DAILY CALL SHEET: SEPTEMBER 17, 2024

 

The Kiss of the Vampire (1963) Honeymooners stuck in a small Bavarian village accept an invitation to dine at the local creepy mansion, unaware that it is the headquarters for a bunch of Nosferatu-adjacent cuckolding cultists. This non-Dracula outing from Hammer ditches all previous lore and makes up its vampire rules as it goes along (who knew vamps hated bats), but manages to retain the studio's expected level of lavish production quality. Even merely adequate Hammer is Hammer worth watching.

TIL: With a statement in the Catechism such as “a married person who has sexual relations with anyone but their lawful spouse, even transient sexual relations, commits adultery,” it's pretty obvious that the Church condemns extra-marital actions (voluntary, not vampire induced) such as cuckolding, swinging, polyamory, etc. Why? Because a sacramental marriage must be characterized by total self-giving, even in sex. Involving third parties (or more) for pleasure is instead willful self-centeredness.

Near Dark (1987) A good ol' boy becomes infatuated with a hottie, only to learn she's a reluctant part of a roaming band of vampires. Together, they try to escape the clutches of the group's charismatic leader. Yes, it's kind of the same story as The Lost Boys (also released in 1987), but Kathryn Bigelow takes the idea, rolls it in the Texas mud, spits on it, and kicks in the teeth. In short, this one isn't for laughs. The highlight is watching Bill Paxton and Lance Henriksen ooze danger as they try to out-intense one another.

TIL: It's hard to get away from a bad crowd. Even from the very beginning, peer pressure to maintain one's old non-Christian ways has always been one of the big stumbling blocks for new converts. As noted in 1 Peter 4, "They are surprised that you do not plunge into the same swamp of profligacy, and they vilify you." However, "If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you." As for those trying to drag you back into the muck, "they will give an account to him who stands ready to judge the living and the dead."