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John Carpenter's Vampires

Play trailer Poster for John Carpenter's Vampires R 1998 1h 44m Horror Action Western Play Trailer Watchlist
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43% Tomatometer 53 Reviews 47% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Ever since his parents were murdered by vampires, Jack Crow (James Woods) has had one purpose in life: putting stakes through bloodsuckers' hearts. With his battle-hardened crew of vampire killers and the assistance of the Catholic Church, Crow roams the New Mexico desert looking for undead lairs to annihilate. But he meets his match when, at a roadside motel, he comes face to face with Jan Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith), a vampire kingpin possessed of incredible powers.
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John Carpenter's Vampires

John Carpenter's Vampires

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Critics Consensus

Nothing but one showdown after another.

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Critics Reviews

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Paul Tatara CNN.com So, John Carpenter's Vampires stinks, and "Paul Tatara's Review of John Carpenter's Vampires" won't be a review so much as it'll be a check list for posturing teenage boys. Feb 9, 2018 Full Review Nick Schager Lessons of Darkness A suspense-free snark-fest desperate to turn its protagonist - vampire slayer Jack Crow (James Woods) - into a Snake Plisskin-style icon of supernatural-badass cool. Rated: C- Jun 5, 2011 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times The movie has a certain mordant humor, and some macho dialogue that's funny... But the movie is not scary, and the plot is just one gory showdown after another. Rated: 2/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Adrian Martin Film Critic: Adrian Martin It takes about two minutes for Vampires to prove that Carpenter is far from a spent force – at least to those who can appreciate a master filmmaker at work. Rated: 4/5 Jul 30, 2025 Full Review Rachel Wagner Rachel's Reviews (YouTube) It's not perfect but James Woods has serious swagger and it's a fun time Nov 3, 2024 Full Review Alan Jones Radio Times A well-wrapped horror package from a master of the macabre. Rated: 3/5 Sep 13, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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TheMovieSearch R The 1998 vampire film delivers a solid, if somewhat uneven, entry into the genre—one that manages to balance the dark allure of vampires without leaning too far into excess. It doesn’t overindulge in supernatural spectacle, but it also doesn’t hold back enough to leave a lasting bite. Instead, it lands comfortably in the middle: enjoyable, at times exciting, and ultimately a fine experience for what it is. What works best about this film is its tone. It doesn’t try to reinvent the vampire mythos but instead embraces familiar tropes with a sense of confidence. The tension, atmosphere, and gothic undertones blend together nicely, and the pacing keeps things engaging throughout. The vampires themselves are handled with a grounded menace—dangerous but not invincible—which gives the film a more balanced sense of horror. The cast deserves credit for carrying much of the story’s weight. Each actor seems to understand the assignment, bringing enough charisma and presence to make their roles believable. The chemistry between characters, both human and vampire, helps sustain the energy of the film, even when the script occasionally falters. You can tell the ensemble was committed, and that goes a long way in a movie like this. That said, the film isn’t without flaws. Certain scenes feel underdeveloped or rushed, and there are moments when the narrative seems to drift instead of building toward something bigger. A few creative choices could have been tightened or rethought, as they occasionally pull you out of the story rather than pulling you deeper into it. Still, those missteps don’t ruin the experience—they just keep it from being great. Visually, the movie has that late-’90s charm: dark lighting, eerie practical effects, and just enough stylized flair to give it personality. It’s the kind of film that feels nostalgic now, even if it wasn’t perfect then. The direction, while not extraordinary, keeps things coherent and functional—never brilliant, but never disastrous either. In the end, the 1998 vampire film sits comfortably in the “decent but not unforgettable” category. It’s entertaining enough to warrant a watch, especially for fans of old-school vampire cinema, but it’s not something that demands multiple viewings. It satisfies the craving once, then fades quietly into memory—a decent bite, just not one that lingers. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 11/02/25 Full Review Ernestas R This is one of those low budget, B grade movies which are dime a dozen, but often would feature unique ideas which would make them worth a watch. This one is one of them. It's not the best, but the fact that people trash it, only speaks about their terrible sense of taste. There is slop coming daily in movie theaters, but they don't mind it. It's only when there is something less ordinary it's then they get extra offended and start trashing a movie. This movie is a decent action movie about Vampire hunters. It features your all typical tropes. It has some sex appeal and ends up and a bitter sweet note of protagonist sparing his friend who is turning into vampire for his help. What this movie has however is some occult knowledge. It had mentioned that vampires, original ones are born out of reverse exorcism where body is killed and soul is left. Which goes in an opposite way of killing the spirit and leaving body alive, thus cleaning it from foreign influences. Thus this movie is a lot more clever than people give it credit for and if they would not be such whiny little dum dums, maybe they would learn something instead of trashing this movie for it being slow. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/19/25 Full Review Jonathan N Spoilers: go watch before you read this. I found this movie very boring and slow, despite the good premise. I fell asleep. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 09/12/25 Full Review Katherine S The beginning of this movie was not good Rated 2 out of 5 stars 08/07/25 Full Review PDUB O THIS is possibly the worst movie ever made. I will never get this 100 minutes back in my life.........James Woods must have needed some money to fund his boring life. Did I mention that I CANNOT stand James Woods "acting" anyway. He is. terribly untalented and a waste of space....... Rated 1 out of 5 stars 07/30/25 Full Review DennisFeinsteinCEO Awesome vampire flick! If you're an 80's horror fan, you'll 100% dig this one. James Woods and Daniel Baldwin nailed this (pun intended) 🦇🧛 Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/15/25 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis Ever since his parents were murdered by vampires, Jack Crow (James Woods) has had one purpose in life: putting stakes through bloodsuckers' hearts. With his battle-hardened crew of vampire killers and the assistance of the Catholic Church, Crow roams the New Mexico desert looking for undead lairs to annihilate. But he meets his match when, at a roadside motel, he comes face to face with Jan Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith), a vampire kingpin possessed of incredible powers.
Director
John Carpenter
Producer
Sandy King
Screenwriter
John Steakley, Don Jakoby
Distributor
Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia Pictures
Production Co
JVC Entertainment, Storm King Productions, Largo Entertainment
Rating
R
Genre
Horror, Action, Western
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 15, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$20.2M
Runtime
1h 44m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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