Vampires Suck Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray presentation of "Vampires Suck" features a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that delivers an engaging visual experience, albeit with some technical inconsistencies. The high-definition quality is evident, displaying crisply defined images and subtle texture details that render appreciable depth. Primaries are strong throughout, with colors like the bright reds of the students' cloaks and deep greens of the forest emerging vividly on screen. The transfer strikes a commendable balance in contrast and brightness, ensuring both bright and dark sequences remain dynamic without losing detail.

However, a recurring issue of aliasing mars the overall experience. This artifact is prominently noticeable in various scenes, creating jagged edges on objects such as vehicles, buildings, and other elements. Another observable concern is the moiré effect on surfaces like brick structures and rooftops. Despite these drawbacks, the video retains a natural filmic quality, maintaining a fine layer of grain especially evident in indoor and nighttime sequences where different film stocks were employed by the director of photography.

In terms of shadow delineation and dimensionality, the presentation excels with punchy blacks that enhance low-level scenes. The disc does exhibit occasional spikes in grain, but it largely contributes to the film's cinematic appeal rather than detracting from it. The color palette is warm and richly saturated, particularly highlighting warmer tones like the skin textures or environmental hues. While these positive attributes elevate certain aspects of the viewing, the persistent encoding issues ultimately detract from what could have been an outstanding transfer. Nonetheless, for viewers focused on color vibrancy and detailed textures, "Vampires Suck" provides an intriguing visual offering despite its imperfections.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack for "Vampires Suck" presents a competent, but institutionally unremarkable audio experience. The film largely leans on its dialogue and atmospheric elements, which are rendered with commendable clarity and presence. Dialogue is distinctly articulated with excellent room penetration, creating a sound profile that allows for easy listening. Dynamic range in this mix is notably good, offering subtle nuances in low-level sounds and substantial gravity when needed during broader sequences. However, the rear channels are underutilized, contributing mostly sparse ambient effects such as nuanced chatter and environmental sounds. Despite some lackluster moments in surround engagement, the few action-oriented scenes use the soundfield effectively to energize the room briefly.

Where the DTS-HD MA track shines moderately is in its handling of the musical score and occasional incidental music. The soundfield fills up well during these moments, with deep bass and satisfying dynamics that contribute more heft than the effects themselves. The front soundstage demonstrates good imaging with clear mid-range rendering and detailed clarity, providing a somewhat immersive experience. Subtle use of panning across the channels manages to persuade at times, although these instances are relatively infrequent. Overall, while the soundtrack may not be demonstration-worthy or memorable, it delivers a sufficiently satisfying listening experience for its genre, making it an adequate yet unexceptional companion to the film's comedic antics.

The extras for the Blu-ray of "Vampires Suck" are a lackluster assortment, unlikely to appeal beyond the film's dedicated fan base. The collection includes a series of quirky deleted scenes, and a gag reel that provides some minor amusement with its selection of on-set blunders and messed-up lines. There's also a theatrical trailer and pre-release sneak peeks at other films. While some pieces are in full HD, the overall quality and depth of the content might not meet audience expectations.

Extras included in this disc:

• Deleted Scenes: A mix of nine omitted sequences.
• Gag Reel: Compilation of humorous outtakes.
• Theatrical Trailer: Preview of the movie.
• Sneak Peeks: Trailers for "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" and "Cyrus".
• BD-Live Exclusive - Who Makes a Better Lover, Vampires or Werewolves?: Promotional feature with cast interviews.

"Vampires Suck," directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, is another attempt at spoofing popular culture, focusing on the "Twilight" saga. The film absurdly follows Becca Crane (Jenn Proske) as she navigates high school drama and a love triangle involving Edward Sullen (Matt Lanter), a restrained vampire, and Jacob White (Christopher N. Riggi), a hyperactive werewolf. The parody makes use of tired jokes and slapstick humor that often fall flat, resulting in an extremely banal experience. The narrative stretches itself through a series of unconnected, snarky references to contemporary pop culture, failing to establish a coherent storyline or deliver effective satire.

The technical performances, however, manage to salvage fleeting moments of enjoyment. Jenn Proske stands out by convincingly imitating Kristen Stewart's mannerisms, capturing the angst and turmoil of her character with surprising accuracy. Diedrich Bader also provides sparse comedic relief as Becca’s well-meaning but dim-witted father. The cinematography mildly echoes the dark, misty atmosphere associated with vampire lore but does little to elevate the uninspired material. Ken Jeong’s brief appearance as an ancient vampire turned prom king adds a touch of levity, albeit insufficiently.

In essence, "Vampires Suck" stumbles in its attempt at humor, recycling overused gags and cultural jabs that fail to resonate. The film aligns with Friedberg and Seltzer's penchant for lowbrow comedy and rapid-fire jokes that rarely land. Despite the small flashes of competent acting and momentary chuckles, most of the film feels disjointed and uninspired, making it a largely forgettable entry in the spoof genre.

"Vampires Suck" offers a satirical take on the "Twilight" saga, yet it falters significantly in execution. The film, directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, attempts to mock popular vampire romances but lands flat with insipid humor and inconsequential sight gags. Professional critics, like Peter Travers from Rolling Stone, have ruthlessly dismissed it, emphasizing its lack of intellectual substance and comedic prowess. Tackling a target as rife for parody as "Twilight" requires cleverness and depth that "Vampires Suck" fails to deliver, making the source material appear superior by comparison.

The Blu-ray release features admirable technical specifications but fails to overcome the film's deficiencies. The video transfer is clean and vibrant; however, it suffers from recurring issues of aliasing and jaggies, undermining an otherwise strong presentation. The audio track performs adequately but lacks noteworthy elements, delivering passable yet uninspiring sound. The bonus materials provided by Fox are minimal and do little to enhance the value of this disc. Despite these efforts to present a polished home viewing experience, the inherent quality of the content remains lacking.

In conclusion, while the Blu-ray edition of "Vampires Suck" boasts an impressive technical setup, the film's lackluster direction and uninspired humor render it an ineffective parody. Even with high-quality video and reasonable audio, it fails to mask the deficiencies in its comedic ambition. Thus, it's advisable to skip this release unless you're specifically keen on collecting subpar parody films.