| Vampirella | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Home video release poster | |
| Directed by | Jim Wynorski |
| Written by | Gary Gerani |
| Based on | Vampirella byForrest J. Ackerman Trina Robbins Frank Frazetta Tom Sutton |
| Produced by | Angela Baynes Paul Hertzberg Jim Wynorski |
| Starring | Talisa Soto Roger Daltrey |
| Cinematography | Andrea Rossotto |
| Music by | Joel Goldsmith |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Concorde Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 82 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Vampirella is a 1996 Americandirect-to-videosuperhero film which was part of theRoger Corman Presents series. It was based on theVampirella comic book.
It was directed byJim Wynorski, who said in 2013 that it was the one film of his he regretted making. "I can look back on it today and just say 'Oh well', but back when the memories were fresh and the blood on the floor was yet to dry, it was painful to even edit", he said. "What went wrong??? Wrong choice for the star, massive union problems inVegas, studio interference, theft, accidents, 112 degree heat, you name it, we had it happen. But at least I got to seeSoupy Sales perform."[1]
30 centuries ago, on a distant planet called Drákulon, lies a civilized vampire society that drinks synthetic blood which flows through rivers across the planet. Their society's harmony is interrupted when Vlad Tepish, a rebel vampire who prefers the traditional practice of sucking the blood of others, along with his accomplices, murders all the members of the Council of Elders who govern Drákulon and then flees to Earth in order to create a race of vampires with their own ideals. Among the murdered elders was the father of Ella, who, with a desire for revenge, decides to follow Vlad's trail to Earth.
During her journey, she is forced to stay on Mars for a while and, meanwhile, remains in a deep lethargy. A long time later, she is found by astronauts and is taken to Earth. Upon arrival, she immediately begins to do everything possible to reach Vlad, who is now in Las Vegas and pretends to be a singer named Jamie Blood. In her eagerness, she coincides with a special police unit responsible for trapping extraterrestrial beings that intend to damage the Earth.
At first Ella, who now calls herself Vampirella, intends to continue with her revenge plan, but then allies with the special unit and must fight against Vlad and his vampires to save humanity from being turned into a horde of vampires, although this implies that she violates her own principles of not drinking blood from other beings.
AVampirella film project had been in development for a number of years.Hammer Films was originally going to release the film in 1976 with actresses such asCaroline Munro andValerie Leon being considered for the title role.Peter Cushing was also cast in the role as Pendragon as well asOrson Welles andDonald Pleasence in other roles, however the film was not made due toJames Warren's refusal to relinquish merchandising rights.[2][3] Munro and fellow Hammer Horror actressJudy Matheson were featured in a 2019 stage reading of the original script intended for Hammer'sVampirella film, starring Munro's daughter in the title role.[4]Hammer came close to making the film again in 1978 starring Barbara Leigh;Christopher Wicking wrote a script and John Hough was to direct. The film was going to be a co production withAmerican International Pictures but then head of productionSamuel Z. Arkoff decided not to make the film.[5][6]
In the early 1980sPeter Guber and Jon Peters had the rights when they were at Polygram.[7]
Film rights passed toRoger Corman andJim Wynorski. Leigh says that Wynorski wanted to castPaula Abdul in the title role.[8][self-published source] Wynorski had a friend, Gary Gerani, who was a Vampirella aficionado, and hired him to write the script.[9]
Jim Wynorski later called the film "a mess... a film I cannot watch. Everything went wrong. Everything!"[10]
His main concern was the casting of Talisa Soto. Wynorski said, "She's very pretty and she's verysexy. But she's not Vampirella. They forced me to use her. She just didn't have the body for the costume....I should have hadJulie Strain. But they didn't think Julie Strain meant anything. So they put somebody wrong in the role."[10]
Wynorski later said he should "have stopped and said let's just not do this. But, I was going to lose the rights in six months, so I did what I had to do. At least, I got the film made. But I should have said no."[10]
"It would have been so simple to cast the latestBaywatchbimbo in this part", said Gerani. "So now she's a vampire wonder woman from outer space with a Puerto Rican accent. What more could you ask for?"[9]
The director thought Roger Daltrey "was great... the actors were fine".[10]
Filming took place inLas Vegas. "It was 110, everyday", said Wynorski. "Everybody wasgambling, everybody was up all night. Everyone was blurry eyed. There was a thief on set who was stealing money. It was awful."[10]
"When you see how lousy those bat transformations are", said Gerani, "you'll realize that we're just a hip little million-dollardrive-in movie."[9]
"It was really a nasty, nasty picture to work on", said Wynorski. "And it came out badly, too... I wish I could go back now and redo it with theCGI of today. But even then, I just don't ever feel like going back to that.... It's got a goodJoel Goldsmith score."[10]
"Given how absurd anything calledVampirella would be, the movie certainly doesn't insult your intelligence", says Gerani. "I think there's a nice emotional depth to the piece."[9]
In the end credits of the film, a sequel was promised that would be titledDark Avenger of Death; however, the sequel was never produced.
In 2021,Dynamite Entertainment announced a new feature film was in development, in addition to plans for television adaptations based on the Vampirella Universe.[11] No new developments have been announced since then.