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This 1991 thriller by Joseph Ruben (True Believer) works up to a point: Julia Roberts plays an abused wife who fakes her death and starts anew under a different identity in Iowa. Her psychopathic husband (Patrick Bergin) figures it out and stalks her and her new boyfriend (Kevin Anderson). The best part of the film is the moody isolation of Roberts's life with Bergin. Ruben ingeniously stakes out the story by presenting what looks like an ideal life between the two--a nice house on the ocean, a seemingly healthy sex life, etc.--and then, whammo! Vital to the plot but less interesting is everything afterward, but that's less an inherent script problem than it is obvious studio pressure to push Roberts as a cute star. There's even a sequence where the actress tries on a series of hats while Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" plays on the soundtrack. Such insistent valentines to Roberts destroys most of Ruben's momentum and the film's credibility, and the project never quite recovers. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (54)

"You okay?" "I'm gonna be..."
That's the exchange that always stands out every time I see this movie. "Sleeping with the Enemy" is an excellent thriller about a woman, Julia Roberts, who fakes her own death to escape her obsessive and abusive husband, Patrick Bergin. Befriended by a neighbor, charmingly played by Kevin Anderson, she starts to rebuild her life slowly letting go of the fear. To go on would reveal too much, but I can say that not everything that haunts you is a ghost. Even though it creeps me out, every time this movie plays I am compelled to watch it. The characters quickly gain your sympathy (or in the case of Bergin your hatred) and draw you in to this subtle triumph of spirit.

Scissor-Cut Look at Abuse
With the beginning scene in "Sleeping With the Enemy" of a nice, handsome husband and a beautiful, smiling wife living in a lovely, rich house, this movie soon breaks the stereotype perception of an abusive relationship by showing that everything that glitters is not necessarily gold.

Julia Roberts, with a combination of a sense of planning and cleverness, fear and hope, and a desperate will to survive, does the only thing she can - she leaves while faking her own death. (Any abused man or woman will probably be mesmerized by some of the scenes and the feelings evoked in this intense movie.)

The new lifestyle she slowly, but surely creates for herself, against the backdrop of her husband piecing together her escape and his savage determination to find her creates a savvy suspense thriller that could be a classic in anyone's home movie library.

One major blooper...
Unless she knew that her husband was going to force her to go on a boat or that she set up something with the guy who owned the boat why would she be taking swimming lessons?

I liked the movie, glad I rented it - but wouldn't own it.

Husband From Hell!
Julia Roberts plays a battered wife who is reaching her breaking point with her obsessive, controlling , and abusive husband. So she fakes her death during a storm on a sail boat and runs away. She changes her identity and settles down in a small, peaceful town. Trying to forget about her husband and her past, she starts dating her neighbor and begins enjoying her new life of freedom! But little does she know that her psychotic husband is hot on her trail. And is ready to get serious revenge on her. But little does he know that things can always backfire. And a person can only be pushed so far before they give you a taste of your own medacine. Full of action- packed thrills and super suspense! A classic along the lines of "Enough", "Dolores Claiborne" and "Fatal Attraction"!

