Vampirella (film)
Vampirella is a 1996 American superhero film which was part of the Roger Corman Presents series. It was based on the Vampirella comic book.
| Vampirella | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) Home video release poster | |
| Directed by | Jim Wynorski |
| Produced by | Angela Baynes Paul Hertzberg Jim Wynorski executive Roger Corman |
| Written by | Gary Gerani |
| Based on | comic book by Forrest J. Ackerman |
| Starring | Talisa Soto Roger Daltrey |
| Music by | Joel Goldsmith |
| Cinematography | Andrea Rossotto |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Concorde Pictures |
Release date | 1996 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
It was directed by Jim Wynorski, who said in 2013 that it was the one film of his he regretted making. "I can look back on it today and just say 'Oh well', but back when the memories were fresh and the blood on the floor was yet to dry, it was painful to even edit", he said. "What went wrong??? Wrong choice for the star, massive union problems in Vegas, studio interference, theft, accidents, 112 degree heat, you name it, we had it happen. But as least I got to see Soupy Sales perform."[1]
Plot
30 centuries ago, on a distant planet called Drákulon, lies a civilized vampire society that drinks synthetic blood that flows through rivers across the planet. Harmony is interrupted when Vlad, a rebel vampire who prefers the traditional practice of sucking the blood of others, ends, along with his accomplices, with all the members of the council of elders who govern Drákulon and flees to Earth in order to create a race of vampires with their own ideals. Among the murdered elders was Ella's father, who, with a desire for revenge, decides to follow Vlad's trail to Earth.
During her journey, she is forced to stay on Mars for a while and, meanwhile, remains in a deep lethargy. A long time later, she is found by astronauts and is taken to Earth. Upon arrival, she immediately begins to do everything possible to reach Vlad, who is now in Las Vegas and pretends to be a singer named Jamie Blood. In her eagerness, she coincides with a special police unit responsible for trapping extraterrestrial beings that intend to damage the Earth.
At first Ella, who now calls herself Vampirella, intends to continue with her revenge plan, but then allies with the special unit and must fight against Vlad and his vampires to save humanity from being turned into a horde of vampires, although this implies that she violates her own principles of not drinking blood from other beings.
Cast
- Talisa Soto as Vampirella/Ella
- Roger Daltrey as Vlad Tepish
- Richard Joseph Paul as Adam Van Helsing
- Lee de Broux as Lieutenant Walsh
- Brian Bloom as Demos
- Corinna Harney as Sallah
- Tom Deters as Traxx
- Angus Scrimm as High Elder
- David B. Katz as Forry Ackerman
Differences between the comic and the movie
During the movie it is said that Vlad, during his stay on earth, was Count Dracula while in the comic Dracula is Vampirella's brother.
Vampirella's costume in the comic is very provocative and erotic, while in the movie it is a bit more conservative. Also Vampirella in the comic is drawn very voluptuous while Talisa Soto is thinner. For the promotion of the film a suit very similar to the one used by Vampirella in the comics was used. For the realization of the film another suit was used.
Curiosities
In the end, in the credits of the film a sequel is promised that would be titled Dark Avenger of Ddeath, however to date it has never been shot.
Production
Development
A Vampirella film project had been in development for a number of years. Hammer Films came close to making one in the 1970s starring Barbara Leigh; Christopher Wicking wrote a script and John Hough was to direct. The film was going to be a co production with American International Pictures but then head of production Samuel Z. Arkoff decided not to make the film.[2][3]
In the early 1980s Peter Guber and Jon Peters had the rights when they were at Polygram.[4]
Film rights passed to Roger Corman and Jim Wynorski. Leigh says that Wynorski wanted to cast Paula Abdul in the title role.[5]
Wynorski had a friend, Gary Gerani, who was a Vampirella aficionado, and hired him to write the script.[6]
Shooting
Jim Wynorski later called the film "a mess... a film I cannot watch. Everything went wrong. Everything!"[7]
His main concern was the casting of Talisa Soto. Wynorski said, "She's very pretty and she's very sexy. But she's not Vampirella. They forced me to use her. She just didn’t have the body for the costume....I should have had Julie Strain. But they didn’t think Julie Strain meant anything. So they put somebody wrong in the role."[7]
Wynorski later said he should "have stopped and said let's just not do this. But, I was going to lose the rights in 6 months, so I did what I had to do. At least, I got the film made. But I should have said no."[7]
"It would have been so simple to cast the latest Baywatch bimbo in this part", said Gerani. "So now she's a vampire wonder woman from outer space with a Puerto Rican accent. What more could you ask for?"[6]
The director thought Roger Daltrey "was great... the actors were fine".[7]
Filming took place in Las Vegas. "It was 110, everyday", said Wynorski. "Everybody was gambling, everybody was up all night. Everyone was blurry eyed. There was a thief on set who was stealing money. It was awful."[7]
"When you see how lousy those bat transformations are", said Gerani, "you'll realize that we're just a hip little million-dollar drive-in movie."[6]
"It was really a nasty, nasty picture to work on", said Wynorski. "And it came out badly, too... I wish I could go back now and redo it with the CGI of today. But even then, I just don’t ever feel like going back to that.... It's got a good Joel Goldsmith score."[7]
"Given how absurd anything called Vampirella would be, the movie certainly doesn't insult your intelligence", says Gerani. "I think there's a nice emotional depth to the piece."[6]
References
- Haberfelner, Mike (January 2013). "An Interview with Jim Wynorski, Director". research my trash.
- Newman, Kim (Dec 1, 1988). "To the Devil – Christopher Wicking". Monthly Film Bulletin. 55 (659). London.
- Swires, Steve (1992). "Fall of the House of Hammer". Fangoria. p. 57.
- Pollock, D. (Jul 26, 1981). "PRODUCERS GUBER AND PETERS: AN ENDLESS HONEYMOON?". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 152854708.
- Leigh, Barbara (2002). The King, McQueen and the Love Machine. Xlibris Corporation. pp. 292–297. ISBN 9781465317179.
- Glenn Gaslin (Sep 28, 1996). "10 EASY STEPS TO BIG SUCCESS IN LITTLE FILMS". Daily News. ProQuest 281718879.
- "Interview with Jim Wynorski". Big Gay Horror Fan. 17 October 2014.
External links
- Vampirella at IMDb
- Vampirella at Letterbox DVD
- Vampirella at Vampire Lore Website
- Review of film at Moria
- Review of film at Total Cults