jugular wine (including bonus review!)

a perfect cover, too

“Last week, I met my first vampire.”

“Once again, I am the stranger.”

“They were like angels . . . shimmering . . . radiant.”

In December of 2001, I had an email drop into my modem which has pretty much altered my reality. And, while plenty of reviewers might scoff at my childish glee, it is a moment in my life which I will always treasure above any other. You see, the email in question was sent to me by Blair Murphy, director, writer, editor, actor, and genius behind the truly unforgettable vampire film, Jugular Wine, which I have always maintained to be one of the best vampire films in existence. It is certainly my favourite.

In any case, Mister Murphy was wondering if I might allow use of a quote from our March 2001 review to appear on the cover of the upcoming dvd release. What? Allow? Hell, I screamed, let me BEG for this opportunity! Not because I want to grace covers with my obvious genius (I’m feeling modest today), but because this was Jugular Wine! I can think of no other film which could reduce me to the pitiful wreck I became last Friday when I opened a small yellow package to find my quote firmly embedded on the brazen behind of this wickedly delicious vampire film!

I am highly honoured and immensely stunned by these events, as being stuck in the backwaters of Western Australia, I never even hoped to find my words trickling offline onto the back of any dvd cover let alone my alltime favourite vampire flick! Woah. Reality TV, guys.

Anyway, after getting this film, doing a funky dance around the house (not in the nude, but damn close), I quickly shoved it into the dvd player and was treated to a dvd packed choc-full of stuff which I, in my reclusive part of the globe, was in desperate need to know. Beginning with absolutely no inside knowledge of the film, or its background, I watched the huge documentary filled with background info and an absolutely awe-inspiring look at just how this film finally got into the shape it’s currently in. Magnificent!

I don’t usually watch documentaries, and don’t find much of interest in the “behind-the-scenes” bits which haunt many dvds, but this one was different. You learn all about the sacrifices, the dedication and the energy which went into making this film and you feel somewhat closer to the whole thing. In the end, you’re left shocked, stunned and amazed at the true dedication of Blair and his henchmen, such to the point that you begin to believe that, just maybe, Hollywood hasn’t completely eradicated art from Western cinema after all.

Getting a full-on taste of Blair’s award-winning short film Steps was also a treasure in the making, and that’s another film you’re likely to be left all inspired by. I guess you could say that budding directors and those trying to keep a firm grip on their integrity while balancing their greed, might find in this dvd some pause for thought. Perhaps, too, they’ll see there’s always an alternative to bending over a desk for some brainless executive who knows as much about movies as I know about cars.

So, pulling up my feet and subjecting several of my companions to a sit-in, I turned up the volume, loaded up the coke glasses and began a terrifying journey into Jugular Wine for only the four-thousandth time in my life…

One of the first things I noticed about the film as I watched it again, was the music. I’d forgotten all about the haunting, yet catchy, tune which permeated the movie like some sweaty little godlet. The second thing I remembered was just how alien Alaska looked at the beginning of the film, and also how appropriate it was to use as an opening location.

Overlaying the music and the visions of Alaska, was the eerie prose, so eloquent and drifting. In fact, much of the film is like that. Eloquent and drifting, shifting from scene to scene like some kind of endless visual poem. But its strength lies not in this seamless slide of events, but in the power of the imagery and the savagery of its violence.

There is in Jugular Wine a whole new approach to vampires, and one which is very rarely delved into. A subculture is revealed, one full of political and social struggles as desperate wars are fought over power, freedom, and control. Caught in the middle of this struggle between the ancient monster Legion and his coterie, is an anthropology professor who makes the mistake of aiding one of Legion’s mistresses to escape. Despite the brevity of her freedom and its subsequent effects on his life, you feel drawn into his search for answers to those immortal questions, Who am I and What am I?

It’s a philosophical journey as well as a dramatic one which leads our hero from city to city and location to location, from graveyards to nightclubs (a feat of pure genius, as the dvd documentary will attest to!), and finally to where it all began: Alaska.