Good Old Berlioz!
Julia Roberts quickly established herself as one of the most luminescent stars in Hollywood. She has a face which, much like
Garbo's, the camera just never tires of viewing. She can use that face to express pensive worry, both spirited and icy determination, and, of course, her smile can melt glaciers. She also has a talent for rising above middling to mediocre material, so you never blame her the artistic shortcomings of the films she's in. Unfortunately, Hollywood quickly caught wise to her amazing "star power" and just as quickly developed
the "Julia Roberts vehicle."
There's something about "Julia Roberts vehicles" which I find annoying. Ulike the "women's pictures" of the 30's and 40's,
starring the likes of Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis and Joan
Crawford, which featured strong women confronting and overcoming a lot of conflict, "Julia Roberts vehicles" fall generally into two groups: There's the romantic comedy, which is usually a shameless retelling of the Cinderella myth, like "Pretty Woman,"
or there's the shameless feminist propaganda vehicle, like this one. In the latter vehicle, all men are beasts, and even the good ones are not redeemed until they finally learn to submit to Julia's will.
In this movie, Julia plays the spunky beleagured wife of the husband-from-hell, played by Patrick Bergin. Bergin's character is such a control-freak, he's almost as manipulative as this movie is. One day, Julia fakes her own death in a swimming accident, and runs away, back to her childhood home in the Midwest
to start a new life. It's a bit amazing in the way the filmmakers
expect you to believe that husband-from-hell is bright enough to figure out there's something wrong with his wife's "death," but takes 2/3 of the movie to figure out where she's gone. No matter, that gives our heroine time to start a relationship with a somewhat nerdy, non-threatening, "liberated" male played by Kevin Anderson.
The real surprise of this movie (and perhaps the only one) is the way it engages your interest in spite of how obviously manipulative it is. Julia has a lot to do with this, always conveying just the right combination of spirited spunk with disarming vulnerablity. Best part of the picture? The use of
the "Witches' Sabbath" movement from Berlioz' "Symphonie Fantastique" to set up the final confrontation between the forces
of good and evil. It makes Patrick Bergin more menacing than if he wore a Darth Vader suit!
You could do worse. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Pretty Good as vampire movies go
Let's face it, if you're a fan of the genre, you know that most vampire movies suck (no pun intended). This one doesn't. It's actually pretty good, especially if you like a view that's sympathetic to the vampires. The vampires in this movie are a subspecies of humans, with their own society and laws. Sounds sort of like Kindred, The Embraced, doesn't it? It even has the stylish old-world vampires at odds with the younger, rebel vampires. It also has the beautiful blonde human reporter who's in love with one of the vampires. The movie has some good twists, attractive women, cool settings...and it's entertaining.

I Love This Movie!
This is one of the few vampire movies I could watch again and again. It's not very gory but it's very entertaining nonetheless. It stars Jason London, and he plays his role as that of vampire-who-doesn'-t know-he's-a-vampire very well. Blood Ties has its very funny moments as well (I'm not sure they were supposed to be that funny...). Get this movie today. Happy watching!

Views more like a murder drama than a vampire movie...
Frankly, I'm surprised it even got an R rating. The story isn't half bad, except they break the cardinal rule that vampires can't exist in the daylight. In most ways they don't even seem like vampires--just a strange branch of humanity who can feed on blood when riled enough. Anyway, don't expect any nudity. What scenes there are could probably be boadcast without censorship, in my opinion. The violence must be what makes it restricted, but again compared to most vampire movies of today, the violence is very tame.

If you're looking for a borderline R vampire flick to watch with teen members of the family, this is it. Enjoy the tale. But, hardcore horror fans will think this extremely disappointing....

"Only Revenge Is Sweeter Than Blood"
"Blood Ties" begins in Anchor, Texas, where three S.C.A.V. (Southern Coalition Against Vampirism) members murder a teen's parents and shoot the young man (Cody Puckett, played by Jason London) with a crossbow before setting the house on fire. Luckily he escapes--or rather, the Amish-looking trio allow him to get away so they can follow him to "the others".

Wounded, 17-year-old Cody seeks the rich, corrupted Uncle Eli Chelarin (Patrick Bauchau) in Long Beach, California. Here Cody meets a few other relatives: Butcherbird "Butch" Vlad (Salvator Xuereb), Eli's rebellious nephew and the apparent leader of the Shrikes (the young troublemakers of the family, which Cody becomes a part of); Harry Martin, aka Harlevon Martinesque (uncertain spelling; played by Harley Venton), another one of Eli's nephews, as well as a reporter for the 'Long Beach Post-Gazette' and Cody's "guardian"; and Celia (Michelle Johnson), Eli's younger halfsister and lover. She's also Harry's occasional lover, which, by the way, if you hadn't noticed, makes her his half-aunt. Grossed out? Then you may not want to watch this one, because there's more incest involving cousins. Nothing graphic though.

In the movie, Harry is one of the leading characters who is trying to track down these "vampire" hunters before they can hurt anyone else. His semi-assistant is D.A. Amy Lauren (Kim Johnston Ulrich), who had tried to put Butch in jail at the beginning of "Blood Ties", but failed because of Eli's monetary charm. Amy's more of a blond-haired-blue-eyed sexual distraction for Harry, though, than any real help.

