Lesbian Vampire Killers Pics, Preview & Trailer
British B Movie Promises Comic Homage to Hammer Films
Jan 20, 2009
Britain has a long tradition of horror film thrills and spills. Films which walk the fine line between laugh out loud funny and hide behind the sofa scary. Hammer Studios exemplified the genre with classics such as Quatermass and the Pit, The Curse of Frankenstein and Dracula. Films which, whilst working within strict parameters of time and budget, produced genuine shocks. Hammer has long been due a revival. Is LVK the film to do it?
Watch the Trailer for Lesbian Vampire Killers Here
Judging from the LVK trailer, Hammer has indeed spawned a new beast. The trailer, at the very least, is a mini homage to the famous studio. Words formed by garish, jagged lettering fly out of nowhere. A gravel voiced announcer whips up the excitement still further by, well, reading said words OUT LOUD! So far so B movie....But what of the actual story? The trailer seems to be very cagey in terms of exposition. What can we expect from LVK that the title doesn't already tell us? Is it too much to hope for a little acting from a cast lead by veteran Paul McGann and new kids on the block James Corden and Mathew Horne? Maybe it's too early to tell yet, but the lack of jokes in the trailer does prompt a Roger Moore style arching of the eyebrows, at the very least.
How Did That Title Come About?
Speaking via email to LVK's writers Stewart Williams and Paul Hupfield, Suite101 asked about the origins of the attention grabbing title:
Suite 101: Was it inspired by Vampiros Lesbos? The Jesus Franco film? Or is that just a happy coincidence?
Paul: The title was in part Fearless Vampire Killers, part Vampiros Lesbos and (a large) part alcohol related.
Stewart: I think the main thing behind it was us both wanting a name as ludicrously commercial as humanly possible – i.e. what would make a teenage boy rent this in a video shop. We were both teenage boys once, and the threat of monsters and female cleavage was really all we needed to hand over £1.50.
The title has certainly sparked a great deal of interest. The Sun newspaper has been tirelessly championing the film, from before it was even cast, on the strength of the title alone. Presumably, they feel Britain has spent too long in the shadow of our American cousins, and now is the time to stand up for home grown film making talent. Either that or the dirty little Herberts think they're onto a guaranteed sexy time promise. Not sure which....
Momentum, AV Pictures and Director Phil Claydon
LVK is not actually made by Hammer, although the studio is rumoured to be returning to production imminently. It's AV Pictures and Momentum who are responsible for green-lighting LVK, and director Phil Claydon who has overseen the project. LVK is only Claydon's second feature film. His first, Alone, was subjected to a critical mauling by the few who saw it, which doesn't bode well. However, the cast for LVK is strong, and hopes are high for a sexy, comedy-horror, action movie. Shaun of the Dead managed it, so fingers are crossed for Lesbian Vampire Killers to pull off a double whammy for British horror flicks. With the likeable cads Corden and Horne involved, success is a distinct possibility, but whether Lesbian Vampire Killers will fare as well with critics as it surely will with teenage boys remains to be seen.
Further Reading: Check out more forthcoming features in Films to See in 2009. Fans of horror and B movie chic may also be interested in Horror Feature Writer Michael Pantazi's review of Shark in Venice.
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