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6

nascentNov 9, 2012

Stake Land is a decent, atmospheric vampire/zombie film. Yet, it's made-for-tv budget let's it down. The film is often cheesy, lacks much in terms of character depth and the plot is largely forgettable. I came very close to ending the filmStake Land is a decent, atmospheric vampire/zombie film. Yet, it's made-for-tv budget let's it down. The film is often cheesy, lacks much in terms of character depth and the plot is largely forgettable. I came very close to ending the film within the first 15 minutes, I found it cheesier and lower budget than even the tv show The Walking Dead, but the ridiculously high reviews made me stick with it, and while I still think they're grossly overrating the film, it is pretty watchable.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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7

Nesbitt10Jul 5, 2013

"Stake Land" has strong characters, a lucid script, plenty of action, and something more substantial which elevates this film from the rest of the pack.

America is a lost nation. When an epidemic of vampirism strikes, humans find"Stake Land" has strong characters, a lucid script, plenty of action, and something more substantial which elevates this film from the rest of the pack.

America is a lost nation. When an epidemic of vampirism strikes, humans find themselves on the run from vicious, feral beasts. Cities are tombs and survivors cling together in rural pockets, fearful of nightfall. When his family is slaughtered, young Martin ("Gossip Girl's" Connor Paolo) is taken under the wing of a grizzled, wayward hunter (Nick Damici) whose new prey is the Undead.

Simply known as Mister, the vampire stalker takes Martin on a journey through the locked-down towns of America's heartland, searching for a better place while taking down any bloodsuckers that cross their path. Along the way they recruit fellow travellers, including a nun (Kelly McGillis) who is caught in a crisis of faith when her followers turn into ravenous beasts. This ragtag family unit cautiously moves north, avoiding major thoroughfares that have been seized by The Brethren, a fundamentalist militia headed by Jebedia Loven (Michael Cerveris) that interprets the plague as the Lord's work.

The film has the feel of "The Walking Dead" with vampires in place of zombies. With limited resources, it is nicely realized and a impressive level of authenticity is achieved. There are no stand out individual performances, but uniformly the cast does a fine job. Nice pacing backed by an equally fine musical score. A refreshingly unique horror film that achieves on all fronts, even if Canada is the final destination.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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10

JayNiagaraSep 5, 2011

Stunningly good horror movie - one of the best in a long time. The obvious comparison is that this must be some kind of 'Zombie Land' rip-off, especially with the vampire-tough-guy-escorting-younger-teen-and-coming-of-age storyline. Make noStunningly good horror movie - one of the best in a long time. The obvious comparison is that this must be some kind of 'Zombie Land' rip-off, especially with the vampire-tough-guy-escorting-younger-teen-and-coming-of-age storyline. Make no mistake, any parallels do not matter in the least. This movie is excellent and I cannot believe that it has a PG-13 rating! You know you're in for something brutal in the first five minutes when a vampire is encountered in the rafters of a farmhouse chewing on a newborn baby before dangling its corpse by one arm and dropping it to the floor below. Don't get me wrong, I have three kids of my own and I hate scenes like that - but it establishes the dark tone of the movie and how serious the movie-makers were about creating a realistic post-apocalyptic America that doesn't treat the viewers like idiots.… Expand

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

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10

dont_walkJun 27, 2011

I seriously think that this will be a slow burn success like Shawshank.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Yes, it held up it's influences for all to see - The Road, Kung Fu, The Fellowship of the Ring, Karate Kid, Deliverance, etc - butI seriously think that this will be a slow burn success like Shawshank.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Yes, it held up it's influences for all to see - The Road, Kung Fu, The Fellowship of the Ring, Karate Kid, Deliverance, etc - but for a LOW BUDGET FILM it seriously delivered. I was gripped from the first minute. I didn't recognise any of the actors - even Kelly McGillis; what a refreshing change. Zombie Land with brains (... although I've yet to see Zombie Land so apologise where relevant).