Although "Blood Ties" is essentially a vampire/horror movie, it doesn't rely on fangs or other vampire myths at all. It's more of a tongue-in-cheek soap opera drama with a hint of vampirism that's more racially charged than scary. This is noticeable in how the word "vampire" is considered a derogatory term, even though that's what they are; "Carpathian" is the appropriate term. Another example of racial undertones in this movie is when the redheaded Western Regional S.C.A.V. member (Grace Zabriskie) spouts off how terrible it is to have to sit with "one of them" on the bus or be with one in the same room. She continues by saying the "vampires" sole purpose is to steal other people's spouses, jobs, parking spaces, etc. Concerning "vampires" it sounds absurd, I know, but realize there's more to this movie than just cursory blood and guts, although the violence is quite tame and nonexistent compared to today's standards. There is some bloodletting, but no graphic vein-ripping, limb-tearing scenes here.

Sure, it's pretty cheesy at times too, i.e., the choreographed dancing of the Shrikes, but "Blood Ties" wasn't meant to be a serious film. It had aired back in May of 1991 on Fox as a pilot, but apparently it didn't take as a series. I remember watching it back then and pretty much fell in love with it at first viewing since it combines my two favorite genres (horror and comedy) and spotlights "vampires" (my favorite type of monster). I simply can't wait for the DVD version to come out this June!

Another fresh twist on the vampire theme
Excuse me -- not "vampire"! That's an ugly word, a slur. These folks preferred to be called "Carpathian -Americans," thankyouverymuch.

And most of what you've heard about ... Carpathians ... is untrue. Wild, exaggerated, ugly tales. (Except the thing about liking the taste of blood. That's true. But that was long ago. They're civilized now. Didn't _your_ ethnic ancestors do some pretty gross things hundreds of years ago?)

"Blood Ties" looks at an extended clan of, uh, Carpathian-Americans as just another group of immigrants, living in Long Beach, CA. There's the first generation -- conservative, with strong ties to the old country and the old ways. The second generation -- assimilationist, more "American" in their thinking. And the young third generation -- rediscovering their heritage, militantly proud of it, and a little bit spoiled.

These immigrants, however, are also victims of prejudice and hate ... which turns deadly ... There are "vampire hunters" abroad, and they are the bad guys.

Suspenseful, sexy, sometimes humorous and maybe even thought-provoking. I don' t think this was exactly a big-budget movie, but it was very entertaining. I wish it could have become a TV series. And I loved the "Carpathian" music -- especially the tune that plays at the beginning and ending. I wish I could get a recording of it. ... Read more

Reviews (54)

"You okay?" "I'm gonna be..."
That's the exchange that always stands out every time I see this movie. "Sleeping with the Enemy" is an excellent thriller about a woman, Julia Roberts, who fakes her own death to escape her obsessive and abusive husband, Patrick Bergin. Befriended by a neighbor, charmingly played by Kevin Anderson, she starts to rebuild her life slowly letting go of the fear. To go on would reveal too much, but I can say that not everything that haunts you is a ghost. Even though it creeps me out, every time this movie plays I am compelled to watch it. The characters quickly gain your sympathy (or in the case of Bergin your hatred) and draw you in to this subtle triumph of spirit.

Scissor-Cut Look at Abuse
With the beginning scene in "Sleeping With the Enemy" of a nice, handsome husband and a beautiful, smiling wife living in a lovely, rich house, this movie soon breaks the stereotype perception of an abusive relationship by showing that everything that glitters is not necessarily gold.

Julia Roberts, with a combination of a sense of planning and cleverness, fear and hope, and a desperate will to survive, does the only thing she can - she leaves while faking her own death. (Any abused man or woman will probably be mesmerized by some of the scenes and the feelings evoked in this intense movie.)

The new lifestyle she slowly, but surely creates for herself, against the backdrop of her husband piecing together her escape and his savage determination to find her creates a savvy suspense thriller that could be a classic in anyone's home movie library.

One major blooper...
Unless she knew that her husband was going to force her to go on a boat or that she set up something with the guy who owned the boat why would she be taking swimming lessons?

I liked the movie, glad I rented it - but wouldn't own it.

