Date With a Vampire (2000) (Blu-ray Review)
DIRECTED BY: Jeffrey Arsenault
STARRING: Lori Thomas, Robin Macklin, Cynthia Polakovich
RATED: UR/Region: O/1:33/1080P/NUMBER OF DISCS 1
AVAILABLE FROM Visual Vengeance
If you’ve ever sat through a movie and thought, “Wow, this feels like it’s actively testing my patience,” then Date with a Vampire (2000), directed by Jeffrey Arsenault, is ready to clock you in for a full shift.
Now, to be fair, there’s a certain audience that thrives on “so bad it’s good” cinema—the kind where awkward line readings, questionable lighting, and budgetary limitations become part of the charm. And yes, Date with a Vampire occasionally flirts with that territory. You can almost see it becoming a cult oddity you throw on with friends for a few laughs.
But here’s the problem: it’s not consistently bad in a fun way—it’s bad in a slow way.
The pacing here is less “leisurely stroll” and more “stuck behind someone driving 15 under the speed limit with no passing lane.” Scenes drag, momentum stalls, and just when you think something weird or entertaining might happen… the movie decides to sit down and think about it for a while instead. Low-budget filmmaking always comes with some rough edges, but this one stacks them high enough that even the most forgiving viewers might start checking the runtime like it’s a countdown to freedom.
Visually, let’s just say this isn’t exactly Gone with the Wind in terms of HD splendor. The jump to high definition mostly serves to highlight every limitation rather than hide it. Soft focus, flat lighting, and that unmistakable “shot on whatever was available” vibe are all present and accounted for.
That said, the folks at Visual Vengeance deserve some credit—they’ve clearly done everything possible to make this the best-looking version of a movie that was never going to look good. More importantly, they’ve stacked the release with extras that actually make the whole package worthwhile. The real bonus here is the inclusion of Arsenault’s 2002 follow-up, Blood Carving, which feels less like a throw-in and more like a fascinating companion piece in the ongoing experiment of “how much can you do with very, very little?”
In the end, Date with a Vampire sits in an awkward middle ground. It’s not quite incompetent enough to be a riot, and not polished enough to be genuinely engaging. Some viewers will absolutely enjoy it because it’s rough around the edges—but others may find it a tougher sit than expected.
It’s the kind of movie you don’t so much watch as… endure. And depending on your tolerance for cinematic growing pains, that might be either a hidden gem or a long night.
Extras
- Region Free Blu-ray
- SD master from original tape elements
- Commentary with director Jeffrey Arsenault
- Interview with director Jeffrey Arsenault
- Interview with screenwriter Kevin J. Lindenmuth
- Interview with actress Cynthia Polakovich
- Interview with ‘Basement Vampire’ actor Joe Zaso
- Location Manager Nathan Thompson: Date With a Vampire Memories
- Buckingham Manor Location Video with Nathan Thompson
- Image Gallery
- Original Trailer
- Bonus Film: Blood Craving (2002)
- Blood Craving Commentary with director Jeffrey Arsenault
- Blood Craving Interview with director Jeffrey Arsenault
- Blood Craving Image Gallery
- Blood Craving: Original First Draft Trailers
- After Midnight Entertainment: Trailer Reel
- Visual Vengeance trailers
- Reversible sleeve featuring new Blood Craving art
- Folded mini-poster
- Optional English subtitles
- Limited Edition O-Card by Rick Melton – FIRST PRESSING ONLY AND WHILTE SUPPLIES LAST
