movie was not great but the few bright points was the ability and presence of Cathy Loch ! i see her as an up and coming Star and should be considered for a major movie ! I have become her biggest fan :)!The male homosexual scenes in the movie was a very bad choice!!Should have been more suggestive than visual ! Most people including myself are put off by this kind of thing !The scenes were bounced around too fast and they made very little sense in the way they they were put together ! I am an avid fan of Vampire Movies and this one has its few bright spots (Cathy Lochs singing was great )At the burial ceremony !And the idea of a family that is trying to live as normal of lives as they can is a great concept and the snoopy reporter who gets too nosy about certain things and causes the downfall of the family!
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railroadman6920008 August 2006
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DrSueli9 July 2006Requiem for a Vampire is a great film! The sexual scenes are passionate and effectively reveal the salacious nature of the vampires. Yet, in addition to the sexy bodies and amorous situations, the underlying plot is interesting and engaging. The filmmakers address issues of love, family loyalties, betrayal, social class, sexuality, feminism and power. From the first scene I was drawn into the plot. I immediately empathized with the lead vampires (male and female), and I was intrigued by their efforts to lead a secret life trying to be "normal" and loving each other while at the same time they were dealing with deep dark secrets. Once you start watching you will be drawn into the erotic underground world of the vampires. The film is visually creative with the vampires cavorting in NY City, mansions, and nightclubs. It is also an intelligent film that mixes eroticism and mystery with thoughtful commentary on social issues. This is not the usual vampire movie!
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DDPhilly10 September 2014I picked this up and reviewed it on Amazon in 2010!
Being from Philadelphia and loving indie films, I'm always looking to seek out and support film makers from not only Philly, but New Jersey, Delaware and New York. That said, I have always loved Vampire films and this one is very different!
***MINOR SPOILERS*** It's about a family of vampires that survive in the modern world by living off of a blood bank that they own. One night one of the vampires is attacked in the street by a mugger and she kills him, drinks his blood and contracts AIDS. What follows is how the vampire family deals with the situation.
This film is an original and fresh look at vampire lore and is acted amazingly well by Matt Locker, Deana Demko and Cathy Loch. I didn't care for the one or two sex scenes in this, but that is a minor complaint. The special effects were decent and there is a very large cast, multiple locations and it's all handled well by director John Orrichio. -
got_depp14 July 2006Requiem for a Vampire isn't high art, but it's entertaining nonetheless. There's plenty of gore, sex, nudity, and even political commentary to keep the audience entertained. The story is pretty unique and the performances are decent, especially considering the budget constraints.
The story concerns a coven of vampires living in New Jersey who run a blood bank for the purpose of staying alive in a humane way and avoiding disease. One of the vampires goes out for a walk one night and is trailed by a man. Feeling threatened, she attacks the man and drains his blood, only to become ill with AIDS. The disease eats away at her body at a rapid pace and she dies, leaving her coven to plan what they believe to be the first ever funeral for a vampire. It's not your run of the mill tale of the undead, which both adds to and takes away from the overall experience. It's always great to see something new, but this idea is one that feels like it wasn't expanded upon fully. If the story was more about the family's plight against the diseases of the human world and less about the funeral, it would have made the story feel more whole.
The music is the real star of this movie however... there are lots of great rock songs and a beautiful Celtic lullaby. Definitely worth the $5.95 from the Alpha New Cinema Series. -
luvshak19 August 2006John Orrichio's new vampire flick, Requiem for a Vampire (2006) is an interesting take on an often clichéd treatment of the subject of vampires! Mr. Orrichio seems to have grown by leaps and bounds from his earlier film "The Possession of Father Thomas" of a year or so ago. Static shots are replaced with interesting camera angles and he makes excellent use of locations such as the Jersey shore, Rockefeller Center and area mansions in telling his tale and giving this independent film a big budget feeling. The collaboration of Mr. Orrichio and veteran horror film maker Karl Petry seems to work quite well in this effort and I think gives added dimension in telling this tale.