Husband From Hell!
Julia Roberts plays a battered wife who is reaching her breaking point with her obsessive, controlling , and abusive husband. So she fakes her death during a storm on a sail boat and runs away. She changes her identity and settles down in a small, peaceful town. Trying to forget about her husband and her past, she starts dating her neighbor and begins enjoying her new life of freedom! But little does she know that her psychotic husband is hot on her trail. And is ready to get serious revenge on her. But little does he know that things can always backfire. And a person can only be pushed so far before they give you a taste of your own medacine. Full of action- packed thrills and super suspense! A classic along the lines of "Enough", "Dolores Claiborne" and "Fatal Attraction"!

Good Old Berlioz!
Julia Roberts quickly established herself as one of the most luminescent stars in Hollywood. She has a face which, much like
Garbo's, the camera just never tires of viewing. She can use that face to express pensive worry, both spirited and icy determination, and, of course, her smile can melt glaciers. She also has a talent for rising above middling to mediocre material, so you never blame her the artistic shortcomings of the films she's in. Unfortunately, Hollywood quickly caught wise to her amazing "star power" and just as quickly developed
the "Julia Roberts vehicle."
There's something about "Julia Roberts vehicles" which I find annoying. Ulike the "women's pictures" of the 30's and 40's,
starring the likes of Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis and Joan
Crawford, which featured strong women confronting and overcoming a lot of conflict, "Julia Roberts vehicles" fall generally into two groups: There's the romantic comedy, which is usually a shameless retelling of the Cinderella myth, like "Pretty Woman,"
or there's the shameless feminist propaganda vehicle, like this one. In the latter vehicle, all men are beasts, and even the good ones are not redeemed until they finally learn to submit to Julia's will.
In this movie, Julia plays the spunky beleagured wife of the husband-from-hell, played by Patrick Bergin. Bergin's character is such a control-freak, he's almost as manipulative as this movie is. One day, Julia fakes her own death in a swimming accident, and runs away, back to her childhood home in the Midwest
to start a new life. It's a bit amazing in the way the filmmakers
expect you to believe that husband-from-hell is bright enough to figure out there's something wrong with his wife's "death," but takes 2/3 of the movie to figure out where she's gone. No matter, that gives our heroine time to start a relationship with a somewhat nerdy, non-threatening, "liberated" male played by Kevin Anderson.
The real surprise of this movie (and perhaps the only one) is the way it engages your interest in spite of how obviously manipulative it is. Julia has a lot to do with this, always conveying just the right combination of spirited spunk with disarming vulnerablity. Best part of the picture? The use of
the "Witches' Sabbath" movement from Berlioz' "Symphonie Fantastique" to set up the final confrontation between the forces
of good and evil. It makes Patrick Bergin more menacing than if he wore a Darth Vader suit!
You could do worse. ... Read more

Reviews (54)

"You okay?" "I'm gonna be..."
That's the exchange that always stands out every time I see this movie. "Sleeping with the Enemy" is an excellent thriller about a woman, Julia Roberts, who fakes her own death to escape her obsessive and abusive husband, Patrick Bergin. Befriended by a neighbor, charmingly played by Kevin Anderson, she starts to rebuild her life slowly letting go of the fear. To go on would reveal too much, but I can say that not everything that haunts you is a ghost. Even though it creeps me out, every time this movie plays I am compelled to watch it. The characters quickly gain your sympathy (or in the case of Bergin your hatred) and draw you in to this subtle triumph of spirit.

Scissor-Cut Look at Abuse
With the beginning scene in "Sleeping With the Enemy" of a nice, handsome husband and a beautiful, smiling wife living in a lovely, rich house, this movie soon breaks the stereotype perception of an abusive relationship by showing that everything that glitters is not necessarily gold.

Julia Roberts, with a combination of a sense of planning and cleverness, fear and hope, and a desperate will to survive, does the only thing she can - she leaves while faking her own death. (Any abused man or woman will probably be mesmerized by some of the scenes and the feelings evoked in this intense movie.)

The new lifestyle she slowly, but surely creates for herself, against the backdrop of her husband piecing together her escape and his savage determination to find her creates a savvy suspense thriller that could be a classic in anyone's home movie library.

One major blooper...
Unless she knew that her husband was going to force her to go on a boat or that she set up something with the guy who owned the boat why would she be taking swimming lessons?

I liked the movie, glad I rented it - but wouldn't own it.

