Sadly Over-hyped

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

After Sundown is one of those movies made by people with very little money and even less talent where you are not surprised to see the same names listed over and over in the credits, but you are shocked it took so many to produce something so pitiful. On the one hand, you have to respect these folks for setting out to make a film and accomplishing that goal. On the other hand, everyone would have been better off taking up knitting instead.Out of respect for the effort that was made, I'm going to give this thing an actual review even though all that's really needed is to note that the writing sucks, the acting sucks, the direction sucks, the production values suck, there's no nudity, nothing deliberately funny, virtually nothing unintentionally funny and the violence and gore in After Sundown is tamer than what you'll see in an average episode of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.The plot concerns an wild west vampire and his bride who are revived in the modern world and start turning people into zombies. Yes, these vampires turn people into zombies and not other vampires. No, it doesn't make any sense but that's the least questionable thing about this script. Our cast of characters basically wander around the extremely limited number of locations these filmmakers could afford to shoot at, trying to avoid being eaten, going long stretches without saying anything and going longer stretches where they can barely be seen because this film has worse lighting than an abandoned mine shaft.I don't have much criticism for the actors of After Sundown. They don't give very good performances but with the abysmal dialog and frequently nonsensical story they had to work with in addition to the miserable direction they no doubt received, they deserve some credit for not completely embarrassing themselves.Both writer/co-director Christopher Abram and co-director Michael W. Brown do warrant a heaping dose of humiliation for their weak and excessively extended labors. If you've ever been to a film festival and seen a 20 minute short that was so terrible you couldn't understand why anyone bothered to make it, add another 68 minutes of equally awful stuff and you have good idea of what After Sundown is like. From having a dream sequence in the middle of a flashback to pulling a conclusion completely out of their asses and then literally forgetting about it, Abram and Brown demonstrate the storytelling aptitude of sea slugs that have smoked too much marijuana. I mean, they couldn't even show this movie to their own mothers and not get "two thumbs down".After Sundown is another drop in the ocean of utterly worthless films that have been vomited up onto DVD in a desperate and deceitful effort to scam the movie-loving public. It isn't worth renting. It isn't worth watching for free on TV. They should have to pay people to watch this thing and then let the viewers kick Abram and Brown square in the nuts when it's over.

When I read posts saying they thought this film wasn't very good but then they found out how low the budget was and now have new respect for the film...I cringe. (I also cringe when I see 10 stars for this movie as they are obviously affiliated in some way) A film is either good or bad no matter how big or small the budget. Can you tell a good story? Can you keep the pace of the film moving? With all the limitations there is on a low budget film can you make it entertaining? As far as After Sundown goes, the Original Edit didn't take itself so seriously, had better music, lighting, sound, smoother edits and above all else humor. I know all this because I directed the film and with the help of our talented D.P. put together the Original Edit that premiered in front of 400 or so at Billy Bob's in Fort Worth, Texas. The version available in stores was altered by the Executive Producers in a failed attempt at making this a serious horror film. With all that being said, it was still a great learning experience and having Lion's Gate on the resume can't be all bad.

I see many independent and low-budget films, and those involved with this film on all levels clearly have talent. The problem with low-budget horror films in particular is that horror is a genre that relies a great deal upon mood. Without a lot of money to put into good film stock, these films often appear digitized and lack the ability to give the same degree of color richness, depth and texture necessary to set an appropriate mood. Lighting is also far less forgiving, which influences not only mood but also the special effects and gore. So, while it is clear those involved in this film have talent, the low-budget nature is often distracting, and left me wondering what could have been. The story has an interesting twist on typical vampire lore with the addition of zombies (and I love a good zombie flick). Throw some more money at these guys, and lets see what they can do next.

A campy horror flick made to be gory fun on a very low budget as a master vampire and his wife turn some people into the undead and others into flesh eating zombies.Through flashbacks, you discover that a 19th century preacher's daughter turned vampire bears a demon child as her vampire husband comes to take her and the baby away. The townspeople subdue and stake the husband, wife/daughter, and baby after a fierce, but one sided, gun battle with the husband, and a tortured child birthing scene.Present day - A group relocating an existing cemetery for developers uncover a buried non-decomposed woman and her baby (in 19th century dress) with wooden stakes in their hearts. Awe struck, the group takes their bodies to the morgue for examination. They pull the stakes out, and leave the bodies unattended. Well, you can guess what happens next at the morgue. In the mean time, workers pull a silver cross from the chest of another body at the cemetery - guess who.Flash backs to the 19th century fill in some of the blanks as the master vampire husband searches for his wife and child wreaking havoc along the way.The twist is that the vampires control the mindless zombies.If you're looking for attention keeping entertainment, skip it. If you're looking for some low budget gore and a combination of zombies and vampires, then this is for you.