Renfield the Undead and Meeting a Horror Icon: A Movie Review

*here be spoilers.

Director: Bob Willems.

Writers: Phil Nichols (story), Molly Vernon (screenplay).

The character of Renfield is quite the complex one to understand. In Bram Stoker's original treatment Dracula, he's characterized as the quintessential madman obsessed with the consumption of life. He serves a secret master, and Stoker never intended to have him survive past the events of the novel.

Just how he lasted to be featured in Renfield, the Undead almost needs to be asked. The presumption is that the staff of the asylum simply just buried him, and there he remained until the time was right for him to claw himself out of the dirt. If one interment was not enough, being buried six feet under was enough to really send him to go off the deep end.

Some people may see Phil Nichols performance of Renfield reminiscent of the Joker from "Batman." This actor certainly has the chops to play either, and be lovable at the same time. His wickedly cackling laugh and the range he expresses nearly parallels Mark Hamill's version than Heath Ledger’s in The Dark Knight. If Nichols is taking cues from previous comic book films, then director Bob Willems effectively pulls off the look with ease. He makes the comic book world come to life, and nothing is missed, There are plenty of silly one-liners and exposition to keep the tale moving along like an old EC Comics product.

Even the film acknowledges its approach by having a beautiful girl in the scene. She gets invited to the home of an unknown stranger for sex, but instead finds a comic book to read while he makes the drinks. Nothing is missed in the introduction, so no one develops expectations. What she reads is the film.

In this movie, Renfield is an antihero. What he has done since his reawakening has upset the rest of the Vampire community. He has Dracula's skull. Mina Harker (Roxy Cook) and her son, Quincy (Tyler Tackett), wants it back so they can resurrect their true master. The movie explains that Jonathan Harker walked away from his marriage when he discovered their child was a half-vampire. Mina committed suicide afterwards, and soon enough, she rose to become a vampire.

This movie actually follows Bram Stoker's narrative up to a point. And its transition to a campy comic book style slug-fest actually works. Renfield's life prior to being committed is explained in full detail, and the production involved in this segment of this movie really needs to be commended. The video cameras used in this film are very capable of recording in low light, and they are gorgeous to behold. A DVD release is not enough. This title deserves a Blu-ray treatment.

Although the green-screen work will become very apparent with the higher resolution format, that can be excused just to see the brilliance of this part of this film. The lighting and camera technicians deserve to be rewarded. With only candles providing some of the illumination, the rest must have come from some trick lighting techniques and post-production so the colours look warm than cold. These technical tricks help make Renfield's encounter with Dracula truly mystifying and dark. They help make life in Dracula's castle truly claustrophobic.

Even the decision in how to handle the transistion to vampire deserve praise. When the vampires walk by day, they look like every other human, but at night, they turn into these creatures from F. W. Murnau's Nosferatu. Instead of the classic Bela Legosi vampire, they resemble creatures who should belong in the "Vault of Horror." Either they have a strange deathly pallor to them, or their ears turn bat-like. Phil Nichols and Facades FX created some very stylish creature-designs.

Also equally deserving is some old school effects work. “The Master” literally has to grow a new body and that is a moment that's fondly recollected. Instead of being an all-digitally rendered segment, some real props were used and animated by using the simple reversing of the video.

The film ends with a hint of more to come. The story involving Detective Paul Cranston and Doctor Bonnie Johnson is one huge narrative bitten off for exploration later. But will there be more? Renfield II: Lucy the Undead is teased at, but let's hope this movie is not pulling a Bubba-hotep. Some people can not wait that long. Humans live and die faster while the vampires are eternal.

Score: 8.5 out of 10

The film's homepage:

Renfield the Undead's Official Website

Fan-page on Facebook:

Renfield the Undead on Facebook

For another comic book treatment of the Renfield character, please check out the highly rated "Renfield: A Tale Of Madness," by Gary Reed and Galen Showman:

"Renfield: A Tale of Madness"



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