ihearthorrorfilm I'm always interested in vampire films that are original and stay true to the complexity of a blood sucker surviving in the modern world and yet is able to refrain from being whatever Twilight was all about. 'Vampire' is definitely an interesting take on the genre, which focuses on a young science teacher who preys on girls looking to commit suicide. The most interesting thing about this film is how the vampire himself seems to be surrounded by crazy people and I'm not talking about his victims. The sane characters are the depressed people looking for death and the other characters all seem to have personality disorders or are psychopaths, which then makes the lead seem that much more of a nice guy. The film starts out really interesting and has a very cool cast of actors that are well known in connection to the horror genre, but the film begins to fizzle out when it goes from drama to art-house drama about halfway through. Then, the film continually drags with scenes that are unnecessarily too long to be entertaining. The weirdest part is the long list of Horror veterans with crazy small parts throughout the film that go nowhere. Kind of a huge disappointment, but Vampire doesn't deliver the horror as much as it smothers you with drama.Please like me on Facebook! You can read more of my reviews and get info on the latest movies in horror:http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Heart-Horror/338327476286206

kosmasp You just wish the title would be more original. Like my summary, it just isn't really up there. And that is a shame, because the movie as it is, has quite a lot going for it. But how do you sell it, if you have to ask for a movie called "Vampire"? I know, if that's everything that is "wrong" with the movie, then there is nothing wrong with it.Which is not that far from the truth. I had no idea that this was made by a Japanese director, but I got the vibe that it isn't your regular "horror" movie. It is more weird drama, than anything else. Great actors too, who just live up to the feeling of this. It's difficult to recommend, because at the end of the day this isn't what people will expect from a movie like this ... Still I liked it (a lot)

jmrmrogers I am a hard core film lover of the umpteenth degree and will always give a film, especially a film festival/art house film, a second and third chance at proving and redeeming itself. I've never walked out on a film. Until now. Reasons: The dialog was insipid with what appeared to be little thought in creating; the story was eye-rolling (how many suicides do you happen to run into? This leading man, who seems to invite death, has them happening all around him; how fortunate); and, the act of raping and murdering a young woman unnecessarily was put in, in my opinion, just for the purpose of filming it. And that's unconscionable. If you wish to see director Iwai masturbating on screen (not literally, folks), knock yourself out with this film. For any serious moviegoer who has a love for film and respect for all those connected with the creation of it, this movie is not for you.

Radu_A This is not a vampire flick. It shouldn't really be necessary to point this out, after all the summary makes it very clear. But it would seem that the reason for this film's overall cold reception is precisely that it doesn't feature supernatural, love-lorn beings to satisfy inhibited sexual desires of self-destruction. Rather, it presents an altogether uncomfortable view on real-life blood-thirst and a controversial look at suicidal obsession.If you're familiar with Iwai's work, then neither the subject matter nor the style come as much of a surprise. Iwai's staple theme is alienated youth and the thin line between friendship and destruction. In 'All about Lily Chou-Chou', he explored bullying and underage prostitution against a backdrop of how virtual and real-life personalities differ, 'Swallowtail Butterfly' dealt with the ups and downs of a group of misfits bonding and betraying each other, and 'Hana & Alice' showed a close high-school-girl friendship with elements of rivalry over a particular boy.'Vampire' follows a story which actually happened in Japan: a man convinces young women in suicide chat-rooms to die together with him, eventually tricking them so that he may consume their blood. The focus isn't so much on why he wants to do this (apart from ambivalent references to the quest for immortality), but rather why these women want to die - and this is where I see a continuity with Iwai's other work. It's not so much about the story itself, which takes somewhat unfathomable turns and ends up in a confusing mêlée, but rather the visuals, which create a mystified, surreal and at times even humorous perspective on death. The proverbial 'vampire' is actually seen as a perversion of this theme, which becomes obvious in a rather gory parody of the 'serial killer' image, complete with fangs and cape.If you wonder what a Japanese film with American actors may look like, then this one may be very well for you. To me, it's been worthwhile just for seeing that the styles of Japanese cinema - character vagueness, visual rendition, and most of all quietness - can be translated into English rather well. However, if you really expect a vampire flick, better wait until the next 'Twilight' segment.