Short Film Review

Film Info:

John just wants to hang out in his car
in a remote parking lot and get high. Unfortunately he gets more...

Written By: Mark Schwab
Directed By: Mark Schwab
Genre: Horror
13 Minutes

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  "The Davenport Vampire", despite it's odd poster, is actually a pretty damn good short film. I didn't quite know what to expect as I flopped out on my couch and hit the play icon. Not a lot really. When you see old style, throwback posters you tend to think it'll be good, or it will be really bad. Generally not a lot of play in the middle. So, with a nervous heart I began my journey into writer / director Mark Schwab's world, and by the end, as I'm sure you guessed, I really liked what was laid out in front of me.
  Despite being an independent film on what I would imagine was nil budget, "The Davenport Vampire" played in a way that screamed heart and soul. I was quite impressed with the slick edit, some pretty good camera work and some decent audio wrapping it all up. Nowhere were the harsh realities of making a short film with next to nothing. What was presented here was a stylistic, oddball film that I would be more than happy to watch again. If you're looking to point and laugh at the amateur newbie trying to make a movie, don't bother. You won't find that here. I'm also happy to report, with a joyous heart, that the acting was actually pretty good as well. The portrayals were believable and realistic, with the exception on one short scene. I'll get into that here. At the end of the film, a brief conversation takes place involving the cops. A dialog is laid out that really seemed forced and... quite awful. Just being honest. Who talks like these people? As a cop, you would know what a drug does, the effects and generally... all about it. Hell, myself and pretty much any other person knows this stuff! So to hear a long, drawn out discussion about what a drug does, and what the cops think happened was not needed. I know, sometimes you have to force feed viewers information so they know what's happening. But sometimes... you don't. Most of us are smart enough to get it. The conversation just felt fake. As I wrote above. We all understood the premise and forcing it all out using an awkward conversation just felt weird. Now, don't get me wrong. We're talking 30 seconds here that I, personally, didn't really like. The rest of this film was damn good.
  Here lies a stylistic piece that shines in almost every way. Some good acting rounding off some nice production work. "The Davenport Vampire" will keep you entertained and actually does create an unusual vibe as you watch. What vibe is that? Watch and find out. Mwa ha ha ha haaaa!
-JT