I haven’t really liked this film before, nor have I been particularly drawn to vampire stories, yet revisiting it after quite some time, I must admit I found myself enjoying it mostly because of James Woods and the exaggerated acting of Thomas Ian Griffith—and Sheryl Lee is pleasing to look at. It's definitely not among John Carpenter’s best work, and the editing felt disjointed, but it was still passably diverting. …

The opening line alone—"I killed my own father, padre. I got no trouble killing you"—suggests something far worse than what this movie actually is. It’s surprising how much better *Vampires* holds up now than some of the criticism it received back in 1998. Stripped of the pressure surrounding John Carpenter's comeback, it turns out to be a genuinely entertaining and gory experience. James Woods carries the film as…