“Forget everything you’ve ever heard about vampires,” warns Jack Crow (James Woods), the leader of Team Crow, a relentless group of mercenary vampire slayers. When Master Vampire Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith) decimates Jack’s entire team, Crow and the sole team survivor, Montoya (Daniel Baldwin), set out in pursuit. Breaking all the rules, Crow and Montoya take one of Valek’s victims hostage – a beautiful but unlucky prostitute (Sheryl Lee). She is the sole psychic link to Valek and they use her to track down the leader of the undead. As Valek nears the climax of his 600-year search for the Berziers Cross, Jack and the new Team Crow do everything possible to prevent him from possessing the only thing that can grant him and all the vampires the omnipotent power to walk the world in daylight.

For thoughts on John Carpenter’s Vampires, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Scream Factory presents John Carpenter’s Vampires with a tremendous 2160p transfer in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio sourced from a new 4K restoration of the Original Camera Negative with Dolby Vision/HDR. The film was previously released by the label on Blu-Ray a while back in 2019 from a dated master provided by Sony. That release was good enough at the time, but we are never sad to see a John Carpenter title get a proper restoration. This new presentation is a striking improvement in nearly every respect.

One of the first things you will notice is the distinct look achieved by cinematographer Garry B. Kibbe and how it is brought to life perfectly thanks to the implementation of Dolby Vision/HDR. The stylish red filters have never been more radiant or precise in terms of color output with remarkable depth and nuance. Lighting is very deliberate from scene to scene, and this disc handles every subtle environmental change with ease. Black levels are a lovely sight with nothing in the way of crush or banding present even in the dark layers the vampires are hiding within. Audiences can now discern much more shadow detail with figures properly defined instead of blending into the murky background. Highlights are firm with no signs of blooming in the brightest moments of vampires exploding. There are no unsightly digital anomalies such as compression artifacts or any other such impediments.

Another major improvement with this restoration is the presence of vital textures. The previous did not come close to looking this natural or detailed. Audiences will be blown away by the ridges on display in the costumes and within the production design. The level of detail and clarity on display is a knockout thanks to the sumptuous amount of natural film grain intact. The grain resolves favorably with nothing ever feeling clumpy, even within the shadowy environments. All specks of damage have been eliminated thanks to the restoration. This presentation is a gift for fans from the team at Scream Factory.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track which both serve up a perfectly rendered mix. The bluesy rock score from John Carpenter has never sounded more full of life and is used perfectly to establish the mood of the narrative. There is never a moment where it dares to overwhelm the competing sounds, and it maintains a respectful balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. This story is accompanied by a complex sound design that becomes very immersive with the surround mix. These tracks provide a soundscape that deftly captures the artistic intent with a fidelity that is peerlessly translated. Environmental sounds such as pouring rain and exploding vampires are rendered well alongside everything else. There do not seem to be any serious instances of age-related wear and tear. Scream Factory has treated this one with the due respect. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for those who desire them.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director John Carpenter provides an entertaining and informative commentary track as he takes you through the production of the film scene by scene.
Time To Kill Some Vampires – Interviews with Director Jon Carpenter, Producer Sandy King Carpenter, and Cinematographer Garry B. Kibbe: A nearly 13-minute piece in which the filmmaker and his wife discuss the development of the film from the novel, the casting process, the score and more while Kibbe offers thoughts on the look of the film and working with Carpenter.
Jack The Vampire Slayer – An Interview With Actor James Woods: A 22-minute interview with the performer in which he discusses the thrill of getting to work in a John Carpenter “western” outing, the freedom in working with the filmmaker, ad-libbing on set, the themes of the film, and much more.
The First Vampire – An Interview with Actor Thomas Ian Griffith: A ten-minute interview with the actor in which he describes landing the role in the film, the physical transformation into the character, working with Carpenter, and more.
Raising The Stakes – An Interview With Special Effects Artist Greg Nicotero: A nearly 11-minute piece on the special effects master who discusses his work on the film, utilizing contact lenses, the bloody special effects, nailing down the vampire explosion, and more.
Padre – An Interview With Actor Tim Guinee: A 13-minute interview with the performer in which he reflects on the production, how his character stood apart in the ensemble, his work in other vampire media, working with Woods and Carpenter, and more.
Original Making-Of Featurette: A 24-minute archival piece in which the cast and creative team take you through the production of the film.
Theatrical Trailer (2:06)
TV Spots (3:16)
Still Gallery (6:12)

Final Thoughts

John Carpenter’s Vampires may not reach the absolute heights of its legendary director, but it proves to be a more-than-solid entry into the latter half of his career. The western atmosphere mixed with the gothic thrills of vampire lore works very well, especially as it is accompanied by really cool practical effects. James Woods delivers some absolutely insane line readings in this one that make it extra memorable, and the rest of the ensemble does a good job with what they are given. If you enjoy a good vampire tale with dark comedy sprinkled about, you should give this a shot. Scream Factory has provided the film with a 4K UHD Blu-Ray release that boasts a 5-star A/V presentation and a terrific array of special features. If you are a Carpenter fan, don’t miss this ideal presentation. Recommended

John Carpenter’s Vampires (Collector’s Edition) is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray Combo Pack.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Scream Factory has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.