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Cast: Diana Busuioc, Teo Celigo, Christina Collard, Marcienne Dwyer, Christian Gehring, Rocco Nugent, Mark Jacobson, Katelynn Derengowski, Mindy Robinson, Gregory Lee Kenyon, Vera Nova, Jennifer Starr
Just over 500 years ago, Vlad the Impaler (Gregory Lee Kenyon) returns to his castle to find it over-run by Turks. He sells his soul to the Devil to save his wife and defeat the Turks, turning him to a monstrous demon. His Victory is short-lived, however, as his wife is revived just in time to see him dragged off to Hell.
In the Hollywood Hills, a party marks the end of seven friend’s high school careers. Dominic (Teo Celigo) seals his love for his anxious girlfriend, Chelsea (Marcienne Dwyer), with a ring that symbolizes their commitment. After they return to the group, Adam (Christian Gehring) reveals to everyone that he has been having increasingly potent dreams that seem to beckon him to a castle in Romania that he found to be the real castle of Vlad the Impaler. His half-mocking group of friend’s are shocked to find that he has booked the castle for a week to kick off their graduation Euro-trip. After arriving at the Castle, they find that they will not be the only residents as the castle’s groundskeeper, Veronica (Diana Busuioc), opens the castle gates and shows them their rooms. The specter-like groundskeeper proves to be more than she seems as she leads the kids through a bloody ritual to release Vlad from Hell.
Shadows, secrets, and scares abound in this dark modern revival of the world’s first vampire: the infamous, Dracula. The time has come to summon the world’s greatest evil back from Hell. No one will be safe.
I was really looking forward to sitting down to watch "Dracula: The Impaler" but not really knowing what to expect. After-all there has been an abundance of vampire films over the last several years and most were not very good. The story focuses on Adam and six friends. Adam is a spoiled rich kid that seems to get anything he wants. After having several strange dreams which involved a castle Adam researches it a bit and finds out that it is located in Romania and is the actual castle of Vlad The Impaler. The group of friends are at a party as the film begins and it is where Adam describes his strange dreams and invites his friends to travel with him to the castle, Adam also agrees to pay for everyone. A few are reluctant at first but in the end everyone agrees after Adam tells a few lies about the place. After a long and bumpy train ride the group arrives and a man meets them and gives Adam the keys, it seems they are under the impression that they will be spending the week in the castle alone but when they try to open the door they are met by Veronica who claims to be the groundskeeper. At first all seems well but soon things begin to happen which puts the group in grave danger.
The film starts off by introducing us to the characters, the plot and the back story of Vlad The Impaler. As the story moves along you get to find out a bit more about Vlad which helps fill in the gaps. At first I thought I was in for another "Teen" vampire flick but that did not last long because once the group arrives at the castle the film becomes something much more than an average film.
The film goes from being playful at first to being an atmospheric, suspense filled ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat with its twists and turns that keep you guessing and wondering where it is all leading. The entire cast which includes, Diana Busuioc, Teo Celigo, Christina Collard, Marcienne Dwyer, Christian Gehring, Rocco Nugent, Mark Jacobson, Katelynn Derengowski, Mindy Robinson, Gregory Lee Kenyon, Vera Nova, and Jennifer Starr do a great job playing these very realistic characters. They made it very easy to gain feelings towards each and everyone which is very important to the story. I did not pick out anyone actor here because for me this was an ensemble piece and it would not be fair to spotlight any one actor over another because everyone was fantastic.
Besides the atmosphere and suspense the film also delivers on several other levels, for starters it looks amazing. The cinematography is brilliant and it really helps in providing the right mood. Another plus here is the film brings the sexy with it as well, there is plenty of eye candy here for both the men and women. And last but not least the fill delivers on just the right amount of carnage as well.
If you are a fan of horror you are going to love this incredibly entertaining from Writer, Diana Busuioc and Director, Derek Hockenbrough. This is a winning team I hope to see more of in the future.
The film will be released on DVD 9/2/2014. You can follow the film's progress by visiting its Official Site HERE and it's Facebook Page HERE.
I would love to tell you more about the film but that would be hard without causing spoilers and that is one thing I never like to do. "Dracula: The Impaler" is an infectious vampire flick that draws you in deeper and deeper as it moves along and it doesn't let go until its twist filled climax that more than satisfies, do not miss seeing this unique and original horror film that delivers as advertised and more.
Released by Midnight Releasing
**** Out Of *****