy away from the sunlight.  It has dark layers, yes, and those shadows are well-defined and crisp but the new transfer does not disappoint.  The brand new 1.85:1 HD master is detailed and looks better than ever. Some shots, due to the era of the day, are fuzzier than others but the image is reasonably well defined with crisp contrasts and solid textures. Colors are solid, with reds being a standout. Blacks are, too. Surprisingly, there's enough fine detail on display to make this seem revelatory. The era-ready color palette looks terrific, too. 

Audio:

The disc comes with the original 2.0 Stereo Audio (Uncompressed PCM on the Blu-ray) and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • Fans of the movie will delight in the feature length commentary from Cage and Bierman.

Special Features:

This release gives fans a commentary, a photo gallery, a mini-poster, and a trailer.

  • Commentary with actor Nicolas Cage and director Robert Bierman
  • Photo Gallery
  • Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)
  • TV Spot (SD)
  • Collectible Mini-Poster
  • Reversible Artwork

Blu-ray Rating

  Movie 4/5 stars
  Video  4/5 stars
  Audio 3/5 stars
  Extras 3/5 stars

Composite Blu-ray Grade

3.5/5 stars


Film Details

Vampire’s Kiss

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime:
103 mins
Director
: Robert Bierman
Writer:
Joseph Minion
Cast:
Nicolas Cage; Maria Conchita Alonso; Jennifer Beals
Genre
: Comedy | Crime
Tagline:
Seduction. Romance. Murder. The things one does for love.
Memorable Movie Quote: "I never misfiled anything! Not once. Not one time!"
Theatrical Distributor:
Hemdale
Official Site:
Release Date:
June 2, 1989.
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
June 21, 2022.
Synopsis: The life of white-collar New Yorker Peter (Nicolas Cage) seems to revolve solely around making as much money and sleeping with as many women as possible. After a typical night of scouring trendy bars for some action, Peter manages to take home the sexy Rachel (Jennifer Beals), who bites him on the neck while they're in bed. The next day, Peter is certain he is now a vampire. Though no one shares his point of view and he hasn't changed physically, he dons fake fangs and begins stalking women.

Art

Vampire’s Kiss