‘Their thirst is the cure’
Amityville Vampire is a 2020 American horror film about a group of lakeside visitors who are terrorised by an ancient vampiric evil.
Directed by Tim Vigil (writer of graphic novel Faust: Love of the Damned) from a screenplay co-written with Carlos Perez (Monster: The Prehistoric Project; Vamps in the City; The Occultist; Don’t Look in the Cellar). Co-produced by prolific David S. Sterling and Gustave Whinnery.
The Sterling Entertainment production stars Jin N. Tonic (Exorcism at 60,000 Feet; Dracula in a Women’s Prison; Frankenstein in a Women’s Prison; Predator World), Miranda Melhado, Anthony DeArce, Veronica Farren (Escape from Area 51; Interreflections; Choke), Maggie Nolting, Haillye Young Miller, Jose Acain, Ismaele Montone, J. Randall and Randy Oppenheimer (Rottentail; Isis Rising: Curse of the Lady Mummy; Blood Moon Rising).
Dennis Devine (director of Camp Blood 8: Revelations; Things franchise; The Haunting of La Llorona; Vampire Club 3D; Alice in Murderland; Don’t Look in the Cellar; et al) was director of photography.
Joe Castro (director of (Butchered aka The Hazing; Terror Toons and sequels; The Summer of Massacre; Jackhammer) provided the special effects.
Blurb:
“The legend of Amityville grows as a group of visitors around Red Moon Lake are terrorized by an ancient vampiric evil. Come sit around the campfire, if you dare… and prepare to die!”
Our view:
The inclusion of an obviously tacked-on-later intro that features a shot of the infamous Amityville house is at least more than most movies that use the ‘franchise’ name bother to do; unfortunately, that connection hardly elevates this tacky effort which was originally titled Red Moon Lake.
Despite two mildly amiable leads (played by Miranda Melhado and Anthony DeArce), the two tales told as part of the main narrative are feeble and feature some atrocious acting. Overall, Amityville Vampire is beset by low production values – co-producer David S. Sterling’s name should always ring alarm bells – and the grim violence against women during the finale doesn’t fit with the generally lighthearted tone of the rest of the movie. The soundtrack also features wildly inappropriate music cues by Kevin MacLeod because they were used free via the creative commons license. Classy.
Adrian J Smith, MOVIES & MANIA
Other reviews:
” …it’s exactly the kind of movie I look for. What a glorious mess and man, I hope Tim Vigil makes tons of movies. It’s not good, but it’s not good in the violently bad way that says to me that his films are only going to get weirder, wilder and less concerned with petty concerns like continuity, color balancing, story and realistic effects…” B&S About Movies
“Amityville Vampire is a laboriously chatty endeavor that extends its duration through drawn-out dialogue. On top of that, the hammy music, which was apparently acquired through a creative commons license, sounds like someone finding out for the first time what the buttons do on a Casio keyboard, including the piano keys.” Culture Crypt
“The flashback scenes, though ordinary, do set a dark mood while spilling blood, but time spent with the modern-day duo is close to torture […] All told? Some of this is okay, but most is rancid.” 2/4 Splatter Critic
Cast and characters:
Jin N. Tonic … Lillith
Miranda Melhado … Fran
Anthony DeArce … Johnny
Randy Oppenheimer … Caleb
Veronica Farren … Gloria
Maggie Nolting … Katherine
Haillye Young Miller … Chastity
Jose Acain … Paco
Ismaele Montone … Kurt
J Randall … Razor
Tuesday Grant … Lisa
Sean Michael Billings … Stony
Kat Rodriguez … Margie
Laura Meadows … Suzie
Margaux Leigh Hamilton … Silvia
Cassidy Rose Gyetvan … Wine Cellar Victim
Evans Jacobs … Robert
Gustave Whinnery … Man That Bumps into Margie
Tom Newth … Vampire Henchman
Technical details:
1 hour 33 minutes
Original title:
Red Moon Lake
Trailer:
Amityville movies timeline:
