Southern Gothic

Introduction

The one thing I've learned from watching many, many horror movies is that vampires are not exactly big fans of religion! Southern Gothic turns this on its head by having the main vampire as a fire and brimstone southern preacher who interprets his rebirth as proof that he is the second coming and must cleanse the world of all the unholy.

Set around a bar/strip joint in the Deep South where Hazel Fortune, a depressed alcoholic, works as a bouncer, Southern Gothic introduces vampires early on with a particularly bloody attack. When Starla, one of the dancers, needs a ride home, she reluctantly accepts Fortune's offer and he becomes involved in her life.

When a vampire turns the local preacher who then kidnaps Starla, Fortune takes it upon himself to look after her daughter, Hope, and lead the fight back against the army of undead.

Video

Southern Gothic is gorgeously shot, with some really moody cinematography and the transfer doesn't disappoint. Most of the film takes place at night or in dimly lit interiors but the picture is pretty clear and adds to the atmosphere.

Audio

The dialogue is slightly muddy, with some sentences a little difficult to make out and there are no subtitles to help you, but overall the sound is good and the score complements the visuals well.

Extra Features

Sadly, just a trailer.

Conclusion

The film takes a while to get going, with all the pieces only falling in to place at about the half-way mark but it allows you to be introduced to all the characters, how they fit in and the preacher to establish a power base.

William Forsythe is excellent as Pitt, the preacher, and Yul Vazquez gives a really involving and engaging performance as the melancholy Fortune. Beautifully filmed and intelligently written, this is an interesting and welcome addition to the Vampire sub-genre, though the paucity of the disc counts against a purchase. Genre fans are well advised to keep an eye out for this.