The Forsaken
Starring Kerr Smith, Brendan Fehr, Johnathon Schaech, A.J. Buckley, Izabella Miko.
Directed by J.S. Cardone.
Released April 27, 2001

The vampire is such a versatile metaphor... this curse, or disease, or "gift" has been used to illustrate mankind's repression of sexuality, his fears of societal isolation or outcast status, the seduction of an amoral worldview, our desire for immortality... even the AIDS virus. Perhaps most poignantly, vampirism has an obvious correlation to the sin nature. Popular Anne Rice models Louis and Lestat-one torn between conscience and desire with no way to fix his condition, the other "given over" to his lusts and depravity-are nothing new. Trapped under a curse that literally brings blood, death, and pain to the world, it's easy to springboard from the vampire symbolism to the need for a Savior. The Christian iconic imagery associated with the myth, though often leeched from the legend in the last century, is yet another indelible mark of who really holds power and dominion over evil. It's obvious, then, that the Christian community should have a stake in vampire flicks, and hence why this reviewer will.

Sadly, "The Forsaken" barely taps any of the vampire legend's symbolism.

Driving a car cross-country to attend this sister's wedding, hard-luck case Sean (pretty-boy Smith, fresh from TV's Dawson's Creek) picks up a hitchhiker named Nick (Fehr of TV's Roswell-it's a veritable WB crossover event!) and the two become embroiled in a nasty game of hunter and hunted. It turns out Nick is a young vampire hunter, and when they bump into a bunch of free-range vampires, led by Kit (Johnathon Schaech)-who apparently have nothing better to do than hang out in the desert and feed on future "missing persons"-the game is afoot. Sean and Nick find a delirious girl named Megan (Miko) who is infected, and she advances the plot by biting Sean. In true Dracula and Lost Boys tradition, they have to kill the head vampire, Kit, before their condition advances and they become full vampires.

An obvious hybrid of cult classics "Near Dark" and "The Hitcher", "The Forsaken" trickles along with lukewarm redundancy. Lance Henrickson and Bill Paxton played backwater vampires with devilish fervor in "Dark", and neither Fehr nor Smith bring out the depth or intensity of character that C. Thomas Howell did in "Hitcher". The only interesting tidbit is Nick's telling of vampirism's origin; dismissing Dracula and Vlad the Impaler, he relates a story to Sean about nine Spanish soldiers who survived a bloody battle-in the aftermath, eight sold their souls to a spirit named Abbadon for immortality, killing and drinking the blood of the ninth soldier who refused Abbadon's offer. At least one of what was likely a small team of scriptwriters did their homework here; astute Bible readers will recognize Abbadon as a lesser-known name of Satan, used most memorably in Revelation. A nice touch... but not enough to make this film seem anything other than bite-the-numbers. In fact, Schaech plays one of the original eight, and there's no hint of Spanish accent... not to mention the only historical facet he demonstrates is that he remembers Metallica lyrics from the eighties; to be fair, this is the fault of the screenplay. It's sad to see a 900-year vampire with about as much wisdom accrued as a teenage James Dean wannabe. Schaech has an intriguing demeanor, however, hinting at talent; it would be nice to see him work with some quality material.

And so it goes... stuck out in the desert-in the middle of nowhere, what a surprise-the bad vamp boys and girls in the hot car chase our hapless protagonists, who must wrestle with automotive troubles and bloodsuckers in a race to reach holy ground (the only place a member of the original eight can be killed). In this film's reality, we're told that these vampires remain hidden because they shrewdly "cover their tracks"... and yet our villains leave corpses without a second thought in hotel rooms and along the road. Even a police officer is burned on top of his car and left in plain sight, as the vamps speed away to continue their jolly chase. Inconsistencies like this make the film even more irksome.

There is a cool moment near the beginning of the film; Sean, driving alone into the desert, is passed by some scantily clad girls in a zippy sports car. The fact that the female passenger flashes him is not what's interesting; that was needless. However, as they pass him on a road that stretches all the way to the horizon, they drop out of sight just ahead of him for a second because of a dip in the road; as Sean's car crests the ripple in the straight road, they have vanished completely. It's an eerie optical moment, and the only creepy scene in an otherwise pedestrian movie.

I admit this is pretty standard horror fare-the genre is replete with films like this, and an aficionado of vampire flicks will probably enjoy the movie. This film is nothing but fluff however... and yet tries to take the "high road" of vampire lore by not resorting to a lot of special effects. Come on, Hollywood; if you don't have acting ability or a good story to fall back on, the least you can do is amp up the eye candy. Or just send it direct-to-video.

"The Forsaken" is rated R. There is violence, language, and nudity in the film.