The film is incredible in its scope, offering glimpses of a diverse subculture the vampires live in, and the necessary shifts of conscience and moral understandings which should be addressed before the neck-biting immortality can be fully accomplished.

Beautifully shot, with surreal moments fans of such films by Jean Rollin or the Evil Dead duo (not the icky third creation), will no doubt enjoy, Jugular Wine remains a work of unmatched class as you can envision not just the neck-biting vampires of modern lore, but something more. Something greater than most films can convey. Think of your little Dracula films. Think of the puny Rice films. They’re awful! They strive to underline a basic humanity which only a rare few of us actually feel. Instead, Jugular Wine revels in desire and a lust for life over death. Its vampires never seek our humanity. They don’t mourn their lost warmth and instead embrace themselves, offering up pearls of wisdom for the unsuffering immortal. And perhaps that’s part of the joke. Many films merely underline death as the primary cause for happiness, and point at the gratification of desire as an eater not only of conscience and moral awareness, but of something intangible, such as a basic humanity.

This film’s vampires shrug all that off, and say it’s not that they lose their morals, but their morals simply change. The lion, after all, never wishes it was an antelope…

Finally, the end scene is a masterpiece, an absolute climax no other film could hope to outdo. Oh, such a full and overflowing movie this is. I can’t begin to tell you how embarassed I was by my former review of it. All I can say is it was the fourth review for this page and was, unfortunately, put up to add content in the couch’s fresh-faced early days. It wasn’t meant to have been permanent, and for about a year now I’ve been meaning to expand on it. I guess the dvd release gave me the perfect opportunity.

So, just to remind you: This film is a definite MUST-HAVE, so HAVE-NOW! And, good news is, Blair’s finally making another feature flick! Yay! I can promise you one thing, people. I can promise you there’s no
one out there who’s holding their breath like I am for this one!

(Original Review as Quoted on Jugular Wine DVD Cover, March 2001)

This is one of those rare films which comes along and makes you happy
you’ve devoted your life to b-grade, rather than simple Hollywood
tripe.

Jugular Wine is a man’s journey to claim his vampire heritage, as
such. Filled with eccentric characters and marvellous surreal cut
scenes, this film takes you on a twisted pathway toward confrontation
amid an icy landscape of perpetual darkness.

The film is almost poetic in its subtle shifts, and though I know
you’re wondering where the violence is, I assure you it’s there.

What’s refreshing in this film is the strange lack of gothic settings
involving castles and other traditional scenes. There really aren’t
any mansions or eerie hallways. Instead, there’s a few nightclubs,
some dusty rooms and creepy alleyways. The scenes aboard the giant
icebreaker (that’s a ship, guys), are oddly appropriate for vampires.

The final scene seems like something from a Rollin film.

And speaking of Rollins, keep your eyes peeled for the quick cameo of
Henry Rollins, who leaps in to give his famous “I know you,” type line
to a mirror. In fact, it’s almost worth buying simply for that scene.

But come on, be realistic, says you. Truly, the vampires in this are
all quite creepy and wacko. In fact, some of the mannerisms remind me
of the way vampires are portrayed in the White Wolf World of Darkness
game, Vampire: the Masquerade.

But, I have to admit, what I liked best about the film is the eating
of hearts and the black blood dribbling like sludge down the mouths of
vampires too giggly to be fastidious about their chin-appearance. Kind
of reminded me of Radu, the greatest Nosferatu who ever graced the Big
Blue screen.

So, let me promise you something, people. Let me promise you one of
the better surreal vampire films you’ll see in a while.

ADDITIONAL
this film seems to have not made itself to dvd, which is why i cherish even more my dvd copy choc-full of extras. blair was a great guy to speak to, and i’m sad i’ve lost his email, because i’ve always wanted to ask what happened!

where’s the dvd? i want to buy more. i’ve always wanted to share this one. it’s the most atmospheric and interesting vampire movies i’ve ever watched. nicely surreal, and strangely compelling. i can’t recommend it enough, even today.

Tags: couch of doom, henry rollins, movie reviews, review, vampire, vampires