About.com Rating

Director: David Slade
Writers (screenplay): Steve Niles, Stuart Beattie, and Brian Nelson
Based On The Comic By: Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith
Cast:
Eben Oleson – Josh Hartnett
Stella Oleson – Melissa George
Marlow – Danny Huston
The Stranger – Ben Foster
Content Guide: This movie is rated R for strong horror violence and language.

Intro

This movie is based on a comic book that first started as a movie. Rumor has it that writer Steve Niles had this screenplay in his drawer, but couldn’t find anyone to produce it.

When he brought in Ben Templesmith to do the art, a three issue mini-series was created and launched to critical and financial acclaim. What resulted was a bidding war on the property and five years later, 30 Days of Night is now a feature film by Sony Pictures.

Storyline

The basic story of the movie follows the premise of the comic book. Barrow, the northernmost town in Alaska is a place of extremes. In the summer, there is a period of time where it is always daylight In the winter, there is a period of time, thirty days to be exact, that it is always night. A group of vampires descend upon the town, feasting, killing, and rampaging in their own personal playground, cut off from the rest of the world. There seems to be no way to stop these monsters, and the town inhabitants must hide, hoping to survive until daybreak.
The main hero, Eben Oleson, town Sheriff, risks his life time and again to protect his friends, ex-wife Stella, and the rest of the town from the evil that is using it like a cattle farm.

In the end, he realizes there is a way to destroy these ancient beings, but the cost may be more than he realizes. What unfolds is a story of survival, fear, and terror as the town’s inhabitants must resort to their most basic instincts to survive the night.

Review

(Spoiler Alert!)
I wonder what was in the original script because although much of the comic survived the transition to film, much more has been added and tweaked. It appears that there have been three different rewrites of the screenplay, with Niles drafting the first, then Stuart Beattie (Pirates of the Caribbean) took over. When director David Slade came aboard, he had Brian Nelson (Hard Candy) who had worked with him previously rewrite it again. Apparently Nelson and Slade brought it from more of an action flick to its roots in the horror genre. Good choice.
The basic premise has survived the trip to the big screen. Eben, Barrow’s Sheriff, leads a group of survivors struggling to last the thirty days of night during winter. Stella is there, though as a separated wife and some of the other minor characters are also accounted for, but the movie has incorporated new characters and fleshed out the old ones much more. Eben lives in town with his grandmother Helen and brother Jake. Stella is not Sheriff in town, rather she is a fire marshal in town on business. She is replaced by Billy Kitka, a new deputy. The New Orleans connection is gone from the film and Gus’s story is never revealed.

The vampires have also seen some changes. The main vampire, Marlow, is present and there are many vampires that are strikingly familiar to their comic book counterparts but one huge part of the comic book story is completely axed with the concept of the ancients coming to confront Marlow and to clean up the mess they have made.

I have to say that I liked this adaptation overall. I felt that most of the changes enhanced the film. The new characters really helped to flesh out the story and make you feel more connected with them. There were many scenes right out of the comic, from Lucy’s Diner and the Stranger coming to town, the girl being used as bait, and Eben’s realization that he must become something more to deal with these vampires.

The vampires were very creepy, looking totally foreign and absolutely ghastly. The intensity of the suspense was done quite well, although I must say that the coldness of the theater really helped me feel like I was there, it was freezing! I didn’t like thought that the ancients were gone. I felt that it really added a twist to the story with them showing up and killing Marlow, taking over to clean up the mess they have made. Instead, it is Marlow that talks about how they have worked for centuries to become myth and they need to destroy the town to cover their tracks.

Another aspect of the vampires that I thought was hokey was how they fed on people. They thrashed a lot back and forth like a shark or rabid dog, making them look a little silly. Their evil and vile nature was all there, however, and they really pulled them off as predators, hunting and toying with their prey. I was also all set to be utterly freaked out when the little girl vampire came on the screen, but was let down. Although the girl’s demise was very gruesome and very hardcore, I felt that the comic version was much creepier and the movie version was just more of another monster to kill.

I also didn’t like the change in Stella and Eben’s relationship. I just didn’t think it added much to the film as I felt their love and struggle in the town was one of the neater parts of the comic. The sundown and sunup that Eben and Stella experience act as a complete circle in the story. They make an impact, but I liked the comic version better.

Conclusion

The tagline of this movie is that they are reinventing the vampire. I wouldn’t go that far, but I would say that they succeeded where others have failed. The creatures in this film are cold, calculating, and vicious; not fearing anything that the humans throw at them, only hunting to satisfy their thirst for blood. I’ve read that Nelson has stated they went for a more “naturalistic” vampire, and I think they have succeeded.
As far as comic book adaptation go, I felt this movie was very well done. Although some pieces were missing, it really captured the feeling of the comic book with the setting, characters, plot, and climactic ending. Horror fans will also like this film, as the gore is some of the more intense I have seen in a long while, making me jump more than a time or two. When I got home, I wanted to lock the doors and pull the shades.

I am pleased to recommend this movie as a faithful rendition of the comic book. It is a smart and grim tale, that doesn’t fall back on slapstick humor or gimmicky horror to win its audience. 30 Days of Night sets the intense feeling of isolation and impending doom right from the start and doesn’t ever let up.