The same conflict over and over is not frightening. Once it collapses under the weight of its own preposterousness and lack of suspense, it doesn't matter how many cool-looking vampires screech like feral beasts- the movie has already lost all its blood.
30 Days of Night (2007)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:150
Fresh:73
Rotten:77
Average Rating:5.5/10
Consensus: While 30 Days of Night offers a few thrills, it ultimately succumbs to erratic execution.
Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for strong horror violence and language.
Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Theatrical Release:01-11-2007
Synopsis: Located in the northernmost part of Alaska, the town of Barrow experiences a complete lack of sunshine for an entire month once a year. The town is populated with tough, hardworking, and generally... Located in the northernmost part of Alaska, the town of Barrow experiences a complete lack of sunshine for an entire month once a year. The town is populated with tough, hardworking, and generally law-abiding citizens, so there hasn't been much for Sheriff Eben Olesen (Josh Hartnett) to do except brood over his separation from his fire marshall wife, Stella (Melissa George). As darkness descends for its annual 30-day day, though, a series of bizarre discoveries rocks the town--and very soon vampiric Marlow (Danny Huston) and his minions arrive, slaughtering and sucking on everyone they can catch, safe in the knowledge that they have much longer than usual until sunup. Eben, his little brother Jake (Mark Rendall), Stella, and a handful of others are forced to hide and fight for their lives until the sun returns. Clearly inspired by the sprinting zombies of Danny Boyle's 28 DAYS LATER and Zach Snyder's DAWN OF THE DEAD, Slade makes these vampires lightning-fast creatures of destruction. With ratlike makeup design indebted to NOSFERATU, they are effectively spooky. This is as much an action film as a horrific one. The lead-in time until the tale's initial fireworks is brief, and the pace thereafter is relentless. The script, co-written by Niles, is tense and avoids tension-killing humor that ruins so many contemporary studio horror efforts. 30 DAYS OF NIGHT never plays it safe; primary characters bite the dust, children fall into harm's way, and a lot of pretty white scenery turns red before our eyes. [More]
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Danny Huston, Ben Foster
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Danny Huston, Ben Foster, Mark Boone
Director: David Slade
Director: David Slade
Screenwriter: Steve Niles, Stuart Beattie, Brian Nelson
Producer: Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert
Composer: Brian Reitzell
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Reviews for 30 Days of Night
Here's a story set in a place where people are almost as impervious to cold as vampires, and roads remain plowed even after a blizzard.
Not only is 30 Days of Night the first fright flick in a long time to be chilling in every way, it's also the one to return our fangy friends to their rightful frightfulness.
This high-concept vampire film suffers from a disappointingly low-concept approach.
This is a full-on, non-stop horror film. You're either on the bus or off the bus. But if you are on, you're hanging on with both hands and your hair flying back for the better part of the movie.
This is a gory, nasty movie that never gives its characters or its audience a moment's rest.
Hartnett has the same empty, mildly worried look in his eyes all the time, whether or not he's a vampire.
These vamps could use stakes as toothpicks and garlic as garnish on their meals of human flesh. Their only weaknesses are a well-swung ax to the jugular and sunlight. Much like Larry King.
Certainly bloody, but not bloody good...doesn't go the tongue-in-cheek route, but by the close it's pretty risible.
During bad movies my mind often drifts toward better ones, which explains why 30 Days of Night reminded me of High Noon.
A gore-filled, cheer-inciting B-movie that re-imagines the vampire as something to be feared, not to sleep with.
Despite the clever twist of fighting vampires with an ultraviolet lamp (good thing grandma grew pot), this horror-flick fondue settles into an extended cat-and-mouse sequence dotted with the occasional dollop of gore.
Result is a mixed bag but has a catchy premise and quite enough splatter to satisfy gorehounds.
The script is simple stuff, simpler than the graphic novel, which at least managed to devote a page or two to the vampires’ back story.
Rises above its source material, both in plot and gut-rumbling tone. Even accounting for a few logy sequences, it's the most relentless, sustained freak-out since The Descent.
Doomed to have its best scenes mistakenly remembered as parts of better movies.
Latest News for 30 Days of Night
September 02, 2009:
30 Days of Night Sequel Director Revealed ![]()
According to Bloody Disgusting's sources, the "30 Days of Night" sequel will roll in October, with Ben Ketai behind the cameras. More...
November 06, 2008:
30 Days of Night Sequel Confirmed ![]()
Following up on reports from the spring, Bloody Disgusting has confirmed that a sequel to "30 Days of Night" is on its way. More...
October 21, 2008:
David Gordon Green Heads to the Heartland ![]()
Overture has hired David Gordon Green to direct "Freaks of the Heartland," an adaptation of the horror graphic novel from "30 Days of Night" writer Steve Niles. More...
May 08, 2008:
Kim Newman on... Hotel
RT Obscura, the exclusive column by renowned critic Kim Newman, sees the writer plumbing the depths of the RT archive in search of some forgotten gems. In his 16th column, Kim... More...
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