Vampire in Brooklyn

Vampire in Brooklyn (1995) is such an interesting film that it deserves a viewing regardless of it being any good or not. Wes Craven and Eddie Murphy combine to make a film that subverts expectations while becoming classic spooky season film.

I heard about this film due to its unique mark on Eddie Murphy's catalog where he explores horror and remains serious the entire film. The seriousness alone from Murphy makes this film seem kind of odd but as you get used to it it slowly gets better throughout the film. Eddie Murphy plays multiple characters and still avoids humor which is impressive but disappointing at times.

Wes Craven gives this film a spooky quality that is actually fear-inducing even with sub-optimal special effects. But I will say that the plot gets a little jumpy and doesn't really explain everything as it should be doing with a vampire from the Caribbean.

Its not a great film, but it is a great Halloween film that will make people shiver due to fear or at least from cringe. Give it a watch but keep expectations low.

I first saw this in the mid 90s on a vhs. Revisited it recently. A vampire from Caribbean island arrives in New York in search of the dhampir (an offspring of a vampire and a human). The vampire initiates a series of sinister methods to pull the dhampir into his thrall. The film lacks genuine scares n there is no suspense or tension. Murphy is effective and menacing as the vampire and Bassett is stunningly attractive.

Say I have poor taste, call me an idiot, call me dumb, call me whatever, but I didn't find this movie that bad. If it were a pure horror, then it would've been atrocious, but because they inserted the humor in there I found it entertaining. I could watch Kadeem Hardison and the late John Witherspoon in almost anything. They were a riot. And Eddie Murphy was best as characters other than the vampire.

Eddie Murphy played three different characters with Maximillian the vampire being the main one. His goal: find the only other vampire in existence so that he could live on himself. The indication was that without a life partner he would cease to exist.

His mark: Rita (Angela Bassett). His tool to get his mark: (besides charm) Julius Jones (Kadeem Hardison), who he turned into a ghoul. His opposition: Det. Justice (Allen Payne), who had feelings for Rita.

For the most part, when it was funny it was good, and when it wasn't funny... well... good thing there were funny parts.

I don't know why it is but I can't help but love pretty much the majority of movies from Eddie Murphy's career from the 80's onwards. Beverly Hills Cop, The Golden Child, Coming To America, Nutty Professor, Daddy Day Care, Shrek...you get the drift. Maybe I just have a soft spot for his humour and work. Even though he maybe a jerk in real life I just can't help but like his acting talents. Vampire In Brooklyn is certainly not his best work but I found myself enjoying watching it. It shows the beginning of his transformation as a multi-character actor and shows him slowly turning into the guy he is today.

So he's not going to win any awards for this movie but it was entertaining enough and a new take on the Vampire phenomenon that has been happening on and off for the last 30 or so years.

I watched this movie thinking it would be like other eddie murphy movies- lots of humor and fun. I was wrong BUT I wasn't dissapointed. I mean, for once I enjoyed a horror movie. Usually I shy away from horror movies because of their incredibly stupid and repetitive plots and characters. This one was different however. I don't really know what it was that made me like this movie, but I have to say that Eddie Murphy makes a good vampire. His version of a vampire is cool but SO totally evil.And his sidekick Kadeem Hardison(also seen in the movie Drive) is funny. In all a good movie. I guarantee that once you start watching this movie you'll be hooked and wont want to finish watching it until the end. 8/10