Husband From Hell!
Julia Roberts plays a battered wife who is reaching her breaking point with her obsessive, controlling , and abusive husband. So she fakes her death during a storm on a sail boat and runs away. She changes her identity and settles down in a small, peaceful town. Trying to forget about her husband and her past, she starts dating her neighbor and begins enjoying her new life of freedom! But little does she know that her psychotic husband is hot on her trail. And is ready to get serious revenge on her. But little does he know that things can always backfire. And a person can only be pushed so far before they give you a taste of your own medacine. Full of action- packed thrills and super suspense! A classic along the lines of "Enough", "Dolores Claiborne" and "Fatal Attraction"!

Good Old Berlioz!
Julia Roberts quickly established herself as one of the most luminescent stars in Hollywood. She has a face which, much like
Garbo's, the camera just never tires of viewing. She can use that face to express pensive worry, both spirited and icy determination, and, of course, her smile can melt glaciers. She also has a talent for rising above middling to mediocre material, so you never blame her the artistic shortcomings of the films she's in. Unfortunately, Hollywood quickly caught wise to her amazing "star power" and just as quickly developed
the "Julia Roberts vehicle."
There's something about "Julia Roberts vehicles" which I find annoying. Ulike the "women's pictures" of the 30's and 40's,
starring the likes of Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis and Joan
Crawford, which featured strong women confronting and overcoming a lot of conflict, "Julia Roberts vehicles" fall generally into two groups: There's the romantic comedy, which is usually a shameless retelling of the Cinderella myth, like "Pretty Woman,"
or there's the shameless feminist propaganda vehicle, like this one. In the latter vehicle, all men are beasts, and even the good ones are not redeemed until they finally learn to submit to Julia's will.
In this movie, Julia plays the spunky beleagured wife of the husband-from-hell, played by Patrick Bergin. Bergin's character is such a control-freak, he's almost as manipulative as this movie is. One day, Julia fakes her own death in a swimming accident, and runs away, back to her childhood home in the Midwest
to start a new life. It's a bit amazing in the way the filmmakers
expect you to believe that husband-from-hell is bright enough to figure out there's something wrong with his wife's "death," but takes 2/3 of the movie to figure out where she's gone. No matter, that gives our heroine time to start a relationship with a somewhat nerdy, non-threatening, "liberated" male played by Kevin Anderson.
The real surprise of this movie (and perhaps the only one) is the way it engages your interest in spite of how obviously manipulative it is. Julia has a lot to do with this, always conveying just the right combination of spirited spunk with disarming vulnerablity. Best part of the picture? The use of
the "Witches' Sabbath" movement from Berlioz' "Symphonie Fantastique" to set up the final confrontation between the forces
of good and evil. It makes Patrick Bergin more menacing than if he wore a Darth Vader suit!
You could do worse. ... Read more

Description

A panoramic view of the dynamic forces that have shaped one of the most important regions of the world, and how the region's oil, religion and politics have intertwined to create a volatile mix. 91 minutes. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A Great Documentary
A great documentary about a very complex region. However this documentary is likely to distress unconditional supporters of Israel since it does not present the usual pro-Israeli propaganda.

Essential Information for Understanding Middle East Conflict
This video presents the historical facts that underlie not only the current Arab/Israel conflict, but sheds light on the problems the United States faces dealing with the whole Middle East. In contrast to the propaganda and Hollywood stereotypes that "fog" the truth, this film presents facts and photos that show BOTH sides of the current conflict. In addition, the scholars (both Jewish and Arab)in this film suggest, Western imperialism, ignorance, and bigotry are significant factors in the current political problems. Actually, this film illuminates the basic problems the U.S. faces not only in the Middle East, but also in South America, Asia, and Africa--anywhere 20th century imperialistic policies have created complex conflicts that threaten world peace today. A brave, accurate and honest report.

Convoluted Arab Propaganda
This movie is a total distortion of the truth and a rewriting of history from the point of view of the Arab propaganda machine. Even though at first it had some "clout" of legitimacy, I soon realized that important facts about Jewish and Israeli history were purposefully omitted to suit the extremely anti-Israeli views of the producers. It is scary to realize how easy it is to transform perfectly legimate historical events into "atrocities" by omitting some "dismissible" facts. This is an example of brainwashing, not history, and it is a shame for the producers.

