Vampire Djuna (Joséphine De La Baume) is shaken out of her reclusive existence at a suitably gothic-looking lakeside mansion by the thunderbolt strike of love-at-first-sight when she meets Paolo (Milo Ventimiglia) one day at the locale video store. All’s well until the arrival of Djuna’s sister, Mimi (Roxane Mesquida).
Unlike her big sister, Mimi revels in her status as a primal creature of the night and indulges in its accompanying excesses. She’s nothing but trouble.
Writer/director Xan Cassavetes’ debut feature is filled with overtones of 1970s Eurosleaze with her French leading ladies adding to the retro feel. The film is somewhat hampered by a slight tendency towards overly clever editing of emotional exposition. One is also left wondering how anyone, including a vampire, can successfully chain all four of their limbs to separate bedposts. Quibbles aside, Kiss of the Damned is a more openly erotic and emotionally intense mirror image to more mainstream fare such as Twilight, for example. Cassavetes’ film also boasts one of the most memorable first kisses, which simultaneously inverts the genre’s well-established staple of the vampire at the door.
Extras
The commentary track by Cassavetes is quite focused on explaining plot points and the brilliance of her crew. Also included is a series of individual interviews with the director, Joséphine De La Baume, Milo Ventimiglia and Roxane Mesquida. It’s all a mutual love-in with Cassavetes keen to praise her actors and the actors their director. The two interviews with Mesquida are virtually the same. Elsewhere, we get US ‘red’ and ‘green’ band trailers and audio options.
Mairéad has awarded Kiss of the Damned Torches of Truth
