Review: Razor Blade Smile

Razor Blade Smile

 Roger Crow's review

UK, 1998
BBFC Classification: 18 (violence, sex, bad acting, bloodshed, annoying hissing)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Cast: Eileen Daly
Director: Jake West
Screenplay: Jake West
UK Distributor: Manga Live

One of the problems with the vampire genre is that it's great as long as the director has a fresh angle on things.

While Interview with the Vampire may have been a sombre affair, it was at least original by being The Gone with the Wind of vamp flicks.

RBS is the Nikita of the bloodsucking field with the gorgeous Eileen Daly squeezing into a spray on cat suit and embarking on Emma Peel-like shenanigans.

While writer director Jake West is obviously trying to be hip by saying that we know f*** all about real vampires, he shoots himself in the foot by trying to be a little too cocky.

Some great visual effects are marred by a tendency to stray into Ken Russell/Lair of the White Worm territory with yawnsome scenes of the unded protagonists hissing at one another.

Any attempt to portray the vampires as primal beings who resort to cat-like screeching at moments of confrontation merely comes across like someone with toothache whose fillings have just come into contact with silver foil.

One the plus side, there is at least plenty of sex and bloodshed for those who fancy a take out and a few beers on a Friday night so it's not a complete write off.

Daly is also well worth a look as the gun-toting anti heroine who keeps her arsenal in a coffin.

Alas, the pay off when it eventually does come, really wasn't worth waiting for. Her lover is a dreadful character who seems to take great delight in stretching his dialogue to breaking point in the vague hope that it might seem more important.

Sorry mate, it wasn't worth the effort.

Is it worth the price of rental of admission? Not really. Better off dusting down a copy of Nikita and Near Dark then watching them back to back or if you want a sexy vamp flick which is more style than substance, then The Hunger (1983) should do the trick.

However, keep an eye on Jake West. With a few more years in the business and a little more time spent on his script, he should deliver the goods admirably.

After all, look at James Cameron's debut: Piranha 2: Flying Killers. A lot less engaging than this.

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