It's like a PLO Propaganda Film
I bought this DVD and was so let down to see that it pandered mostly to the way the Palestinians try to re-write Middle East history. For instance, this DVD showed a shot of the British welcoming a boatload of Jewish settlers who were fleeing the Nazi holocaust. It said nothing about all the boats full of Jewish refugees who the British actually did not allow to land in Israel -- who had to return to Europe. Tens of thousands these who were forcibly turned back by the British ended up killed by the Nazis. Also, this film highlighted the tens of thousands of "poor" Palestinian refugees following one of Israel's wars with its arab "neighbors". What it did not mention was that while little Israel was surrounded by huge arab armies, the "Palestinians" not only refused to help defend Israel, but most left their homes in Israel and fled to assist the arab armies - who later left these refugees on their own (as refugees). I was sickened to see how this DVD tried its best to show the British as trying to be fair; when actually more often than not they worked against the Jews and tried their utmost to stop bringing about the return of the Jews to their ancient Jewish Homeland. I'm Christian, and not Jewish. I just think Jewish History should be told correctly.

No intrigue with this DVD
I'm taking a class on the Middle East and was hoping to learn even more with this DVD. The best part about this movie are the quotes and Noam Chomsky. Lots of pictures are given with boring music, but if you want to look at pictures, go buy a book instead. Annoying actors (playing people from different time periods) speak their opinion. It's nothing I couldn't do with my little camera for Film 101. It also sucks because so much has occurred since this dvd was filmed. Next time try checking the history channel or news before waisting money. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Pretty Good as vampire movies go
Let's face it, if you're a fan of the genre, you know that most vampire movies suck (no pun intended). This one doesn't. It's actually pretty good, especially if you like a view that's sympathetic to the vampires. The vampires in this movie are a subspecies of humans, with their own society and laws. Sounds sort of like Kindred, The Embraced, doesn't it? It even has the stylish old-world vampires at odds with the younger, rebel vampires. It also has the beautiful blonde human reporter who's in love with one of the vampires. The movie has some good twists, attractive women, cool settings...and it's entertaining.

I Love This Movie!
This is one of the few vampire movies I could watch again and again. It's not very gory but it's very entertaining nonetheless. It stars Jason London, and he plays his role as that of vampire-who-doesn'-t know-he's-a-vampire very well. Blood Ties has its very funny moments as well (I'm not sure they were supposed to be that funny...). Get this movie today. Happy watching!

Views more like a murder drama than a vampire movie...
Frankly, I'm surprised it even got an R rating. The story isn't half bad, except they break the cardinal rule that vampires can't exist in the daylight. In most ways they don't even seem like vampires--just a strange branch of humanity who can feed on blood when riled enough. Anyway, don't expect any nudity. What scenes there are could probably be boadcast without censorship, in my opinion. The violence must be what makes it restricted, but again compared to most vampire movies of today, the violence is very tame.

If you're looking for a borderline R vampire flick to watch with teen members of the family, this is it. Enjoy the tale. But, hardcore horror fans will think this extremely disappointing....

"Only Revenge Is Sweeter Than Blood"
"Blood Ties" begins in Anchor, Texas, where three S.C.A.V. (Southern Coalition Against Vampirism) members murder a teen's parents and shoot the young man (Cody Puckett, played by Jason London) with a crossbow before setting the house on fire. Luckily he escapes--or rather, the Amish-looking trio allow him to get away so they can follow him to "the others".

Wounded, 17-year-old Cody seeks the rich, corrupted Uncle Eli Chelarin (Patrick Bauchau) in Long Beach, California. Here Cody meets a few other relatives: Butcherbird "Butch" Vlad (Salvator Xuereb), Eli's rebellious nephew and the apparent leader of the Shrikes (the young troublemakers of the family, which Cody becomes a part of); Harry Martin, aka Harlevon Martinesque (uncertain spelling; played by Harley Venton), another one of Eli's nephews, as well as a reporter for the 'Long Beach Post-Gazette' and Cody's "guardian"; and Celia (Michelle Johnson), Eli's younger halfsister and lover. She's also Harry's occasional lover, which, by the way, if you hadn't noticed, makes her his half-aunt. Grossed out? Then you may not want to watch this one, because there's more incest involving cousins. Nothing graphic though.

