New on Blu-ray from Darkside Releasing!

SPACE VAMPIRE (2020)

Directed and written by Chris Alexander.
Starring Ali Chappell, Cheryl Singleton
Find out more about this film here!

I’ve reviewed quite a few of the works of filmmaker/composer Chris Alexander; BLOOD FOR IRINA, QUEEN OF BLOOD, BLOOD DYNASTY. And in all of them, I feel as if I’m saying the same thing. This is a visually compelling film, though I’m sure it’s not for everyone, as Alexander’s films tend to lean more upon the experimental side. There is definitely an air of arthouse pretentiousness to Alexander’s films, but if you watch them closely, there is a narrative. It’s just not telling a story in the way mainstream movies have trained you to watch them. The same thing can be said for Alexander’s new film, SPACE VAMPIRE.

Running only around 50 minutes and swiping its name from the original title of Tobe Hooper’s masterpiece LIFEFORCE, Alexander’s SPACE VAMPIRE uses some of the same elements found in UNDER THE SKIN, one of my favorite recent films. UNDER THE SKIN could be considered extremely arthouse, but it’s almost as if Alexander saw that movie and then said, “Hold my beer.” And then just out-UNDER THE SKIN that movie.

In SPACE VAMPIRE, a leather clad woman enters a home and murders a young woman. Soon, the woman becomes the leather clad woman and makes her way around the city and claims a victim of her own. The film consists of low hypnotic tones and beats, focusing on long moments of the character walking, posing, and showering thick coats of blood off of her. There is a plot here. It’s a slowly unfolding one and the film does resolve in a manner that will come as a surprise to those who stick with it.

To enjoy a Chris Alexander film is to have patience. SPACE VAMPIRE is more of a slow realization as to what’s going on than anything else. I understand there will be those who just aren’t into this. Still, I admire Alexander’s dedication to brings forth arthouse horror to the forefront on a consistent basis. The man really does have a style for lingering on the macabre and horrific, while transporting the viewer into another world through hypnotic music and bizarre imagery. If you’re intrigued after this review, give Chris Alexander’s SPACE VAMPIRE a shot. It’s definitely a unique experience in a genre that too often repeats itself ad nauseum.

Check out the trailer here!!