BIT
Directed by: Brad Michael Elmore
Starring: Diana Hopper, Nicole Maines, Zolee Griggs, James Paxton, Char Diaz, Friday Chamberlain
After graduating high school, Laurel heads to LA to spend some time with her older brother Mark, before deciding on what to do with her life. When they go to a club to see a band, Laurel meets Izzy and her group of friends, whose leader seems to be Duke. She soon learns the hard way that they are in fact vampires, and want her to join them…
BIT is the latest teen vampire movie to come along and, unlike a certain franchise, isn't afraid to keep things simple and bloody.
There is one confusing element to the film - according to the IMDB summary, Laurel is meant to be a transsexual. However this does not come over at all in any of the dialogue. It does become clear that Laurel has had a tumultuous upbringing and there are inferences that she may have self-harmed at some point but I had assumed this was a case of her being a lesbian and coming out to her parents, not about her having to transition. However it transpires that actress Nicole Maines is transsexual herself and there may have been an assumption that she would be playing a trans character.
Either way, Laurel is into girls, which leads her into a roof-top tryst with Izzy. However their post-coital pillow talk turns deadly when Izzy chomps down on her neck. She's stopped from completely draining her though by Duke, the gorgeous lead vamp who decides to turn Laurel instead, flinging her off the roof to see if she can survive.
After a couple day's rest, Laurel is picked up by Duke and her gang and given an ultimatum - either join them or take the "cure", a potion offered to her in a glass bottle. Laurel is verging on the idea of joining but balks when told to kill a guy stashed in the trunk of Duke’s convertible. She runs off instead. However, a few minutes later she is given a reason to return…
Through Duke we learn some of the vampire lore - especially that there used to be a Master vampire until Duke and another female were able to banish him and keep his heart. There is a great sequence showing Duke thriving through the 70's and 80's with a great soundtrack backing it. Duke has two main rules - no turning men and no "glamouring" other vampires, and we learn early on what happens to those who break the rules.
This is a very fun and modern vampire film which isn't afraid to get bloody. When the girls feed, it’s a messy affair and a lot of blood flowing. There are some good action scenes involving some vampire hunters and a familiar of the Master as well. It's also very sexual - Duke isn't above using sex as bait for her victims.
BIT looks terrific, thanks to the cinematography by Cristina Dunlap, which brings the nightscapes of LA to life. It also sounds terrific, with Wolfmen of Mars handling the score and featuring some songs by Death Valley Girls to give it a contemporary LA club feel.
There are some very good performances here. Nicole Maines makes Laurel likeable despite her flaws. Laurel had a tough time growing up , struggling to conform and fit in. Its interesting to hear her brother's perspective, which seems reasonable when you first hear his side of the argument but basically boils down to "why couldn’t you act normal and stop being such a drama queen?"! Laurel doesn't have much control on her temper, as we see early on in the club and almost starts a fight with a guy who spilled her drink. Add that lack of control to her need to feed as a vampire and the heated discussion she has with Mark, and its all going to end in blood and tears…
Diana Hopper is superb as Duke. She commands every scene she is in, your eyes are just drawn to her. Her sardonic delivery is pitch perfect and it has to be said, watching her light a cigarette with her mouth smeared with blood is very sensual. However, Duke has her own weaknesses. Her time under the thrall of the Master has left her in fear of male vampires. She assumes that any man who is turned will become cruel, like he was. And considering the kind of men she feeds on - rapists, paedophiles, misogynists - they're not going to be doing anything to dissuade her opinion. Despite her strengths and powers as a vampire, she is still a victim and in her own way, perhaps subconsciously, has emulated her abuser. What is refreshing is that when the point is raised with Laurel, she says that she won't allow anyone to use the fact that they are a vampire as an excuse for being cruel.
THE VERDICT
BIT takes the traditional vampire legends and gives them a feminist makeover. Our female protagonists have their own sexual agency and try not to allow the fact they are vampires to dictate who they are. This is a fun watch with interesting, flawed characters to root for.