Tuesday, March 22, 2011

BONNIE AND CLYDE VS DRACULA

When the good folks at Indican Pictures told me they had a film for me I said, sure. They send a variety of stuff and you never know what to expect. When the title was Bonnie and Clyde VS Dracula. I was intrigued. When it also announced that Trent Haaga and Tiffany Shepis were the leads, I was hooked.
The basic premise is there is this doctor named Loveless who keeps his sister Annabelle prisoner to do his bidding. Loveless has a condition that is hinted at, but never fully explained and he thinks that transfusions of Dracula's blood will cure him. He is restoring Dracula in his house.
Meanwhile Bonnie and Clyde are just starting out and on the road after a bank job gone sour. They meet up in a place in the middle of nowhere with Clyde's friend Henry. Seems he has a plan to knock off a moonshier and his big city customers at the same time.
It's a good plan, but one of their own get shot in the middle of it all and Bonnie goes to Loveless because he's a doctor.
Dracula explains to the vain Bonnie how he can let her keep her looks forever.
Then Clyde comes looking for his woman.

There are things I truly like about this movie. Tiffany Shepis gives one of her best performances. There are times when she exudes a madness that will send shivers down your spine. Trent Haaga is a fine Clyde to Tiffany's Bonnie, but there's a problem.
See, Trent Haaga plays full blown crazy better than a lot of people. In this film he comes across as ,well, subdued. Not a good idea.
Also, if you're going to put two B movie icons like Haaga and Shepis in the film, why not someone more well known as Dracula. I can't bring anyone to mind immediately, but anyone with a name would have worked better than the person we got. It reminded me of those Hammer flicks where Christopher Lee's part was nothing more than a glorified walk on.
And the middle of the film just drags. Unforgivable.
The true shining light in this film is Jennifer Friend. She plays Loveless sister Annabelle. She is innocent, funny and knows what she wants out of life...to be as far away from her evil brother as possible. As soon as she can figure out how to get that shock collar off her neck.


In the end, they needed to spend money on blood squibs. When Clyde empties two clips into a guy's chest there should be blood. Lots of it. Not a drop.
And do something about that half hour in the middle. These are exciting characters. They should do exciting things.

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