Title: Darkness

Author/Artist: Leif Jonker

Publisher: Screen Edge

Media: Video

Reviewer: Pan

I have to admit that splatter vids are not really my thang, most of them being both boring and unfrightening and spoilt by special effects which make me laugh out loud rather than cringe in terror. I suppose that connoisseurs will tell me that laughing out loud is what you're supposed to do, stoopid, but who cares? Leif Jonker's 'Darkness', out now from Screen Edge, is a gore-fest and a half and proud of it.

Small-town America used to menaced by rebellious guys on motorbikes, but as time's moved on so has the menace. In 'Darkness' the quiet of small town USA is disrupted by the arrival of a vampire who looks like a mean son of a bitch who's been listening to too much thrash metal. In no time at all there's a legion of the buggers, sporting bad hair, ripped jeans and an attitude problem.

The other staple of film horrordom is the group of teens at risk, and this too makes up the theme of this film. As any-town is swamped by blood-sucking, body-ripping vampires it's down to a small group of teens to fight back. Will they make it to dawn?

This is low-budget horror at its best. Of the $6000 budget, I reckon $5900 went on fake blood and the other hundred bucks went on power-tools (don't mention the 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'?) . The gore comes quick and faster, and there are times when I really had to cringe. Cheap or not, the special effects are effective. If you like splatter you'll love this...