The 31 Best Films I Saw in 2011 presents another entry that stands out among the cinema I was exposed to for the first time. This installment's film is a ludicrous, low-budget cult gem akin to Peter Jackson's Bad Taste, J.R. Bookwalter's The Dead Next Door, Justin Timpane's Ninjas Vs. Vampires, and Don Coscarelli's Bubba Ho-Tep. While made in 2001, its grainy, shoddy quality makes it look as if it was made in 1981. Not to mention the fact that the main character is the unlikeliest of monster hunters, even moreso than Abraham Lincoln.
The Best I Saw in 2011: Lee Demarbre's Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter
Two priests are worried about the shrinking congregation at their church. To find help, they seek the advice of Jesus Christ (Phil Caracas). They find Him reciting sermons to the public on the beach, giving baptisms, and using sandcastles to illustrate Christian teachings. Suddenly, Christ is attacked by vampires. The priests are swiftly killed, while Jesus easily dispatches the minions the lead female vampire, Maxine Schreck (Murielle Varhelyi), escapes.
Here, Jesus takes it upon himself to find the vampires and rid the world of their ilk. While this task would seem simple enough for the Savior, he accepts the help of Mary Magnum (Maria Moulton) and legendary Mexican luchadore El Santos (Jeff Moffet). The army of vampires and atheists are no match for their combined strength and prowess.
The Review
Despite the appearance of the film, Caracas as Jesus isn't played for cheap laughs nor is the film making jokes at the Savior's expense. This Jesus is pretty badass and adept at using his carpentry skills to make stakes to kill vampires. Moffet is hilarious as El Santos, an homage to the Mexican actor/wrestler of classics like Santo vs. the Vampire Women and The Mummies of Guanajuato. The rest of the cast clearly has fun with the childish, sophomoric material.
The musical numbers are entertaining, but forgettable. Much like Repo: The Genetic Opera, the songs are well-crafted and engaging. However, I didn't remember any of them after I finished watching the film.
The movie is filled with in-jokes and references. Maxine Schreck and El Santos are the most obvious of the bunch, yet there are others that are laugh out loud funny. The Adam West-Batman segues using the cross and Laugh-In zooms immediately come to mind. The use of a mirror in one scene to expose vampires recalls The Fearless Vampire Killers or the Tales from the Crypt follow-up, The Vault of Horror. I got a laugh out of Dr. Praetorius, a name unforgettable to those raised on the classic Universal Horror films.
Demarbre and company are having fun doing whatever they want. The absurdity of the premise is enough to keep viewers glued to the screen. Its a goofy type of cinema one doesn't see very often, or least as campishly executed as its seen here.
Conclusion
It may not be a polished film, but it is a fun film nonetheless. Its mish-mash approach to bringing musical numbers into a low-budget arena is admirable. The hijinks give the film an energy and have me eagerly awaiting the next films from director Demarbre and Odessa Filmworks, notably Smash Cut starring David Hess and Sasha Grey.
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