I'm considering buying the OST. *Don't believe the trailer. This is not a non-stop action romp*

Looking forward to the sequel ...… Expand

3 of 5 users found this helpful32

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10

Patrick94Jan 4, 2013

I'm surprised there's so few reviews for this one. I found it to be incredibly enjoyable, the atmosphere, the acting, the action, the suspense. It's all there, and it all works like it should

3 of 6 users found this helpful33

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8

ILHMJan 31, 2013

The world has been ravished by despair after a deadly plague has transformed most of the population into bloodthirsty vampires. Martin and his mentor, Mister, set off through dangerous territory in the hopes of reaching the safe haven knownThe world has been ravished by despair after a deadly plague has transformed most of the population into bloodthirsty vampires. Martin and his mentor, Mister, set off through dangerous territory in the hopes of reaching the safe haven known as New Eden, but in order to do so, they will have to fight their way through hordes of the undead, let alone an army of crazed religious fanatics that have embraced "God's wrath." Nick Damici and Jim Mickle follow up their vastly underrated feature debut, MULBERRY STREET, with another powerful post-apocalyptic vision of hell starring Damici as the mysterious vampire slayer, "Mister." The scope of the picture feels all-encompassing, transforming the entire world into an undead nightmare on a relatively small-scale. Damici creates an excellent new anti-hero in Mister, with his brash behavior and uncaring attitude amounting to a memorable performance overall. Connor Paolo comes as a much bigger surprise, however, as Mister's argil apprentice, Martin. His sincerity and vulnerability are what draw us in to their unfortunate predicament as they race for survival. With the human element already in place, we turn to the unbridled terror of Mickle's vampires. The creatures function on a level of base instinct, and attack with the ferocity of an untamed animal. This makes for many frighteningly intense moments as Mister and Martin find themselves in inescapable situations against overwhelming odds. STAKE LAND succeeds on almost every level, and is a refreshing change of pace for vampire fans.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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3

HyperboleJan 17, 2012

The first third is good, the second third is bad and the final third is laughable, and not in a good way. It ends up taking itself far too seriously but doesn't have to writing chops to back that up. It evens runs out of ideas completely,The first third is good, the second third is bad and the final third is laughable, and not in a good way. It ends up taking itself far too seriously but doesn't have to writing chops to back that up. It evens runs out of ideas completely, resorting to cringing cliche.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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8

VidsRuleJan 28, 2013

The world needs more movies like this- a post apocolyptic world with a realistic feel. The movie doesn't push any one concept to far (relationships, human vs human) but has it all. A very good movie.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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9

TheQuietGamerSep 22, 2012

I've never really been a huge vampire fan and I've really disliked almost every vampire movie I've seen, I can't really tell you why but Zombies are where it's at for me. I am proud to say however this is the best vampire movie I've everI've never really been a huge vampire fan and I've really disliked almost every vampire movie I've seen, I can't really tell you why but Zombies are where it's at for me. I am proud to say however this is the best vampire movie I've ever seen. It takes on several attributes of Zombie lore, humanity is on the brink of destruction, survivors are looking for a safe haven, gangs of thugs seek to take advantage of the week, and all hope seems lost. It kind of feels like the Walking Dead except with vampires, and even though it does borrow a lot from Zombie fiction it still feels like a vampire movie. It takes vampire movies into new territory, and if more vampire movies would do the same we might see them come back on top one day, but until then at least we have this fantastic vampire movie to enjoy. Highly recommended.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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5

BacksliderMar 22, 2013

Meh. It's not a bad movie, but it's not a good movie either. The characters often do stupid things apparently for no other reason than to further the story (sleeping out in the open, then abandoning the previously proven safety of a vehicleMeh. It's not a bad movie, but it's not a good movie either. The characters often do stupid things apparently for no other reason than to further the story (sleeping out in the open, then abandoning the previously proven safety of a vehicle to run through a cornfield to name but a couple foolish things). And despite the world ending as we know it under a wave of vampires, with people living in constant fear and scavenging to survive, apparently civilization is still intact enough for people to make a living as barbers and bartenders in the post-apocalypse...yah, okay.

If you're a diehard fan zombie/apocalypse movies, it's probably worth a look. Just go in expecting nothing better than a decent made-for-TV original SyFy movie, and you can't be disappointed.… Expand