Movie Review: Stake Land

Opening up my latest Netflix envelope I was surprised to see the movie Stake Land. It was a movie that caught my attention back in the beginning of the summer, before it was released on DVD. Due to the later release, the movie got buried in my Netflix queue. So here i was with a movie i wasn't even expecting but that didn't mean i was going to send it back without watching it, plus its getting cooler out and the movie seems like a good fall movie. I figured why not write a review...

Stake Land is not your typical vampire movie. Released in the spring of 2011 in limited release and on DVD in the summer of 2011. The movie follows the young man Martin played by actor Connor Paolo and his somewhat mentor Mister played by Nick Damici, who also saved his life, as they travel across the country side in search of a safe town away from the infected vampires. The opening scene begins with Martin and Mister in a car driving down a desolate road as it the camera zooms into the car, it focuses on the back seat which is moving from something in the trunk. The driver Mister, turns and shoots through the back seat a number of times, quieting what we find out to be is a vampire. The film follows the journey of Martin and Mister, after Mister saves Martin from a vampire who killed his father, mother and baby sibling. Mister trains Martin in defense methods, teaching him about the vampires, who can be killed with a stake through the heart or for older vampires a bullet through the bottom of the back of the head. As they travel through the apocolptyic landscape in search of a safe area, they come across small towns that are highly guarded. Each town is temporarily safe but always on guard for not only vampires but a new 'far right religion'. There is some normalcy in these towns but not much. After leaving one of these safe zones, Mister and Martin come across a nun being chased down the street by members of the cannibalistic religious extremist. Mister kills the extremist and saves the woman who goes by the name Sister and is played by actress Kelly McGillis. As they continue on their travels, Sister is recaptured, while Mister and Martin get away. In their search for Sister they end up in a small town called North Eden, which was a safe zone. Before getting here they had picked up Belle, who is a young pregnant woman played by Danielle Harris. In this safe zone they discover Sister is safe and alive but the joy is cut short when the town is attacked by air. The radical right religion had airlifted vampires in and literally bombed the safe zone with vamps. This attack causes the group to continue on their journy to the north country. As they travel their car dies and they end up walking. While on their journey the group begins to shrink, as one by one they are picked off by vampires, more specifically a more intelligent vampire that happens to be part of the religious right and has a grudge against Mister. By the end Mister and Martin are the only ones left, they continue on their journey, picking up ammunition as they go. As they stop to take ammunition out of a dead vampire they are told to freeze. They have come across a young woman in a dinner who had been killing vampires. They spend some time with her. As mister sees the connection between Martin and Peggy he understands that its time to move on. While they are asleep, Mister takes off leaving Peggy and Martin to begin their own lives. Martin and Peggy pack up a truck and continue on their journey coming to a sign that says Canada but spray painted on top is New Eden, they've found their destination.

Although there are no major current stars of Hollywood in this film, there are a number of notable actors. Two that stand out to me is the actress who plays Sister, Kelly McGillis, if you don't know who I'mtalking about, she played opposite Tom Cruise in the '80's hit Top Gun. The other star that i noticed is actress who plays pregnant Belle, who is Danielle Harris. Despite danielle's youthful appearance she is no newcomer to the horror industry. In fact Danielle starred in two famous sequels, Halloween 4 and Halloween 5 in the 1980's and returned to play a supporting actor role in the Rob Zombie remake of Halloween and Halloween 2 in 2007 and 2009.

In all the movie was not as bad as many in this horror genre. The quality of the film and the filming techniques were very well done and didn't seem cheap. I saw this movie more as a post apocalyptic journey then a vampire film, yes vampires were apart of it but so were other issues. This film touches upon a number of themes, although these issues are not deeply explored. Some of the themes brought up include extreme religion, maturity, father/son relationship, post apocalyptic theme, and family/friendship. The acting was good in the movie, however the plot line, although enough to carry you through, seems a little empty. The last shot of the movie was very good, I liked the concept that the hope of a new community was renamed New Eden. This New Eden, is it a reference to the garden of Eden in the Bible, a new paradise? I also thought the undertones of the movie were anti far right religious extremism and possibly anti American. I say this because the film shows the falling apart of the United States, even referencing the collapses of the government while also referencing that Canada was the answer. I thought all these undertones were interesting. Overall i would recommend the movie if you have time to kill and enjoy post apocalyptic or vampire movies. If not you could go without watching it.