VAMPIRE (1979)
I didn't mean to scare up a host of made-for-TV horror movies from the 70's, but here I am. This time, the network was ABC and the saber-toothed knave was Richard Lynch. Honestly, it took awhile to warm up to Vampire. The exposition is pretty dry. Lynch plays a ghoul whose coffin is disturbed when a church is erected in San Francisco. One minute, he is rising from the grave, brushing away loose ground and glowering in the direction of an improbably ginormous cross. The next? He's dealing in antiques. It's an abrupt transition, especially considering that we're supposed to be afraid of some dandy being questioned about his art collection. He says he didn't steal those paintings. Hey, I believe him, but that doesn't stop the police from detaining him behind bars. Like I said, the plot is...dehydrated? Don't turn the channel just yet, though.
If you can stomach the unpalatable first act, the story takes a few detours that you won't see coming. Well, I didn't see them coming. The characters actually get a chance to grieve when someone dies, which is something I can't say for most genre treats. Jason Miller and E.G. Marshall deserve honorable mentions for their performances as an architect and a retired cop, respectively. It goes without blabbing that Lynch is dignified as all hell. The pace stutters near the climax. It's almost not worth mentioning, but I have to wonder if the awkward ending was intentional. Vampire was technically a pilot for a series that was never developed. Taken as a stand-alone piece, it's sturdy enough to recommend. I wouldn't choose it over that same year's Salem's Lot, however.
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