Suck DVD Movie Review
Suck DVD Movie Review
Written & Directed by Rob Stefaniuk
Starring: Rob Stefaniuk, Jessica Paré, Dave Foley, Malcolm McDowell, Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop, Henry Rollins, Moby, Dimitri Coats, Alex Lifeson, Carole Pope
Review: by Staci Layne Wilson
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If you should happen to see this film and declare it “sucks!” the filmmakers just might take that as a compliment. It is a blood-licking vampire flick, after all. There’s also a heavy guitar-lick rock ‘n roll theme, and let’s face it – that term was common amongst rockers long before it hit the mainstream (who still has their "Disco Sucks!" tee shirt tucked away somewhere?).
Suck follows the trials, tribulations and teething of a fledgling hipster band, and there are many visual nods throughout the film to the genre – namely moving-picture reenactments of album covers Abbey Road, Electric Warriors, and Born in the USA (what?, no Sucking in the Seventies?). Not to mention a few recreations from classic vampire films, all done tongue firmly in cheek.
Suck lovingly and quite amusingly interweaves lots of nods and winks throughout, but the thing that sets it apart from claptrap like Stan Helsing is clever writing, a crew who cared, and good (if hoary) story.
Writer/director Rob Stefaniuk stars (I didn’t know this until after having viewed the movie) as Joey, the singer and cheerleader of the band The Winners. The Winners are, of course, anything but: They are a struggling string of misfits who play various bars, dives and taverns. Joey starts to sing the blues when his girlfriend the bassist (played by Jessica Pare), turns her attention to a new groupie… A tall, deadly stranger (played by Dimitri Coats, of hard-rock act Burning Brides) who just happens to be undead. Coats comes off looking a bit too much like Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, but still maintains a credible enough seductive, rock and roll goth vibe. He's not the only ax-man in the credits — we've also got Alice Cooper as a world-weary bartender, Iggy Pop as a blasé record exec, Henry Rollins is an acerbic DJ, and Moby as a heavy metal caricature of a dinosaur rock era long gone by. It's all in great fun, and nobody is made fun of at all.
My favorite character in the film is the ever-eternal Malcolm McDowell as vampire hunter Eddie Van Helsing. He's got a personal stake to grind when it comes to the charismatic vampire who's slowly turning The Winners' bassist — you see, this particular seducer specializes in chick rockers and in the mid-1970s, he stole Van Helsing's girl right off the stage. Said girl is still alive, but not at all well. A rapacious creature of the night, she's been under the bad guy's spell for some 30 years. In an ingenious splice-n-dice flashback sequence which shows the real-deal McDowell from a vintage film of his (1973's O Lucky Man), we see how he became so heartbroken back in the day and why he's now a warrior of the night (who just happens to be afraid of the dark).
When it comes to the death scenes, neck-biting, impaling and vampire-incineration scenes, Suck doesn't disappoint. Death by Slurpee straw is just one of the many sublimely ridiculous D.O.A. M.O.'s. Augmenting the gory visuals is truly accomplished and borderline arty cinematography by DP D. Gregor Hagey (who shares the commentary spotlight with Stefaniuk, in a very entertaining chit-chat). As for the music, it's OK — rock-lite more like, but not at all cheesy or annoying.
The extras on the DVD are great — especially Malcolm McDowell's. He laments the fact he doesn't have any musical numbers in the movie, but he's just such an easygoing, cool, and worldly fellow I could sit and listen to him read the phonebook and never be bored.
Suck is a great timewaster for rock fans who also enjoy a biting tale of chuckle-inducing vampirism and stolen souls searching for, if not redemption, a hit song.
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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson