Some people will think that a film about vampires and werewolves is inherently silly, and should be watched only for its visceral thrills (which 'Underworld' certainly has). Yet at a time when mainstream American discourse would have us believe that in war everything is black and white, 'Underworld' represents an important voice of reasoned dissent in its suggestion that war is in fact a morally messy business, with complicated and often misunderstood causes – which makes 'Underworld' not just a kick-ass monster free-for-all, but also a vampire film with unexpectedly political bite.
Archives for September 2003
Martin
A subtle drama of urban decay and social isolation that merely masquerades as a vampire film, with a mesmerising central performance. It may be overtly low-budget and slightly dated, but of course these can only be good things when talking about 1970s horror films.