Director – Richard Griffin (Exhumed, Murder University)
Starring – Sarah Nicklin (The Creeping Fucking Kid in Apartment B), Jesse Dufault (Accidental Incest), and Samantha Acampora (The Last Halloween)
Release Date – 2014
Rating – 4/5
Tagline – “Soon there will be no one left to confess”
Indie horror has seen the rise and fall of so many directors. Many started out making films for fun and because they are fans of the genre but over time it turned into a job that was not pulling in the profits they were expecting. Other stop making films because they no longer were having the fun they once had. Very few indie directors can make a career out of film making but director Richard Griffin has been able to do so all while having fun at it. I have said this multiple times in reviews I have written about his films.
His films always pay tribute to a style or trend that has been long since forgotten and with films like Creature from the Hillbilly Lagoon, Necroville, and Atomic Brain Invasion you always know what you will be getting into up front. Sometime last year I became friends with Griffin on Facebook where I have followed his career like a tween with a One Direction fascination. Several months back I reviewed his film Future Justice and was really impressed. This only fueled my excitement for his next film which I learned was a tale about Dracula in a style reminiscent of the Satanic films of the 70s. The film, The Sins of Dracula, was scheduled to premier October 26th but Griffin was kind enough to send it me earlier than that as a birthday present to myself. Thanks for giving me the chance to see the film Richard! Also, happy birthday to you as well.
**Spoiler Alert**The film followed devout christian Billy who ventures away from church and church choir so he can be with his smokin hot girlfriend and participate in stage plays. His pastor is concerned for his christian soul but allows Billy to go out into the real world where he can learn about life outside of the church. His beautiful girlfriend Shannon (Nicklin) takes him to the theater where he meets everyone involved with the production and their unique backgrounds.
It is here that he meets the director of the play who is also an evil man who want to resurrect the prince of darkness, Dracula (Thurber). He has killed his production assistant and stage actor to use their blood to resurrect him and it works. Dracula and his new, well spoken, lacky set out to turn everyone involved with the theater into vampires while Billy struggles to stay pure and devout. **Spoiler Alert**
What I love about Richard Griffin’s films is that he is able to take a very low budget and with that low budget he is able to take me back in time to when movies had style and not shock value. With this film Griffin is taking us back to the 70s when there was a trend in cinema where the films were centered around Satan and religious cults. Griffin was able to craft that same kind of film but he threw in a little Hammer horror style that set this film apart from the rest.
The acting in this film is phenomenal which is something that makes Griffin’s films so amazing. The entire cast is great and we have names that need to be in more indie horror flicks. Jamie and Jesse Dufault are great. Both have been in other Griffin films and both always make every scene flow fluidly. These are two names that I think I will see in the end credits of a lot of films in the future. Horror hottie Sarah Nicklin shows why she is Griffin’s go-to-girl. She is beautiful and talented. Also, Samantha Acampora has a decent sized role as well and she shows a tremendous amount of talent and beauty. Finally, one of my favorite indie actors give an amazing performance and the dark prince. That actor is the talented and phenomenal Michael Thurber. If you have yet to catch a film he has been apart of then do it now and stop reading my ramblings.
The story for this one is one told before but in a more modern setting. Numerous films have been made where someone with evil intentions has tried to raise Dracula or the devil but none do so with style like this film did. Griffin is able to tell a story in a way that you actually care about what is going on rather than making a film with the intent of making the audience cringe and gag.
Finally, the film has decent special effects but they are what you would expect from a vampire film. The film would rather pull you in with enthralling storytelling and superb acting instead of blood and gore. Overall, The Sins of Dracula is a modern classic that shows how talented Richard Griffin and company really is. The film has style instead of cheap scares which is a breathe of fresh air in the current state of horror. Check it out because you will not be disappointed.
