A vampire arrives in Brooklyn looking for his
mate, a half-human half-vampire woman. COMEDY/HORROR
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Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)Directed by Wes Craven
Written by Charlie Murphy, Michael Lucker, Chris Parker Starring Eddie Murphy, Angela Bassett, Allen Payne, Kadeem Hardison, John Witherspoon, Zakes Mokae |
I had heard for years that Vampire in Brooklyn was a colossal waste of time. That it was a horror comedy that was neither funny or scary. I always remained skeptical of that. How could the filmmaking union of Wes Craven and Eddie Murphy produce a film that failed on both counts? Well, in my opinion, it didn't. I enjoyed Vampire in Brooklyn thanks to the intriguing characters, the memorable kills, and the decent performances from all involved. Plus, Eddie Murphy is one of those guys who can just make you laugh with minimal effort. One look, and I'm rolling on the ground.
A vicious vampire named Maximillian (Murphy) arrives in Brooklyn looking for his mate. He doesn't know who she is, but he knows she's half-human and half-vampire. He finds her in Rita (Bassett), a good cop hunting down a killer, who turns out to be Maximillian, who is on a feeding frenzy. To help him, Max turns local fuck-up Julius (Hardison) into a ghoul, who is a frequent source of laughs as he rots away over the course of the film. Meanwhile, Rita's partner Justice (Payne) is in love with her and tries to save her from Max's intentions. There are moments, like Max's first attack, that are horrifying, and there are moments, like the stuff with Preacher Pauly, that are absolutely hilarious. I don't understand why this film has been universally condemned. As far as I'm concerned, Vampire in Brooklyn delivered what was promised: A horror comedy that plays to Eddie Murphy's strengths, which is no surprise considering his brother wrote it. I think this film needs to be revisited and reevaluated. It's nowhere near Murphy or Craven's worst work. |