In a separate article this week, I mentioned my love of silent Horror movies, even offering to the reader a handy compiling, in order of their appearance in theaters, of all the notable genre efforts created before the advent of sound in film. I wouldn’t want you to think, however, that the creation of silent movies fully came to an end in 1929. There are a few still being made today. Remember that flick THE ARTIST, which was the (almost) silent film that won the Oscar for Best Picture a few years ago? Similarly, and of more interest to readers of this site, I would imagine, is SANGUIVOROUS, a Japanese film featuring a vampire and completely devoid of dialogue. Yes, I said “vampire.” That got your attention, didn’t it?
Permit me to cut-and-paste from the press release:
“Tidepoint Pictures will release SANGUIVOROUS (“Kyuketsu”) on November 19th on DVD and Video-On-Demand. It is the first Japanese avant-garde, silent vampire movie ever made. The film focuses on a young woman suffering from mysterious physical ailments who’s horrified to discover that she’s descended from generations of vampires. When with her boyfriend, she struggles to control her peculiar appetite. But it’s in her blood…SANGUIVOROUS is written and directed by Japanese filmmaker Naoki Yoshimoto and features the renowned avant-garde butoh dancer Ko Murobushi. Earlier this year the film impressed audiences in New York, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Baltimore, and DC with screenings in conjunction with live musical accompaniment by Japanese percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani and saxophonist Edward Wilkerson, Jr. This unprecedented event combined experimental filmmaking, cutting-edge contemporary music, dance theatre… and fangs.”
Stop. Just stop. You had us at “fangs.” (They did have us, right? I wouldn’t want to speak for you, but they sure had ME.)
Didn’t know that vampires could procreate!