Dracula: The Count's Kin

Indianapolis filmmaker Eric Pascarelli's vampire flick has its charms, lacks fangs.

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Vampire movies are some of the best and/or sexiest horror flicks out there IMHO. I’m talking the likes of “Let the Right One In,” “From Dusk Till Dawn,” “The Lost Boys,” “Interview with the Vampire” and “Bram Stoker’s Dracula.” As such, it’s impressive that Indianapolis-area filmmaker Eric Pascarelli has opted to tackle the subgenre with “Dracula: The Count’s Kin” (premiering at a sold-out screening this evening at Living Room Theaters). In some respects I’d say the juice was worth the squeeze … in others I wouldn’t.

Monika (Daisy Paroczy Hickey) is a criminal science major who put the first 10 years of her career on pause selflessly caring for a sickly aunt. Now that her aunt has passed Monika has returned home to stay with lifelong friend Devin (Holly Anspaugh) and rekindle a relationship with adopted sister Kelly (Paisley Blackburn). Additionally, she wants to put her education to work by working as an assistant to private investigator Walter (James Tackett).

Walter’s latest case involves the disappearance of Simon (Jamie Nolan), yet another man who’s gone missing when showing up for an online date. Walter was hired by Simon’s mother Gladys (Kim Lea Mays), who’s understandably distraught. Walter has Monika run point on the investigation in which she collaborates with local authorities Officers Gwen (Amanda Winston) and Dan (Derek McMahan) and begins being tailed by true crime podcaster Margaret (Chloe Lutz).

Monika turns up a clue that leads her to an address belonging to Elizabeth (Leanne Johnson) and overseen by Colin (Dashawn Kelley). Turns out Elizabeth is the sister of a dearly departed mister (to her at least) known as Dracula and Colin is her Renfield-esque familiar. Elizabeth has been swiping right for food sources that won’t put up much of a fight. As luck would have it, Monika and Elizabeth have familial beef that goes back centuries and the intrepid investigator is Elizabeth’s key to bringing Drac back.

I’ll give “Dracula: The Count’s Kin” this – it’s generally pretty well acted. I was especially impressed by the primary trio of Paroczy Hickey, Johnson and Tackett. The material these performers have to work with written by Pascarelli and Mage Lanz alternates between solid and stolid, but the better actors of the bunch elevate it at every turn.

There are elements about the picture I really admire – it’s cool that Pascarelli was allowed to film in Indy’s City Market Catacombs and I dug the closing credits tune “Bloodsuckers” composed by Pascarelli and performed by Marlee Carpenter. It’s never boring at a mere 87 minutes, but it’s also never terribly interesting.

I know it’s not fair to compare Pascarelli’s local offering to the films referenced in my first paragraph – his entire budget likely wouldn’t cover a day’s worth of craft services on most of these productions – but I’ll gripe as Gavin Rossdale growled, “There’s no sex in your violence.” Vampire flicks should be violent and they should be sexy – this ain’t nearly enough of either. Also, showing Elizabeth nonchalantly hanging in sunlight during an early shot with zero explanation is a big ol’ boo-boo. This is Vampire 101, folks.