The premise of this story is a simple one but with a twist. It is about a family of vampires trying to exist in a modern world without the usual violence toward "mortals" and also trying to be contributing members of society. This "peaceful" co-existence is threatened by the same plague that affects and mortal world and we see how this "family" handles it. In the male lead is Matt Locker who paints Michael LeGault with a rather broad brush showing us both his caring side and a more cavalier attitude when under the stress of his beloveds illness and death. His sister "Lenore" is played with sensitivity and feeling by veteran Horror actress Deana Demko in a more mature role for her which she handled beautifully. Lenore serves as the glue that holds this family together in a very difficult situation when Michael seems to be going off in all directions under the stress of the death of his beloved and the threat of exposure by the investigator (including an incestuous relationship with his sister and even a tryst with his manservant!). Other standouts in the cast are David B. Powers as Henri, Michael's manservant and protector. His natural style works wonderfully in this difficult part as man who is dealing with his own aging as well as being in love with his own boss! The homo-erotic scene is quite unexpected but adds to the drama as does the next scene at the beach. Cathy Loch who plays the part of Claire (Henri's niece) works quite well with him and has a natural charm that the camera picks up on (as well as being quite easy on the eye!). She certainly does surprise us at the end! Gerry Kirschbaum handles the part of Justin Burke, the Legault's business adviser/protector with ease as does Bob Smith, who plays the part of the nosy and annoying health investigator who threatens to expose the Legault family and ruin the peaceful coexistence that the Legault's have worked so hard to establish. Jamie Stone does a wonderful job of portraying the scientist, Tara Wolf who eventually "joins" the family in her quest to find a cure for the plague that threatens them all.
Orrichio fills the screen with haunting images including a touching deathbed scene, an eerie funeral procession, an attempted suicide scene and a bloody and unexpected "turning scene" as well as the homo-erotic scene mentioned above all of which seem to be there to shock and disturb the audience, an effect which seems to work quite well. The visuals are quite intriguing and well edited by Mr. Orrichio who seems to be wearing many hats in this production as director, screen writer, cameraman, film editor and even on screen playing the guitar! The music is well chosen and even includes a music video with Cathy Loch singing a Celtic song.
The cast is rather large for a small independent film but everyone seems to work well together and it was great to have the addition of Rosemary Ellen Guiley playing herself as a paranormal investigator giving the film an added amount of credibility. Others in the cast who deserve a mention are Jeanne Sconzo, Tony Rugnetta and newcomers Carrie Nagy and Yesenia Moreland. All in all the film goes over well with only a minor amount of loose ends and continuity problems and I look forward to the next endeavor from the team of Orrichio and Petry! -
pipsper9 July 2006A movie you have to see to believe. Very hard to predict, it will keep you on the edge of your seat and you may stay up all night. Whether you like horror movies or not this movie will keep you captivated. Don't let the cliché title fool you, this is not your typical ghoulish flick. A style ever remotely reminiscent of Anne Rice the author here plays games with your mind from the first act on. One could only hope they make it to the large screen or at least HD. THe soundtrack itself is worth the price of the DVD. It is the perfect combination of Rock n Roll and the Vampire world of the dead. When was the last time you cried at a Vampire movies? At $15 it is a must buy.
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staircaseproductions25 August 2006A really good friend of mine had this film and we watched it. I am really not into independent films, but I thought this film was really good. I was very impressed by the film's quality and acting performances. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Requiem for a Vampire. It's a shame that they don't make mainstream films like this. The performance I liked particularly was the performance of reporter Phyllis Cooney. Her character was interesting. I wish I could have seen her death on screen as opposed to just hearing about it. I hope more people get a chance to see this film. The storyline, the actual film's quality and the acting are really good. If you get a chance to check it out, it is well worth the time.
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annastevens223322 July 2006Oh my God! I was in my local video store and seen just about everything and I heard the clerks talking about this really weird vampire movie they just got in. They said it was the weirdest vampire flick they ever saw. What the heck, I bought it for $6.00, what did I have to lose. Well, let me tell you, it was very good and creative. I rent tons of low budget stuff and never saw the quality in any of them that this movie has. The camera work is good and the music is fantastic. The acting is OK with some fine performances by the lead, Mat Locker, the main vampire and Bob Smith who plays a health dept. inspector. Tony Rugnetta who plays a doctor and Cathy Loch who plays somewhat of a vixen sings a beautiful song with women dancing under a moon lit sky in the background. I found that there are some other films made by these guys, John Orrichio and Karl Petry which available from the same distributor or on their film site. I plan on getting them all. It's nice to see a gem in all those low budgets movies being produced. These filmmakers will one day make it big because they have the talent. I highly recommend this movie if you like movies in the vein of The Wicker Man (Old version not the new one)or if you like to read Ann Rice and Stephen King. Bravo Guys!! Keep making movies.
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Croiter22 January 2007Check out Tony Attrino as the mugger who gets slaughtered by Mona Sethi's vampire. Great scene! Attrino wrote one part of a three-part horror trilogy Petry had produced a year earlier. TRIVIA: Requeim For A Vampire was filmed in the driveway of Petry's home in Northern New Jersey -- Kearny, to be exact. Petry works well with Orrichio, who seems to have some experience at video editing using the Avid software. The film was shot mostly low-budget with the actors working for free. Key scenes were shot in Bloomfield. One in particular was shot in the Bloomfield Public Library. The movie's premiere was held in Dec. 2004 inside the auditorium of Bloomfield College.
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Although an independent film, the cinematography is very good. It's not your typical Vampire movie. It's more in the keeping of the Ann Rice novels. It takes place in modern times and in all places, New Jersey! You get to take a look inside a Vampire family and see what they must do to survive in these days of forensic science. Director John Orrichio and Producer Karl Petry do a wonderful job on a very low budget. The ending has a twist that you would never anticipate. The music is excellent and deserves its own release on CD. All in all, if you're tired with all the same junk coming out of the major studios, give this a look. You'll enjoy!
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jb49214 July 2006I don't know how many of you are familiar with the Underground Horror series from Alpha New Cinema, but it's pretty much awesome. They sell a bunch of independently made horror flicks that probably wouldn't normally be released, and it pays off. Some of the films they distribute are nearly brilliant, showing and saying the things that big studio releases don't have the balls to show or say. Requiem for a Vampire is one of those films.
The story is something that I'd never heard of before and something that I don't expect anyone to tackle again anytime soon. At least they shouldn't, because the director (I think his name's Orricho) does it so well and produces what should be the one and only vampire-AIDS story. I know, it sounds weird right... that's what I thought too while I was watching it, but the director pulls off the strange material nicely. In addition, there's an excellent kill scene in which a girl vamp eats a guy alive and splatters his blood all over an alley wall. And if it's the sex you're looking for, this movie sure delivers; we see lingering shots of at least three fully naked women, and there's even a little something for those of the "other persuasion" in a bizarre, graphic (though not nude) gay sex scene.
The bottom line is that Requiem delivers when viewed purely as some awesome B-movie entertainment. You got the gore, the kills, the sex, the boobs, and even a crucifixion. It's a good time, I definitely suggest buying it. -
olblueeyes-222 July 2006The film was very well done. It was an intriguing storyline that contained good acting, excellent cinematography and terrific music which certainly enhanced the film.
I would highly recommend this movie to not only fans of the horror genre, however to anyone who enjoys quality films will definitely like this unique well made movie. One can readily see the production value in this movie is extremely high with all of the various sets and locations utilized in the making of this film. This movie will keep you interested and riveted from beginning to end.
In terms of vampire movies this particular film brought something different and unusual to the table regarding the premise of the story that depicted the main characters in a specific way which worked incredibly well. These vampires desired to be like ordinary mortals and blend into society while being provided with blood in order to sustain their existence through a bloodbank directed by an unscrupulous doctor who is on their payroll but has also become a good friend to the vampires as well. -
Woodyanders18 November 2013Vampire Michael LeGault (a fine performance by Matt Locker) fronts his own rock band and lives in a posh mansion with his sister Lenore (well played by Deana Demko) and cherished companion Adelaide (a charming portrayal by the ravishing Mona Sethi). After Adelaide becomes fatally ill from drinking tainted blood, Michael requests the assistance of occult expert Rosemary Ellen Guley and Dr. Tara Wolfe (a solid turn by Jamie Stone) to help the family with a special funeral for Adelaide. Writer/director John Orrichio relates the quirky and engrossing story at a steady pace, maintains a serious brooding tone from start to finish, and provides some neat and inspired tweaking of the standard vampire lore (these vampires have no aversion to crosses and wish to coexist peacefully with humans). Moreover, Orrichio manages to stage a few moments of genuinely moving grace and poetry, with a Celtic musical number set at night in a backyard rating as a definite impressive highlight. The titular funeral is likewise done with real stylish aplomb. Plus there are elements of kinky sexuality sprinkled throughout such as incest and a truly startling, yet tastefully done gay sex scene. The sound acting by the capable cast holds the picture together, with especially commendable contributions from Bob Smith as pesky health inspector Jerry, David B. Powers as the smitten and mopey Henri, Gerry Kirschbaum as practical family lawyer Justin Burke, and Cathy Loch as the fiercely loyal and protective Clair. As a tasty bonus, the delectable Debbie D belts out a song at a tavern and does a sensuous nude dance. Orrichio's crisp cinematography makes elegant use of fades and boasts plenty of lovely visuals while his moody score further enhances the overall melancholy atmosphere. Recommended viewing for fans of oddball fright fare.