Innocent Blood (1992)

Innocent Blood (1992) ** (out of 4) Director John Landis once again mixes comedy and horror and the end result is Marie (Anne Parillaud), a female vampire who just happens to have a craving for Italian men, which might work well for her since there's a Mafia battle going on. As more and more made men turn up drained of blood, a detective (Anthony LaPaglia) begins to think that it might be the work of the supernatural. INNOCENT BLOOD can only been seen in one way and that's a major disappointment. Those hoping to see another classic like AN American Werewolf IN London are going to be especially disappointed because we know that the director is capable of doing something special with this type material but the material itself is the real killer here. As you watch this movie you really can't help but get frustrated because there are so many interesting ideas that could have worked into a good movie but it seems like they were working off a first draft screenplay and one that needed a lot of re-writes. The stuff dealing with the Mafia men turning into vampires could have been interesting but nothing is done with it. The entire erotic side of Marie would have made for a much better movie than what we ended up getting. There are so many scenes in this film that just seem flat but with a little work they could have been something better. Landis perfectly nails the erotic side of things but a lot of this is due to the beautiful Parillaud constantly taking her clothes off. The horror elements aren't all that memorable, although the death scenes deserve some credit for how much blood there is. Everything with the mob is just downright silly. The film at least offers up a wide range of familiar faces including Robert Loggia, Chazz Palminteri, Marshall Bell, Angela Bassett, Luis Guzman, Don Rickles, Tom Savini as well as some directors like Sam Raimi, Dario Argento and Frank Oz. And yeah, Forrest J. Ackerman is also on hand. INNOCENT BLOOD should have been so much more entertaining but sadly it's just a forgettable waste of time.

Bloody good entertainment this was. This one has it all, sans the stuffiness born of prudence. Beginning with some full frontal nudity, how are we to not like this horror comedy? And there is so much to like, including a wonderful cast peppered with multiple cameos and incredible horror homages. Even some of the myths are flagrantly flouted for fun. The acting was fine for what it was- entertaining. The direction of Landis was stylishly proud of its genre. With lots of blood and beautiful shots of a nocturnal Pittsburgh, the camera's lens settles in nicely. When the ending threatened to be cheesy, it answered with crackers. Ashe.Evil Eye Reviews

Easily one of my favorite vampire movies ever (together with Kathryn Bigelow's "Near Dark", amongst others). Since I get the feeling that this movie is a bit under-appreciated, you might get the feeling that my rating perhaps is a bit over-rated too. But can you blame me after having watched one too many crappy vampire movies over the years? Honestly, I love "Innocent Blood". It's a perfect mixture of mafia and vampire stuff, skillfully directed by John Landis. Comedy and horror in a successful blend. A lot of cool cameos (Sam Raimi, Dario Argento, Linnea Quigley...). We have some good actors who went on to act in HBO's "The Sopranos" later on (that, at least, has got to say something). Anne Parillaud is totally up for the part and perfectly believable as a sexy French vampire in Pittsburgh with a taste for Italian food. Some great special effects. Even the romance worked in this flick. Well done John Landis! If you've previously enjoyed his "An American Werewolf In London", then you should do alright having a blast with "Innocent Blood" too.

~Spoiler~ Innocent Blood is John Landis' chaotic and hilarious take on the underworld and...the underworld. This is the movie where two genres unite: vampire films and mafia films. Who would have thought two of the most bloody genres would be so much fun together? Our first hero of this story is the centuries-old vampire, Marie. Marie has a conscience and only kills people who deserve it (hence the Innocent Blood title). Naturally she targets the mob; who's less innocent than them, right? Problems arise when she is interrupted dining on the Don so to speak. Sal "The Shark" Macelli doesn't die like he was supposed to, instead he becomes a vampire who goes on to recruit his whole "family" to the ranks of the undead. This creates a problem for our second hero, Joe Gennaro. Joe's an undercover cop who's trying to put away the Macelli family. As you can imagine, all sorts of comedic predicaments ensue. That's all I'm going to give away. The terrific cast includes some big names. Anne Parillaud of Le Femme Nikita fame stars as the sexy femme fatale. Anthony LaPaglia plays Gennaro and Robert Loggia is the scene-stealing Sal "The Shark." Speaking of scene-stealing, Don Rickles plays Sal's goofy attorney. The supporting cast includes Chazz Palminteri, David Proval, Luis Guzman, Tony Sirico, and Angela Bassett. Be on the lookout for some great cameos from some of the biggest names in horror. My only real complaint with the movie...Landis should have called it A French Vampire in Pittsburgh. That would have made a perfect companion piece with his American Werewolf in London.