In the movie, Harry is one of the leading characters who is trying to track down these "vampire" hunters before they can hurt anyone else. His semi-assistant is D.A. Amy Lauren (Kim Johnston Ulrich), who had tried to put Butch in jail at the beginning of "Blood Ties", but failed because of Eli's monetary charm. Amy's more of a blond-haired-blue-eyed sexual distraction for Harry, though, than any real help.

Although "Blood Ties" is essentially a vampire/horror movie, it doesn't rely on fangs or other vampire myths at all. It's more of a tongue-in-cheek soap opera drama with a hint of vampirism that's more racially charged than scary. This is noticeable in how the word "vampire" is considered a derogatory term, even though that's what they are; "Carpathian" is the appropriate term. Another example of racial undertones in this movie is when the redheaded Western Regional S.C.A.V. member (Grace Zabriskie) spouts off how terrible it is to have to sit with "one of them" on the bus or be with one in the same room. She continues by saying the "vampires" sole purpose is to steal other people's spouses, jobs, parking spaces, etc. Concerning "vampires" it sounds absurd, I know, but realize there's more to this movie than just cursory blood and guts, although the violence is quite tame and nonexistent compared to today's standards. There is some bloodletting, but no graphic vein-ripping, limb-tearing scenes here.

Sure, it's pretty cheesy at times too, i.e., the choreographed dancing of the Shrikes, but "Blood Ties" wasn't meant to be a serious film. It had aired back in May of 1991 on Fox as a pilot, but apparently it didn't take as a series. I remember watching it back then and pretty much fell in love with it at first viewing since it combines my two favorite genres (horror and comedy) and spotlights "vampires" (my favorite type of monster). I simply can't wait for the DVD version to come out this June!

Another fresh twist on the vampire theme
Excuse me -- not "vampire"! That's an ugly word, a slur. These folks preferred to be called "Carpathian -Americans," thankyouverymuch.

And most of what you've heard about ... Carpathians ... is untrue. Wild, exaggerated, ugly tales. (Except the thing about liking the taste of blood. That's true. But that was long ago. They're civilized now. Didn't _your_ ethnic ancestors do some pretty gross things hundreds of years ago?)

"Blood Ties" looks at an extended clan of, uh, Carpathian-Americans as just another group of immigrants, living in Long Beach, CA. There's the first generation -- conservative, with strong ties to the old country and the old ways. The second generation -- assimilationist, more "American" in their thinking. And the young third generation -- rediscovering their heritage, militantly proud of it, and a little bit spoiled.

These immigrants, however, are also victims of prejudice and hate ... which turns deadly ... There are "vampire hunters" abroad, and they are the bad guys.

Suspenseful, sexy, sometimes humorous and maybe even thought-provoking. I don' t think this was exactly a big-budget movie, but it was very entertaining. I wish it could have become a TV series. And I loved the "Carpathian" music -- especially the tune that plays at the beginning and ending. I wish I could get a recording of it. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

I loved this film.
I really liked this film. The way "Boyd" looked at "Katie" was amazing. When she wasn't looking at him, he was looking at her with this look that just made it seem like he was thinking "Wow she is so beautiful." Vaughan and Wilson put on great performances. The story was sad but touching. I liked it so much that I want to go out and buy it on DVD!

see this movie
This movie caught me by surprise as one of the best movies i've seen in a long time. I am obsessed. I keep telling everyone i know that they must watch it. The best thing about it is that it seems real. Not like a lot of movies where the dialog just seems too fake.

I was then 2
if you were there you already know ... give this flick your undivided attention to detail and background. A may ZING ... like WOW, anyway, you get it or you don't!! I DO.

worth watching
This film has fine acting and is well crafted. It captures a wonderful immediacy of the characters and has a compelling visual style. A director worth watching in the future.

A Film to love about real kids in a real world
This is the best film in years about how it is when an everyday girl falls in love with a guy who happens to be adorable and also a delinquent on his way to jail. It's not about what happens, it's about living their lives, no phoney stuff, just the way it was. The performances are ... performances? When you're into it, it's happening. Most movies, you know it's a movie and after the bling bling, who cares? This one, you care.

I love this film. ... Read more