Life Blood review (DVD) ★★★

Review by Adam Stephen Kelly
Stars Sophie Monk, Anya Lahiri, Scout Taylor-Compton, Charles Napier, Electra Avellan,
Patrick Renna, Danny Woodburn, Angela Lindvall, Justin Shilton, Marshall Manesh, Jennifer Tung | Written by Ron Carlson
UK Certification 18 | UK RRP £12.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 85 minutes | Directed by Ron Carlson

Vampires, vampires, vampires. They're currently the “in thing” in horror, that's for sure, but why so many people complain about the amount of vampire-based films in the market today is quite honestly beyond me. A bad movie is a bad movie, but the rotten eggs in the influx are all worth it if the spate is also going to produce quality viewing like Life Blood.

Also known as Pearblossom, the events in Life Blood put a twist on the classic vampire tale and spin an original, thoroughly enjoyable yarn that is essentially the tried and tested story of Dracula meets Thelma & Louise. Whereas the norm for such a film involves the Prince, or Princess of Darkness in some cases, wreaking bloody havoc among mere mortals in a highly romanticised fashion, Life Blood features a lesbian couple on New Year's Eve in the '70s, who are given eternal life by God (a lady) in order to carry out a divine mission to rid the world of evil as a pair of vampire angels. The only problem is that one of the girls, Brooke (Monk), had committed murder on that very night and so isn't the most angelic of women, whilst the other (Lahiri) has the purest of hearts. They are reborn forty years later to begin their quest on New Year's Eve 2009, but soon the vampire lovers turn against each other as the appeal of unlimited power and lawlessness violently consumes Brooke, and has her butting heads with her girlfriend and biting necks with just about everyone else.

Playing out with almost a retro sensibility and the tone of an exploitation film, Life Blood is a pretty darn fun ride. The performances of Monk and Lahiri aren't the greatest and they work out better as eye candy, but with a cast that includes a ten-minute extended cameo by Scout Taylor-Compton, the underappreciated Danny Woodburn in a for once decent role as a cop, as is the iconic Charles Napier, and Electra Avellan, who I should probably stop referring to as one half of the Crazy Babysitter Twins, what's not to like?

It's an independent film on a small scale and most of the action takes place inside a dark lit convenience store, so it's been made with intelligence and isn't yet another low-budget picture with a script far too ambitious for the cash flow. With a story as fresh as this, the film remains intriguing throughout and the only predictability lies in the certain inevitability of the bookending, but it's put together well and serves as a refreshingly fun entry into the “oversaturated” sub-generic market, despite a rather blunt and rushed final few minutes. If you're tired of the same old bloodsucker stories or you're a fang fan who likes their vampires sparkle-free, give Life Blood a whirl.

EXTRAS ? Nine deleted/alternate/extended scenes and the trailer.