Moviestopped: Innocent Blood (1992)

Thank you, Moviestop.  Today's Film is Innocent Blood, a 1992 Horror Comedy from John Landis.  How have I not done this already?  To be honest, the amount of John Landis stuff I've done here is pretty low, all things considered.  Of course, I have seen him play a Radio Show Producer (twice!) and a Judge in other Films, so it's not like I've missed him.  Sure is a good thing that his Son is writing a bunch of sub-par Films to keep me busy.  In this Film, a lady Vampire gets caught up in a conflict with some Mobsters and the FBI.  When in doubt, kick some ass!  The Film is chock full of notable Actors including Anthony LaPaglia, Robert Loggia and Chazz Palminteri.  It even features 'Paulie Walnuts'- no joke.  It is good to know that he's been typecast for so long.  The Film also features the scariest guy named Kim- Kim Coates from Sons of Anarchy.  What other Film features Don Rickles and French Beauty Anne Parilaud?  This one is all about crazy effects, blood and humor.  To find out how it all plays out, read on...

In the City (which seems to be Los Angeles, but isn't), a Vampire yearns for new, guilty prey.

She finds it in some Mobsters, starting with Palminteri.  I sure love this Effect!

She makes sure to shoot her first victim after biting him, but fate intercedes with her second victim (Loggia).

He wakes up and escapes from the Morgue, now as a Vampire.  Naturally, he seeks a worse Monster to team up with: his Lawyer!

In case you didn't know this was about Vampires, here's Bela Lugosi.  This is how he has an IMDB Credit 36 years after his death.

He bites and converts his Lawyer, leading to a weird bit of Comedy where he turns in the Hospital and goes for a Nurse, only for her to open the blinds and kill him (after lots of melting and charring).

Oh hi, Linnea Quigley!

He starts turning his men, planning to take over the entire organized crime racket as Vampires.  As long as you don't have to do shit in the day, I guess...

The Vampire and the FBI Agent (LaPaglia) must team up (in more ways than one!) to stop this Mobster Vampire Family.

After plenty of shooting and a Poor Bastards of Cinema induction to come, they burn him up and shoot him.  In the aftermath, the Vampire decides to stay with our Hero.  Aw.

Good Vampire fun.  What did you expect from John Landis?  Aside from the misfire of An American Werewolf in Paris, he's been pretty damn solid for Decades now.  This Film is no exception.  The Story takes some basic ideas- Vampires, Mobsters, a Crime War- and mixes them all together in a fun way.  You have good guys (like the FBI), bad guys (like the Mobsters) and one party interfering with them all (the Vampire).  To her credit, she's not especially-evil- she's just a Vampire.  The Humans tend to do worse things in the Film than she does.  I will note that the Film plays a bit fast and loose with some Vampire Rules- what else is new?  It is odd that Vampires can be killed by being shot in the head.  For all of the little stuff that they change for the worse (or convenient), they do other things quite well.  The bit where Rickles' body breaks up like firewood is still quite convincing-looking almost 25 years later.  The Film mixes Comedy and Horror pretty well, so it is good in that regard.  All in all, Innocent Blood is a somewhat-overlooked Film that stands up as one of Landis' best.  To save Review space, here are all of the Cameos below...

Next up, I get in the October spirit with a Film about Clowns.  Will it be frightful or frightfully bad?  Stay tuned...